Essex eke out six-run win over Derbyshire

Essex won their third consecutive victory in the National League as they beat Derbyshire by just six runs in a close conclusion at Chelmsford. Nasser Hussain, who was in the Essex side for the first time in a month, was top scorer with 47 in a score of 203-8.

He was more cautious than usual and took 87 balls in his innings, but he hit a six over mid-wicket off medium-paced Tom Lungley as well as four fours. Stephen Peters (38) and Paul Grayson (37 n.o. from 35 balls) contributed most to the total.

Tim Munton had given Essex some early trouble by taking the first three wickets to fall and yielded only 24 runs in his nine overs. Derbyshire, too, found the going difficult at first and reached fifty only after 17 overs. Ronnie Irani bowled four maidens in his nine overs for a cost of 20 runs. The middle/late-order batsmen took up the challenge with greater despatch: James Pyemont scored 34 from 43 deliveries and Dominic Cork 24 from 33.

Nevertheless Derbyshire were still a long way behind with 52 needed from five overs. Munton hit 18 from the same number of balls and Kasir Shah scored 20 from nine, but both batsmen were caught by Tim Mason on the long-on boundary off Grayson's left-arm spin. Eventually Lungley's run out brought the innings to a close on 197 with just one ball to bowl. Derbyshire have now lost eight out of nine matches in the League.