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Irani lights the way for Essex

By Mike Beddow at Edgbaston

21 July 1998


Essex (204-7) bt Warwicks (187-7) by 17 runs

WARWICKSHIRE'S third day-night fixture in three weeks became the most successful with a crowd approaching 10,000 for a match which contained a make-or-break element for the destiny of this season's AXA League title.

So far, they have enjoyed good fortune with the weather - remarkable in itself during this damp summer - and the sales pitch could not have been more attractive.

Victory would take them alongside Essex at the top of the table but defeat would leave them eight points adrift.

Essex's recent form has been convincing as a team - five wins in six games - and individually in the case of Stuart Law with 338 runs in his previous five league innings.

Initially, this pattern was maintained as the Australian claimed a substantial share of a partnership of 51 with Paul Prichard. If the tempo was brisk, strokeplay still had its limitations on another slow Edgbaston pitch.

The openers could not do much during a testing spell by Ed Giddins and it was the eighth over before Law cut Graeme Welch for the first four. In playing this shot, he appeared to aggravate the discomfort caused by an earlier blow in the ribs from a ball by Giddins.

Warwickshire's first productive phase began when Mohammed Sheikh nipped one back to take Prichard's leg stump, but Stephen Peters's departure was partly due to a crucial slip in aborting a single. Dougie Brown's throw from backward square leg became decisive when Keith Piper backhanded the ball on to the stumps.

Law would have been a shade disappointed by his dismissal. Having worked hard to build a bridgehead with 40 from 53 balls, he took a stride down the pitch and drove Neil Smith straight to Welch at mid-off.

Spin had a containing effect until Essex regrouped around Ronnie Irani and Danny Law, a partnership which gathered momentum when the latter pulled Ashley Giles for six. In 11 overs, they added 61.

A spectacular catch by Brown, diving to his left at mid-off, brought the younger Law to order and Paul Grayson skied to mid-on, but Irani sped away to reach 50 off 65 balls with a six off Giddins.

When Graham Napier repeated this treatment, the over cost 19 runs. Further wickets fell in the closing slog as Essex reached 204 for seven with Irani unbeaten on 68.


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Date-stamped : 22 Jul1998 - 06:15