The Benson & Hedges Cup will bow out of the cricket calendar after its 31st final, between Essex and Warwickshire at Lord's on Saturday. The competition began as a 55-over affair in 1972, and remained so until 1995, when it was cut to 50 overs. It almost disappeared before - in 1999 we had the B&H Super Cup, before the competition reverted to its original format in 2000. This time there will be no second encore, and the curtain will close for good. One man has dominated the B&H Cup like no other. Graham Gooch has scored the most runs (5176), received the most Gold Awards (22), made the highest score (198 not out, against Sussex at Hove in 1992) and the first century in a final (120 against Surrey in 1979). Another Essex stalwart, John Lever, is the top wicket-taker with 149, and Essex also have the highest total, a whopping 388 for 7 against Scotland at Chelmsford in 1992. Fittingly, Gooch top-scored with 127 and took the Gold Award.

The lowest score was Hampshire's 50, against Yorkshire at Headingley in 1991, while the best bowling figures belong to the West Indian Wayne Daniel, who terrorised the Minor Counties (East) with 7 for 12 for Middlesex at Ipswich in 1978. The fastest hundred came from Glamorgan's Malcolm Nash, smashed in just 62 minutes against Hampshire at Swansea in 1976 - the same ground on which, eight years previously, he'd been whacked for six sixes in an over by Garry Sobers.

Nash's Glamorgan are one of only three counties not to have won the trophy, Sussex and Durham being the others. Lancashire lead the way with four titles, followed by Kent, Surrey and Gloucestershire on three. Kent have also been the bridesmaids five times, having lost more finals than any other county.

Kent were also the first holders to lose in the final, in 1977, a fate that also befell Lancashire in 1991 and Gloucestershire ten years later. When Gloucestershire lost to Surrey in 2001, the late Ben Hollioake took the Gold Award for his 73, as he had done after a thrilling 98 against Kent in 1997. Hollioake is the only man to win the Gold Award twice in the final. In last year's final, Surrey stopped Gloucestershire winning three in a row - in 2000 they became one of three counties to retain their title. Somerset (1982) and Lancashire (1996) are the others.

The list of Gold Award winners is notably eclectic. It includes the great (Viv Richards, John Edrich, Graham Gooch, Aravinda de Silva, Asif Iqbal), the good (Allan Lamb, Graeme Hick, Bob Woolmer, Robin Smith), and some solid county pros who have had their day in the sun (Norman McVicker, Graham Johnson, Andy Stovold, Jim Love, Paul Prichard).

Then there is John Abrahams, the Lancashire captain who took the award despite making a duck, taking no catches and not bowling in his side's victory over Warwickshire in 1984. Abrahams's inspirational captaincy got him the award from Peter May, and his face when he realized he'd won it was a picture. The Wisden Almanack said the award was "as much for the part he'd played in getting Lancashire to the final as any outstanding contribution on the day".

Lancashire were also involved when Kent's Aravinda de Silva became the first man to take the Gold Award and finish on the losing side, in 1995. de Silva's 112, made off only 95 balls, was a quite spellbinding innings. Matthew Maynard repeated the feat in 2000 with a majestic 104 in Glamorgan's defeat by Gloucestershire.

The prototype for winning a B&H final is to win the toss and bat first. Eighteen of the 30 finals have been won by the team winning the toss, 17 by the team batting first. Four of these 17 were classic nailbiters - with the winning margin less than ten runs - but the tightest match of all was in 1987, when Yorkshire won by virtue of losing one fewer wicket than Northants when the scores finished level. Jim Love calmly blocked the last ball of the match to seal victory. The Wisden Almanack said that Yorkshire's "days of darkness were behind them".

1972 Leics bt Yorks by 5 wkts
1973 Kent bt Worcs by 39 runs
1974 Surrey bt Leics by 27 runs
1975 Leics bt Middx by 5 wkts
1976 Kent bt Worcs by 43 runs
1977 Gloucs bt Kent by 64 runs
1978 Kent bt Derbys by 6 wkts
1979 Essex bt Surrey by 35 runs
1980 Northants bt Essex by 6 runs
1981 Somerset bt Surrey by 7 wkts
1982 Somerset bt Notts by 9 wkts
1983 Middx bt Essex by 4 runs
1984 Lancs bt Warwicks by 6 wkts
1985 Leics bt Essex by 5 wkts
1986 Middx bt Kent by 2 runs
1987 Yorks bt Northants, having lost fewer wkts with scores tied
1988 Hants bt Derbys by 7 wkts
1989 Notts bt Essex by 3 wkts
1990 Lancs bt Worcs by 69 runs
1991 Worcs bt Lancs by 65 runs
1992 Hants bt Kent by 41 runs
1993 Derbys bt Lancs by 6 runs
1994 Warwicks bt Worcs by 6 wkts
1995 Lancs bt Kent by 35 runs
1996 Lancs bt Northants by 31 runs
1997 Surrey beat Kent by 8 wkts
1998 Essex bt Leics by 192 runs
1999 Gloucs bt Yorks by 124 runs
2000 Gloucs bt Glam by 7 wkts
2001 Surrey bt Gloucs by 47 runs

Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com.

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