Eastbourne made a confident Lord's debut yesterday when they defeated an outclassed Harrogate in the National Club Knock-out Final
Eastbourne made a confident Lord's debut yesterday when they defeated an outclassed Harrogate in the National Club Knock-out Final. The team from Yorkshire were the marginal pre-match favourites and chose to bat after winning the toss. Eastbourne, who had won all eight qualifying rounds by batting second, accepted the invitation to field gratefully and preceded to tear into the Harrogate batting line-up.A sparkling fielding performance dashed any Yorkshire hopes that the south-coast men would be either elderly or infirm. Eastbourne's Paul Hacker set the match on its subsequent course by trapping Harrogate's opener John Proud leg before. It was a major disappointment for Proud, who had scored 111 not out in his side's semi-final win, but he was soon joined under his dark sky by the majority of his team-mates. It was hardly the build-up they would have wanted, either, for this year's final Warwickshire were left to score 43 for victory.. Essex would surely never have batted like this six weeks ago - but then maybe they would have done, and that is why they are no longer in the hunt.There were a curious mixture of dismissals. Their first innings would have been bad enough and they were only brought back into the match by Peter Such, who took six for 94 in 30 overs.
Ian Flanagan, who is only 17 and looked as composed as anyone, was bowled by Giles's quicker ball and on the point of tea Robert Rollins pull-drove Giles to wide mid- on.The innings ended in the third over after tea, with Essex bowled out for their lowest score since the NatWest final last year, when Lancashire dismissed them for 57. Danny Law, who has had a most disappointing first season with Essex, straight drove Smith for six before being lbw swinging horrendously across the line at Ashley Giles. Paul Grayson then gently drove a long hop from Neil Smith off the back foot to extra cover.There was no reason for it all. It became 13 for four when Nasser Hussain played half-forward to Donald, was hit low on the front pad and was lbw.
In the third over Tim Hodgson tried to push Donald to extra cover and was caught behind. In the fourth, Darren Robinson played back and across the line to Dougie Brown and was lbw when he should have been forward.The score was still only one when, two balls later, Stuart Law went back and, in trying to slash Brown square on the offside, was caught behind. Warwickshire's lead of 59 looked useful rather than anything more, and yet in no time Essex were 42 for 6 in their second innings. Certainly there was an uneven bounce and Allan Donald was decidedly sharp at the start Nonetheless, the impetus for this collapse came from within. Since then things have turned sour, but nothing has been worse than their second innings against Warwickshire, whom they play today week in the NatWest final.