[bugssy]

.supercup match v middlesex

Was against middlesex and after our last super cup loss we really needed to come up with a big win.

my thoughts

after my not so solid start i was hoping that bugs malone would have me named in the starting eleven, so i could prove my worthiness in picking me up in the draft.

the game

the essex team was as follows
J Stephenson
A Grayson
A Habib
N Hussain (captain)
R Irani
J Green
J Dakin
J Foster
J Middlebrook
A Cowan
M Ilott

D Robinson was 12th man

middlesex won the toss and had a bat first on what looked like a great batting deck and there was some rain in the air.Llott and irani opened up and where going along well with a few big lbw appeals and when llott picked up the first victim we where celebrating like crazy, early wickets are cruicial in one day game. middlesex 1 - 19. the boys bowled well and after 14 overs middlesex where 1 - 36 and doing it tough, with some good fielding we had restricted them well beyond what we planned so it was all going nicely. cowan and middlebrook where both bought on and both bowled well but no wickets as the batsmen started to settle down. middlesex had moved to be 1 - 87 of 24 and looking to set a platform. another change when green was bought on to replace cowan, green worked in tandem with middlebrook to try and get the breakthrough. middlebrook got weekes for 52 middlesex where 2 - 116, and very next ball he bowled strauss with out scoring and they where now 3 - 116. middlebrook was on a hatrick and the field gathered around the bat, the crowd where clapping, dot ball . but next ball essex would pick up shah run out from the deep by a magnificent throw, 4 - 117, what an over, and it wasnt over yet, 6th ball of the over he bowled razzaq with an absolute belter. 5 - 117 at the end of the over, before the over started 1 - 116. he finished his 10 overs 3 - 32 of 10 overs.while green at the other end was not taking wickets but was bowling without luck and extremely well. he then picked up the wicket of nash for 3 and middlesex where 6 - 123 of 35 overs and struggling. with middlebrook out of the attack cowan was bought back in.green then picked up koeing (who was the only batsmen who looked like doing anything) 44 (79) middlesex had lost 6 - 13. cowan then picked up fraser ldw and the tail was exposed.the last 15 overs didnt pick up a wicket however the bowlers bowled very well. the bowling figures where as follows,

M Llott 10 2 23 1
R Irani 10 0 25 0
A Cowan 10 1 41 1
J Middlebrook 10 1 32 3
J Green 10 1 38 2

the pick of the batsmen where

p weekes 52 (99)
s koenig 47 (79)
s cook 20 (60)

essex had set the game up well , know it was up to there batsmen to get them home.

stephenson and grayson opened up, stephenson was the first to fall for 27(48) with the score 1 - 40 of 11, with captain promoting young gun j green to have a stint out in the middle, however the young fella didnt last long and got a great ball by razzaq and went for 4(16), essex 2 - 52.habib went for 26 (57)which seen the skipper come in needing 50 of 13 overs at 3.7 runs per over.grayson fell for 66(127) essex only needed 4 of 6 overs. irani was next but didnt score a run as hussain hit the winning runs and scored 25*(28).essex win by 6 wickets.

a very good win.

essex batsmen

j stephenson 27(48)
a grayson 66(127)
hussain 25(28)

middlesex bowling was razzaq
2 - 26 of 10 overs

that win gives essex 2 points which puts them in 4th spot and = with 4 other teams but they all have a game in hand.

j green's thoughts

it was a great mood in the dressing room after the game, but i wasnt in the best of moods after my poor batting display. i felt like i have let everyone down, although they all told me that my bowling today was outstanding, i am in the sie for my batting, coach malone noticed i was down in the dumps and come over and spoke to me, saying that it will all gel together soon, i have only played a handfull of games, and that i was not expected to score 5 tonnes in my first five games, he assured me that i just needed to settle down and be relaxed and it will all come together. that made me feel a little better.

what a win for the side.

next game was against surrey in a super cup match.