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Cann smashes records with whilrwind 170

Lionel Cann tore up the Twenty20 record books this weekend with an unbelievable 170 not out

Lionel Cann tore up the Twenty20 record books this weekend with an unbelievable 170 not out against Somerset, but was happier about helping Warwick win their first league game in two years.The master blaster amassed what is believed to be one of, or perhaps the largest individual T20 score ever made, launching Somerset bowlers for an incredible 16 sixes and 11 fours in his 71-ball stay at the crease.Cann’s innings easily surpasses the highest international T20 scores recorded, with South Africa’s Richard Levi and the West Indies’ Chris Gayle both top of that list on 117. Domestically, only Brendan McCullum comes close, having scored an unbeaten 158 for Kolkata Knights in the Indian Premier League in 2008.It’s by far the largest T20 score seen on local soil.Saturday’s century wasn’t the end of Cann’s scoring this weekend as he hammered 129 in just 66 balls yesterday as Warwick beat PHC by five wickets to claim their first victory in the First Division since defeating Flatts in 2010.Chasing 209 to win at St John’s Field, Cann and Daniel Caines put on 140 for the fourth wicket to take their side within sight of victory. And even though Cann fell with 20 runs still needed, Gary Williams and Jade Darrell saw last year’s whipping boys home with plenty of overs to spare.“It means a lot (to Warwick) you just have to listen to them,” said Cann, who joined Warwick this winter as player/coach.“Their first win in two years, I keep telling them that if they put in the hard work it will get better. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet (for them), they’re so used to losing, and playing for fun, rather than the competitive part. But they showed that getting the coaching that they are getting is making a difference.“They’re putting it in and hopefully this will be the start for them, they know what it feels like to win, and now they can go from strength to strength.”Cann scored 299 runs in total this weekend, and while his century yesterday led Warwick to victory, his startling performance against Somerset didn’t.Put in to bat, Cann never let his team-mates get a look in as he launched a poor Somerset attack to all parts of the ground hammering 16 sixes and 11 fours in a blistering 71-ball assault.“I’m in pretty good nick,” said Cann. “Somerset’s bowling wasn’t that good, and the wicket was, and the boundary was quite small, but it was just one of those games where everything just came together. To have a chanceless 170 in Twenty20, you don’t see that, that often.“But, today (Sunday])means more, Twenty20 is just a preview. For the youngsters we’re concentrating on the 50-over game and so this means more, than for myself.”Finishing on 198 for four, Warwick’s fielding ultimately let them down as they dropped Somerset opener Jacobi Robinson off the first ball of the innings. Robinson was dropped again on his way to an unbeaten 47, while Shaquille Jones (75) was dropped three times as Somerset reached 202 for four with an over to spare.In Saturday’s other Twenty20 fixtures, champions Southampton Rangers, and last year’s beaten finalists St David’s both maintained their 100 percent records with wins over Cleveland and Flatts.Kwame Tucker scored 34 as Rangers eased to a four-wicket win, having restricted Cleveland to 102 for six. Flatts meanwhile held St David’s to 138 for nine, but another impressive display with the ball from Sammy Robinson, who took three wickets for three runs, meant the First Division side fell 17 runs short at 121 for eight.Somerset Bridge finally got their season underway with a comfortable eight-wicket win over nine-man Leg Trappers. Bowling first, Bridge dismissed Trappers for 140, and on the back of a fine opening partnership from Tristan Smith (39) and Ezekiel Greenwood (36) got home with eight balls to spare.Bailey’s Bay also remain unbeaten after a 13-run win over Western Stars. Stephen Outerbridge scored 62 and Tre Govia 45 as Bay made 168 for five, and despite a good effort from Wayne Campbell (38) and McLaren Lowe (33), some typically tight bowling from Rodney Trott (two wickets for five runs) kept the run chase in check.St George’s season meanwhile goes from bad to worse. After they failed to turn up for their Twenty20 game against PHC on Saturday, they managed to field only nine men against Flatts yesterday and were comfortably beaten.Social Club also failed to get a team together for their Saturday encounter with Devionshire Rec, and their game against Western Stars yesterday was abandoned because of a lack of umpires. Stars officials said they had informed Bermuda Cricket Board that they were not prepared to play under those conditions.