# 1968 Gillette Cup

The 1968 Gillette Cup was the sixth Gillette Cup, an English limited overs county cricket tournament. It was held between 27 April and 7 September 1968. The tournament was won by Warwickshire County Cricket Club who defeated Sussex County Cricket Club by 4 wickets in the final at Lord's.
The newly launched London Weekend Television won the rights to show the final throughout the ITV network, considered a major coup when set alongside the strong association the BBC then had with cricket (and would for another thirty years). They received huge opprobrium from the press and public for cutting away from the match near its climax to show adverts, and LWT – already facing serious problems because of an industrial dispute and because much of its output was considered too high-minded for ITV – would never cover cricket again.

## Format

The 17 first-class counties, were joined by five Minor Counties: Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Dorset, Durham and Norfolk. Teams who won in the first round progressed to the second round. The winners in the second round then progressed to the quarter-final stage. Winners from the quarter-finals then progressed to the semi-finals from which the winners then went on to the final at Lord's which was held on 7 September 1968.

## First round

* 27 April 1968 Scorecard
| Lancashire 168 (59.2 overs) | v | Nottinghamshire 169/7 (50 overs) |
| John Sullivan 61 Mike Taylor 4/31 (12 overs) | | Garfield Sobers 75 Ken Shuttleworth 4/34 (12 overs) |
* Nottinghamshire won by 3 wickets Trent Bridge, Nottingham Umpires: Ron Aspinall and Arthur Jepson Player of the match: Garfield Sobers (Notts)
* 1, 2 May 1968 Scorecard
| Glamorgan 76 (38.4 overs) | v | Northamptonshire 79/4 (46.1 overs) |
| Majid Khan 17 Antony Durose 3/17 (12 overs) | | Colin Milburn 29* Jeff Jones 3/13 (12 overs) |
* Northamptonshire won by 6 wickets County Ground, Northampton Umpires: Ron Lay and Harry Mellows Player of the match: Colin Milburn (Northants)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 4 May 1968 Scorecard
| Worcestershire 98 (56.2 overs) | v | Durham 82 (40.4 overs) |
| Tom Graveney 45 John Gordon Williamson 4/13 (10.2 overs) | | Alan Burridge 26 Brian Brain 4/13 (8.4 overs) |
* Worcestershire won by 16 runs Ropery Lane, Chester-le-Street Umpires: Dusty Rhodes and Tom Spencer Player of the match: Stuart Young (Durham)
* 4, 6 May 1968 Scorecard
| Middlesex 161 (60 overs) | v | Essex 155 (59.4 overs) |
| Eric Russell 26 Robin Hobbs 3/11 (1 overs) | | Gordon Barker 39 John Price 3/22 (12 overs) |
* Middlesex won by 6 runs Lord's, London Umpires: Albert Alderman and John Langridge Player of the match: Keith Boyce (Essex)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 8 May 1968 Scorecard
| Norfolk 208 (59.1 overs) | v | Cheshire 212/9 (59.4 overs) |
| Graham Saville 73 Arthur Sutton 3/29 (11.1 overs) | | Patrick Briggs 60 John Shepperd 3/23 (12 overs) |
* Cheshire won by 1 wicket Macclesfield Cricket Club Ground, Macclesfield Umpires: Arthur Fagg and Albert Gaskell Player of the match: Patrick Briggs (Ches)
* 8, 9 May 1968 Scorecard
| Dorset 102 (52.4 overs) | v | Bedfordshire 103/2 (40.1 overs) |
| John Baker 20 Graham Jarrett 3/21 (12 overs) | | Geoff Millman 54* Derek Hayward 2/18 (12 overs) |
* Bedfordshire won by 8 wickets Sherborne School, Sherborne Umpires: Cec Pepper and George Pope Player of the match: Geoff Millman (Beds)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.

