WHEN Twenty20 Cricket was introduced last summer there were those who said it would shatter the traditional game, but after Saturday's finals day at Edgbaston the event could well become a tradition in its own right.

Cricket has been struggling to find a way to sell itself to a seemingly disinterested sporting public over recent years. The continued rise in football's following seemed to have relegated the summer game into almost backwater status.

But last year Twenty20 arrived.

Some proclaimed it a worthless thrash, others were more worried it would undermine playing standards, but to the traditionalist lobby it was yet another gimmick that would vanish in next to no time.

And, to be fair, in 2003 the tournament was treated as a novelty by players and fans alike.

Crowds were good but no one was quite sure whether Twenty20 was little more than a curious sideshow.

Bring on 2004 and the whole outlook has changed.

Sides were eager to win and reach the finals, the players had sorted out how the tactics should be played and fans, who turned up in their droves, were treated to competitive cricket matches played in an easily digestible timescale.

There have been capacity crowds all round the country, none more impressive than the full house at Lord's for a group clash between Middlesex Crusaders and reigning champions Surrey Lions, and so it was for the finals day in Birmingham.

The cricket was excellent. Lancashire and holders Surrey played out a thrilling opening semi-final settled by just one run, Leicestershire's Darren Maddy then saw off Glamorgan in free hitting style and the Foxes then defeated the 'unbeatable' Lions with skipper Brad Hodge producing a superb unbeaten 77.

But it was the fans who really made the Twenty20 finals day a special event.

Lancashire's supporters lived up to their billing as some of the most vociferous fans around, and Leicestershire's fans, once their team was under way, competed ably with the Red Rose chorus.

However, while their team may have been the least successful on the day, the best of the bunch were the Glamorgan fans.

Bedecked in Welsh flags they were out for a party and a fancy dress party at that.

I followed fans in a wizard costume and a dragon outfit into the ground (how they coped in the heat I don't know), a club side all wearing yellow tops and grass skirts probably coped better and, just to prove that every party outfitters in South Wales had been denuded, Batman and Robin were there together too - Gotham City is a suburb of Cardiff obviously.

As for Surrey fans - they don't even sing when they're winning.

What was even better was that both Lightning and Dragons fans stayed on after their semi-final defeats, so a full house greeted the final.

But, behind the scenes, Twenty20 has brought a whole new outlook.

Aside from the beer and food stalls, their was a carnival feel with kids facing automatic bowling machines in inflatable nets, club mascots around the ground meeting youngsters and an ECB roadshow.

And at last cricket has a viable spectacle to sell to a public hungry for more action and the finals day could well prove a 'traditional' big date in the diary for years to come.

The lion proves to be a cheetah

THE mascots steeplechase held between the two semi-finals was a real hit - and it was not the only trophy Surrey lost on the day.

Their mascot Roary proved to be a 'cheetah' rather than a Lion.

He was first home after negotiating the inflatable fences and a ball pool on the course set up on the outfield - but he was disqualified.

Roary apparently swapped his mascot footwear for running shoes.

This was ruled to be against the spirit of the race so Lanky, the Lancashire giraffe, was officially deemed to have won the race by a long neck.