Date-stamped : 12 Jun96 - 22:15 Benson & Hedges Cup 1996 - Semifinal Northamptonshire v Warwickshire Northampton 11, 12 June ====> REPORT 12 June 1996 Emburey holds key to success for Northants By Christopher Martin-Jenkins at Northampton Warwicks (91-3) need 130 runs to beat Northants (220-7) IT WAS not clear, when the sixth shower of a grey and windy day brought a full stop to a nicely poised contest yesterday evening, whether Northamptonshire or Warwickshire would be contesting the final on July 13. Given a fine morning the odds are that it will be Warwickshire, who were pursuing with relish a Northants total of 220 for seven when the rain set in. With seven wickets in hand they will need a further 130 today from 26 overs and four balls. Dominic Ostler and Paul Smith (18 off 11 balls so far) will continue a promising stand, content in the knowledge that a thoroughly committed Curtly Ambrose has bowled six of his 10 overs without a wicket so far. Much may depend on the postponed spell of off-spin by John Emburey, who said yesterday that he intended to concentrate full-time on his role as manager/coach in the second half of the season. The performance of several very promising cricketers on the staff has no doubt encouraged him. It was a partnership of 108 by Tim Walton and Tony Penberthy, the highest for the Northants seventh wicket in 33 years of one-day competition, which gave Warwickshire a much more serious challenge than looked likely when they took the sixth home wicket with only 88 on the board and a mere 19 overs left. The recovery was achieved by two players rapidly emerging from the long shadows of county cricket. Walton, the 23- year-old right-hander preferred only at the last moment to Alan Ford- ham, has filled out and gained confidence while spending his last two winters in New Zealand. He batted with power and ortho- dox flair yesterday, striking five fours and two sixes over long off. Penberthy is a classic example of the importance of assurance in a cricketer. It has taken the Cornish all-rounder a long time - he first played for Northants in 1989 - to convince everyone that he is more a batsman who bowls than vice versa. The new team of Emburey and Rob Bailey asked him to open the innings in the second game of the pre-season tour, which did wonders for his self-belief. The need for all but two men to remain within the circle for the first 15 overs was of no consequence as Bailey and Richard Montgomerie looked to build a base As the only left-hander among those with serious batting pretensions, there was a case for his coming in a place higher than he did yesterday, to disrupt the immaculate straightness of line which was the feature of Warwickshire`s early bowling. Well as he and Walton played in their record stand, the fact that the line constantly needed to be changed helped them greatly. Hitherto the bowlers had held the initiative after Dermot Reeve had chosen to take the field first on a dry, bare pitch. Like many at Northampton it played better than it looked and it was firm enough for the ball to go through quite quickly, especially for those operating from the pavilion end with a southerly blus- ter behind. As many wickets fell at the other end, however, including the first when David Capel edged Dougie Brown to slip. Andy Moles juggled with the ball before flipping it to Keith Piper, like a No 8 feeding his scrum-half. The need for all but two men to remain within the circle for the first 15 overs was of no conse- quence as Bailey and Richard Montgomerie looked to build a base, but Bailey was starting to fret when he missed a drive at Graeme Welch and only Montgomerie, running like a hare and pul- ling with relish, kept the scoreboard moving for long. It might not have been so had Mal Loye not taken a chance with Trevor Penney`s electric speed and paid the same penalty as so many have before, including Penberthy when these sides met in the second Lord`s final last year. Sprinting left and fizz- ing the ball to the top of the stumps he started a crisis which increased when Kevin Curran wafted across the line, Montgomerie cut Paul Smith to deep third man in his first over and Russell Warren was skilfully caught by Piper. Like Montgomerie, Warren was surprised by Smith`s extra pace and bounce, top edged a hook and saw Piper dashing half-way to the fine-leg boundary to take the skyer. Warwickshire had Moles to thank for keeping Ambrose at bay when their turn came, though Neil Smith hit him twice for off- side fours as he gave himself room before Paul Taylor, in an excellent new-ball spell into the wind, had Smith caught at slip and then brought a ball back to bowl Brown. Northants had a bonus eight overs later when Moles cut a long-hop gently to cov- er, but they will need the rub of the green if they are to de- fend their total successfully today. ====> REPORT (Reserve Day) Warwickshire run into trouble By Christopher Martin-Jenkins at Northampton Northants (220-7) bt Warwicks(193) by 27 runs NORTHAMPTONSHIRE earned their second successive Lord`s final and their 12th one-day win out of 12 this season through thoughtful bowling and outstanding fielding. Warwickshire were 147 for four, needing only 74 more runs from 16 overs, when Tim Walton earned the first of the two run-outs which made him unquestionably the man of the match. Exemplary bowling by John Emburey, Paul Taylor and David Capel proved too much after that, even for the resources of Dermot Reeve. Warwickshire, in effect, ran themselves out of the match, losing four of their last seven wickets to fielders rather than bowlers, but that is one-day cricket: the one thing about which everyone agrees is that it has transformed the quality of fielding. Without three outstanding players in Tim Munton, Nick Knight and Gladstone Small, Warwickshire were not quite good enough against a county whose strength in depth is beginning to rival their own: they must look to the second knock-out competi- tion now if they are to win a fourth Lord`s final in four years. Full of grace as Tuesday`s child in his commanding 70 not out, Walton spelt woe for the batsmen on Wednesday, hitting the stumps, to his own amazement, from deep midwicket to run out, of all people, Trevor Penney - the biter bit - and then swooping to his left at backward point to throw down the stumps again two overs later. This brilliant bit of work by yet another exiled Yorkshireman put an end to a bold and effective innings by Paul Smith. As in their quarter-final against Kent, Northamptonshire had managed to retrieve a game which had looked to be slipping from their grasp in the field. With Dominic Ostler, Smith had suggested in the early overs that Northamptonshire`s 220 would be overhauled quite comfort- ably. Driving strongly, they had taken the score to 118 in the 28th over when Curtly Ambrose, brought back for two overs when Rob Bailey knew that a wicket was essential, yorked Ostler middle and leg. They had put on 57 off 52 balls and Penney kept the momentum going by wafting Tony Penberthy effortlessly back over his head for six. The Walton run-outs were followed, however, by the swift disap- pearance of Shaun Pollock, pulling a short ball from Capel to deep mid on in the 39th over and Graeme Welch, sweeping at Em- burey only to be given out leg before in the 40th. That was that for the bowlers. Keith Piper was run out by a delighted Ambrose, picking up too deftly at midwicket for Reeve to take a single and flicking the ball back for Emburey to remove the bails. Finally Ashley Giles, having helped his captain to add 21 in three overs, turned too slowly after Reeve had sent him back. As in their quarter-final against Kent, Northamptonshire had managed to retrieve a game which had looked to be slipping from their grasp in the field. It will encourage them still more in the final, for all Lancashire`s heroics yesterday, that their other 10 limited-overs wins have come batting second. They know they can do it either way. As Bailey said: "What we asked of the lads they gave us. They fielded magnificently." Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)