1979 Benson & Hedges Cup
| Administrator(s) | Test and County Cricket Board |
|---|---|
| Cricket format | Limited overs cricket (55 overs per innings) |
| Champions | Essex (1st title) |
| Participants | 20 |
| Matches | 47 |
| Most runs | 591 Graham Gooch (Essex) |
| Most wickets | 19 John Lever (Essex) |
The 1979 Benson & Hedges Cup was the eighth competing of cricket's Benson & Hedges Cup. The competition was won by Essex County Cricket Club.
Controversy
Going into the final round of matches in Group A, Somerset held a three-point lead over both Glamorgan and Worcestershire. Worcestershire were due to play Somerset at New Road while Glamorgan had an easy fixture against Minor Counties South at Watford.
It was mathematically possible for both Glamorgan and Worcestershire to overhaul Somerset in the table, and qualify for the quarter-finals, if both teams won (leaving all three on nine points) and their bowling strike rates improved and Somerset's worsened. Bowling strike rate was used as a tie-breaker in the event of teams finishing level on points.
In the match at Worcester, Somerset's captain Brian Rose won the toss and elected to bat. After one over, which yielded a no-ball, Rose declared, leaving Worcestershire a target of two which they knocked off in 10 balls. This left Somerset's strike rate intact.[1][2] The action was in fact unnecessary as Glamorgan's match was washed out.
Although Rose was condemned, there was nothing in the Rules against a declaration in limited overs cricket at the time. The action was however viewed as being against the spirit of the game, and the TCCB expelled Somerset from the Benson & Hedges Cup on 1 June, their place in the quarter-finals being taken by Glamorgan.
Fixtures and results
Group stage
Group A
| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | BowSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 33.321 |
| Worcestershire | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 36.920 |
| Glamorgan | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 36.040 |
| Gloucestershire | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 53.100 |
| Minor Counties South | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 55.692 |
1 Somerset declared at 1/0 after one over in the match against Worcestershire in order to ensure that they could not be overtaken on strike-rate. Eight days after the match, an emergency meeting of the TCCB disciplinary committee was called, and Somerset were ejected from the competition for bringing the game into disrepute.
Group B
| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | BowSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 39.786 |
| Derbyshire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 33.438 |
| Lancashire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 49.500 |
| Leicestershire | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50.731 |
| Hampshire | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 73.941 |
Group C
| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | BowSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 34.972 |
| Essex | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 39.774 |
| Sussex | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 50.000 |
| Northamptonshire | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 55.000 |
| Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 93.286 |
Group D
| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | BowSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 35.227 |
| Yorkshire | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 33.111 |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 41.903 |
| Kent | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 35.139 |
| Minor Counties North | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 123.143 |
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
References
- ^ Lawford, Mark (8 July 2008). "The day Somerset skipper Brian Rose took the rules to the limit and declared in the first over to ensure his side went through". Daily Mail. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ Williamson, Martin (23 May 2009). "I do declare". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 December 2012.