2008 Trinidad and Tobago League Cup, Results, Third place
With wins by Joe Public and W Connection in the semifinals; San Juan Jabloteh and St. Ann's Rangers were sent to the third place match. Before the final match, St. Ann's Rangers used strikes from Keyon Edwards and Josimar Belgrave in two minutes to put away top seeded San Juan Jabloteh for a third-place finish.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago League Cup, Results, Final
W Connection claimed their fifth consecutive title and sixth overall in the tournament's nine-year history with a win over Joe Public in the final. The match was held on 26 September in Manny Ramjohn Stadium. After being dead-locked 2–2 at the end of regulation, W Connection used a miss by Joe Public's Jason Springer on the twelfth kick from the penalty spot to win 6–5 in the shootout. Although Joe Public finished runners-up, Gregory Richardson led the tournament with four goals scored.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl
The 2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl was the fifth season of the Courts Pro Bowl, which is a knockout tournament competition for teams in the TT Pro League. W Connection entered as the tournament's defending champion. The tournament commenced on 6 May, with 10 teams competing in single elimination matches and concluded on 23 May, with Caledonia AIA defeating Defence Force 2–0 to claim the title.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Qualification
Every club from the TT Pro League automatically qualified for the competition. Seeding was determined by the league standings following the fourth match day of the 2008 season. Teams ranked seventh to tenth were placed directly into the qualifying round which determined the seventh and eight spots in the quarterfinals.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Qualification
The automatic quarterfinal qualifiers in order of league position were: Caledonia AIA, W Connection, San Juan Jabloteh, United Petrotrin, Joe Public, and Defence Force.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Schedule
The schedule for the 2008 Courts Pro Bowl, as announced by the TT Pro League:


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Results
All matches were played for 90 minutes duration, at the end of which if the match was still tied, penalty-kicks were used to determine the match winner.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Results, Qualifying round
In the qualifying round, St. Ann's Rangers defeated Tobago United 3–1, whereas North East Stars upended Ma Pau 1–0 to advance to the quarterfinals.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Results, Quarterfinals
Caledonia AIA and W Connection met little resistance from St. Ann's Rangers and North East Stars respectively. However, Defence Force upset San Juan Jabloteh 5–4 on penalties after the match ended 1–1 in regulation. United Petrotrin advanced to the semifinals after they beat Joe Public with the lone goal from Beville Joseph.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Results, Semifinals
On 16 May, Caledonia AIA needed penalty kicks to defeat United Petrotrin 4–2. In addition, Defence Force continued their run through the competition with a 2–0 upset win over W Connection.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl, Results, Final
In the final on 23 May, Caledonia AIA claimed the title over Defence Force following a quick goal from Kendall Velox in the 6th minute and an own goal by Corey Rivers a minute before half-time. Using a double in W Connection's win over North East Stars, Oscar Velasco-Torijano was the tournament's leading goal scorer.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election
Indirect presidential elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 11 February 2008.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election
The incumbent George Maxwell Richards was expected to be reelected after being approved as the only nominee by 15 MPs on 4 February 2008.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election
The election was held through an electoral college consisting of a joint sitting of the two houses of parliament consisting of 73 representatives, and Richards was reelected as expected.


2008 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election
The Opposition party nominated no candidate, in part as a protest to a foregone conclusion of the result and a boycott of the process.


2008 Tripoli, Lebanon bombings
Bombings occurred in Tripoli, Lebanon on August 13 and September 29, 2008. Both attacks targeted military buses.


2008 Tripoli, Lebanon bombings, Background
Beginning in May, Tripoli saw some of its worst sectarian battles, pitting Sunni groups which support the Western-backed Lebanese Government against the Arab Democratic Party (ADP) of the city's Alawite community. ADP is a part of the opposition, and has close links to the Alawite-dominated regime in Damascus.


2008 Tripoli, Lebanon bombings, Background
A formal reconciliation was reached in September 2008, between the feuding factions in north Lebanon.


2008 Tripoli, Lebanon bombings, Background
Rifaat Eid, the son of the leader of the ADP, accused Saudi Arabia of funding Salafi jihadists in Northern Lebanon, blaming them for the violence. "The Salafis are like kittens when they are weak, but when they are strong they are like tigers." Salafist leaders in Tripoli insisted that the threat of jihadist militancy is exaggerated. Sheikh Omar Bakri, a Salafist preacher, said "They say we are fanatics and cite what is happening in Iraq, but this is just propaganda to weaken the Sunnis in Lebanon."


2008 Tripoli, Lebanon bombings, Bombings
On August 13, a bomb in a briefcase on a bus carrying Lebanese Army soldiers killed 15 people including 10 soldiers. Two days previously there was another attack, this one a bombing in neighbouring Syria. There was a quick chorus of condemnation and denunciation from local politicians, who said it was targeted at the army. Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati told a local radio station: "This is a direct targeting of the military institution."


2008 Tripoli, Lebanon bombings, Bombings
In August, Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian President, gave a warning that Islamic extremists were destabilising Northern Lebanon. Later, at the beginning of September, thousands of Syrian troops deployed along the Lebanon-Syria border, triggering fears in Beirut of a possible military incursion.


2008 Tripoli, Lebanon bombings, Bombings
On September 29, 2008, a car bombing occurred in Tripoli, Lebanon, targeting a military bus carrying soldiers, killing 7 and injuring 30 people. Lebanese officials said the blast came from a car parked by a busy roadside and was detonated by remote control.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election
The 2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election took place in a single phase on 23 February to elect the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from each of the 60 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in Tripura, India. Counting of votes occurred on 7 March 2008; with the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in this election, the results were ready within the day.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M))-led alliance, the Left Front, retained control of the Assembly by winning 49 seats and securing a more than a two-thirds majority. This provided the CPI(M) with a fourth consecutive governing term.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election
CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tripura for the fourth time on 10 March 2008 along with 11 other cabinet Ministers.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election, Highlights
Election to the Tripura Legislative Assembly were held on February 23, 2008. The election were held in a single phase for all the 60 assembly constituencies.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election, Background
Except for a one term period of Congress government between 1988 and 1993, the CPI(M) was the dominant governing party in the state since 1978.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election, Background
The previous elections to the 9th Tripura Legislative Assembly was held in 2003 and the term for this Assembly was set to expire on 19 March 2008. The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced fresh elections for the 10th Tripura Legislative Assembly on 14 January 2008. Of the 60 constituencies for the 2008 election, 20 were reserved for Scheduled Tribes and seven reserved for Scheduled Castes. Elections in all polling stations were held using electronic voting machines.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election, Background
The CPI(M), headed by Manik Sarkar, had formed the Government in the 9th Tripura Assembly after being re-elected in 2003. The Left Front had won 41 of the 60 seats.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election, Election Day
Election Day (23 Feb 2008) was peaceful and passed without any incidents of violence in this state that has traditionally faced insurgency from militant outfits. Unprecedented security arrangements were in place for this election - 20,000 paramilitary personnel from the Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Central Reserve Police Force supported by air surveillance.


2008 Tripura Legislative Assembly election, Election Day
Voter turnout across the state was over 90%, a record high for any state in India. This beat the previous record of around 86% set in Sikkim during the Assembly Elections in 2002.


2008 Tro-Bro Léon
The 2008 Tro-Bro Léon was the 25th edition of the Tro-Bro Léon cycle race and was held on 20 April 2008. The race was won by Frédéric Guesdon.


2008 Trofeo Federale
The 2008 Trofeo Federale was a four-team football tournament in San Marino running from 1 to 16 September 2008. The teams were 2007-08 league champions, Murata and runners-up, Juvenes/Dogana; since the 2007-08 Coppa Titano finalists were also the league finalists, the cup's semi-finalists, Tre Fiori and Faetano were used instead as the remaining two clubs.


2008 Trophée des Champions
The 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007–08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Lyon face off against Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1 this past season, Bordeaux.


2008 Trophée des Champions
The match was held on 2 August 2008 at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux. After the score finished in a 0–0 draw after 90 minutes, Bordeaux ended Lyon's streak of six-straight Trophée des Champions titles by defeating them 5–4 on penalties.


2008 Trophée Éric Bompard
The 2008 Trophée Éric Bompard was the fourth event of six in the 2008–09 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris on November 13–16. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters earned points toward qualifying for the 2008–09 Grand Prix Final. The compulsory dance was the Paso Doble.


2008 Trophée Éric Bompard, Results, Pairs
During the free skating, Meagan Duhamel accidentally sliced Craig Buntin's hand a minute into the program on their side-by-side salchow jumps and blood dripped on the ice; the pair stopped to get his hand bandaged and then completed the program to win the bronze medal.


2008 Tropical Storm Fay tornado outbreak
From August 18–27, 2008, Tropical Storm Fay produced 50 tornadoes as it meandered across the Southeastern United States.


2008 Tropical Storm Fay tornado outbreak, Background
On August 6, 2008, a tropical wave emerged over the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. Tracking westward, the system gradually organized into a tropical depression on August 15 just west of Puerto Rico. After making landfall in the Dominican Republic, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Fay. Turning west-northwestward, the system crossed Haiti and Cuba while gradually intensifying. The system emerged over the Florida Straits on August 18 and struck Key West before turning northeastward and striking the southern Florida Peninsula. Despite moving onshore, the system continued to organize, developing an eye and attaining peak winds just below hurricane-force.


2008 Tropical Storm Fay tornado outbreak, Background
Weakening steering currents caused Fay's motion to become slow and erratic, with the system emerging back over the Atlantic Ocean only to turn westward and strike Florida again by August 21. This slow motion continued for the remainder of the storm's track as it briefly moved back over the Gulf of Mexico before turning inland again. Weakening to a tropical depression, Fay moved slowly northwest before turning northeast over Mississippi. It into an extratropical cyclone on August 27 before being absorbed by a larger system over Kentucky the following day.


2008 Troy Trojans football team
The 2008 Troy Trojans football team represented Troy University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Trojans played their home games at Movie Gallery Stadium in Troy, Alabama and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans successfully defended their Sun Belt Championship, winning their third title in a row. Troy was coming off an 8–4 record in 2007.


2008 Tulane Green Wave football team
The 2008 Tulane Green Wave football team represented Tulane University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Tulane competed as a member of the Conference USA.


