Natwest Trophy: Hussain in lead role for Essex (12 August 1997)

Tuesday 12 August 1997

Natwest Trophy: Hussain in lead role for Essex

By Charles Randall

ENGLAND`S early demise in the fifth Test at least gave Nasser Hussain an extra day to recuperate before leading Essex into their NatWest Trophy semi-final against Glamorgan at Chelmsford today.

Hussain knew yesterday he would be taking on the cap- taincy burden when it became apparent that Paul Prichard would not recover from the hamstring strain he suffered during his backto-the-wall 224 at Canterbury in the County Championship last week.

Prichard`s absence guarantees Hussain another day of tension - and on BBC Television again, too - so soon after England`s Ashes loss at Nottingham, especially as he failed twice as a batsman.

Any cup final brings waves of optimism and expectation flowing through a county and anybody using a NatWest Bank cash dispenser recently will have been reminded about this week`s two important semi-finals, with the Warwickshire-Sussex game at Edgbaston - also on BBC - taking place tomorrow.

Hussain and Robert Croft, opposing each other today, are the only two England players from Trent Bridge going straight back into knockout action.

Essex`s championship and Sunday ambitions took a bashing against Kent over the weekend, so failure at a packed County Ground today would be hard to stomach.

The trophy became, officially, the senior one-day competition at the start of the summer when it was accorded a larger first prize - now -L45,000 - after years of equality with the two others.

As this year will be the last of 60-over duration if the ECB proposals go through in September, the winners may assume a unique place in history. Sussex, who play Warwickshire in the other semi-final at Edgbaston tomorrow, could even find themselves as the last 60-over champions, having been the first holders in 1963.

One drawback to abolishing a second knockout competition, the Benson and Hedges Cup, is that most players will find themselves with only one chance per summer of appearing at Lord`s.

That is a sizeable hole in most aspirations and would make semi-finals like today almost unbearably tense. As it is, Mike Fatkin, Glamorgan`s secretary, has declined to watch the Chelmsford game because he becomes too nervous.

Stuart Law, Essex`s Australian batsman, said recently how he coveted the prospect of playing before a packed house at Lord`s. "It`s every county cricketer`s dream and I`m no exception," he said.

Essex, despite their success over the last two decades, possess a surprisingly modest 60-over record. Last year`s los- ing final, which Law had to miss, was only their second appearance at this stage.

Glamorgan are still saddled with 1977, the year of their lone final, though they were losing semi-finalists in 1993 and 1995.

Essex, who defeated Glamorgan by five wickets in their Benson and Hedges group match in April, start as favourites, especially with Mark Ilott, their England left-arm seamer, back after a foot injury.

Warwickshire and Sussex boast fine records, with eight 60-over finals apiece. A 10,000-plus Edgbaston crowd should see Warwickshire win comfortably.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)