11:16 PM IST and 6:46 PM Local Time: Essex have got a thumping victory over Derbyshire Falcons in their home game. Both the sides fought brilliantly and took the game deep but Essex batters kept their nerves and finished the game with a couple of balls to go. Charlie Allison remains the difference between the two sides with his impactful unbeaten 67-run knock.
Derbyshire won the toss earlier and elected to bat first. Aneurin Donald and Martin Andersson were off to a cautious start but unleashed a couple of audacious strokes to strike at 12 runs per over in their opening stand. The first breakthrough came for Essex when Shane Snater got the better of Donald (20). Martin Andersson and Caleb Jewell went back to the hut inside the powerplay and the Falcons were reduced to 51/3 in 5.4 overs. Just six balls later, they lost Wayne Madsen. Ross Whiteley and Matthew Montgomery put to 20 for the fifth wicket but Simon Harmer dismissed Ross (12). Falcons were in deep trouble with 75/5.
This is where Montgomery decided to step up. He got Amrit Basra as his partner who struggled a lot in his 14-ball 7 run knock but added 41 for the sixth wicket. Montgomery eventually got to his fifty in 29 balls hitting 6 fours and a maximum but was dismissed in the next ball after the completion of his fifty. Derbyshire added 33 runs more after Montgomery's dismissal and Nick Potts deserves all the credits for his 35 off 22. Eventually they got bundled out for 173.
It was a complete team performance with the ball for Essex. Shane Snater, Zaman Akhter, Wiaan Mulder and Simon Harmer- each of them picked up a couple of wickets each. Charlie Bennett removed Amrit Basra.
When Essex came to chase the 174-run target, a lot of eyes were on Michael-Kyle Pepper. But the keeper-batter was dismissed for 13 off 8 and that brought Charlie Allison in the crease with Paul Walter. Walter overcame his initial struggles and hit a hat-trick of boundaries off Ben Aitchison in the third over. His fluency was regained and he never looked back. He hit 9 boundaries in his 24-ball stay to score 41. At the time of his dismissal, Essex were going at exactly 10 runs per over.
Then the hosts got a few hiccups when they were 90/2 after 9 overs. Luc Benkenstein (1) failed to impress and Wiaan Mulder played an uncharacteristically slow knock of 12 runs. In the next 4 overs, they lost two wickets and scored just 19 runs. Allison accelerated and Matthew Critchley complemented his partner. They put up 58 runs for the 5th wicket in just 6 overs and it was Essex's game then. Allison was batting judiciously but steadily and got to his fifty in 37 balls. Martin Andersson went for 20 in the 17th over of the innings and it put the asking rate below run-a-ball then. Critchley got out in the penultimate over scoring 37 off 21 balls. In the final over, Nick Potts had just three to defend and Allison hit him for a maximum to finish the game staying unbeaten on 67 off 49 balls.
For Derbyshire, Ben Aitchison, Nick Potts, Jack Morley and Martin Andersson picked up a wicket each.