Benson & Hedges Cup
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- This article is about the cricket trophy; for the similar named trophy for Ice Hockey see Benson & Hedges Cup (UK Ice Hockey)
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one day cricket competition for English first class counties which was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals. It was the third major one day competition established in England after the Sunday League and the Gillette Cup. Traditionally a 'big day out' for the finalist's supporters, it was the less prestigious of the two cups. It began as a 55 over a side game but was later reduced to 50. The winning team in the first cup final, Leicestershire won 2,500 pounds, the losing finalists Yorkshire 1,000 pounds and the winner of the man of the match - the coveted 'gold award' - 100 pounds.
Twenty teams were organised into four zonal groups in its original format with the games played at the start of the season in May. The (then) seventeen first-class counties were joined by three other teams, Minor Counties (North), Minor Counties (South) and Cambridge University who alternated with Oxford University. Each team played the others in the group, the winners of each game awarded three points plus, in its first year, a bonus point for bowling their opponents out. The first two teams in each group went on to contest a quarter final knock out stage. Groups were set up to create 'derby' games.
In 1976 the groupings were reorganised to remove the geographical element and the Minor Counties were divided into East and West instead of North and South. Scotland entered the competition in 1980 and the Minor Counties were reduced to one combined team. Durham joined the competition in 1992, having become a first class county, Ireland joined in 1994 and the competition was streamlined to a straight knock out cup. Mike Atherton's Combined Universities side almost reached the semi-finals in 1989 and Ireland defeated Middlesex eight years later.
The final was played at Lord's in late June. Viv Richards of Somerset made the highest score in a final, an unbeaten 132. Ken Higgs of Leicestershire took a hat-trick Alan Butcher, Pat Pocock and Arnold Long) against Surrey in the final of 1974 but still ended on the losing side. Other notable performances in its later days include Mark Alleyne's century for Gloucestershire in 1999, 112 from Aravinda de Silva as Kent lost in 1995 and Ben Hollioake's 115-ball 98 for Surrey in 1997.
The highest total ever recorded in the group matches was the 388 smashed by Essex against Scotland in 1992. Graham Gooch scored 127 as Scotland lost by 272 runs.
The Benson & Hedges Cup's later years coincided with increasing concern about the quantity of one day cricket in England. A ban on tobacco advertising deprived the cup of its sponsor and it was wound up in 2002 in favour of the populist Twenty20 Cup, first held the following year. The umpires in the last final, John Hampshire and Barry Dudleston, had faced each other as players in the first final 30 years before.
[edit] Finals
- 2002 Warwickshire beat Essex by 5 wickets
- 2001 Surrey beat Gloucestershire by 47 runs
- 2000 Gloucestershire beat Glamorgan by 7 wickets
- 1999 Gloucestershire beat Yorkshire by 124 runs
- 1998 Essex beat Leicestershire by 192 runs
- 1997 Surrey beat Kent by 8 wickets
- 1996 Lancashire beat Northamptonshire by 31 runs
- 1995 Lancashire beat Kent by 35 runs
- 1994 Warwickshire beat Worcestershire by 6 wickets
- 1993 Derbyshire beat Lancashire by 6 runs
- 1992 Hampshire beat Kent by 41 runs
- 1991 Worcestershire beat Lancashire by 65 runs
- 1990 Lancashire beat Worcestershire by 69 runs
- 1989 Nottinghamshire beat Essex by 3 wickets
- 1988 Hampshire beat Derbyshire by 7 wickets
- 1987 Yorkshire beat Northamptonshire - lost fewer wickets
- 1986 Middlesex beat Kent by 2 runs
- 1985 Leicestershire beat Essex by 5 wickets
- 1984 Lancashire beat Warwickshire by 6 wickets
- 1983 Middlesex beat Essex by 4 runs
- 1982 Somerset beat Nottinghamshire by 9 wickets
- 1981 Somerset beat Surrey by 7 wickets
- 1980 Northamptonshire beat Essex by 6 runs
- 1979 Essex beat Surrey by 35 runs
- 1978 Kent beat Derbyshire by 6 wickets
- 1977 Gloucestershire beat Kent by 64 runs
- 1976 Kent beat Worcestershire by 43 runs
- 1975 Leicestershire beat Middlesex by 5 wickets
- 1974 Surrey beat Leicestershire by 27 runs
- 1973 Kent beat Worcestershire by 39 runs
- 1972 Leicestershire beat Yorkshire by 5 wickets
[edit] Wins summary
- 4 Lancashire
- 3 Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire, Surrey
- 2 Essex, Hampshire, Middlesex, Somerset, Warwickshire
- 1 Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Yorkshire