2008 Tulane Green Wave football team
The team was led by second-year head coach Bob Toledo. Tulane finished the season with a 2–10 record. Despite this, sports columnist King Kaufman declared the Green Wave the national champions. In a Salon article, meant more to point out the flaws in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) than make a real argument in Tulane's favor, he wrote:


2008 Tulane Green Wave football team
"Tulane beat Louisiana-Monroe, who beat Troy, who beat Middle Tennessee, who beat Maryland, who beat Wake Forest, who beat Mississippi ... [who beat BCS champions] Florida ... [ and] also beat Texas Tech, who beat Texas, who beat [BCS runners-up] Oklahoma."


2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Todd Graham, in his second year at Tulsa. They played home games at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C-USA).


2008 Tums QuikPak 500
The 2008 Tums QuikPak 500 was the thirty-second stock car race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and started off the second half of the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The 500-lap, 263-mile (423 km) event, the only race on the Chase that was held on a short track (0.526 miles (0.847 km)), was held on October 19 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. ABC carried the race beginning at 1 pm US EDT and MRN along with Sirius Satellite Radio had radio coverage starting at 12:45 pm US EDT.


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Rockingham testing
A new 0.526-mile clone of Martinsville at Rockingham Speedway was finished the Monday before the race, and was broken-in by owner Andy Hillenburg's driving school.


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Rockingham testing
As Rockingham is not on any of NASCAR's national series, unrestricted testing was permissible at the track, and six teams tested at Rockingham in preparation for the race—Sprint Cup teams Furniture Row Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Haas CNC Racing, in addition to the Craftsman Truck team of Wyler Racing tested Tuesday. Hendrick Motorsports, Petty Enterprises, and Gillett Evernham Motorsports (which tested both AJ Allemendinger, who drives the #10 for the remainder of 2008, and test driver Dennis Setzer) tested Wednesday. Thursday, Colin Braun tested a Sprint Cup car in the afternoon after testing on the traditional 1.017-mile (1.637 km) speedway in the morning.


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Rockingham testing
Jimmie Johnson, who tested for Hendrick, noted Rockingham's half-mile was similar to Martinsville, and credited the Wednesday test for helping him during Saturday practice and eventually Sunday's race at Martinsville.


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Rockingham testing
With NASCAR's 2009 testing ban in effect, Rockingham's half-mile is expected to pick up testing, especially in the week before the Sprint Cup returns to Martinsville.


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Qualifying
For the second week in a row and the ninth time this season, rain cancelled qualifying, and the field will be set via rulebook.


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Race recap
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were the main two factors early in the race until Gordon's car started falling back where Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the only one giving Johnson a run for his money. Jimmie Johnson went on to win the race and Earnhardt finished second. Earnhardt criticized NASCAR for finding a way to bring out the yellow flag.


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Race recap
NOTE: Race extended four laps due to green-white-checker finish rule. Failed to make race as qualifying was cancelled due to rain: Sterling Marlin (#09), Derrike Cope (#75).


2008 Tums QuikPak 500, Race recap
Following the race in an inspection at NASCAR's Research and Development Center, it was discovered that the Team Red Bull #83 Toyota driven by Brian Vickers had illegal sheet metal thinner than that required under NASCAR's rules. As a result, the team's crew chief, Kevin Hamlin and car chief Kevin Smokstad were suspended indefinitely, Hamlin fined $100,000 and the team and Vickers were penalized 150 owners and drivers points respectively.


2008 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
The 2008 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.


2008 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election, Election result
The results saw the Conservatives retain control after gaining 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats to have 44 seats compared to 4 for the Liberal Democrats.


2008 Tunis Open
The 2008 Tunis Open was a 2008 ATP Challenger Series men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts and held from 28 April through 4 May 2008. Thomaz Bellucci won the singles tournament.


2008 Tunis Open, Champions, Doubles
Thomaz Bellucci /  Bruno Soares defeated  Jean-Claude Scherrer /  Nicolas Tourte, 6–3, 6–4


2008 Tunis Open – Doubles
The 2008 Tunis Open was a 2008 ATP Challenger Series tennis tournament.


2008 Tunis Open – Singles
The 2008 Tunis Open was a 2008 ATP Challenger Series tennis tournament. Thomaz Bellucci won the singles tournament.


2008 Tunisian protests
The 2008 Gafsa strikes, also referred to as the Gafsa Social Movement, Gafsa events or the revolt in the Gafsa mining basin is an important social movement that shook the mining region of southwestern Tunisia—particularly the town of Redeyef, but also Moularès, Métlaoui, and Mdhilla—for nearly six months in 2008. These events took place in the phosphate-rich Gafsa mining basin, 350 kilometers southwest of Tunis, in a central region hard hit by unemployment and poverty. The protests were the most important social unrest known by Tunisia since the “bread riots” in 1983–84 and since the coming to power of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 1987.


2008 Tunisian protests, Protests
The 2008 Gafsa movement included demonstrations, work stoppages, hunger strikes, sit-ins, and roadblocks of mining vehicles in protest against the crony capitalist regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and widespread poverty and unemployment in the area. Riots erupted in small villages across mining areas, demanding an end to unemployment.


2008 Tunisian protests, Protests
An anti-government uprising erupted throughout mining towns and rural, poor areas across the country. Thousands protested against mining and poverty in Kasserine, Tataouine, Hammamet, Sfax and Tunis. The protests "paralyzed the industry," and as the Tunisian National Guard and the army were sent in, protesters called for an overall rebellion against president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The protests were met with live ammunition, tear gas, water cannons, and birdshot; such brutality was "so severe" and "entrenched" that "ordinary citizens sought revenge for it" afterward. It is often said that the 2008 Gafsa movement was the "spark" of the Tunisian Revolution.


2008 Turkish Cup Final
The 2008 Turkish Cup Final was a football match between Gençlerbirliği and Kayserispor and the final of the 2007–08 Turkish Cup. Kayserispor won 11–10 on penalties.


2008 Turkish Cup Final, Gençlerbirliği
Gençlerbirliği started the tournament in the Second Qualifying Round. They beat Akçaabat Sebatspor 4-1, and proceeded to the group stage. Gençlerbirliği was put in Group B with Adana Demirspor, Trabzonspor, Manisaspor and Kırıkkalespor. Gençlerbirliği finished 1st and continued to the Quarter Finals. They beat Adana Demirspor 1-0 at home and 2-2 away. In the Semi Finals, Gençlerbirliği played Galatasaray. Gençlerbirliği won 1–0 at home and 1-1 in Istanbul. With the win over Galatasaray, they proceeded to the finals.


2008 Turkish Cup Final, Kayserispor
After finishing in second place in group C, Kayserispor played and beat G.Oftaşspor 2-0. In the Semi Finals, Kayseri beat Çaykur Rizespor 3-0 away and 4-1 at home. With this win Kayseri proceeded to the Final.


2008 Turkish Cup Final, Final
After ending extra time with a 0–0 tie, poth teams competed in a penalty shootout. With the game tied at 10–10, Mehmet Çakır (Gençlerbirliği) missed the shot and Aydın Toscalı scored for Kayseri giving them an 11–10 victory giving Kayserispor their first Turkish Cup.


2008 Turkish Cup Final, Match details
Man of the match: Mehmet Topuz (Kayserispor)Referee:  Yunus Yıldırım Assistant referees: Bülent Gökçü Serkan OkFourth referee: Koray Gençerler


2008 Turkish Grand Prix
The 2008 Turkish Grand Prix (officially the 2008 Formula 1 Petrol Ofisi Turkish Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 11 May 2008 at the Istanbul Racing Circuit, Tuzla, Turkey. The 58-lap race, the fifth of the 2008 Formula One World Championship, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team from pole position. Lewis Hamilton finished second in a McLaren, with Kimi Räikkönen third in the second Ferrari.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix
Massa claimed pole, with teammate Räikkönen fourth, the two Ferrari cars sandwiching the McLarens of Heikki Kovalainen and Hamilton. At the first corner Räikkönen clipped Kovalainen's rear tyre and gave him a puncture. The safety car was deployed on the first lap, after a collision, but only remained out for one lap. During the course of the race, Hamilton, intending to make one more pit stop than both Ferrari drivers, was faster than Massa due to carrying a lighter fuel load and overtook him on lap 24.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix
After Hamilton had made his third pit stop, he rejoined in second behind Massa but in front of the Championship leader, Räikkönen. Massa won the race, with Hamilton 3.779 seconds behind, and Räikkönen a further half-second behind. The two BMW Sauber cars of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld took fourth and fifth.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix
In the week running up to the grand prix, the Super Aguri team had withdrawn from Formula One, due to financial problems, leaving the sport with only ten teams. Massa's victory was his third consecutive pole position and victory in Turkey, having also won the race from pole in 2006 and 2007. Rubens Barrichello celebrated his 257th Grand Prix start, breaking Riccardo Patrese's previous record of 256. Due to the race result, Räikkönen's lead in the Drivers' Championship was lowered to seven points.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix
Massa rose to second from fourth, whilst Hamilton dropped to third, both drivers tying on 28 points but separated by Massa's two wins thus far to Hamilton's one. In the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari increased their lead to 22 points ahead of BMW Sauber, with McLaren a further two points behind in third.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
The Grand Prix was contested by 20 drivers, in ten teams of two. The teams, also known as "constructors", were Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Renault, Williams, Red Bull Racing, Toyota, Toro Rosso, Honda, Force India and McLaren. This was two drivers fewer than in previous rounds of the 2008 season, due to the withdrawal of the Super Aguri team from the sport following the previous race.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
Going into the race, Kimi Räikkönen was leading the Drivers' Championship, on 29 points; nine points ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with Räikkönen's teammate, Felipe Massa, in fourth 11 points behind. BMW Sauber drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld were third and fifth, on 19 and 16 points respectively. In the Constructors' Championship Ferrari were leading on 47 points; 12 points ahead of BMW Sauber on 35 points, with McLaren just one further point behind them. The race was also Rubens Barrichello's 257th Grand Prix, which broke the record for the number of Grand Prix starts previously held by Riccardo Patrese.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
The particular Grand Prix at which he broke this record was disputed, as there was some disagreement about what constituted a "start", such as the 2002 Spanish Grand Prix, where Barrichello entered but did not actually take part in the race on Sunday. Barrichello and Honda decided to make Turkey the site for their celebrations, issuing a statement that said, "In view of the lack of consensus regarding which specific race marks Rubens's 257th Grand Prix, Rubens will celebrate the milestone of 257 Grand Prix appearances at the Turkish Grand Prix". His Honda team gave him a special anniversary livery and helmet, both of which prominently featured the number 257. Patrese said that he would feel some sadness at having his record broken.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
The Super Aguri team had been in financial trouble since a proposed takeover deal backed by equity firm Dubai International Capital, under the "Magma Group" banner, failed to take effect. Early in the week before the Grand Prix, after team owner Aguri Suzuki revealed the extent of his difficulties, the team's trucks were blocked from entering the paddock by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Formula One's governing body.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
This decision was taken by the FIA after being informed by Honda's Formula One team CEO, Nick Fry, that Super Aguri, who used Honda engines and Honda-derived chassis, would not be racing at Istanbul Park. Suzuki then admitted that his financial troubles could not be solved by existing primary sponsor SS United Group Oil & Gas Company, leaving the team with no choice but to withdraw from Formula One as of May 6.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
The Toro Rosso team's plan to introduce its new car, the STR3, at this race were postponed due to a lack of spare parts. This was due to an accident suffered by driver Sébastien Bourdais during testing prior to the previous race, which had resulted in the chassis sustaining heavy damage. Toro Rosso had already used an updated version of its 2007 car, the STR2, for the first four races of the season, and were now forced to race with it in Turkey as well. The team's other driver, Sebastian Vettel, said that he was "disappointed" that the new car was not ready. However, this was the last race in which the STR2 competed, as the STR3 subsequently made its début at the next race.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
Ferrari decided not to use a new nose for their car that had made its début at the previous race due to the low-downforce nature of the Turkish circuit. According to team manager Luca Baldisserri, "The cars used by Kimi [Räikkönen] and Felipe [Massa] are basically to the same specification as those that were used in Spain, with the exception that at Istanbul Park we will not use the slotted nose. This is because this solution is much more efficient at medium to high downforce levels, whereas Turkey requires less downforce. The new nose worked very well, but as we said when we gave it its race debut in Barcelona, we would only use it at circuits where we deem it will bring us an advantage over a more conventional component."


