Essex were engaged in two matches in the past week starting with a low-key affair at Fenners against Cambridge University.

The three-day friendly was ruined by rain although there was time for a number of the Essex batsmen to enjoy valuable time at the wicket.

Darren Robinson scored 111 to record a first-class century for the first time since September 1997 while Paul Grayson, with 83, recorded his highest first-class score for a year.

When the students batted, they reached 191 for seven before the rains arrived once again to finally conclude proceedings shortly before tea on the final day.

On Sunday, all the razzmatazz of the National League one-day competition hit town with the Essex Eagles facing Lancashire Lightning.

However, the fireworks were provided on the cricket field with two magnificent innings for the crowd to savour.

Andrew Flintoff blasted 143 from 66 deliveries with boundaries dispatched like cannons as the burly player blasted nine sixes and 15 fours.

Four times he hit the bowling out of the ground and on other occasions put the crowd in danger from his rocket-like salvos.

In partnership with fellow England man John Crawley, the duo scored 179 in 20 overs for the fourth wicket to seemingly bat Essex out of the match as the Red rose county reached 301 for six from their allotted 45 overs.

Essex, though did much to enhance their reputation as one-day specialists as they relentlessly pursued the daunting task with considerable conviction.

It was wicket-keeper Robert Rollins who underpinned the quest for success when he drove, bludgeoned and carved his way to 87 runs from 51 balls with two sixes and nine fours.

He and Stephen Peters forged a middle order partnership of 64 in seven overs and when Rollins was finally caught at third man, Essex needed 32 runs from little more than two overs.

Ashley Cowan and Mark Ilott hit 26 from two overs but the home side eventually fell just three runs short of their target.

Afterwards the engaging Rollins said, "We are all disappointed to have lost the game after coming so close. I always believed that we could reach their total and when I went in, I was determined to give it my best shot.

''I felt in good form right from the start and the runs started to flow. We needed to adopt a positive approach throughout our innings and that suited my game.

''Personally, I was delighted to get among the runs again after the season I had last year. We are a good one-day side and even though we lost today, we showed that we are a side to be reckoned with."

Magnificent entertainment with all the coloured clothing etcetera becoming a superfluous innovation amongst an enthralling game of cricket.

Paul Grayson, who scored 83 in the friendly match against Cambridge University at Fenners.

Robert Rollins, who scored an excellent 87 in Essex's first National League match of the season.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.