By Dave Buxton
April 9 2003

The cricket season got underway today at Chelmsford, albeit a friendly, as Middlesex visited Chelmsford for two practice Twenty20 Cup games, in preparation for the new competition and the new season. The visitors won the first, but Essex won the second match in great fashion to end the day at 1-1.

Twenty20 Twenty20 Friendlies Produce Win & Defeat V Middx

Both games saw the teams use different players and tactics as they prepare for the exciting new competition that is starting in June. 20 overs-a-side, 2 and-a-half hours per match and the teams played two matches to get used to the new game.

The first match of the day started at 11:30am. Essex fielded the XI of: Jefferson, Robinson, Foster (+), Dakin, Grayson (*), Bopara, Stephenson, Napier, Denning, Brant and Clarke. Scott Brant arrived in Chelmsford last week, so was given his first opportunity after missing out on the South Africa tour. Ronnie Irani didn't feature in any of the two games.

Neither side was really sure how proceedings would go and on a cloudy, but dry morning, it was the Middlesex bowlers that got used to the new format quicker.

The home team batted first and both Robbo and Fossy made ducks and despite some early fours, Will Jefferson was soon out also (14) to leave Essex three down in the early overs.

Jon Dakin (32) and the captain for the match, Paul Grayson (26), both repaired the innings with solid knocks, but fell one after the other, with Larry being stumped off a wide from Paul Weekes.

Ravi Bopara made a useful 16, as did John Stephenson with 12, but it was Graham Napier who added the impetus, by smashing a quickfire 29 not out, to boost the final score, as Essex settled on 140-7 from the allotted 20 overs.

I guess no one really knows yet what kind of score will be competitive in 20 overs cricket, but 140 was a score that isn't, not for Essex in this game, as 'sex openers Strauss (the visiting captain) and Weekes set about the target with caution and once played in, hit some big shots to win the match comfortably by 10 wickets.

Strauss finished on 74 not out with 5 sixes (his fifth to win the game) and off only 43 balls, with his 50 taking only 35 deliveries. Paul Weekes ended on 57 not out from 46 balls, as they knocked off the target to score 146-0 with 3.4 overs spare. Graham Napier bowled a maiden in his 2 overs for 10 runs and something you won't see a lot of in this form of cricket. Scott Brant bowled 3 overs for 20 on debut and Dakes 3 overs for 15.

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The second match started at 3:30pm in the afternoon and Essex made a few changes, seeing their team look like this: Jefferson, Habib, Napier, Foster, Stephenson, Robinson (*), Hyam (+), Middlebrook, Grant, McGarry and McCoubrey. Grayson handed over the captaincy to Robbo, as did Fossy with the gloves to Barry Hyam.

This time, Middlesex batted first and Essex bowled better throughout than the previous match and reduced the seaxes to 48-4 in the 8th over. James Middlebrook was bowling fantastic again and got the key wickets of Shah and Hutton cheaply, as he finished with figures of 3 overs, 2-18. Andrew McGarry was fantastic also, taking 2-20 off his allotted 4 overs, including Ed Joyce for just 1. Adrian McCoubrey (a visitor to this site) took his first Essex wicket of Michael Brown.

But not before Brown (33) and Robin Weston (43 not out from only 26 balls) recovered the innings with some beaty blows to allow Middlesex to post 161-8 from their 20 overs.

However, under the Twenty20 rules, if a side doesn't bowl their 20 overs inside 1 hour and 15 minutes, they'll be added on six runs per over after this time and because only 17 were bowled within the allotted time, the target now was much harder, as 180 was required to win, an extra 18 added onto the target.

The extra 18 runs didn't make a difference though, as Essex set about the target with venom, although Aftab Habib in the unfamiliar role of opener, scored only 15 before he fell.

But that only brought Graham Napier to the crease and he and Jeffers smashed the attack to all parts of the County Ground, in a thrilling and match winning 2nd wicket partnership.

Jeffers scored exactly 50 from 35 balls (3 sixes and 4 fours), while Napes carted an unbeaten 89 with 7 big sixes and 4 fours.

Despite Fossy (0) and Stepho (5) falling quickly, captain Robbo came in and joined Napier to see his side to victory with an unbeaten 18, as Essex cruised home at 180-4 with 8 balls remaining, despite the penalty. Paul Weekes bowled 4 overs for 51, which is 12.75 runs per over.

So, two interesting games and 1-a-piece in the standings after the beginning of 20 overs cricket, with a two-day friendly to follow. I guess both teams were getting a feel for the new format, but it just shows that any score is possible and achievable, the format will bring exciting cricket for the fans and that the Chelmsford pitch looks as good as ever.

Tomorrow (Wednesday 9th) and Thursday (10th) sees the sides battle out a two-day 100 overs-per-side friendly, again taking place at Chelmsford. Both days will start at 11:00am and entry is once again free. Depending on the weather, the match format could change though.

Click below to view the match scorecards:

MATCH ONE SCORECARD
MATCH TWO SCORECARD

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Date: 8/4/03

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