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Background
McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen was passed fit to race in the days leading up to the race. At the previous race, Kovalainen had suffered a serious crash, although he escaped uninjured apart from minor concussion. Kovalainen said that he felt ready to race again: "I arrived here today feeling confident that I would pass the FIA test as I feel 100% and if I had not felt 100% I would have told the team already and stayed at home. My preparation for this weekend has gone well and we have done a lot of fitness training."


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Practice
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race – two on Friday, and a third on Saturday. The Friday morning and afternoon sessions each lasted 90 minutes. The third session was held on Saturday morning and lasted an hour. In the first free practice session, several large damp patches around the circuit – caused by late track cleaning rather than rain – dissuaded drivers from attempting laps and left the frustrated teams sitting in the pits waiting for the surface to dry as low track temperatures made the situation worse.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Practice
When the cars did take to the track, many of the drivers either went off the road or spun. Räikkönen only did three laps, before retiring with a gearbox problem, causing him to finish last. Massa set the session's fastest time, ahead of McLaren duo Heikki Kovalainen and Hamilton. After the session had ended, Fisichella was given a three-place grid penalty by the stewards for exiting the pit lane whilst the light at its exit was still red.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Practice
The second free practice session was held in dry conditions, but the track was still damp from earlier drizzle. After 30 minutes, Red Bull's Mark Webber crashed at turn six, his car sustaining serious damage. Webber was unhurt, although the crash meant that he finished the session in 19th position as he was unable to complete any further laps. The session was briefly stopped as a result while the marshals cleared away the debris. In this session, Räikkönen set the fastest time, with Hamilton next up.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Practice
Massa was third, while David Coulthard of Red Bull broke up the Ferrari-McLaren domination by setting the fourth-fastest time, ahead of Kovalainen. The third and final practice session was held on the Saturday morning in dry conditions, but with damp patches on the track from earlier rain. As was the pattern for the season, the championship contenders appeared to work on preparations for the final part of qualifying and the race in this session and thus carry heavier fuel loads. Webber set the fastest time in the session, with Renault's Fernando Alonso in second, and Coulthard in third. Massa was fifth, Hamilton seventh, Räikkönen 11th and Kovalainen 12th.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Qualifying
Following the withdrawal of the Super Aguri team's two entries, minor changes were made to the qualifying procedure. In the first qualifying session, which would run for 20 minutes, the five slowest cars (a reduction from the previous number of six) would be eliminated, leaving 15 drivers to continue into the second session. In the second session, which would last 15 minutes, the five slowest runners (again reduced from six) were to once again be eliminated, leaving the ten fastest drivers to compete in session three, as had previously been the case.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Qualifying
The time taken for each session remained the same. The third session would determine the positions from first to tenth, and would decide pole position. Cars which failed to make the final session could refuel before the race, so ran lighter in first and second sessions. Cars which competed in the final session of qualifying were not allowed to refuel before the race, and as such carried more fuel than in the previous sessions.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Qualifying
"I am very happy to have taken a third consecutive pole at this circuit: it is really motivating and it would be fantastic to do the same again tomorrow in the race."


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Qualifying
Qualifying was a two-way battle between Ferrari and McLaren, with BMW Sauber not showing as strong a pace as they had in previous qualifying sessions, and Alonso not on as light a fuel load as he had in Spain. Massa qualified on pole with a time of 1:27.617, ahead of Kovalainen and Hamilton. Hamilton elected not to run a lap on the softer option of the two tyre compounds, feeling that they were running low on grip in the later stages of the lap.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Qualifying
He completed his final lap of the session on a "scrubbed" set of the harder tyre compound and it got him third place. Afterwards Hamilton said that he felt that his tyre choice had been incorrect. However, he changed his mind the following day, having made an examination of the relevant telemetry data. Championship leader Räikkönen qualified fourth, ahead of Kubica and Webber. Alonso, Trulli, Heidfeld and Coulthard completed the top 10. Nico Rosberg driving for Williams qualified 11th, ahead of Barrichello and his teammate Jenson Button. Vettel qualified 14th, followed by Timo Glock for Toyota.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Qualifying
Nakajima qualified in 16th, ahead of Nelson Piquet Jr. (Renault) and Bourdais. Afterward Bourdais said that his low position was due to being held up by both Force India drivers: "Bad traffic, basically the Force India guys, ruined my afternoon: on my first run I was held up by Sutil as early as Turn 3 and on the second, I came up behind Fisichella in Turn 8". Fisichella qualified 19th but his three-place penalty saw him drop behind teammate Sutil to 20th and last place on the grid.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
At the start, Hamilton immediately overtook Kovalainen to claim second behind Massa. Räikkönen had a bad start and was squeezed into the first corner by Kovalainen. The two cars made light contact, with Räikkönen's front wing touching Kovalainen's left rear tyre. This resulted in a puncture for the McLaren driver which forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop on the second lap, which dropped him to 18th and last position. Räikkönen damaged his front wing but continued the entire race distance without changing the nose section of his car.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
Meanwhile, Kubica took advantage to move up into third position, whilst Räikkönen was also passed by Alonso. Further back, Vettel collided with Sutil and both were forced to pit, Vettel with a puncture and Sutil for a new front wing. Sutil's teammate Fisichella and Nakajima collided at the first turn as well, after Fisichella braked too late and could not avoid the Williams driver. Fisichella retired on the spot but Nakajima, despite losing both his front and rear wing in the incident, was able to make it back to his pit box before retiring. The incident resulted in the safety car being deployed.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
"I thought he [Hamilton] was light – He pushed me hard"


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
The safety car was withdrawn at the end of the second lap and the race got underway again with Massa in the lead. Räikkönen, meanwhile, overtook Alonso for fourth place. Between lap four and lap eleven, Massa and Hamilton exchanged fastest laps and the McLaren driver managed to hold the gap between him and the leader at one and a half seconds. The two drivers left third-placed Kubica behind, who in turn was being caught quickly by Räikkönen. Further back, Kovalainen passed Sutil on lap 12 and Vettel on lap 17.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
Hamilton then began to close the gap between himself and Massa, posting consecutive quick lap times and was within seven–tenths of a second by lap fifteen. Alonso was the first of the leading runners to make a pit stop on lap 15, dropping to tenth. Hamilton pitted one lap later and dropped to sixth, while Massa stayed out for another three laps. Both he and Kubica pitted at the same time, leaving Räikkönen temporarily in the lead.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
On lap 20, he set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:21.506, before he himself pitted at the end of lap 21, as did the then second-placed Heidfeld. Räikkönen rejoined ahead of Kubica, while Heidfeld came out ahead of both Alonso and Webber, to elevate himself to fifth. Massa was now back in the lead, but with Hamilton just 0.8 seconds behind. Running lighter on fuel with a view to making an additional pit stop to the Ferrari driver, Hamilton was able to close the gap on Massa and on lap 24, he overtook him at turn twelve. Hamilton now led, with Massa second and Räikkönen third.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
Hamilton soon broke away from Massa, lapping over a second quicker than the Ferrari driver. Further back, Bourdais spun off at turn twelve, with a rear suspension failure that put him out of the race. The top five in the race were now Hamilton, Massa, Räikkönen, Kubica and Heidfeld. Over the next six laps, Hamilton stretched his lead to over six seconds before pitting on lap 32. He rejoined the race in third, 2.6 seconds behind second-placed Räikkönen. Further back, on lap 34, Kovalainen passed Glock, only to be immediately re-passed. He did succeed up the main straight, on the same lap. Two laps later, he passed Button.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
Eight laps after Hamilton's pit stop, Ferrari called Massa in for his final stop of the afternoon, making Räikkönen the leader of the race once more. This lead, however, only lasted for a couple of laps as the Finn pitted on lap 43, also making his final stop of the afternoon. On lap 43, Hamilton led by 14.4 seconds from Massa with Räikkönen a further seven seconds behind. Two laps later Hamilton was forced to make his third and final pit stop. The McLaren driver rejoined the track behind Massa but crucially ahead of championship leader Räikkönen. The top three would remain this way for the remainder of the race.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
Further back in fourth and fifth were the two BMW Saubers of Kubica and Heidfeld and behind them were Alonso, Trulli, Webber, Rosberg and Coulthard, with Kovalainen pursuing closely behind them. Kovalainen passed Coulthard on lap 48, and then on the next lap passed Rosberg. However, Rosberg immediately overtook Kovalainen to regain his position, and Kovalainen was forced to pit on lap 50. After his final pit stop, Kovalainen rejoined the circuit in 13th position.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race
Felipe Massa won the race, making it his third consecutive win at the circuit, 3.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton, with Räikkönen a further half-second behind in third. The two BMWs of Kubica and Heidfeld finished fourth and fifth respectively while further back Alonso, Webber and Rosberg completed the top eight. Coulthard finished ninth, Trulli 10th and Button 11th. After his puncture at the start, Kovalainen had managed to recover to 12th by the end of the race, passing Glock in the closing stages. Glock, Barrichello, Piquet, Sutil and Vettel were the last of the classified finishers.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
I am so thrilled with today's result, and I think this is the best race ever for me. It's not about winning, it's about feeling that you extract 100% from yourself and the car and I did that today. Before the race our prediction was that all being well I would finish fifth, so second is such a bonus. I was not happy with my performance yesterday and perhaps if I had managed to get the car on pole I could have won. However, we knew that we would have to use a three stop strategy as a precaution as we had some issues with our tyres.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
The race victory was Massa's third win in Turkey in as many years, having won in both 2006 and 2007. The top three finishers appeared in the subsequent press conference. Massa said that:


