KEVIN Pietersen’s rehabilitation period in county cricket seems to be paying off after he made his first hundred in any format for 18 months, as Surrey tied a thrilling Clydesdale Bank 40 clash with Sussex Sharks.
Pietersen, who is finishing the season by playing four games in a two-week loan spell at Surrey after he was dropped from England’s one-day squad, made 116 in front of a crowd of around 5 000 at Hove.
It was Pietersen’s first domestic one-day hundred for seven years and he never looked in any trouble even though the Sussex attack contained three players with Test experience. Surrey made 240 all out, with Sussex finishing on the same total for the loss of eight wickets.
There was also an unbeaten 101 from Alastair Cook as Essex eased to a seven-wicket victory over Yorkshire at Headingley.
Yorkshire were guaranteed a home semi-final tie at Scarborough next Saturday regardless of the result and they have been drawn against Warwickshire, while Essex’s win took them into the last four where they will face Somerset. Cook’s knock saw Essex past Yorkshire’s 209 for eight with three wickets down and 3.3 overs left.
Peter Trego’s career-best 147 and a blistering 90 not out from Jos Buttler saw Somerset to a 249-run thrashing of Glamorgan in their final Group A match at Taunton.
The home side’s total of 368 for four after winning the toss was their highest ever 40-over score. Trego hit 19 fours and five sixes, while Buttler faced only 33 balls and smashed eight fours and seven sixes. David Harrison shipped 100 runs from his eight overs.
Imran Tahir is still on course to sign off his time with Warwickshire in a Lord’s showpiece after setting up a last-four appearance in a Group C decider with under-strength Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston.
The Lahore-born wrist-spinner took four for 27 in eight overs as Warwickshire held on to the top spot with a seven-wicket victory in his last home appearance for the county.
Tahir and co. kept Nottinghamshire to 192, a target comfortably overhauled by England duo Jonathan Trott (84 n.o.) and Ian Bell 50. (Eurosport)