Eagles Soar to Victory Despite Pothas Half-Century

Essex Eagles claim penultimate ball win to beat Hampshire Royals by 3 wickets in the Friend's Provident t20.

Essex Eagles v Hampshire Royals
Friends Provident t20
Sunday 4th July 2010
Chelmsford

Summary
Essex beat Hampshire by 3 wickets 
Hampshire Royals: 161-6
Essex Eagles: 163-7 (19.5 overs)

A very close game was won on the penultimate ball by the Essex Eagles at Chelmsford.

Despite a heroic effort from Nic Pothas, who scored 59, the Eagles completed the double over the Royals in the FPt20 competition due, in no small part, to an excellent half century from Zimbabwean, Grant Flower.

Jaik Mickleburgh scored the decisive four to win it for the hosts.

Special mention should go to Danny Briggs who was, once again, the pick of the Hampshire attack with figures of 2 for 21 off his 4 overs.

Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson got the visitors off to a blinding start, smashing two deliveries out of the ground on their way to a 51 partnership inside 5 overs.

Then a disastrous final powerplay over saw David Masters remove the same stump twice, taking both openers’ wickets.

On a very quick pitch the balls were flying off the turf, so it was no surprise that all of the first 5 wickets were either bowled or lbw, but Nic Pothas made the most of the speed to blast two consecutive 6s in the 16th over.

He then went one better by smashing Tim Phillips for three consecutive 6s in the 18th over. After two cheeky reverse sweeps brought up further boundaries, the South African celebrated his half-century with a driven sixth maximum and left having given a previously fledgling team a robust 161 to defend.

Pothas scored his 59 off 27 deliveries (including three 4s and six 6s.)

The Eagles’ reply started in unspectacular fashion until, that is, Matt Walker was out to Dominic Cork, bringing in Grant Flower. He started as he meant to carry on with a flurry of boundaries – 3 in the sixth over alone.

In the 15th over, Flower brought up his 50 with his tenth 4 – this one to fine leg; it had taken him 34 balls. And just as he was gathering pace with consecutive boundaries in the 16th over the Zimbabwean was castled by Simon Jones – the Welshman’s second wicket of the match.

At this point the Eagles were ahead on the run-rate and looking good for the win, but then a succession of very quick wickets put the ball back in Hampshire's court, and with one over remaining the hosts had to score eight to take the win.

Off the first ball of the over, Eagles captain James Foster was run out, leaving Mickleburgh with a great deal of responsibility on his shoulders. Sadly for the Royals' the all-rounder was up to the task, hitting two boundaries to claim the win with one delivery to go.

The Royals’ next t20 match is on Friday away to Somerset but in between the team will look to pick themselves up off the bottom of the County Championship with a home match against Kent. 

Words:Simon Vincent; Images: Barry Zee / LMI Photography.

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