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Friends Provident Trophy - Road to Lord's

FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY FINAL, Lord's:
Sussex v Hampshire

Date: Saturday, 25 July 2009 Start of play: 1045 BST
Coverage: Live ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC R4 LW, BBC Sussex, BBC Radio Solent and BBC Sport website; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; scorecard on Ceefax & digital text

Michael Yardy and Dimitri Mascarenhas

Hampshire and Sussex contest the final of the Friends Provident Trophy on Saturday.

Both sides have enjoyed success in the competition in recent years, with Hampshire winning the trophy in 2005 and Sussex lifting it 12 months later.

However, their progress to this year's final marks a turnaround in fortunes from 2008, where both counties failed to make it past the group stages.

Here, BBC Sport takes a look back at the road to Lord's.

GROUP STAGE

Hampshire qualified as winners of Group A, winning five of their eight games.

They opened the campaign with the first of two defeats by Worcestershire, before Chris Benham starred in back-to-back wins against Leicestershire.

After their trip to Ireland was washed out, Dimitri Mascarenhas' side bounced back from their second defeat by Worcestershire with wins against Nottinghamshire and Ireland.

Needing to win at Trent Bridge in their final group game to guarantee qualification, Dominic Cork's 4-18 helped blow Notts away for just 145 before Michael Lumb and Jimmy Adams shared an unbroken opening stand to lead Hampshire to a 10-wicket win and a guaranteed home quarter-final.

In Group B, Sussex qualified for the quarter-finals with a game to spare, but missed out on a home tie in the last eight after losing their final group game to bottom-side Surrey.

They began with back-to-back defeats to eventual group winners Gloucestershire and Yorkshire, before four successive wins sealed their qualification.

Ed Joyce's century was the highlight of an eight-wicket win at Durham, before Mike Yardy's side survived a late Surrey assault at Hove to get home by two runs.

James Kirtley's career best one-day figures of 6-50 and 92 from Phil Mustard helped defeat Durham when they visited the south coast, before Yardy's 68 in the win over Yorkshire ensured his men would line up in the last eight.

QUARTER-FINALS

Hampshire's reward for winning Group A was a home tie against Middlesex.

Michael Lumb
Michael Lumb struck 100 from 98 balls in the quarter-final win over Middlesex

Lumb, who hit only the second one-day century of his career, shared an opening stand of 156 with Adams (76), before Liam Dawson plundered 51 from 37 deliveries as the home side racked up an imposing 310-4 at the Rose Bowl.

Middlesex were given hope by a second-wicket stand of 89 between Sam Robson (48) and Neil Dexter (79), but when Dexter fell to Imran Tahir (2-49), the visitors faded.

Billy Taylor had last man Steven Finn caught by Michael Carberry to pick up his third wicket, as Middlesex were bowled out for 266.

Sussex travelled to Somerset in the last eight and successfully chased down 286 with five balls to spare.

Craig Kieswetter struck 106 and Zander de Bruyn 96 as the home side closed on 285-6, with Yasir Arafat picking up 3-52.

After Joe Gatting fell to the second ball of the Sussex reply, all of the top order contributed with the bat.

First, Joyce (74) and Chris Nash (41) put on 74 for the second wicket before Murray Goodwin (93) shared two partnerships of 89 with Joyce and Yardy (57 not out).

With two overs to go, Sussex still required 27 to win, but Rory Hamilton-Brown's unbeaten 18 from 10 balls saw them home.

SEMI-FINALS

Lumb and Adams again starred in Hampshire's 64-run victory over Lancashire at Old Trafford.

After the visitors lost the toss, the openers put on 159 with Adams making 78 and Lumb 76.

When they departed, Hampshire buckled under pressure applied by Glen Chapple, Saj Mahmood and Gary Keedy, who each picked up three wickets, to slip to 271 all out.

VVS Laxman (54) shared a second-wicket stand of 73 with Mal Loye (31), but when the Indian was removed by Dawson, Tahir (3-38), Sean Ervine (2-28) and Chris Tremlett (2-44) ensured that Lancashire succumbed for 207.

Murray Goodwin and Ed Joyce
Goodwin and Joyce shared a stand of 144 in the victory over Gloucestershire

Opener Joyce hit the highest one-day score of his career as Sussex booked their place at Lord's with a 34-run win against Gloucestershire at Hove.

Joyce's 146, along with 60 from Goodwin helped the home side to 326-7 from their 50 overs.

Visiting captain Alex Gidman (116) hit a century of his own, as he shared a second-wicket stand of 155 with Hamish Marshall (57).

But captain Yardy had Gidman caught behind on his way to figures of 4-54 as Gloucestershire fell short on 292 all out.



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see also
Yardy wants Sussex to keep focus
24 Jul 09 |  Sussex
Hants are underdogs - Mascarenhas
24 Jul 09 |  Hampshire
Shark attacks Lord's ban
24 Jul 09 |  Cricket
Openers earn Hampshire semi win
05 Jul 09 |  Counties
Sussex win sets up Trophy final
06 Jul 09 |  Counties
Lumb century helps Hants victory
23 May 09 |  Counties
Skipper Yardy sees Sussex to semi
23 May 09 |  Counties
Hants blitz Notts to go through
20 May 09 |  Counties
Ramprakash ton sets up Surrey win
19 May 09 |  Counties
Sussex book quarter-final place
18 May 09 |  Counties
Ervine century sets up Hants win
18 May 09 |  Counties
Sussex hopes hampered by downpour
15 May 09 |  Counties
Hants beaten by Worcs team effort
14 May 09 |  Counties
Hants win after Notts recovery
12 May 09 |  Counties
Kirtley burst secures Sussex win
11 May 09 |  Counties
Sussex hang on for dramatic win
10 May 09 |  Counties
Hants suffer rain-off in Ireland
10 May 09 |  Counties
Joyce century leads Sussex to win
04 May 09 |  Counties
Benham ton sets up Hampshire win
03 May 09 |  Counties
Vaughan in runs as Yorkshire win
26 Apr 09 |  Counties
Benham sets up Hampshire victory
26 Apr 09 |  Counties
Glos ease to victory over Sussex
19 Apr 09 |  Counties
Moeen century sets up Worcs win
19 Apr 09 |  Counties


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