CHELMSFORD (Sussex won toss): Essex Eagles (2pts) beat Sussex Sharks by 43 runs
THRASHED at Hove last week, the Essex Eagles gained convincing revenge when the Sussex Sharks lost their last seven wickets for 35 runs in only 40 balls (Richard Rae writes). The key for the home team was dealing with the wiles of Mushtaq Ahmed, and in their contrasting ways Andy Flower and Ryan ten Doeschate did so effectively enough to enable the Eagles to post 151.
Having given his team a solid start, Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, was given out caught behind off the left-arm spin of Grant Flower and the rest proved unable to deal with either Flower or James Middlebrook, subsiding from 73 for three to 108 all out.
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SHOW-STOPPER: consecutive sixes by Ryan ten Doeschate off Mushtaq.
SHOW-DOWNER: Sussex collapse deprived a big crowd of a close finish.
BRISTOL (Gloucestershire won toss): Gloucestershire Gladiators (2pts) beat Worcestershire Royals by five wickets
AN unbeaten 73 by Philip Weston, who was making only his second appearance in Twenty20 cricket, enabled Gloucestershire to beat his old county with ease (Ivo Tennant writes). He was joined by Mark Alleyne when Gloucestershire were 120 for five and they brought about a victory with two balls to spare. Weston hit eight fours and a six.
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Worcestershire’s batting had been dependent on Zander de Bruyn and Ben Smith, who added 78 from 12 overs. The South African’s unbeaten 76 came off 59 balls.
SHOW-STOPPER: Weston demonstrating the advantage of a height of 6ft 3in
SHOW-DOWNER: Radio Bristol gave the start time as 5.30 instead of 2 o’clock fooling, among others, local media.
LEICESTER (Durham won toss): Leicestershire Foxes (2pts) beat Durham Dynamos by three runs
ONCE again it was spin that effectively decided a Twenty20 match when Durham, going into the ninth over on 53 for one, lost two wickets and managed only 21 runs in the next five overs off the bowling of Jeremy Snape, Claude Henderson and Dinesh Mongia (Neville Scott writes). With Nathan Astle out for 37, they suddenly needed 11 per over. A six was required off the final ball and, despite Gordon Muchall’s unbeaten 38, they fell short.
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Leicestershire sank earlier from 111 for three when “Nelson” struck twice. H. D. Ackerman was run out for 56 as Dale Benkenstein dropped a return chance but deflected the ball on to the non-striker’s stumps.
SHOW-STOPPER: Combination of Mustard and Onions taking first wicket
SHOW-DOWNER: Combination of beer and sun on fans in the bleachers
TRENT BRIDGE (Yorkshire won toss): Yorkshire Phoenix (2pts) beat Nottinghamshire Outlaws by two wickets
IAN HARVEY, the only batsman to hit two hundreds in the Twenty20 Cup, launched another ferocious assault to make 74, with 13 fours and two sixes, off 32 balls as Yorkshire Phoenix won with one ball to spare (Michael Austin writes).
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Nottinghamshire Outlaws, watched by a crowd of 8,104, made only 170 for eight despite shorter boundaries, then saw Harvey and Michael Lumb share an opening partnership of 60 in five overs, although Yorkshire’s rapid rate prompted five wickets to tumble for 43 runs. Chris Read made 43 for the Outlaws.
SHOW-STOPPER: Anthony McGrath conceding 15 runs off his only over but dismissing Gareth Clough with his last ball
SHOW-DOWNER: The Outlaws’ batsmen pressing the self-destruct button, as Yorkshire’s did later