That any play was possible is of real credit to Stuart Kerrison and co at HQ and the fact that Chelmsford is the best drying ground in the country. From the moment it started raining this morning at 10am and that at 3pm it was still lashing it down in New Writtle Street, leaving huge puddles on the outfield, there seemed no chance of a game, but Essex will be grateful to their hard working groundstaff to have got a match completed and more importantly, to have won.

When the rain did finally curtail at around 3:30pm, it left two hours of mopping-up and just enough time for a 10 overs bash, beginning at 5:55pm.

Former Essex man come Bears captain Nick Knight won the toss and decided to let the Eagles have first bat. Andy Flower took over opening duties with Will Jefferson, with a view to batting throughout the 10 overs.

He did just that with a brilliant unbeaten 40 from 31 balls, placing the ball around as only he can and his partnership with Nasser Hussain, who himself hit a well crafted 40 not out-although from only 21 deliveries-was the highlight of the evening and deserved to see their side triumph.

They added 79 together for the 3rd wicket, after the two early departures of Will Jefferson and Ronnie Irani left the Eagles in early trouble at 10-2. Jefferson hesitated on a quick single and was brilliantly run-out by Knight, while Irani skied a top-edge off Dougie Brown, with the bowler cleaning up his own work to take the catch.

Hussain straight drove Graham Wagg for six in the last over to see his side reach 89-2 from the 10 overs, a score which was always going to be tough to chase.

And so this proved, as Scott Brant removed Dom Ostler in only the first over, clean bowling the Bears batter with just 3 on the board. Knight joined Neil Carter and the latter hit an aggressive 16 before Ashley Cowan continued his excellent recovery from injury by bowling a beauty that seamed and clipped the top of middle stump.

Graham Napier yorked Nick Knight for just 6 and when Ian Bell and Trevor Penney both fell to cleaver bowling from James Middlebrook, with Wagg running himself out in between, the board read 59-6 and surely no way back for the Bears.

But Jonathan Trott is renowned as a strokemaker and took the target of 20 required from the final over down by six from the first ball with a towering effort over long-on, but Danish Kaneria came back well and restricted the rest of the over to singles and two's, all of which left 8 required from the last ball. Only a single was managed and the Eagles got home by six runs to pick up the four valuable points.

James Middlebrook was the pick with 2-17 from his two overs and bowled very intelligently for his wickets-Bell hitting a low full-toss straight down Jefferson's throat at long-on and Penney slog-sweeping to Napier at mid-wicket.

After the awful failed run chase at the Rose Bowl yesterday, it was important for Essex to bounce back and show their character today, albeit in a 10 over lottery. The squad now travel up to the Grange to face Scotland in round one of the C&G Trophy on Wednesday, hoping to build from this success.

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Date: 03/05/04

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