Burnley Win T20 Quarter-Final Thriller

Burnley chase down 190 to book a place at Finals Day

Lowerhouse 189-7 (20 overs)
Burnley 190-4 (19.1 overs)

Lowerhouse won the toss and elected to bat in a mouth-watering T20 quarter-final against Burnley at The Brooks Foundation Ground. Adding even more incentive to an already fiercely contested fixture, the winners would also earn the right to host Finals Day.

Ben Heap came out firing, smashing 35 from just 16 balls, while Dan Salpietro continued his excellent form with 24 from 18. The pair had raced Lowerhouse to 59 before both fell in the same over, Ockert Erasmus removing each of them with catches taken by Jack Brunt. When Johnny Whitehead departed shortly afterwards, Lowerhouse had slipped from 59 without loss to 63 for 3.

At the halfway stage of the innings the score had recovered to 95 for 3, with Tom Walker and Francois Haasbroek rebuilding superbly. Walker reached an excellent half-century from just 38 deliveries and, with four overs remaining, Lowerhouse were well placed on 139 for 3.

Walker continued to accelerate, reaching 76 from 48 balls as the score climbed to 168 for 3 with two overs remaining. Haasbroek provided the perfect support, contributing 29 from 24 deliveries.

Walker was eventually dismissed for a superb 80 from just 50 balls on the second delivery of the penultimate over after producing one of the finest T20 innings seen at the club this season. Keagan De Vries added valuable late runs with two boundaries before Haasbroek holed out for 29 from the first ball of the final over. Henri Cottam was dismissed first ball, but Lowerhouse closed on an imposing 189 for 7, with De Vries unbeaten on 14 from six deliveries. Burnley required 190 to progress.

Burnley Chase

Burnley made a confident start, reaching 50 without loss from the opening six overs before Haasbroek produced the breakthrough with a sharp caught-and-bowled chance.

The visitors advanced to 74 for 1 after nine overs before Ben Heap struck, bowling Clarke with Johnny Martin completing the stumping. At that point Burnley were 91 for 2 and still required 99 from the remaining 58 deliveries.

After 13 overs the score had moved to 107 for 2, but Burnley’s experienced pairing of Bedford and Erasmus continued to keep the required rate under control. With five overs remaining they needed 61, Bedford unbeaten on 59 and Erasmus on 14.

Lowerhouse were unable to take several chances offered in the closing stages and Burnley capitalised. Tom Walker eventually removed Erasmus with a caught-and-bowled from the final delivery of the 17th over, leaving Burnley needing 37 from the last three overs.

That soon became 23 required from the final two overs before Burnley completed an outstanding chase, requiring only four from the last over and sealing victory from the very first delivery with five balls to spare.