Andy Flower's sparkling 71 was not enough to save Essex from a seven-run defeat in their Twenty20 Cup shoot-out against Sussex at Hove.
The Zimbabwean scored his runs from 74 deliveries but, despite that fine effort, the county finished on 173-4 in response to their rival's 180-6.
It signalled the county's third defeat in four matches in the competition and now they go into tomorrow's final clash with Middlesex at Chelmsford needing victory to avoid finishing bottom of the Southern Group.
Flower shared in two half-century partnerships, starting with one of 67 in nine overs for the first wicket with Ronnie Irani.
The Essex skipper opened in place of the dropped Will Jefferson and justified the step-up by making 39 from 29 balls before he was superbly caught at mid-wicket by Paul Hutchison.
Darren Robinson, recalled to the senior side, quickly followed him back to the pavilion when he was run out for seven, paving the way for Flower and Ravinder Bopara to put together 53 in five overs.
Essex came to the final couple of overs with 31 needed. Aftab Habib, another player brought in from the cold, hammered a six and four off successive deliveries as 15 arrived from a Robin Martin-Jenkins over.
But Habib and Paul Grayson could only manage eight from the final one, sent down by Lewry. Earlier, Martin-Jenkins provided the backbone of the Sussex innings with an unbeaten 56 from 36 deliveries.
More on Essex County Cricket Club
Published Monday, June 23, 2003
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