Benson & Hedges Cup

:This article is about the cricket trophy, for the similar named trophy for Ice Hockey see Benson & Hedges Cup (UK Ice Hockey)

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The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one day cricket competition for English first class counties which was held from 1972 to 2002. Certain other teams such as Ireland and Combined Universities also participated at times. It was the third major one day competition to be established in England after the Sunday League and the Gillette Cup, and it was the less prestigious of the two cup competitions. The competition was played in the first half of the season. It began with four small leagues of "zonal" matches before moving on to a knock-out phase. The final was played at Lord's.

Related Topics:
One day - Cricket - Sunday League - Gillette Cup - Lord's

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The Benson & Hedges Cup's later years coincided with a period of increasing concern that there was too much emphasis on the quantity of cricket played in England, rather than the quality. The introduction of a ban on tobacco advertising deprived the cup of its sponsor, and it was terminated in 2002 in favour of the briefer and more populist Twenty20 Cup, which was first played in 2003.

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