1996 Benson & Hedges Cup

The 1996 Benson & Hedges Cup was the twenty-fifth edition of cricket's Benson & Hedges Cup. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 26 April and 13 July 1996.^[3]

1996 Benson & Hedges Cup

Administrator(s)	Test and County Cricket Board
Cricket format	Limited overs cricket (50 overs per innings)
Champions	Lancashire (4th title)
Participants	22
Matches	57
Most runs	425 Rob Bailey (Northamptonshire)[1]
Most wickets	17 Mike Watkinson (Lancashire)[2]
← 1995 1997 →

The competition was won by Lancashire County Cricket Club for a record fourth time, defeating Northamptonshire County Cricket Club by 31 runs in the final at Lord's on 13 July 1996.

Format

At the TCCB's winter meeting on 13 December 1995, it was agreed to reduce the format of the cup from 55 to 50 overs a side.^[4]

Fixtures and results

Group stage

Group A

Team	Pld	W	L	NR	A	Pts	NRRA100
Lancashire	5	5	0	0	0	10	11.579
Warwickshire	5	3	1	1	0	7	39.578
Leicestershire	5	3	2	0	0	6	-3.928
Derbyshire	5	2	3	0	0	4	-4.790
Durham	5	1	3	1	0	3	-6.834
Minor Counties	5	0	5	0	0	0	-26.535

Source:^[5]

Group B

Team	Pld	W	L	NR	A	Pts	NRRA100
Northamptonshire	4	4	0	0	0	8	11.058
Yorkshire	4	3	1	0	0	6	15.255
Nottinghamshire	4	2	2	0	0	4	4.553
Worcestershire	4	1	3	0	0	2	2.284
Scotland	4	0	4	0	0	0	-36.257

Source:^[5]

Group C

Team	Pld	W	L	NR	A	Pts	NRRA100
Glamorgan	5	4	1	0	0	8	8.739
Kent	5	4	1	0	0	8	4.078
Essex	5	3	2	0	0	6	11.240
Somerset	5	3	2	0	0	6	4.764
Middlesex	5	1	4	0	0	2	-11.466
British Universities	5	0	5	0	0	0	-17.944

Source:^[5]

Group D

Team	Pld	W	L	NR	A	Pts	NRRA100
Surrey	4	4	0	0	0	8	18.977
Gloucestershire	4	3	1	0	0	6	17.850
Hampshire	4	2	2	0	0	4	12.750
Sussex	4	1	3	0	0	2	-1.286
Ireland	4	0	4	0	0	0	-49.884

Source:^[5]

Quarter-finals

28 May 1996 (scorecard)

Warwickshire 239 all out (48.5 overs)	v	Glamorgan 227 all out (48.3 overs)
Dominic Ostler 85 Gary Butcher 2/21 (6 overs)		Matthew Maynard 75 Gladstone Small 3/25 (9 overs)

Glamorgan won by 12 runs Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Umpires: Trevor Jesty & Allan Jones Player of the match: Dominic Ostler (Warwickshire)

28, 29 May 1996 (scorecard)

Gloucestershire 158 all out (46.5 overs)	v	Lancashire 162/5 (39.4 overs)
Tony Wright 26 Steve Elworthy 4/14 (10 overs)		Neil Fairbrother 80* Mike Smith 2/30 (9 overs)

Lancashire won by 5 wickets Old Trafford, Manchester Umpires: Barry Dudleston & Vanburn Holder Player of the match: Neil Fairbrother (Lancashire)

• Reserve day used. Lancashire were 12/3 at the close of the first day's play.

28, 29 May 1996 (scorecard)

Northamptonshire 293/7 (50 overs)	v	Kent 270 all out (47.2 overs)
Rob Bailey 105* Mark Ealham 2/38 (10 overs)		Trevor Ward 98 John Emburey 4/24 (5 overs)

Northamptonshire won by 23 runs County Ground, Northampton Umpires: Jack Bond & Graham Burgess Player of the match: John Emburey (Northamptonshire)

• Reserve day used. Kent were 108/4 at the close of the first day's play.

28 May 1996 (scorecard)

Surrey 229 all out (49.5 overs)	v	Yorkshire 230/1 (37.1 overs)
Graham Thorpe 41 Chris Silverwood 3/41 (10 overs)		David Byas 116* Joey Benjamin 1/53 (10 overs)

Yorkshire won by 9 wickets The Foster's Oval, London Umpires: Kevin Lyons & Peter Willey Player of the match: David Byas (Yorkshire)

Semi-finals

11, 12 June 1996 (scorecard)

Yorkshire 250/5 (50 overs)	v	Lancashire 251/9 (50 overs)
Michael Bevan 95* Mike Watkinson 2/30 (10 overs)		Warren Hegg 81 Darren Gough 2/39 (10 overs)

Lancashire won by 1 wicket Old Trafford, Manchester Umpires: David Constant & Ken Palmer Player of the match: Warren Hegg (Lancashire)

• Reserve day used. Yorkshire were 198/5 at the end of the first day's play.

11, 12 June 1996 (scorecard)

Warwickshire 220/7 (50 overs)	v	Northamptonshire 193 all out (47.5 overs)
Tim Walton 70* Paul Smith 2/56 (9 overs)		Paul Smith 45 Paul Taylor 2/25 (10 overs)

Northamptonshire won by 27 runs County Ground, Northampton Umpires: Chris Balderstone & John Hampshire Player of the match: Tim Walton (Northamptonshire)

• Reserve day used. Warwickshire were 91/3 at the end of the first day's play.

Final

13 July 1996 (scorecard)

Lancashire 245/9 (50 overs)	v	Northamptonshire 214 all out (48.3 overs)
Neil Fairbrother 63 David Capel 2/37 (8 overs)		Rob Bailey 46 Ian Austin 4/21 (9.3 overs)

Lancashire won by 31 runs Lord's, London Umpires: Mervyn Kitchen & George Sharp Player of the match: Ian Austin (Lancashire)