This may not be the IPL. But it is the best equivalent that England have. The Twenty20 Cup Finals Day has been marked for Saturday a Edgbaston but only three of the four teams have a chance to make it to India.
kempie for spitfires
Last year the Kent Spitfires would have not have been able to make it to the Champions League Twenty20 though the Middlesex Panthers would have. That was because Pakistan's Azhar Mahmood and South Africa's Justin Kemp were still with the Indian Cricket League (ICL), the Indian Twenty20 league not recognized by the ICC primarily due to pressure on the IPL initiators, namely, the BCCI.
Now however, the Kent Spitfires, stand a chance as England have still two open slots in the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 and both, Kemp and Mahmood, are no longer on the ICL's payroll.
However, Kent have more immediate pressing concerns as far as facing Somerset is concerned. Incidentally Marcus Trescothick, who has been supposedly having nightmares since speculation whirled about a possible call for the fifth Test of the Ashes at the Oval, will be turning up for Somerset.
But before that, there is the first semi final clash between Northamptonshire and Sussex and although the former may appear stronger with the likes of Nicky Boje, Andrew Hall and Johan van der Wath, the former two still have links with the ICL and there is doubt about van der Wath in the ICL.
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