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
It was a very tough race but the team work magnificently, giving me a great car. When Hamilton came underneath me at an incredible pace, I preferred not to take too many risks: the pit wall informed me that he was clearly running a lighter fuel load even if we were not certain he was on a three stop strategy. When that became clear, we were calmer, knowing we had everything in place to go for the win.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Ron Dennis, McLaren's team principal, commented on Hamilton's drive: "Today we saw a truly phenomenal drive from Lewis [Hamilton], in which he optimised a three-stop strategy that we were forced to adopt as a consequence of concerns we had with his tyres." Hamilton said that he felt that McLaren had closed the gap on Ferrari, and that he was "very excited" about the next race in Monaco.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Räikkönen said: "It was a difficult weekend for me but six points are definitely better than nothing. At the start, I was almost alongside Heikki but then he slowed and I had to brake too to avoid a heavy crash. We touched just enough to damage the end plate of the front wing on my car: it was not a very serious problem, but it definitely didn't help my race." Räikkönen also said that he decided not to change his front wing, which was damaged after his collision with Kovalainen, the process would have taken too long.


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Fisichella, who had collided with Nakajima on the first lap, which caused both drivers to retire, blamed Bourdais: "I made a good start but then under braking Bourdais changed direction twice and I couldn't brake in time and went into the back of the Williams." Nakajima said that, "I don't know exactly what happened; I just went into the first corner following the guy in front. I didn't change my line and I was suddenly hit from behind."


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Bourdais commented on his retirement: "Something broke at the back of the car... Going into Turn 12, I braked at the usual point and the car went sideways, I felt the right rear corner of the car drop and it spun me round."


2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Räikkönen's lead in the Drivers' World Championship was reduced by two points to seven, ahead of Massa and Hamilton, the latter two on 28 points each. Kubica was in fourth, on 24 points, followed by his teammate Heidfeld on 20 points. In the Constructors' Championship, the Ferrari team increased its lead with a total of 66 points, whilst BMW Sauber were second with 44 points. McLaren were third with 42 points, Williams fourth with 13 points, and Red Bull were fifth, on ten.


2008 Turkish Super Cup
The 2008 Turkish Super Cup was a football match between the Süper Lig champions Galatasaray, and the Turkish Cup winners Kayserispor. This was the third Super Cup match, played on 17 August 2008, in Duisburg, MSV-Arena. Galatasaray won the game 2–1 with goals of Harry Kewell and Shabani Nonda, while Mehmet Topuz scored a last minute goal for his side as a sign of Kayserispor's effort.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
The 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, code-named Operation Sun (Turkish: Güneş Harekatı) by the Turkish Armed Forces, began on February 21 2008, when the Turkish Army sent troops into northern Iraq to target the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The ground offensive was preceded by Turkish Air Force bombardments of PKK camps in northern Iraq, which began on December 16 2007. It was the "first confirmed ground incursion" of Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
Initial reports indicated that up to 10,000 troops had taken part in the operation, although the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Multi-National Force – Iraq claimed only a few hundred troops were involved.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Background
In October 2007, Turkish jets and ground forces clashed with PKK forces in Turkey and over the border into northern Iraq.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Winter bombing campaign
Turkey launched its first cross-border raid on December 16, 2007, involving 50 fighter jets. A Turkish military statement said that up to 175 militants were killed on that day alone, while Iraqi officials reported that the strikes had targeted 10 villages and killed one civilian. The PKK reported seven deaths.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Winter bombing campaign
On December 26, the Turkish General Staff said Turkish military aircraft bombed eight PKK bases in northern Iraq in a raid undertaken after "it was determined that a large group of militants, who have been watched for a long time, were preparing to pass the winter in eight caves and hideouts in the Zap region," the statement said.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Winter bombing campaign
On January 10, 2008, Turkish warplanes bombed PKK hideouts in northern Iraq, the military announced, but there were no reports of casualties or serious damage.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Winter bombing campaign
The Turkish military said in a statement on February 4 that Turkish fighter jets struck nearly 70 PKK targets in northern Iraq in a series of strikes.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Winter bombing campaign
The president of Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani, condemned Turkey's raids and warned Ankara to stop the strikes, and the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who is a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), expressed concern that "unilateral actions" could harm Iraqi and Turkish interests. According to the Turkish General Staff's estimates, there were 300 PKK militants in the region prior to the incursion and the General Staff claims that 240 militants were killed.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Preparation for the ground incursion
On February 21, Turkey began targeted artillery and aerial bombardment of PKK positions in northern Iraq in order to "destroy the organizational infrastructure in the region." This lasted from 10:00 to 18:00 local time. The Turkish government reported that on the day of the operation, Turkish President Abdullah Gül made a telephone call to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, himself a Kurd, to brief him on the details of the incursion. He also invited Talabani to come to Turkey.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Preparation for the ground incursion
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on the night the ground operation began, and later U.S. President George W. Bush. The United States was guarded in its response to the incursion, requesting that Turkey take care to only target the PKK, to "limit the scope and duration of their operations," and to work with Iraqi and Kurdish officials.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
The incursion itself began at 17:00 UTC February 21, 2008. Reports from NTV Turkey indicated that 10,000 troops were involved in the operation, and had advanced 10 km beyond the Turkish border into Iraq,  mainly around the Hakurk region. Another report from CNN-Turk said that 3000 special forces were involved.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
The incursion was announced on the Turkish General Staff's website the following day, and would constitute the "first confirmed ground incursion" since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
According to the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Turkish troops had advanced only 5 km into Iraqi territory. 60 tanks were also said to have initially entered Iraq, but by the following day some had returned across the border.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
Kurdish-Iraqi peshmerga forces were put on alert and prevented Turkish military monitors in northern Iraq from leaving their camps.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
Iraqi officials announced that no Turkish troops had crossed the Iraqi border using the major land route into Iraq, the Khabur Bridge, and there were no reports of Turkish contact from the Kurdistan Regional Government Peshmerga forces. Iraq claimed that Turkey had destroyed five bridges in the area.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
On February 24, PKK sources claimed that PKK fighters had shot down a Turkish Cobra helicopter. Turkey confirmed this later in the day, saying that the incident happened "due to an unknown reason." Advancing Turkish troops were attacking the PKKs' shelters, logistic centers and ammunition. According to Turkey, the retreating PKK militants set booby traps under the corpses of dead comrades and planted mines on escape routes in order to gain time.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
By February 25, the military had advanced more than 30 km (20 miles) into Iraq and claimed to have destroyed seven militant camps. Heavy fighting raged at the entrance to the Great Zab valley with most of the Turkish troops inside Iraq involved in an attack on a key PKK command centre in the valley after taking control of the PKK's Haftanin camp about 5 km (3 miles) from the border. Fighting was concentrated on a strategic hill controlling the entrance to the valley. At least 21 militants were killed in the battle for the hill according to the Turkish army. The PKK used long-range guns to hold off the military, killing two Turkish soldiers, until silenced with light and heavy weapons fire. PKK losses could not be determined because of bad weather.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
In the coming days Turkish warplanes bombed PKK hideouts in the mountainous Siladze area and heavy fighting raged in the area near the PKK camps in Zap and Haftanin, with the guerrillas putting up stiff resistance. On February 27 Turkey sent additional troops to Iraq in the face of ongoing pressure from the international community for a speedy withdrawal.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
On February 28 a senior Turkish official said Turkish security forces were planning to pull back their troops in a few days to an uninhabited cordon sanitaire on the southern side of the border. Pressure on Turkey to withdraw, however, continued to mount.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Operation Sun, Incursion
The Turkish Army withdrew from Iraq on February 29, declaring that their goals had been achieved and the operation concluded, while also denying that the withdrawal had been prompted by pressure from the United States.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Casualties and losses
According to the Turkish General Staff, a total of 272 aerial and 517 ground attack targets were hit during the operation; while 126 caves, 290 shelters, 12 command posts, 11 communication posts, 6 training facilities, 23 logistical facilities, 18 transportation facilities, 40 light artillery guns and 59 anti-aircraft weapons of the PKK were destroyed or disabled. Turkey claimed to have killed 237 PKK militants and captured 3 during the ground operation. On the Turkish side, 24 soldiers and 3 village guards were killed in combat. Prior to the ground operation, Turkey estimated that an additional 300 PKK militants had been killed by Turkish air strikes which began on December 16, 2007 and continued until the beginning of the ground offensive on February 21, 2008.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Post-conflict operations
Turkey continued sporadic long-range attacks in the weeks following the operation. In the week of March 24, 2008, Turkey's military announced that it had killed at least 15 rebels in northern Iraq after firing on them with long-range weapons. A spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Security Forces, however, denied the report, saying Turkey has not conducted any military operation or air assault there in the previous two weeks.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Post-conflict operations
On April 25 and 26, 2008, the Turkish Air Force bombed the PKK bases in the northern Iraqi regions of Zap, Avasin-Basyan and Hakurk. This was described as the largest attack since the end of Operation Sun. First the T-155 Fırtına howitzers (which have a range between 30 and 56 km, depending on the type of ammunition) were used to shell the PKK positions starting from 18:00 pm on April 25, which lasted for two hours.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Post-conflict operations
Then F-16 jets equipped with LANTIRN belonging to the 181st Squadron (Pars Filo) and F-4E 2020 Terminator jets belonging to the 171st Squadron (Korsan Filo) began bombing the PKK's positions in northern Iraq, which lasted 45 minutes. In the meantime, Heron MALE UAVs were used for gaining reconnaissance data regarding the PKK's positions, and about 1000 Turkish commandos entered 8 kilometers into northern Iraq from the border area near Derecik (Şemdinli) in pursuit of the PKK militants.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Post-conflict operations
On April 26, 2008, at around 06:00 am, a second aerial strike by the jets of the Turkish Air Force from Diyarbakır Air Base took place, in which the PKK militants using the cemetery area in Hakurk as a hideout were bombed. This was followed by another air strike at 10:00 am in the same morning, during which the Turkish Air Force jets entered 30 kilometers into Iraqi air space.


