Essex Eagles v Middlesex
Vitality Blast (South Group)
The Cloudfm County Ground, Thursday 27 August
Team News:
Essex Eagles: Varun Chopra, Cameron Delport, Tom Westley, Dan Lawrence, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater (wk), Paul Walter, Simon Harmer (c), Shane Snater, Aaron Beard, Matt Quinn.
Middlesex: Steve Eskinazi, Max Holden, Martin Andersson, Nick Gubbins, Dan Lincoln, John Simpson (wk), James Harris, Miguel Cummins, Tom Helm, Nathan Sowter, Steven Finn (c).
Match Details:
Umpires:Chris Watts & Neil Bainton
Match Referee: Stephen Davis
Toss: Essex Eagles, who elected to field first
Result: Match Drawn
Match Highlights:
Matt Quinn’s reaction:
Match Report:
Rain proved to be the winner when Essex Eagles started the defence of the Vitality Blast crown against Middlesex at The Cloudfm County Ground.
After Middlesex had posted a challenging total of 184 for 5 on the back of an unbeaten century from Max Holden, the Eagles responded with 10 without loss from 9 balls before the weather intervened and sent the players from the field.
Persistent rain prevented the players from returning to do battle with both sides having to settle for a point.
The visitors launched their innings in spectacular style after being put in by Simon Harmer who then watched Steve Eskinazi smash three fours and a six in Aaron Beard’s opening over and had scored 24 of their 28 on the board before he despatched a delivery from Matt Quinn into the hands of Harmer in the covers.
Martin Andersson was run out by Cameron Delport’s direct throw from cover soon afterwards to pave the way for Holden and Nick Gubbins to put together the one substantial partnership of the innings.
It yielded 71 in just under nine overs with Holden playing the dominant role. The left-handed opener reached his 50 from 35 balls with the help of two sixes among his half dozen boundaries as he drove with power and confidence.
Gubbins was to contribute 23 before clipping Paul Walter to Dan Lawrence at square leg.
No-one was able to dislodge Holden however as he reached his first century in the Twenty20 format in the final over of the innings.
He did so with his ninth four on his way to 102 that also included three sixes. Those runs arrived from 60 deliveries and the one bowler to keep him in check was Matt Quinn.
The New Zealand paceman’s hostility and nagging accuracy saw him return figures of 2 for 24 from his four overs allocation. But his efforts were to prove unrewarded as the weather had the final say just as Delport was promising to make rapid inroads into Middlesex’s score.
The South African only faced four deliveries but looked in excellent nick as he despatched two boundaries with consummate ease.
One can only hope that he can resume in similar style when Essex Eagles continue their Vitality Blast campaign against Surrey at The Kia Oval on Sunday.
