1976 Benson & Hedges Cup

The 1976 Benson & Hedges Cup was the fifth edition of cricket's Benson & Hedges Cup. The competition was won by Kent County Cricket Club. Compared with the previous year, the groups were no longer organised on a regional basis, and the minor counties were divided east–west rather than north–south.

1976 Benson & Hedges Cup

Administrator(s)	Test and County Cricket Board
Cricket format	Limited overs cricket (55 overs per innings)
Champions	Kent (2nd title)
Participants	20
Matches	47
Most runs	368 Alan Ormrod (Worcestershire)
Most wickets	15 Mike Hendrick (Derbyshire)

Fixtures and results

Group stage

Group A

Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	BowSR
Warwickshire	4	3	1	9	55.000
Lancashire	4	2	2	6	32.784
Derbyshire	4	2	2	6	42.258
Glamorgan	4	2	2	6	47.000
Hampshire	4	1	3	3	54.875

Group B

Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	BowSR
Leicestershire	4	3	1	9	41.258
Worcestershire	4	3	1	9	55.000
Gloucestershire	4	2	2	6	41.933
Somerset	4	2	2	6	42.750
Minor Counties West	4	0	4	0	96.727

Group C

Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	BowSR
Nottinghamshire	4	4	0	12	52.800
Essex	4	3	1	9	34.139
Northamptonshire	4	2	2	6	39.419
Middlesex	4	1	3	3	48.619
Minor Counties East	4	0	4	0	91.143

Group D

Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	BowSR
Kent	4	3	1	9	42.481
Surrey	4	3	1	9	48.444
Yorkshire	4	2	2	6	44.385
Oxford and Cambridge Universities	4	1	3	3	49.308
Sussex	4	1	3	3	66.588

Quarter-finals

9 June 1976 (scorecard)

Kent 196 all out (54.5 overs)	v	Nottinghamshire 166 all out (51.5 overs)
Mike Denness 50 Barry Stead 4/24 (10.5 overs)		Mike Harris 54 Kevin Jarvis 4/54 (11 overs)

Kent won by 30 runs St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: Sam Cook & Ray Julian Player of the match: Kevin Jarvis (Kent)

9 June 1976 (scorecard)

Essex 220/9 (55 overs)	v	Surrey 221/7 (54.5 overs)
Graham Gooch 89 Robin Jackman 3/31 (11 overs)		John Edrich 57* Stuart Turner 2/19 (11 overs)

Surrey won by 3 wickets The Oval, London Umpires: David Evans & John Langridge Player of the match: John Edrich (Surrey)

9 June 1976 (scorecard)

Lancashire 206/9 (55 overs)	v	Warwickshire 209/6 (54.1 overs)
Frank Hayes 70 Bob Willis 5/27 (11 overs)		John Whitehouse 71* David Hughes 2/42 (11 overs)

Warwickshire won by 4 wickets Edgbaston, Birmingham Umpires: Henry Horton & Dusty Rhodes Player of the match: Bob Willis (Warwickshire)

9 June 1976 (scorecard)

Leicestershire 268/5 (55 overs)	v	Worcestershire 272/4 (54.4 overs)
Roger Tolchard 92* John Inchmore 2/53 (11 overs)		Alan Ormrod 95 Paddy Clift 2/47 (11 overs)

Worcestershire won by 6 wickets County Ground, Worcester Umpires: Eddie Phillipson & Peter Rochford Player of the match: Imran Khan (Worcestershire)

Semi-finals

23 June 1976 (scorecard)

Kent 280/3 (55 overs)	v	Surrey 264 all out (53.2 overs)
Mike Denness 104 Graham Roope 2/59 (9 overs)		Christopher Aworth 67 Derek Underwood 5/35 (10.2 overs)

Kent won by 16 runs The Oval, London Umpires: Arthur Jepson & Peter Wight Player of the match: Mike Denness (Kent)

23 June 1976 (scorecard)

Worcestershire 281/4 (55 overs)	v	Warwickshire 269/9 (55 overs)
Glenn Turner 143* Bill Bourne 3/58 (11 overs)		Dennis Amiss 44 Paul Pridgeon 3/57 (11 overs)

Worcestershire won by 12 runs Edgbaston, Birmingham Umpires: Barrie Meyer & Ken Palmer Player of the match: Glenn Turner (Worcestershire)

Final

17 July 1976 (scorecard)

Kent 236/7 (55 overs)	v	Worcestershire 193 all out (52.4 overs)
Graham Johnson 78 Norman Gifford 2/38 (11 overs)		Basil D'Oliveira 50 Kevin Jarvis 4/34 (10.4 overs)

Kent won by 43 runs Lord's, London Umpires: David Constant & Tom Spencer Player of the match: Graham Johnson (Kent)

References

• Benson and Hedges Cup 1976