Finals day for the Second Eleven T20 competition, with 9 wins from 10 games Warwickshire have qualified for the semi finals.

Live scores links to follow.
10:30 Warwicks v Middx https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/#m1c295697-0086-4fc9-8b54-8add2196fc65
13:45 Sussex v Yorks
17:00 The Final

Good to see Andy Umeed is included in the squad, hopefully he has a successful return.

Interview with Ian Westwood about the second team's path to the Finals here:
https://edgbaston.com/news/westwood-on-second-xi-t20-finals-day/

Sussex are hardly playing fair in this. They’ve named a squad that includes Luke Wright, Ravi Bopara, Phil Salt, Travis Head, and Delray Rawlins. If you include Aaron Thomason, Stuart Meaker and Henry Crocombe, that’s 9 players who have played in their T20 first XI this year.
They’ve not included any of their first choice bowlers though, which is very sporting of them.

Totally out of order.

They’ve taken full advantage of hosting the event, knowing that none of their players will struggle to get to Hove for their Blast match the next day.
Whilst Warwickshire and Middlesex can’t do the same thing as they have Blast matches tonight, and Yorkshire are hardly going to make any of their first XI travel all the way down on their sole day in between matches.
So it’s fair to say Sussex are big favourites now, but I expect the matches to be high scoring. As it’s usually a very flat pitch at Arundel and there won’t be any bowlers of note in any of the teams.

Bears batting first and doing OK at the moment - 81 -3 at the half way stage. Some interesting team selections - Dom Sibley in, a chap called Matthew Montgomery opening the batting and going well so far (I think he scored 100+ against us for Notts recently). Also Andy Umeed is playing although he didn't last long at the crease. Must take issue with BB's comment that there will be no bowlers of note playing - OHD is in the team too!!

Matt Mongomery is a former South Africa U19 captain, whos spent the summer with Notts 2nd team.

Highveld wrote:

Matt Mongomery is a former South Africa U19 captain, whos spent the summer with Notts 2nd team.

That's 3 South African born players in the team today - Montgomery, van Vollenhoven and Chris Benjamin (who I see is Captaining again - and taken 3 catches behind, so far). KVV and Benjamin have UK passports though, so that helps if we decide to offer them a contarct (I hope we do); I'm not sure about the status of Montgomery.

We made 155 for 7 in our 20 - top score for Montgomery (66), double figures for Sibley (16), Benjamin (10), Ethan Brookes (16), Dan Lincoln (20 - who's back in as a specialist batsman this time) and George Garrett (13 NO). 5 for Andy U !

Middlesex are on 114 for 5 after 16 - so need 10 an over. 2 wickets for Sidebottom, 1 apiece for KVV, Montgomery and Ethan B. Should be a close finish ?

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

Highveld wrote:

Matt Mongomery is a former South Africa U19 captain, whos spent the summer with Notts 2nd team.

That's 3 South African born players in the team today - Montgomery, van Vollenhoven and Chris Benjamin (who I see is Captaining again - and taken 3 catches behind, so far). KVV and Benjamin have UK passports though, so that helps if we decide to offer them a contract (I hope we do); I'm not sure about the status of Montgomery.

We made 155 for 7 in our 20 - top score for Montgomery (66), double figures for Sibley (16), Benjamin (10), Ethan Brookes (16), Dan Lincoln (20 - who's back in as a specialist batsman this time) and George Garrett (13 NO). 5 for Andy U !

Middlesex are on 114 for 5 after 16 - so need 10 an over. 2 wickets for Sidebottom, 1 apiece for KVV (ending on 1 for 24 off 4 overs), Montgomery (1 for 23 off 4) and Ethan B (1 for 10 off 1).

Montgomery is a European (German) Passport holder - so I guess he has some employment status (if he applies for it under the EU settling scheme). He's studying at Loughborough Uni and playing Club Cricket for Kegworth. Before Uni, he played cricket in Yorkshire - and I think went to school there.

We won by 18 runs. Middlesex ended on 137, the last 5 wickets to go were taken Johal (ending on 2 for 13 off 2 overs), OHD (1 for 26 off 4) and Sidebottom (4 for 28 off 4). The Final here we come ! Given the Sussex squad, I guess we'll be playing them. Their Semi, against Yorkshire, soon.

Some great info on here, thanks all.

He'd be on a student visa, unless he's already applied for EUSS. However for cricket purposes he'd be classed as an overseas player.

It’s more complicated than citizenship now though. It’s not just a case of having a passport.
You need citizenship, and either to have lived permanently in the uk for 3 years. Or not played as a domestic player in another national competition for 3 years..

I will admit though, I’m not a fan of all the South African imports coming over as domestic players. I don’t see why we can’t produce local players from the county. It costs more to nurture a player from 9/10 through to the squad, but it’s how it’s supposed to work. Getting in South Africans at 18/19 who couldn’t make it on SA for whatever reason, seems wrong.
And at the end if the day, young British talent loses; and South African elite sport loses

The situation in South Africa is complex, with sides not been selected purely on cricketing ability.
Also if a player has family links with the UK they may prefer to spend theri working life here.

As we expected, we are playing Sussex in the Final - they stuffed Yorkshire by 9 wickets.

We won the toss and chose to bat. Same team as the Semi. 54 for 2 off 8. Sibley out early again (3) and Captain Benjamin (11). Montgomery and Andy U pushing it on a bit now.

Looks like we're going to win this - fairly easily. Great batting by Montgomery, great bowling by George Garrett (at long last).

Interesting Sussex couldn’t quite bring themselves to play Salt, Head and Bopara in the final. That would have been ra step too far I imagine.

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

Looks like we're going to win this - fairly easily. Great batting by Montgomery, great bowling by George Garrett (at long last).

Yep, won by 54 runs. 2nd's T20 CHAMPIONS !

Montgomery 60, Ethan B 25 and KVV 28 NO were top scorers. GG 5 for 19, Sidebottom 2 for 16, KVV 1 for 11, OHD 1 for 12 and Johal 1 for 15.

Sussex didn't have their top batters in the Final, but it was still a first class win. A great all round performance - on a difficult wicket by all accounts.

On the basis of this match, Matt Montgomery has to be given more 2nd's opportunities. And after some wonderful displays over the last few weeks, KVV (as an all rounder) and Chris Benjamin (as Captain, Batsman and Keeper) fully deserve a contract of some sort. But I think Dan Lincoln's time with us is up and on todays performance, we remember why Andy Umeed was released. As for Dom S, where IS he going ?!