ESSEX WON BY EIGHT WICKETS
Middlesex Won the toss and elected to bat
Middlesex Innings 229 for 9 - 42 overs
Having convincingly led the side to victory over a strong Surrey side yesterday at Purley, Nick Compton was again in position as captain for the Second Eleven Trophy match against Essex at Radlett today.
Under deep grey skies Compton won the toss, and like yesterday, duly elected to bat.
With Compton opening with young Tom Lace, now on a summer professional contract with the club, the pair built a steady partnership at a little short of five an over, before Lace was dismissed for 19 in the tenth over. This brought George Scott to the crease, and he immediately found his feet and looked to bat with intent and purpose from the outset.
Compton departed with the score on 59, for a patient 29, and after a short delay for rain, which saw the match reduced to 48 overs per side, he was followed back to the pavilion by Perera for 11 and Davies for 13.
Scott remained resolute at the crease, and whilst wickets were falling around him, he maintained his poise at the crease as his innings grew in stature.
Further rain saw the overs reduced again to 42 per side, and as the Middlesex innings neared its end Scott brought up a magnificent hundred before finally succumbing himself to the bowling of Walter, to depart for a round hundred, scored off 107 balls.
Middlesex posted 229 for 9 in their 42 overs, although with the loss of time due to rain, Essex required 236 as their Duckworth Lewis revised victory target.
Essex Innings 238 for 2 – 34.5 overs
Despite Tim Murtagh making an early breakthrough for Middlesex, dismissing Paul Walter with the final ball of the fourth over, Essex Second Eleven secured what in the end was a comfortable victory against Middlesex, as they reached their Duckworth Lewis revised victory target of 236, for the loss of just two wickets, with seven overs to spare.
Opening the batting for Essex was Varun Chopra, and his class and experience were there for all to see, as he batted through the Essex innings and compiled an unbeaten century at more than a run a ball, finishing the game on 109 not out from 107 deliveries.
The only other wicket to fall, was picked up by Thilan Walallawita, who claimed the scalp of Callum Taylor, who departed after hitting a half century at number three, although this just brought the hugely experienced former Essex First Eleven Captain James Foster to the crease.
Foster smashed his way to an unbeaten 67 off just 39 balls and scored the lions’ share of the runs for Essex in an unbroken partnership of 120 runs with Chopra that took the visitors to their victory target with time to spare.
