Last pair Ryan ten Doeschate and Darren Gough added the 30 required from the final three overs, controversially helped by the award of six penalty runs for Middlesex’s slow over rate, to overhaul what had looked a winning total of 243-6.

Certainly the decision by umpires Nigel Cowley and Mike Harris to penalise Middlesex was a pivotal moment in an intriguing game, because it meant Essex required 10 instead of 16 off Irfan Pathan’s last over. Crusaders skipper Ben Hutton looked irked by the officials’ intervention, and in truth Middlesex did appear to be in position by the 7.09pm cut-off time.

However, in the cold post-match reality, the home side will have to reflect on a game they often looked to be in charge of, but could never apply the killer blow. Essex were notably always behind the D/L requirement throughout their reply, often by as much as 25 runs, and Middlesex will be left wondering how they failed to force home their advantage. By way of contrast, Essex refused to give in and, thanks to Andy Flower anchoring the middle of their innings and the late heroics of ten Doeschate, they can look back on a quite remarkable victory achieved in rapidly fading light.

Earlier, the Crusaders made a positive start to the game after winning the toss with Paul Weekes and Ed Smith adding 101 for the first wicket, until the latter was run out for 41 after being sent back. Pathan was promoted to add some impetus to the innings but, after being dropped by Will Jefferson running round on the deep mid-wicket boundary, he was soon on his way caught behind off the spin of James Middlebrook.

Indeed, taking the pace of the ball seemed to be the key with the spin of Grant Flower and Middlebrook frustrating Middlesex as they looked to accelerate. Weekes (66), bowled advancing to Flower, Shah, caught off a skier at mid-on, and Joyce, rather weakly chipping the ball to the same place, all perished looking to break the shackles. At 145-5 after 34 overs, the Crusaders were in desperate need of a positive partnership to lift them to a competitive score, and in the shape of Scott Styris assisted by Jamie Dalrymple, they appeared to have changed the game by the time the interval arrived.

In an extraordinary display of clean hitting, the New Zealander smashed seven sixes in a whirlwind knock of 71 from only 43 balls, as Middlesex incredibly added 55 runs in three overs, with ten Doeschate’s solitary over – the penultimate one of the innings – costing 25, including four maximums. The experience of Gough accounted for Styris in the end, but by that time the Crusaders’ batsman had made sure his side had amassed a highly defendable total. Dalrymple, who had provided reliable support, ended with an important 23 not out.

There was drama with the first ball of the Eagles’ reply, when Jefferson was sent back attempting a leg bye to Hutton, but the captain’s shy at the stumps missed and cost four overthrows. With the benefit of hindsight, a simple throw to wicketkeeper Ben Scott would have still seen the Essex opener comfortably run out.

Nevertheless, that was soon forgotten, as at 75-4, Essex’s chances seemed to be in tatters. Pathan claimed the wickets of Jefferson, who made just 15, and Ravinder Bopara to fine catches by Scott, before the introduction of spin saw Grant Flower offer a return catch to Weekes and Alistair Cook trapped lbw by Dalrymple’s first delivery of the match. There was also an impressive opening spell of 4-1-12-0 for Mel Betts.

However, the partnership between Andy Flower and James Middlebrook that followed was, in retrospect, a vital component in the Eagles’ successful chase. Crucially rotating the strike and keeping themselves in touch with the asking rate, the duo appeared to be taking the game away from Middlesex until Middlebrook misjudged a quick single and was run out by Dalrymple to make the score 137-5 with less than 17 overs remaining. James Foster soon followed, bowled by Alan Richardson, and the pendulum swung convincingly back towards Middlesex when Flower (46) was out to Hutton’s catch at point off Styris.

In increasingly gloomy light, Alex Tudor looked a little unfortunate to be given out leg-before when hit quite high up by Styris, before Andre Adams was ninth out caught on the cover boundary at the second attempt by Ed Smith to give Pathan his third victim. At 213-9, requiring 32 more with 3.1 overs remaining, it looked to be a mountain too high for Essex’s last pair to climb.

Amazingly, though, the Crusaders contrived to allow this position of strength to slip. Ten Doeschate, having suffered a nightmare bowling earlier in the day and having made a sluggish start with the bat, took centre stage to unbelievably lead Essex home. It is indisputably true that the penalty runs made Essex’s task all the more achievable, and the umpires’ decision in this respect provides a real talking point.

With only 10 required and Pathan the bowler, three runs were scampered from the first two deliveries, before ten Doeschate hammered the third through point for a boundary. The equation reduced to just three from as many balls, Hutton brought the field in but Pathan’s length deserted him as the batsman smashed the ball through mid-wicket to complete a quite remarkable counter-attack by the visitors, and leave Middlesex players and supporters in a state of disbelief.

Please click here for the scorecard for this match

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