Essex tighten grip on knock-out berth after overwhelming Middlesex
Essex 237 for six (Sams 67*, Pepper 64, Lawrence 53) beat Middlesex 116 for two (Cracknell 36*) by 22 runs (DLS technique)
Three Essex gamers smashed their highest scores of this yr’s Vitality Blast to strengthen the Eagles’ quarter-final prospects as they noticed off Middlesex at Lord’s for a fifth consecutive victory.
Dan Lawrence – making a primary look because the announcement of his upcoming transfer to Surrey – struck 53 from 30 balls earlier than Michael Pepper hit 64 from 34 and Daniel Sams weighed in with a savage 24-ball knock of 67.
That enabled the guests to put up 237 for six, overhauling the file Lord’s T20 whole set by Kent Spitfires simply two days earlier, they usually have been nicely on target to defend that when rain introduced the sport to a untimely shut.
Middlesex, who’ve now misplaced all 10 of their South Group fixtures, had reached 116 for 2 midway by the thirteenth over – needing an unlikely 122 extra from 45 deliveries.
Despite a gradual begin after dropping the toss and being inserted, Essex have been into their stride as soon as Lawrence – who dominated the strike within the powerplay – had pummelled successive Tom Helm deliveries for 4 and 6.
The 25-year-old was in ruthless temper, putting the ball powerfully and utilizing his ft as he cracked spinner Nathan Fernandes into the pavilion en path to mentioning a half-century from 26 balls.
However, Feroze Khushi holed out off Martin Andersson and his opening companion adopted go well with, steering the identical bowler into the palms of level – however Pepper eagerly accepted the baton, unfurling the sweep to dispatch Middlesex’s spinners again and again.
He punched Josh de Caires to the duvet boundary to equal the scoring price for Lawrence’s 50 and appeared well-placed to transform that right into a maiden T20 ton – solely to develop into one other Andersson sufferer when he speared to 3rd man.
Paul Walter took benefit of the quick boundary on the grandstand aspect, clearing it twice in his first three balls and Sams proved much more damaging, smashing eight sixes because the pair added 62 from 27 for the fifth wicket.
The Australian all-rounder butchered Middlesex’s bowling, taking 20 off 4 deliveries of the ultimate over from Fernandes earlier than departing to a return catch, nevertheless it appeared as if the guests already had greater than sufficient within the financial institution.
Stephen Eskinazi plundered two sixes from Sam Cook’s opening over to get his aspect’s reply up and operating, but a barren stretch of 28 balls and not using a boundary left them nicely behind the required run-rate.
Sams uprooted the skipper’s leg stump for 28, however Ryan Higgins took a pugnacious method by pulling Matt Critchley twice over the quick boundary as he shared a second-wicket stand of 70 from 36 with Joe Cracknell.
Lawrence got here on to interrupt the partnership by having Higgins caught within the deep for 32, with Cracknell undefeated on 36 from 33 when rain halted play halfway by the following over.