Mumbai - Leicestershire and Somerset have joined the Nokia Champions League Twenty20 field after winning their respective England domestic T20 semifinals at Edgbaston Saturday.
On a remarkable day of domestic T20, both semifinals were decided by one-over eliminators.
Will Jefferson was the hero for Leicestershire in a rain-affected first semi-final, striking two fours and a six in the eliminator to overhaul Lancashire’s total of 13, while in the second semifinal, Somerset edged defending champions Hampshire to qualify for the Champions League beginning Sep 19.
In Somerset and Hampshire’s six-ball shootout, Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler scored 16 runs for Somerset before Alfonso Thomas limited Hampshire to five runs in reply.
Somerset’s qualification means that West Indian Kieron Pollard became the first player to qualify for four teams at the T20 event - Trinidad & Tobago, South Australia, Mumbai Indians and Somerset.
Pollard, however, has expressed interest in playing for Mumbai Indians next month after being named by Trinidad & Tobago and his IPL team in their final 15-man squads.
Leicestershire has been drawn in Qualifying Group B alongside Trinidad & Tobago and Sri Lanka’s Ruhunu, while Somerset will play Kolkata Knight Riders and Auckland in Qualifying Group A. The top three teams from the qualifier advance to the group stage where 10 teams will be in action.
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Today : Sunday - May 27, 2012, 12:35pm (GMT+5.5)