2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, Post-conflict operations
On May 1, 2008, at least 30 jets of the Turkish Air Force bombed the PKK camps in northern Iraq. The operation began just before midnight and continued into Friday, May 2, 2008. According to Turkish military sources, the PKK targets that were bombed are far from civilian settlements, at the mountains of the Qandil (Kandil) area. On May 3, the Turkish General Staff announced that "more than 150 PKK militants have been neutralized in the latest operation, which targeted the camps in the Qandil Mountains, where most of the high-ranking members of the organization are located." The Turkish General Staff, without giving a precise name, implied that the PKK rebels who were neutralized may also include "a guerilla who leads the organization" as well; leading the Turkish press to speculate that Murat Karayilan might have also been killed during the latest aerial strikes.


2008 Turkmenistan President's Cup
The XIV Turkmen President’s Cup took place in Ashgabat beginning February 21, 2008


2008 Turner Prize
The 2008 Turner Prize was awarded on 1 December 2008 to Mark Leckey. The £25,000 Turner Prize is awarded by the Tate to one of four nominees and is based on their work in the previous year. The other three 2008 nominees were Runa Islam, Goshka Macuga and Cathy Wilkes; for the first time since 1998, there were three female nominees. The chairman of the jury was Stephen Deuchar, director of Tate Britain. The artwork shown by the nominees at the invitational exhibition was generally unpopular with critics.


2008 Turner Prize
Nicholas Serota made a short speech before the award was presented by Nick Cave. Leckey had not prepared an acceptance speech. In an interview with Channel 4 News directly following the announcement, Leckey said, "The critics like middlebrow art. I don't make middlebrow art. Sod them. If you are working as an artist nowadays, the worse place to be, in terms of critics, is Britain."


2008 Turner Prize, Exhibition
An exhibition of work by the nominees was shown at Tate Britain from 30 September 2008 to 18 January 2009. The curator was Carolyn Kerr.


2008 Turner Prize, Exhibition
The Turner Prize is awarded for a show by the artist in the previous year. When nominees are told of their nomination, they then prepare exhibits for the Turner Prize exhibition, often at short notice. As such, the Turner Prize exhibition may not feature the works for which the artist was initially nominated by the judges. However, it tends to be the basis on which public and press judge the artist's worthiness for nomination.


2008 Turner Prize, Nominees
It was the first time since 1998 that three of the four nominees had been women.


2008 Turner Prize, Nominees
Stephen Deuchar, who chaired the jury, said: "The prize is not there to award the most competent artist at work today, but to draw attention to what the jury considers new developments."


2008 Turner Prize, Works and press coverage, Goshka Macuga
Macuga's works incorporated photographs by surrealist Paul Nash and drawings by his mistress Eileen Agar. There were also sculptures utilising work by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich made in glass and steel.


2008 Turner Prize, Critics' reception of the exhibition as a whole
Coverage was mostly negative. Richard Dorment wrote in The Daily Telegraph: "The shortlist for this year's Turner Prize is so wilfully opaque it's irrelevant." In his opinion the artists selected exemplified "Euro-art, a term I've made up to describe a certain kind of technically competent, bland, and ultimately empty art made specifically for international biennales." Similarly, Jonathan Jones wrote in The Guardian that the show "reflect[ed] a mentality only too dominant in art magazines and curating right now—a rather overthought, overtalked, pseudo-intellectual culture."


2008 Turner Prize, Critics' reception of the exhibition as a whole
In The Times, Rachel Campbell-Johnston wrote, "I can't help thinking that this show will prove ... like the returns desk of Ikea on a Monday morning. Lots of frustrated people will be left staring at a pile of inscrutable junk." In the Financial Times, Jackie Wullschlager wrote, "Don’t go. Don’t even think about going. This year’s Turner Prize exhibition is without competition the worst in the history of the award.... a killer mix of self-indulgence and academicism."


2008 Turner Prize, Critics' reception of the exhibition as a whole
Laura Cumming in The Observer agreed, "If ever you were thinking of giving the Turner Prize a miss then 2008 is the ideal year." saying that "[i]t is not that the art is wilfully bad ... it is just that it is almost entirely inactive." In contrast, Adrian Searle wrote in The Guardian: "[T]here's a depth and complexity [in the Turner exhibition] that, it would be nice to think, might overtake the usual chat about winners and losers."


2008 Turner Prize, Critics' reception of the exhibition as a whole
Outside the exhibition, the Stuckists art group handed out leaflets with the message "The Turner Prize is Crap", to protest the lack of figurative painting.


2008 Tuvalu A-Division
The 2008 Tuvalu A-Division was the third season of association football competition. The league was won by Nauti FC for the second consecutive time and the third time overall. The league, containing 9 participating teams, which ran between February and October, was renamed, Premier League, having been called TNPF Soccer League the previous season.


2008 Tuvaluan constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Tuvalu on 30 April 2008. The referendum sought to abolish the monarchy of Tuvalu and establish the country as a republic. Had the referendum passed, the new president would have been indirectly elected by the Parliament of Tuvalu.


2008 Tuvaluan constitutional referendum
The referendum failed, with 679 votes in favour of establishing a republic and 1,260 votes to retain the monarchy. As a consequence, Tuvalu remained a monarchy, and Elizabeth II remained head of state. Turnout for the referendum was low. Only 1,939 voters cast valid ballots, out of the approximately 9,000 voting-aged Tuvaluans. In comparison, 8,501 votes were cast in the 2006 parliamentary election. A previous referendum on becoming a republic in 1986 was also rejected.


2008 Twenty20 Cup
The 2008 Twenty20 Cup was the sixth running of the tournament, and saw Middlesex Crusaders winning the tournament after a thrilling climax to the final against the reigning champions, the Kent Spitfires. The tournament began on 11 June 2008 before culminating in Finals Day, held at The Rose Bowl, Southampton on 26 July. As always, the eighteen county sides were split into three groups of six, depending on the location of the counties in the United Kingdom.


2008 Twenty20 Cup, Group stage, Tables, North Division
1 The match on 27 June between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire had no points awarded after it was found that Yorkshire had fielded an ineligible player for the match; Yorkshire were also ejected from the competition.


2008 Twenty20 Cup, Knockout stage
Note: The draw for the semi-finals occurred after the quarter-finals.


2008 Twenty20 Cup, Knockout stage, Quarter-finals
The match at the Riverside was postponed in bizarre circumstances. The ECB received allegations about Yorkshire fielding an ineligible player in their final group game, against the Nottinghamshire Outlaws.


2008 Twenty20 Cup, Knockout stage, Quarter-finals
In an original meeting on 10 July, Yorkshire were summoned to Old Trafford and were told that they were to be ejected from the tournament, with Nottinghamshire to be reinstated in the draw. However, Yorkshire appealed and at a second meeting held on 14 July, their appeal was heard and rejected, but this time Glamorgan were placed into the draw on a superior run rate, because Nottinghamshire were not awarded the points for the 27 June game.


2008 Twenty20 Cup, Knockout stage, Quarter-finals
Having waited fifteen days to play their quarter-final, Durham progressed to Finals Day after a 44-run win at the Riverside. Having been put into bat, the visitors took three early wickets, removing dangermen Phil Mustard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Paul Collingwood, with the score only on 26. After Michael Di Venuto fell, Durham looked to be in some trouble. However, a fifth wicket partnership of 53 between Will Smith and captain Dale Benkenstein pushed the score up. Smith made 51 as Durham set a target of 164, for Glamorgan to chase. It could have been somewhat lower had it not been for virtuoso innings by Gareth Breese, smashing 20 off just 9 balls, and Liam Plunkett who hit 12* off 3. James Harris took 3 wickets, but accounted for around a quarter of the runs conceded.


