Date-stamped : 27 Aug95 - 22:28
SUNLG: Kent v Essex, Canterbury, 27 August 1995

Kent stay on course after Essex falter - Doug Ibbotson

Kent (221-6) bt Essex (200) by 21 runs

KENT`S Sunday League championship aspirations teetered  above  an
abyss  at  Canterbury before Essex, seemingly poised for victory,
were ultimately vanquished.

Now Kent need to win their remaining two matches to gain the tro-
phy  and the #35,000 first prize. But the prospect appeared to be
receding rapidly as Essex chased confidently.

Kent, who won the toss, made only 221 for six from  39  overs,  a
challenge seemingly put into perspective by Mark Waugh and Nasser
Hussain, each of whom made sound rather  than spectacular   half-
centuries.

The loss of Graham Gooch for a single cast the first real  shadow
of doubt on the Essex cause, but a partnership of 73 between Hus-
sain and Ronnie Irani appeared to restore the momentum.

At 175, however, both were dismissed, Hussain bowled by Mark Eal-
ham for 83 and Irani caught by Ealham at short midwicket off Dean
Headley. Essex then needed 46 from five overs. When Darren Robin-
son  fell  for  11  and  Robert  Rollins for eight to consecutive
deliveries from Martin McCague, 28 was needed off 20 balls.

Matthew Fleming removed Mark Ilott: 197 for eight, Jonathan Lewis
was  run  out  with nine balls left and Darren Cousins fell first
ball to give Kent a remarkable win.

Apart from an opening partnership of 43 in 10 overs and a  sixth-
wicket  flourish  of  61 by Ealham (42) and Nigel Llong, the Kent
innings was seldom in gear.

Mark Benson, who has not recovered form since his right hand  was
severely  injured  in mid-July, was again in circumspect mood. He
contributed only 15  to  the  first-wicket  stand before   edging
Cousins, who bowled intelligently, to Rollins.

Though the pitch had offered erratic bounce throughout, the  con-
sensus among Kent supporters was that the total was not enough

Hopes of another bravura performance from Aravinda de  Silva  was
only  briefly sustained before he heaved Irani to deep square leg
where Lewis held on to a swirling catch.

Trevor Ward, meanwhile, had been accumulating  runs  methodically
rather  than  in his customary ebullient style and on 38 appeared
far from gruntled to be given out  lbw  while sweeping  at   off-
spinner Peter Such - a fate subsequently to befall Graham Cowdrey
(29).

Earlier, Cowdrey had escaped a chance  at  backward  point  where
Hussain  put down the catch. Waugh, having also bowled two wides,
stalked away at the end of the over with a loud obscenity   which
had  no place at a troopers` convention, far less in earshot of a
family crowd of 9,000.

Brisk if sometimes risky  running  between  Fleming  and  Cowdrey
hinted  at  a  middle-order  acceleration  but, on 16, the latter
pulled Waugh to long leg where Lewis,  fielding superbly,   raced
round to take a fine catch.

With 30 overs gone the Kent innings was in need of  an  energetic
lift and owed much to Ealham and Llong for a reasonable total.

Though the pitch had offered erratic bounce throughout, the  con-
sensus  among  Kent supporters was that the total was not enough.
But hopes were raised in the third over when Alan Igglesden  held
on to a knee-high return from Paul Prichard.

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