cricket20 :: Text Edition

cricket20

Text Edition

Top Stories

Cork's in the mood for revenge

Dominic Cork aims for Twenty20 revenge today after being haunted for the last 12 months by Lancashire's semi-final defeat last summer.

Dominic Cork aims for Twenty20 revenge today after being haunted for the last 12 months by Lancashire's semi-final defeat last summer.

"The way we lost to Surrey at Edgbaston...." Cork shakes his head, still hardly able to believe it. "I blame myself for it. We should have won but I blew it."

It is a harsh self-judgement. Cork's aggression near the end of Lancashire's innings took them to the brink of victory, but he was caught going for another big hit and they lost by one run.

Today, against his old club Derbyshire, Cork has a chance to haul Lancashire through to another Twenty20 finals day - this time at the Brit Oval on July 30 - and he is determined to give it his best shot.

"I bitterly regretted what happened at Edgbaston," he said. "I had just hit one six off Adam Hollioake, and went for another. I suppose, but I felt I had let everyone down.

"Now, though, we are playing well, and we would love it if we could give the fans another big day out."

Cork, in his second of a three year deal at Old Trafford is enjoying himself, as his leap of triumph showed after dismissing Sussex opener Ian Ward in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy quarter-final.

"That is one semi stitched up, now we want another," he said.

Mark Chilton's high-fliers are red-hot favourites today against a side they hammered twice in the qualifying group.

Each time Derbyshire succumbed to spin, notably the quirky teasers of Brad Hodge.

Spin is likely to play a crucial part again today, with left-armer Gary Keedy linking up with Andrew Symonds. But will Derbyshire fold so weakly again?

Cork warned: "Beating the same side three times on the trot in the same competition takes some doing, no matter who it is."

Lancashire, though, are in the form to do it having won six of their qualifiers, followed by the impressive knock-out of Sussex in the C and G when Symonds made a dream debut.

That remarkable performance, a century, two wickets, four catches and a run-out, earned Lancashire a sem-final draw against Warwicks at Edgbaston on August 20, a tough tie but a chance to avenge their last ball defeat in the Benson and Hedges semi in 2002.

It also offers up the thrilling prospect of a Roses final at Lord's with Yorkshire travelling to Hampshire in the other semi.

And at tea-time today Old Trafford will fill up again for another big match in a summer ripe with promise.

Then tomorrow night the lights come on for Old Trafford's first day-nighter of the season when victory over pacesetters Essex will push Lancashire back into the Totesport League reckoning, and the rest of the week is taken up by a championship match against Ronnie Irani's outfit.

Text Edition Home

Cricket | Champions League Cricket | IPL | ICL | Twenty20 World Cup