Winners 1979; Finalists 1980, 1983, 1985, 1989

Path to the final

Group D

(second place): no result v Glamorgan (Cardiff); beat Sussex (Hove) by 7 wkts; beat Ireland (Chelmsford) by 171 runs; lost to Middlesex (Chelmsford) by 4 wkts.

Qtr-final:

bt Middlesex (Lord's) by 8 runs

Semi-final: bt Yorkshire (Headingley) by 95 runs

LEICESTERSHIRE

Winners 1972, 1975, 1985; Finalists 1974

Path to the final

Group A

(first place): lost to Lancs (Leicester) by 2 wkts; bt Notts (Trent Bridge) by 8 wkts; bt Warwicks (Leicester) by 5 wkts; bt Northants (Northampton) by 8 wkts; bt Minor Counties (Leicester) by 256 runs.

Qtr-final: bt Kent (Leicester) by 8 wkts

Semi-final: bt Surrey (Leicester) by 20 runs

1998 PRIZE MONEY: Winners UKP 43,000 (1972 UKP 2,500); Runners-up UKP 22,000 (UKP 1,250); Gold Award, final UKP 950 (UKP 100).

PREVIOUS MEETINGS - 1973 qtr-final: Essex won by 6 wkts; 1985 final: Leics won by 5 wkts; 1990 group: no result, rain; 1994 1st rd: Essex won by 8 wkts (the 1994 competition was a knock-out tournament).

HIGHEST TOTAL - Essex: 388-7 v Scotland (Chelmsford) 1992 (tournament record). Leics: 382-6 v Minor Counties (Leicester) 1998. Lowest.- Essex: 61 v Lancs (Chelmsford) 1992. Leics: 56 v Minor Counties (Wellington) 1982.

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORES - Essex: 198no G A Gooch v Sussex (Hove) 1982 (tournament record). Leics: 158no B F Davison v Warwicks (Coventry) 1972.

BEST BOWLING - Essex 5-13 J K Lever v Middlesex (Lord's) 1985. Leics: 6-25 V J Wells v Minor Counties (Leics) 1998.