Date-stamped : 30 Jul97 - 11:30 Hussain finds touch to cancel his debt By Peter Deeley at Trent Bridge Essex (289-7) bt Notts (288-5) by 3 wkts NASSER HUSSAIN experienced the highs and lows of cup competi- tion here yesterday before he steered Essex, the NatWest Trophy favourites, to victory with 10 balls to spare. The England vice-captain appeared still to be carrying in the field the mental scars of England`s Headingley Test defeat 24 hours earlier. There is probably not a safer catcher in the game, yet he put down three chances. What made it worse was that the fortunate Nottinghamshire batsmen were Paul Johnson, who was dropped twice and went on to make 106, and the veteran Tim Robinson, who scored 52. If Hussain felt he owed his side a big debt, he repaid it in large measure with the bat. He was at the crease for three hours and his unbeaten 89, containing 10 boundaries, was of necessi- ty a grafting innings. Even so, it can not often be the case that a man who puts down three opportunities in the field then wins the man-of-the- match award. At the end, Ashley Cowan joined a tiring Hussain and these two added 36 in six overs. In those nervy final overs, Paul Franks, Nottinhamshire`s teenage fast bowler, conceded 17 runs in an over and was called twice for chest-high full tosses. Then, as the crowd roared, Johnson tumbled to take a skier from Cowan only to indicate he had caught it on the half-vol- ley - a sporting gesture that the batsman applauded. Essex were fumbling from the start. Before he played on, Matthew Dowman got an inside edge from Ronnie Irani which Robert Rollins laid a glove on but could not control. Then Robinson, on 22, nicked Irani to slip, where Hussain moved quickly but could not gather the chance. Johnson, after scor- ing 12, was next to profit from Hussain`s mistakes. Robinson and Johnson cashed in on their lives to the extent that they put on 91 in 15 overs before Robinson was bowled off his pads. Hussain`s catalogue of woe continued when Robinson flicked Pe- ter Such to midwicket, where the fielder, falling backwards, let the ball through. Fortunately for Essex their spinners, Such and Paul Grayson, exerted a steadying influence on the run flow, giving away only 80 runs between them in 24 overs. Then when Stuart Law came back, he yorked a tiring Johnson. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)