Still at Chelmsford for the 2nd game of the double header, Essex vs Hampshire.
Dominic Cork won the toss and let Essex bat first. Surprise at the top as Mark Pettini opened with Tim Southee in a pinch hitting role. Danny Briggs and Dimitri Mascarenhas opened the bowling and Southee was dropped off Mascarenhas, which proved to be a cruicial drop but Pettini was lbw next ball for 4.
Cork brought himself on in the 3rd over and Southee promptly smashed 13 off the over and then two sixes off Mascarenhas came before Owais Shah flicked to fine leg for 2. 40-2 was a good start and Southee hit more off Briggs then Ryan Ten Doeschate chipped to Ervine at mid-off for 3. Essex captain James Foster then provided the solid partner that Southee needed as the run-rate slowed after the powerplay due to good bowling from Imran Tahir and Shahid Afridi on his Hampshire debut, but Southee went to fifty off 19 balls before swinging his fifth six off Tahir. The 10th over finally brought the end as Southee went for one hit too many and was stumped by Nic Pothas off Tahir for 74 off only 34 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes with Essex 94/4.
Matt Walker fell to Cork in the 13th over and Adam Wheater fell in the 15th to give Afridi his first wicket as it looked like Essex would struggle to reach 150. Tim Phillips came in at 8 and took 12 off Briggs' final over before thumping 25 off Cork and Afridi before falling lbw to Cork, but the damage had been done with 33 off 19. Essex scrambled to 162-7, a good total in the conditions with Cork taking 2-35 and Tahir 1-22.
David Masters and Southee opened the bowling and Southee struck third ball to remove Jimmy Adams then James Vince joined Benny Howell in a useful partnership that emulated to a certain degree of success the Essex run fest before the unlikely Chris Wright broke the partnership in his first over having Howell caught by Phillips to leave Hampshire 41-2. Neil McKenzie and Vince pushed along steadily and at the halfway point Hampshire were 72-2.
Then Phillips struck in his 2nd over with McKenzie swinging a full toss to Southee at long-off. Runs then dried up as 13 came off the next four overs and Sean Ervine fell to Wright and then the key 15th over came. Phillips bowled Afridi first ball then there were two singles before Pothas swung the fourth ball to Southee at long-off before Vince smashed the fifth ball over the Tom Pierce Stand to bring up a 43-ball 50 then inside-edging the final ball onto his off stump to depart for 52, Hampshire now 101-7 and almost gone. Cork wasn't about to surrender as he smacked Ten Doeschate for two huge sixes into Hayes Close before Mascarehas hit Southee for another six and a four off the first two balls of the next over. He then sliced to third man where Tim Westley held a good catch. Wright's last over brought about a mix-up between Briggs and Cork leaving Briggs run out by Foster's quick pick up and throw to leave Hampshire 129-9. Cork then holed out off Southee to none other than Phillips to leave Hampshire 136 all out to wrap up an Essex win by 26 runs. Phillips was given the match award for his 4-29, Southee took 3-38 and Wright 2-22.
