Essex Eagles v Hampshire
Vitality Blast
The Cloudfm County Ground
Tuesday 01 September
2pm start
The Eagles are still looking to record their first victory in the Vitality Blast after their opening 2 matches provided them with a point from each.
The opening home game finished as a no result after heavy rain ended any attempt to chase down Middlesex’s 184-5.
Then on Sunday, a nail-biting conclusion to the match with Surrey at The Kia Oval ended in a tie after the Eagles defended a score of 143-6.
The hosts looked to be on course for victory but the final 2 deliveries of the match produced wickets with the Surrey innings closing on 143-8 and the points shared.
Hampshire are also seeking a first win of the Vitality Blast season. Following a no result in their opening match, they suffered defeat at Hove on Sunday where the Sussex Sharks prevailed with 1 ball to spare.
Walter’s View:
All-rounder Paul Walter continues to enjoy a rewarding season for Essex with his latest contribution with bat and ball playing a significant part in the tied match with Surrey.
After hitting an unbeaten 23 from 13 balls to raise the tempo during the closing stages of the Eagles innings, he removed the dangerous Jamie Smith and Laurie Evans in excellent figures of 2/13 from his 2 overs.
He admitted he was content with his input, saying: “It was good for myself to get runs at the end and a couple of wickets and I’m just trying to go from game to game at the moment and enjoy contributing.
“It was a game which ebbed and flowed quite a bit all the way through, but we knew in the field it was important for us to keep on taking wickets and thankfully that’s what happened.
“It wasn’t a bad performance by ourselves but there is still room for improvement in both the batting and bowling departments. The stand between Ryan ten Doeschate and Adam Wheater was important, as it meant we got to a total that we could look to defend.”
Squad News:
The Eagles have no injury worries ahead of Tuesday’s match and have named a 16-man squad.
The Opposition:
The visitors have been badly hit by COVID regulations, which has denied them the services of Rilee Rossouw and Kyle Abbott.
Liam Dawson continues to be sidelined having ruptured his achilles in a Bob Willis Trophy match with Middlesex, whilst James Vince remains unavailable as a precautionary measure until after the impending birth of his second child.
Hampshire Squad:
Sam Northeast (C), Brad Wheal, Tom Alsop, Ian Holland, James Fuller, Lewis McManus (WK), George Munsey, Felix Organ, Scott Currie, Ajeet Dale, Joe Weatherley, Mason Crane, Ryan Stevenson, Chris Wood.
Record Between The Sides:
In the 31 T20 clashes between the two sides, the honours are evenly shared with 12 wins each and 3 matches tied. The remaining games failed to provide a result.
The Eagles will be looking to avenge defeat in last year’s match at Chelmsford when Hampshire recorded victory by 7 wickets.
Simon Harmer’s side were dismissed for 133 in 16.4 overs with Tom Westley top-scoring with 44, before Hampshire eased to victory with James Vince striking an unbeaten 87.