2008 Twenty20 Cup, Knockout stage, Quarter-finals
The Glamorgan reply could not have gotten off to a worse start, losing opener Richard Grant very first ball. David Hemp soon followed, becoming Plunkett's second victim, with only seven runs on the board. Glamorgan were always struggling with the run-rate, with most of the top-order recording strike rates of below 100. Only four players made it to double figures, with Jamie Dalrymple top scoring with 32, and had stern support from wicket-keeper Mark Wallace, who fired 26 off sixteen deliveries. However, Glamorgan fell a long way short with Plunkett, the pick of the Durham attack, taking 3-16 off three overs.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Dunarc (talk | contribs) at 21:19, 16 December 2019 (→References:  categories). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day
The Finals Day of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup comprised the semi-finals and final of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup. The matches were held on Saturday 26 July 2008 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day
Middlesex and Kent qualified for the final at the expense of Durham and Essex respectively. Middlesex eventually emerged as champions by 3 runs, posting a score 187/6 and Kent could only make 184/5 in their 20 overs.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day, Semi-finals, 1st Semi-Final, Kent Spitfires v Essex Eagles
Kent progressed to the final after a 14-run victory in the first semi-final at the Rose Bowl. Having won the toss and electing to bat, openers Joe Denly and captain Robert Key compiled the opening fifty in just five overs. Key was first to fall, clean bowled to Danish Kaneria with the score on 58. Yasir Arafat was next in, and lasted 9 balls and 10 runs before falling to the same bowler. Denly top scored with 36, but he was the third man down, neatly stumped by James Foster.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day, Semi-finals, 1st Semi-Final, Kent Spitfires v Essex Eagles
Most of the middle order chipped in with good runs, Martin van Jaarsveld with sixteen, Darren Stevens with 29 and Azhar Mahmood with 24. A late flourish from 2007 Finals Day hat-trick hero Ryan McLaren who faced just three balls for his unbeaten ten, as the Spitfires managed to compile a target of 174.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day, Semi-finals, 1st Semi-Final, Kent Spitfires v Essex Eagles
Essex's opening stand of Ravinder Bopara, who was top bowler in the Kent innings (3-36 off 4 overs) and Mark Pettini started very well, putting on 78 for the first wicket before Bopara was caught off the bowling of James Tredwell. The dangerous Graham Napier followed almost straight away, and the steady rate of wickets to fall continued to the end of the innings. Pettini was the top scorer, hitting a 47-ball 54 but with a lack of support, the Eagles were always going to fall short. Three run outs didn't help either as the Eagles' chance at the Stanford Super Series ended.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day, Semi-finals, Second semi-final, Middlesex Crusaders v Durham Dynamos
Middlesex put paid to the Dynamos' challenge with a convincing eight wicket win in the afternoon semi-final. Dale Benkenstein had won the toss and followed the earlier game in putting his own team in to bat first. Losing Michael Di Venuto for a third-ball duck didn't seem to help matters. It was then left to Paul Collingwood, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Will Smith to hit the runs. However, as the innings wore on, the conditions began to favour the slower bowlers. This was reflected in the bowling of Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik. In the eight overs that they bowled, only 36 runs were conceded. The Dynamos were thus limited to just 138 off their twenty overs, Chanderpaul top scoring with 48.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day, Semi-finals, Second semi-final, Middlesex Crusaders v Durham Dynamos
The Crusaders got off to a steady start with openers Billy Godleman and Ed Joyce, as they began to eke into the target. They had almost reached halfway by the time the first wicket fell. It was almost like London buses in that Middlesex went from 65 without loss, to 65 for 2 with the loss of Godleman for 20 and Joyce for 41. But no more wickets were to fall as an unbeaten partnership of 76 between Owais Shah and Tyron Henderson allowed the Crusaders to advance. Henderson kept much of the strike, hitting a quite superb unbeaten 59 off only 21 balls, including 7 sixes, of which 3 came in the one over. This earned him man of the match, and earned the Crusaders a spot in the Twenty20 Champions League.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division
The Midlands/Wales/West Division of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup determined which counties would qualify for the knockout stage of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup. Warwickshire and Northamptonshire qualified automatically, while Glamorgan qualified as the second-best of the third-placed finishers.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 13
Wantage Road, Northampton, EnglandUmpires: RJ Bailey (Eng) and RT Robinson (Eng)Points: Northamptonshire 2, Worcestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 13
AJ Hall; 66* (51), 69 mins - 7 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 14
County Ground, Taunton, EnglandUmpires: RK Illingworth (Eng) and MJ Harris (Eng)Points: Warwickshire 2, Somerset 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 15, Glamorgan Dragons v Worcestershire Royals
The match at SWALEC Stadium was abandoned without a ball being bowled. One point was awarded to both teams.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 15, Glamorgan Dragons v Worcestershire Royals
Nevil Road, Bristol, EnglandUmpires: NGC Cowley (Eng) and NA Mallender (Eng)Points: Northamptonshire 2, Gloucestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 17
Campbell Park, Milton Keynes, EnglandUmpires: B Leadbeater (Eng) and JF Steele (Eng)Points: Northamptonshire 2, Gloucestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 17
HJH Marshall; 59 (33), 43 mins - 10 x 4'sRA White; 94* (57), 74 mins - 8 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 17
County Ground, Taunton, EnglandUmpires: TE Jesty (Eng) and GI Burgess (Eng)Points: Somerset 2, Glamorgan 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 17
PD Trego; 79 (50), 59 mins - 7 x 4's, 3 x 6'sHH Gibbs; 76* (51), 65 mins - 9 x 4's, 2 x 6'sRDB Croft; 50 (37), 46 mins - 5 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 17
New Road, Worcester, EnglandUmpires: PJ Hartley (Eng) and VA Holder (WI)Points: Warwickshire 2, Worcestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 17
VS Solanki; 50 (48), 49 mins - 8 x 4'sIJL Trott; 61* (49), 71 mins - 8 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 17, Glamorgan Dragons v Gloucestershire Gladiators
The match at SWALEC Stadium was abandoned without a ball being bowled. One point was awarded to both teams.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 19
Campbell Park, Milton Keynes, EnglandUmpires: MJ Harris (Eng) and PJ Hartley (Eng)Points: Warwickshire 2, Northamptonshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 19
NM Carter; 52 (28), 33 mins - 5 x 4's, 4 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 19
New Road, Worcester, EnglandUmpires: NL Bainton (Eng) and AA Jones (Eng)Points: Somerset 2, Worcestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 19
GA Hick; 63 (47), 64 mins - 5 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 20
SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, WalesUmpires: SA Garratt (Eng) and P Willey (Eng)Points: Glamorgan 2, Northamptonshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 20, Somerset Sabres v Gloucestershire Gladiators
The match at the County Ground was abandoned without a ball being bowled. One point was awarded to both teams.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 20, Somerset Sabres v Gloucestershire Gladiators
Edgbaston, Birmingham, EnglandUmpires: AA Jones (Eng) and G Sharp (Eng)Points: Warwickshire 2, Worcestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 22
Wantage Road, Northampton, EnglandUmpires: RJ Bailey (Eng) and G Sharp (Eng)Points: Northamptonshire 2, Glamorgan 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 22
NJ O'Brien; 69 (37), 56 mins - 9 x 4's, 2 x 6'sDJG Sales; 57* (37), 44 mins - 4 x 4's, 3 x 6'sHH Gibbs; 98 (52), 68 mins - 14 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 22
County Ground, Taunton, EnglandUmpires: RA Kettleborough (Eng) and JF Steele (Eng)Points: Somerset 2, Worcestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 22
ME Trescothick; 107 (57), 72 mins - 15 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 22
Edgbaston, Birmingham, EnglandUmpires: GI Burgess (Eng) and SA Garratt (Eng)Points: Warwickshire 2, Gloucestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 22
CG Taylor; 66 (43), 60 mins - 4 x 4's, 4 x 6'sIJL Trott; 50* (48), 65 mins - 6 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 24
Nevil Road, Bristol, EnglandUmpires: MJ Harris (Eng) and G Sharp (Eng)Points: Gloucestershire 2, Glamorgan 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 24
WTS Porterfield 62 (57), 56 mins - 7 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 24
Edgbaston, Birmingham, EnglandUmpires: RJ Bailey (Eng) and P Willey (Eng)Points: Warwickshire 2, Somerset 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 24
JO Troughton; 57 (30), 30 mins - 6 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 24
New Road, Worcester, EnglandUmpires: SA Garratt (Eng) and JW Lloyds (Eng)Points: Worcestershire 2, Northamptonshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 24
AJ Hall; 58 (51), 67 mins - 5 x 4's, 1 x 6SC Moore; 51 (36), 44 mins - 4 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 25
Nevil Road, Bristol, EnglandUmpires: MJ Harris (Eng) and G Sharp (Eng)Points: Worcestershire 2, Gloucestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 26
Wantage Road, Northampton, EnglandUmpires: NA Mallender (Eng) and NJ Llong (Eng)Points: Northamptonshire 1, Somerset 1


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 26
OAC Banks; 50* (39), 42 mins - 6 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 26
Edgbaston, Birmingham, EnglandUmpires: NL Bainton (Eng) and JW Lloyds (Eng)Points: Warwickshire 1, Glamorgan 1


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 27, Gloucestershire Gladiators v Somerset Sabres
The match at Nevil Road was abandoned without a ball being bowled. One point was awarded to both teams.


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 27, Gloucestershire Gladiators v Somerset Sabres
Edgbaston, Birmingham, EnglandUmpires: NL Bainton (Eng) and JW Lloyds (Eng)Points: Northamptonshire 2, Warwickshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 27, Gloucestershire Gladiators v Somerset Sabres
New Road, Worcester, EnglandUmpires: PJ Hartley (Eng) and P Willey (Eng)Points: Glamorgan 2, Worcestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West Division, Matches, June 27, Gloucestershire Gladiators v Somerset Sabres
GA Hick; 59 (45), 52 mins - 5 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division
The North Division of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup determined which counties would qualify for the knockout stage of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup. Durham and Lancashire qualified automatically.


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Table
* - The match on 27 June between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire had no points awarded, due to Yorkshire fielding an ineligible player.


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 13 June
Headingley, Leeds, EnglandUmpires: NGC Cowley (Eng) and JW Lloyds (Eng)Points: Nottinghamshire 2, Yorkshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 14 June
Trent Bridge, Nottingham, EnglandUmpires: NL Bainton (Eng) and JW Holder (Eng)Points: Nottinghamshire 2, Durham 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 14 June
SR Patel; 56 (45), 48 mins - 5 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 15 June
Queen's Park, Chesterfield, EnglandUmpires: GI Burgess (Eng) and RT Robinson (Eng)Points: Yorkshire 2, Derbyshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 15 June
A McGrath; 72* (42), 48 mins - 3 x 4's, 6 x 6'sGM Smith; 68 (42), 43 mins - 10 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 15 June
Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, EnglandUmpires: RA Kettleborough (Eng) and P Willey (Eng)Points: Lancashire 2, Leicestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 15 June
HD Ackerman; 63 (54), 58 mins - 8 x 4'sJim Allenby recorded the first instance of four wickets in four balls in the Twenty20 Cup.


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 16 June
Trent Bridge, Nottingham, EnglandUmpires: RJ Bailey (Eng) and AA Jones (Eng)Points: Derbyshire 2, Nottinghamshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 16 June
AC Voges; 52 (39), 49 mins - 6 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 17 June
Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, EnglandUmpires: JW Holder (Eng) and P Willey (Eng)Points: Durham 2, Lancashire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 17 June
SG Law; 54 (36), 33 mins - 9 x 4'sMB Loye; 53 (37), 68 mins - 4 x 4's, 2 x 6'sP Mustard; 61 (44), 57 mins - 4 x 4's, 4 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 17 June
Grace Road, Leicester, EnglandUmpires: NA Mallender (Eng) and G Sharp (Eng)Points: Yorkshire 2, Leicestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 17 June
HD Ackerman; 57* (51), 73 mins - 5 x 4'sA McGrath; 59 (46), 52 mins - 8 x 4's, 1 x 6JA Rudolph; 56 (47), 59 mins - 6 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 18 June, Durham Dynamos v Nottinghamshire Outlaws
The match at the Riverside was abandoned without a ball being bowled. One point was awarded to both teams.