## Second round

* 25, 27 May 1968 Scorecard
| Hampshire 321/4 (60 overs) | v | Bedfordshire 197/7 (60 overs) |
| Roy Marshall 140 Trevor Rosier 2/68 (12 overs) | | Trevor Rosier 52 Peter Sainsbury 3/44 (12 overs) |
* Hampshire won by 124 runs Goldington Bury, Bedford Umpires: Arthur Jepson and Cec Pepper Player of the match: Roy Marshall (Hants)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 25, 27 May 1968 Scorecard
| Cheshire 163 (56.4 overs) | v | Northamptonshire 165/1 (52.4 overs) |
| Stuart Wood 49 Colin Milburn 4/40 (12 overs) | | Brian Reynolds 68* Frederick Millett 1/28 (10 overs) |
* Northamptonshire won by 9 wickets Macclesfield Cricket Club Ground, Macclesfield Umpires: Harry Mellows and George Pope Player of the match: Colin Milburn (Northants)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 25, 27 May 1968 Scorecard
| Kent 110 (60 overs) | v | Gloucestershire 111/9 (58.2 overs) |
| Brian Luckhurst 50 Tony Brown 4/17 (12 overs) | | Mike Bissex 23 Asif Iqbal 2/13 (6 overs) |
* Gloucestershire won by 1 wicket Ashley Down Ground, Bristol Umpires: Albert Alderman and Charlie Elliott Player of the match: Tony Brown (Glos)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 25, 27 May 1968 Scorecard
| Somerset 134 (57 overs) | v | Leicestershire 135/6 (49 overs) |
| Roy Virgin 55 Terry Spencer 3/17 (10 overs) | | Mick Norman 52 Fred Rumsey 2/26 (12 overs) |
* Leicestershire won by 4 wickets Grace Road, Leicester Umpires: Ron Aspinall and Tom Spencer Player of the match: Mick Norman (Leics)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 25, 27 May 1968 Scorecard
| Middlesex 220/8 (60 overs) | v | Surrey 117 (37.4 overs) |
| Eric Russell 123 Geoff Arnold 2/35 (12 overs) | | Stewart Storey 40 Bob Herman 6/42 (12 overs) |
* Middlesex won by 103 runs Lord's, London Umpires: Laurie Gray and Hugo Yarnold Player of the match: Eric Russell (Middx)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 25 May 1968 Scorecard
| Derbyshire 97 (43.2 overs) | v | Sussex 99/0 (41.5 overs) |
| David Smith 32 Tony Buss 4/22 (11.2 overs) | | Mike Buss 50* |
* Sussex won by 10 wickets County Ground, Hove Umpires: John Arnold and Jack Crapp Player of the match: Tony Greig (Sussex)
* 25, 27, 28 May 1968 Scorecard
| Yorkshire 171/9 (60 overs) | v | Warwickshire 172/6 (57.5 overs) |
| Phil Sharpe 38 Tom Cartwright 2/22 (12 overs) | | Dennis Amiss 72 Chris Old 2/38 (12 overs) |
* Warwickshire won by 4 wickets Edgbaston, Birmingham Umpires: Syd Buller and Eddie Phillipson Player of the match: Dennis Amiss (Warks)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to three.
* 18 June 1968 Scorecard
| Nottinghamshire 226/9 (60 overs) | v | Worcestershire 178 (57.1 overs) |
| Garfield Sobers 95* Brian Brain 3/38 (12 overs) | | Tom Graveney 74 Garfield Sobers 4/15 (11 overs) |
* Nottinghamshire won by 48 runs New Road, Worcester Umpires: Albert Gaskell and Laurie Gray Player of the match: Garfield Sobers (Notts)
* Match was originally scheduled for 25 May but no play was possible on the original date or the two reserve days (27 and 28 May).

## Quarter-finals

* 3 July 1968 Scorecard
| Warwickshire 220 (60 overs) | v | Hampshire 195 (57.5 overs) |
| Rohan Kanhai 92 Bob Cottam 4/38 (12 overs) | | Danny Livingstone 50 David Brown 3/31 (10.5 overs) |
* Warwickshire won by 25 runs Dean Park Cricket Ground, Bournemouth Umpires: Albert Alderman and John Langridge Player of the match: Rohan Kanhai (Warks)
* 3 July 1968 Scorecard
| Middlesex 231 (59.5 overs) | v | Leicestershire 213 (58 overs) |
| Peter Parfitt 69 Graham Cross 3/55 (11.5 overs) | | Brian Booth 73 Wes Stewart 4/41 (12 overs) |
* Middlesex won by 18 runs Lord's, London Umpires: Ron Lay and George Pope Player of the match: John Price (Middx)
* 3 July 1968 Scorecard
| Gloucestershire 296/8 (60 overs) | v | Nottinghamshire 271 (57.4 overs) |
| David Green 90 Carlton Forbes 3/51 (12 overs) | | Garfield Sobers 76 Tony Windows 3/61 (12 overs) |
* Gloucestershire won by 25 runs Trent Bridge, Nottingham Umpires: Cec Pepper and Eddie Phillipson Player of the match: David Green (Glos)
* 3 July 1968 Scorecard
| Sussex 255/7 (60 overs) | v | Northamptonshire 248 (58.2 overs) |
| Ken Suttle 100 Brian Crump 3/40 (12 overs) | | Roger Prideaux 58 Mike Buss 4/51 (8 overs) |
* Sussex won by 7 runs County Ground, Hove Umpires: Lofty Herman and Peter Wight Player of the match: Ken Suttle (Sussex)

## Semi-finals

* 7, 8, 9 August 1968 Scorecard
| Sussex 219 (57 overs) | v | Gloucestershire 171 (56 overs) |
| Ted Dexter 62 Tony Brown 3/41 (12 overs) | | Ron Nicholls 38 Don Bates 6/30 (12 overs) |
* Sussex won by 48 runs County Ground, Hove Umpires: Fred Berry and A. M. Pullinger Player of the match: Don Bates (Sussex)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to three.
* 13 August 1968 Scorecard
| Middlesex 162/9 (60 overs) | v | Warwickshire 165/7 (59 overs) |
| Ron Hooker 43* Bill Blenkiron 4/32 (12 overs) | | Rohan Kanhai 53 Ron Hooker 4/20 (12 overs) |
* Warwickshire won by 3 wickets Lord's, London Umpires: Ron Aspinall and Freddie Jakeman Player of the match: Ron Hooker (Middx)
* Match was originally scheduled for 7 August but no play was possible on the original date or the two reserve days (8 and 9 August).

## Final

* 7 September 1968 Scorecard
| Sussex 214/7 (60 overs) | v | Warwickshire 215/6 (57 overs) |
| Jim Parks 57 Khalid Ibadulla 3/25 (12 overs) | | Jim Stewart 59 Mike Buss 4/42 (12 overs) |
* Warwickshire won by 4 wickets Lord's, London Umpires: Arthur Jepson and Dusty Rhodes Player of the match: Alan Smith (Warks)