Jon Dakin kept a cool head when it was most needed to get Essex back on the winning trial in the Twenty20 Cup clash against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.
When Hampshire came to the final over needing 12 runs to condemn Ronnie Irani and his players to a fifth successive one-day defeat on the domestic front, the omens did not look good as Wasim Akram thumped the first ball to the boundary.
But Dakin's accuracy restricted Hampshire to just three singles for the remainder of the over to earn Essex a four-run triumph and keep their Twenty20 ambitions very much alive.
Essex had earlier posted a total of 155-6 after being put in, the sort of score that is proving par for the course in this new competition.
Opener Andy Flower provided the early impetus. He raced to 49 from 31 deliveries before being caught in the deep in off-spinner Shaun Udal's opening over, one in which Irani struck his first ball for a gigantic six.
Flower also cleared the ropes during his knock, Southend-born Alan Mullally being the bowler to suffer as he pulled him over midwicket.
The Zimbabwean also drove and cut eight fours and after his departure Mark Pettini fully justified the faith put him by head coach Graham Gooch.
Pettini and fellow teenager Ravinder Bopara were both preferred to the more experienced Darren Robinson and Aftab Habib.
Bopara did not make it to the middle but Pettini confirmed his rich promise while making an unbeaten 32 from 25 balls.
With Irani hitting out to gather 23 from 18 deliveries before holing out attacking Udal, Hampshire were left needing to score at just under eight an over to win.
They progressed at the rate of a run a ball during the opening seven overs and although Derek Kenway and Simon Katich upped the tempo, they struggled to attain the required rate.
Kenway was caught off Scott Brant after making 40 from 42 balls and when Demitri Mascarenhas departed -- brilliantly caught by a diving Flower at deep cover --Hampshire found themselves requiring 35 from the final three overs.
Published Thursday, June 19, 2003
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