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 18 June, Durham Dynamos v Nottinghamshire Outlaws
Headingley, Leeds, EnglandUmpires: NL Bainton (Eng) and JW Holder (Eng)Points: Yorkshire 2, Lancashire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 19 June
Trent Bridge, Nottingham, EnglandUmpires: B Dudleston (Eng) and JF Steele (Eng)Points: Nottinghamshire 2, Leicestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 19 June
HD Ackerman; 55 (45), 60 mins - 6 x 4'sCL Cairns; 50 (38), 46 mins - 6 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 20 June
County Ground, Derby, EnglandUmpires: GI Burgess (Eng) and JF Steele (Eng)Points: Nottinghamshire 2, Derbyshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 20 June
Riverside, Chester-le-Street, EnglandUmpires: NGC Cowley (Eng) and JW Lloyds (Eng)Points: Durham 2, Leicestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 20 June
Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, EnglandUmpires: B Dudleston (Eng) and VA Holder (WI)Points: Yorkshire 2, Lancashire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 22 June
County Ground, Derby, EnglandUmpires: MJ Harris (Eng) and NA Mallender (Eng)Points: Derbyshire 2, Leicestershire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 22 June
Trent Bridge, Nottingham, EnglandUmpires: NGC Cowley (Eng) and RT Robinson (Eng)Points: Lancashire 2, Nottinghamshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 22 June
AC Voges; 51 (42), 57 mins - 6 x 4'sF du Plessis; 57* (37), 47 mins - 7 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 22 June
Headingley, Leeds, EnglandUmpires: B Dudleston (Eng) and AA Jones (Eng)Points: Yorkshire 1, Durham 1


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 22 June
A McGrath; 65 (58), 62 mins - 6 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 23 June
Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, EnglandUmpires: AA Jones (Eng) and SA Garratt (Eng)Points: Lancashire 2, Derbyshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 23 June
WW Hinds; 72 (52), 67 mins - 10 x 4'sL Vincent; 102* (63), 55 mins - 11 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 23 June, 24 June
Riverside, Chester-le-Street, EnglandUmpires: MJD Bodenham (Eng) and GI Burgess (Eng)Points: Durham 2, Yorkshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 23 June, 24 June
Grace Road, Leicester, EnglandUmpires: JH Evans (Eng) and TE Jesty (Eng)Points: Leicestershire 2, Nottinghamshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 23 June, 24 June
J Allenby; 57 (52), 58 mins - 5 x 4's, 1 x 6AC Voges; 59 (50), 72 mins - 6 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 25 June
County Ground, Derby, EnglandUmpires: JH Evans (Eng) and SA Garratt (Eng)Points: Durham 2, Derbyshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 25 June
JA Morkel; 54* (34), 37 mins - 6 x 4's, 2 x 6'sMatch reduced to 18 overs due to bad light.


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 25 June
Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, EnglandUmpires: MJD Bodenham (Eng) and JW Lloyds (Eng)Points: Lancashire 2, Nottinghamshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 25 June
L Vincent; 56 (36), 51 mins - 9 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 26 June, Yorkshire Carnegie v Leicestershire Foxes
The match at Headingley was abandoned without a ball being bowled. One point was awarded to both teams.


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 27 June
Riverside, Chester-le-Street, EnglandUmpires: RJ Bailey (Eng) and B Leadbeater (Eng)Points: Durham 1, Lancashire 1


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 27 June
Match reduced to 10 overs due to rain and bad light.


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 27 June
Grace Road, Leicester, EnglandUmpires: NGC Cowley (Eng) and JH Evans (Eng)Points: Leicestershire 2, Derbyshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 27 June
J Allenby; 50 (31), 39 mins - 3 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 27 June
Trent Bridge, Nottingham, EnglandUmpires: SA Garratt (Eng) and TE Jesty (Eng)Points: Nottinghamshire 0, Yorkshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 27 June
GL Brophy; 57* (45), 65 mins - 6 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup North Division, Matches, 27 June
Due to Yorkshire fielding an ineligible player, the match was awarded to Nottinghamshire on 10 July. The result was changed back to a Yorkshire win, but with no points awarded on 14 July.


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division
The South Division of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup determined which counties would qualify for the knockout stage of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup. Middlesex and Essex qualified automatically, while Kent qualified as the best of the third-placed finishers.


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 13 June
The Oval, London, EnglandUmpires: GI Burgess (Eng) and P Willey (Eng)Points: Kent 2, Surrey 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 13 June
JL Denly; 52 (33), 28 mins - 6 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 13 June
County Cricket Ground, Hove, EnglandUmpires: SA Garratt (Eng) and AA Jones (Eng)Points: Hampshire 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 13 June
DR Smith; 72* (27), 37 mins - 4 x 4's, 6 x 6'sMW Goodwin; 69 (57), 55 mins - 9 x 4'sMA Carberry; 58 (29), 41 mins - 7 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 14 June
The Rose Bowl, Southampton, EnglandUmpires: RJ Bailey (Eng) and B Dudleston (Eng)Points: Hampshire 2, Kent 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 14 June
MA Carberry; 57 (42), 52 mins - 5 x 4's, 1 x 6MJ Lumb; 54 (34), 34 mins - 4 x 4's, 3 x 6'sJL Denly; 63 (51), 52 mins - 4 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 15 June
County Ground, Chelmsford, EnglandUmpires: SA Garratt (Eng) and G Sharp (Eng)Points: Middlesex 2, Essex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 15 June
JS Foster; 50* (42), 53 mins - 6 x 4's, 1 x 6T Henderson; 64* (30), 43 mins - 9 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 15 June
The Oval, London, EnglandUmpires: TE Jesty (Eng) and NGB Cook (Eng)Points: Surrey 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 15 June
CD Nash; 52 (41), 40 mins - 7 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 16 June
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, EnglandUmpires: NGB Cook (Eng) and JH Evans (Eng)Points: Kent 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 16 June
MA Carberry; 51 (39), 44 mins - 7 x 4'sJL Denly; 50 (46), 54 mins - 4 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 16 June
Lord's, London, EnglandUmpires: VA Holder (WI) and NA Mallender (Eng)Points: Middlesex 2, Surrey 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 16 June
JGE Benning; 50* (53), 78 mins - 2 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 17 June
County Cricket Ground, Hove, EnglandUmpires: NGC Cowley (Eng) and MJ Harris (Eng)Points: Essex 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 18 June
County Ground, Chelmsford, EnglandUmpires: NA Mallender (Eng) and G Sharp (Eng)Points: Essex 2, Kent 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 18 June
The Oval, London, EnglandUmpires: MJ Harris (Eng) and B Leadbeater (Eng)Points: Hampshire 2, Surrey 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 18 June
A Razzaq; 65 (34), 38 mins - 4 x 4's, 5 x 6'MR Ramprakash; 60 (43), 60 mins - 6 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 19 June
Lord's, London, EnglandUmpires: JH Evans (Eng) and B Leadbeater (Eng)Points: Middlesex 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 19 June
BA Godleman; 58 (34), 45 mins - 9 x 4's, 1 x 6MW Goodwin; 52 (45), 47 mins - 6 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 20 June
County Ground, Chelmsford, EnglandUmpires: JH Evans (Eng) and RK Illingworth (Eng)Points: Essex 2, Surrey 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 20 June
The Rose Bowl, Southampton, EnglandUmpires: TE Jesty (Eng) and B Leadbeater (Eng)Points: Sussex 2, Hampshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 20 June
County Cricket Ground, Beckenham, EnglandUmpires: MJD Bodenham (Eng) and MJ Harris (Eng)Points: Kent 2, Middlesex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 22 June
County Cricket Ground, Beckenham, EnglandUmpires: RK Illingworth (Eng) and B Leadbeater (Eng)Points: Kent 2, Essex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 22 June
JL Denly; 91 (57), 57 mins - 9 x 4's, 5 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 22 June
Old Deer Park, Richmond, EnglandUmpires: TE Jesty (Eng) and JW Lloyds (Eng)Points: Hampshire 2, Middlesex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 22 June
County Cricket Ground, Hove, EnglandUmpires: NL Bainton (Eng) and VA Holder (WI)Points: Sussex 2, Surrey 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 22 June
AD Brown; 51 (21), 34 mins - 10 x 4's, 1 x 6MW Goodwin; 79* (46), 66 mins - 9 x 4's, 2 x 6'sMJ Prior; 56 (37), 42 mins - 8 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 23 June
The Rose Bowl, Southampton, EnglandUmpires: PJ Hartley (Eng) and RA Kettleborough (Eng)Points: Hampshire 2, Surrey 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 23 June
SA Newman; 52 (52), 61 mins - 6 x 4'sMJ Lumb; 63 (45), 50 mins - 7 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 24 June
County Ground, Chelmsford, EnglandUmpires: B Dudleston (Eng) and NJ Llong (Eng)Points: Essex 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 24 June
GR Napier; 152* (58), 66 mins - 10 x 4's, 16 x 6'sGraham Napier breaks three domestic records and ties another, en route to the highest score in the history of the Twenty20 Cup.


