Bury St Edmunds, an unusual venue for Unicorns vs Essex, on a sunny day (not what the forecast said) Unicorns won the toss and batted.
This was not to be their day as Napier bowled Lett, then Thornely was lbw to Masters for 25, which proved to be the 2nd highest score. Campbell and Knappett then launched a recovery before the collapse began. Ravi Bopara bagged Campbell and Parsons in his first over Knappett was unluckily bowled off his pad by Tim Phillips. Amar Rashid went as well in the same over to leave the Unicorns 71-6. Phillips then took the next three to fall as Saker, Querl (the third 2nd ball duck of the innings) and Wheeldon all fell to varying degrees of shot to leave the Unicorns 98-9 with 10 overs still to go.
Then Chris Benham finally had someone to bat with in Tom Craddock on debut. Benham went after Phillips to ruin his figures slightly (5-28) on his way to a 66 ball 50. He then hit two fours off the under par Tsotsobe before holing out to Matt Walker at deep midwicket for 58 to set Essex 138 to win.
Essex's reply was steady with Pettini occupying the crease whilst Cook went after the bowling as Essex took the batting powerplay in the 11th over. Cook would fall though to a cracking yorker from Saker for 38 (which would later be voted champagne moment) as Napier came in to try and finish it off from 53-1. He didn't really get going on the slow track and after swiping a six off Craddock hit one to cover for 11.
Bopara and Pettini then batted Essex to a slow win with 5.5 overs to spare with Bopara hitting Benham's first ball in list-a cricket for 4. He finished 29 not out and Pettini 48 not out (off 100 balls) and Phillips was voted man of the match for his bowling.