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 24 June
Gatting Way, Uxbridge, EnglandUmpires: JF Steele (Eng) and B Leadbeater (Eng)Points: Middlesex 2, Kent 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 24 June
EJG Morgan; 62 (43), 46 mins - 3 x 4's, 5 x 6'sDJ Malan; 52* (34), 52 mins - 3 x 4's, 3 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 25 June
The Rose Bowl, Southampton, EnglandUmpires: AA Jones (Eng) and VA Holder (WI)Points: Hampshire 1, Essex 1


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 25 June
MA Carberry; 51 (42), 52 mins - 4 x 4's, 1 x 6JER Gallian; 55 (42), 52 mins - 7 x 4's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 25 June
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, EnglandUmpires: RT Robinson (Eng) and JF Steele (Eng)Points: Surrey 2, Kent 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 25 June
A Mahmood; 55 (31), 38 mins - 7 x 4's, 1 x 6


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 25 June
County Cricket Ground, Hove, EnglandUmpires: NGC Cowley (Eng) and RK Illingworth (Eng)Points: Middlesex 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 25 June
BA Godleman; 69 (49), 50 mins - 7 x 4's, 2 x 6's


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 27 June
County Ground, Chelmsford, EnglandUmpires: NA Mallender (Eng) and GI Burgess (Eng)Points: Essex 2, Hampshire 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 27 June
The Oval, London, EnglandUmpires: RT Robinson (Eng) and AA Jones (Eng)Points: Middlesex 2, Surrey 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup South Division, Results, 27 June
County Cricket Ground, Hove, EnglandUmpires: G Sharp (Eng) and VA Holder (WI)Points: Kent 2, Sussex 0


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup comprises the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the 2008 Twenty20 Cup. The top two teams from each of the three groups progressed to the quarter finals along with the two best placed third teams. The teams were redrawn and played one knockout match to decide the semi-finalists. Finals day was held on 26 July 2008.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 7 July, Durham Dynamos v Yorkshire Carnegie
The match at the Riverside was postponed in bizarre circumstances. The ECB received allegations about Yorkshire fielding an ineligible player in their final group game, against the Nottinghamshire Outlaws.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 7 July, Durham Dynamos v Yorkshire Carnegie
In an original meeting on 10 July, Yorkshire were summoned to Old Trafford and were told that they were to be thrown out of the tournament, with Nottinghamshire to be reinstated in the draw. However, Yorkshire appealed and at a second meeting held on 14 July, their appeal was heard and rejected, but this time Glamorgan were placed into the draw on a superior run rate. This was because Nottinghamshire were not awarded the points to the 27 June game.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 7 July, Essex Eagles v Northamptonshire Steelbacks
Essex qualify for Finals Day, after a 59-run win at Chelmsford. Ravi Bopara top scored with a 26-ball 47, and was backed up by Graham Napier who added a 20-ball 40, to his record knock of 152* in the group stages. Grant Flower also added 33 from 31 deliveries, as Essex enjoyed the best of conditions, recording three 50+ partnerships. They ended on a total of 192 for 9, after losing their last five wickets for the princely sum of two runs, with South Africans Nicky Boje and Andrew Hall picking up two wickets each.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 7 July, Essex Eagles v Northamptonshire Steelbacks
Rain revised the Northamptonshire target to 175 in 18 overs, and never looked likely to reach that target, with the top five batsmen only scoring eleven runs between them. In fact, only three batsmen made double figures, as the Steelbacks fell a long way short, having recovered from 27 for 5. Boje top scored with an unbeaten knock of 58 from 43 balls, as Napier took 4-10 from his allotted four overs, earning him the man of the match.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 8 July, Middlesex Crusaders v Lancashire Lightning
Middlesex sealed their place in Finals Day, after a 12-run win at their "home" for one game, The Oval. This was of course down to their normal home of Lord's being used for the First Test against South Africa beginning 10 July. Middlesex made an uncertain start, losing openers Billy Godleman and Owais Shah with only two runs on the board. Things got worse and at one point, the Crusaders were 21 for 4. Coming in at number 6, was Dawid Malan who would go on to record the 24th century in the history of the tournament.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 8 July, Middlesex Crusaders v Lancashire Lightning
Lasting 56 minutes, he scored 103 off 54, and helped to lift the total to 176 for 7 after their 20 overs. This performance also gave Malan man of the match. Only Eoin Morgan and Tyron Henderson would also reach double-figures as Andrew Flintoff was pick of the bowlers, taking 3-17 off his four overs.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 8 July, Middlesex Crusaders v Lancashire Lightning
Lancashire's reply got off to a similar start to the Middlesex innings, with both openers Gareth Cross and Lou Vincent going cheaply. The third wicket of Stuart Law, fell with only fourteen runs on the scoreboard, and it looked ominous for the Lightning. Flintoff then stepped up, and hit a 41-ball 53, but when he fell to Steven Finn, it looked as if the game was up. Steady knocks from Kyle Hogg and Glen Chapple left the Lightning with eighteen to win, off the final six balls. However, Middlesex held out for victory, and progress to the second semi-final on Finals Day.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 9–10 July, Warwickshire Bears v Kent Spitfires
Kent kept their chances of retaining the Twenty20 Cup by hammering the Bears by 42 runs in a rain-delayed match at Edgbaston. The match was played on Thursday, as persistent rain had called off the game, 90 minutes before play on Wednesday. Having been put into bat, the Spitfires reached 37, before losing their first wicket, Joe Denly for 27. Coming to the crease with the score at 54 for 3, was hero of Finals Day last season and the man of the match in this game, Darren Stevens. He then proceeded to make a rapid-fire 69, coming from just 32 deliveries. He was the last wicket to fall, as Azhar Mahmood hit big runs towards the end of the innings, hitting two sixes in a 13-ball 25*. This set the Bears, a target of 176.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 9–10 July, Warwickshire Bears v Kent Spitfires
Losing Neil Carter in the second over, did not help matters for Warwickshire, as they struggled at the beginning of their reply. Jim Troughton and Jonathan Trott fell in quick succession leaving Warwickshire on 42 for 3. The returning Darren Maddy and Ant Botha pushed the score higher, with Maddy scoring 27 off 18 deliveries and Botha top-scored with 35 off nineteen. However, it was to all be in vain, as the Spitfires' bowling attack always kept them below the 8.8 required run rate. Yasir Arafat was the pick of the bowlers with 3-29.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 22 July, Durham Dynamos v Glamorgan Dragons
Having waited fifteen days to play their quarter-final, Durham progressed to Finals Day on Saturday after a 44-run win at the Riverside. Having been put into bat, the visitors took three early wickets, removing dangermen Phil Mustard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Paul Collingwood, with the score only on 26. After Michael Di Venuto fell, Durham looked to be in some trouble. However, a fifth wicket partnership of 53 between Will Smith and captain Dale Benkenstein pushed the score up. Smith made 51 as Durham set a target of 164, for Glamorgan to chase. It could've been somewhat lower had it not been for virtuoso innings by Gareth Breese, smashing 20 off just 9 balls, and Liam Plunkett who hit 12* off 3. James Harris took 3 wickets, but accounted for around a quarter of the runs conceded.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Quarter-Finals, 22 July, Durham Dynamos v Glamorgan Dragons
The Glamorgan reply could not have gotten off to a worse start, losing opener Richard Grant very first ball. David Hemp soon followed, becoming Plunkett's second victim, with only seven runs on the board. Glamorgan were always struggling with the run-rate, with most of the top-order recording strike rates of below 100. Only four players made it to double figures, with Jamie Dalrymple top scoring with 32, and had stern support from wicket-keeper Mark Wallace, who fired 26 off sixteen deliveries. However, Glamorgan fell a long way short with Plunkett, the pick of the Durham attack, taking 3-16 off three overs.


2008 Twenty20 Cup knockout stage, Finals Day
Durham, Middlesex, Kent and Essex qualified for the semi-finals from their quarter final ties. Durham were drawn to play Middlesex and Essex played Kent on 26 July 2008. Kent and Middlesex progressed to the final, which was won by Middlesex by 3 runs.


2008 Tyrolean state election
The 2008 Tyrolean state election was held on 8 June 2008 to elect the members of the Landtag of Tyrol.


2008 Tyrolean state election
The election saw major losses of almost ten percentage points for both the governing Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the opposition Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), with each suffering its worst ever result up to this point. The ÖVP lost its absolute majority for only the second time in history, while the SPÖ fell to third place for the first time. The major winner of the election was the Fritz Dinkhauser List, which debuted at a strong 18.4%, immediately becoming the second largest party. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) made gains, while The Greens fell by almost five points compared to their best-ever result from 2003.


2008 Tyrolean state election
Despite its losses, the ÖVP under Governor Herwig van Staa remained by far the largest party. After leading post-election coalition negotiations, in which the ÖVP secured a coalition with the SPÖ, van Staa resigned and was replaced by Günther Platter on 23 June.


2008 Tyrolean state election, Background
In the 2003 election, the ÖVP under new Governor Herwig van Staa regained its absolute majority, which it had lost in 1999. The SPÖ made gains, while the FPÖ lost more than half its voteshare. The Greens were the biggest winner, doubling their result to almost 16% and placing third. Despite its majority, the ÖVP chose to form a coalition with the SPÖ.


2008 Tyrolean state election, Background
In 2008, Fritz Dinkhauser founded his own party in Tyrol, named the Fritz Dinkhauser List. Dinkhauser was chairman of the ÖAAB, the ÖVP-affiliated trade union association, and known for his criticism of his own party, including the ÖVP government of Herwig van Staa. With his new party, he promoted affordable housing, support for families, and improved education.


2008 Tyrolean state election, Electoral system
The 36 seats of the Landtag of Tyrol are elected via open list proportional representation in a two-step process. The seats are distributed between nine multi-member constituencies, corresponding to the districts of Tyrol. For parties to receive any representation in the Landtag, they must either win at least one seat in a constituency directly, or clear a 5 percent state-wide electoral threshold. Seats are distributed in constituencies according to the Hare quota, with any remaining seats allocated using the D'Hondt method at the state level, to ensure overall proportionality between a party's vote share and its share of seats.


2008 Tyrolean state election, Contesting parties
The table below lists parties represented in the previous Landtag.


2008 Tyrolean state election, Contesting parties
In addition to the parties already represented in the Landtag, three parties collected enough signatures to be placed on the ballot.


2008 Tyrolean state election, Aftermath
During the election campaign, Governor van Staa had stated he would resign if the ÖVP fell below 40% of votes. The party narrowly exceeded this threshold, and van Staa was re-affirmed as ÖVP leader by the party after the election. However, his presence was a stumbling block in coalition negotiations, as both the Fritz list and Greens desired his resignation. The ÖVP thus sought to form government with the SPÖ instead; a coalition agreement was finalised on 23 June. However, van Staa announced on the same day that he would indeed resign. His successor was Günther Platter, who became the new Governor.


2008 Tyrolean state election, Aftermath
The SPÖ's disastrous result, following losses in the recent Graz local election, compounded pressure on federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. He was replaced as federal SPÖ chairman a week after the election, and ultimately resigned as Chancellor in December.