184/9 (20.0)
CR : 9.20
187/6 (20.0)
CR : 9.35
Essex won by 3 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Charlie Allison
74(47)
9 needed off 2 balls.
19.5
1
Charlie Bennett to Fred Klaassen
Excellent bowling from Bennett. Bowls it fuller and on the off-stump line. Klaassen drives it to left of mid-off for a run.
19.6
4
Charlie Bennett to Jacob Benedict Lintott
FOUR RUNS! That's it! Charlie Bennett held his nerve and sealed the game for his side. Essex win by a mere 3 runs. Fuller length delivery outside the off-stump. Lintott gets low and squeezes it to deep backward point for a boundary.
Over 20
Kent 184/9
Jacob Benedict Lintott17(9)
Fred Klaassen18(5)
Charlie Bennett2-39(4.0)
ESS won by 3 runs
2:36 AM IST, 10:06 PM Local Time: The match went down to the wire, but Charlie Bennett held his nerve in the final few balls of the match and helped Essex win by 3 runs. With this win, Essex stretch their winning streak to four matches.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Essex recovered from an early setback to post an imposing 187/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to a blistering finish that saw them plunder 66 runs in the last four overs. Michael-Kyle Pepper fell early, but Jordan Cox and Paul Walter rebuilt with a 29-run stand before Walter departed, leaving Essex at 43/2 at the end of the Powerplay.
Cox made the most of an early reprieve and contributed a valuable 40 off 31 balls, laying the platform for the middle order. Charlie Allison then anchored the innings superbly with a well-crafted 74 off 47 deliveries, accelerating brilliantly in the latter stages. Wiaan Mulder provided the late fireworks with a stunning 29 off just 11 balls, helping Essex finish strongly and set Kent a challenging target of 188. For Kent, Matt Milnes was the standout bowler, returning impressive figures of 3/23.
Chasing 188, Kent were rocked by early wickets, but skipper Sam Billings kept their hopes alive with a superb 62 off 38 balls, sharing a crucial 58-run stand with Chris Benjamin (16). However, regular strikes from Essex, led by Zaman Akhter (3/19) and Charlie Bennett (2/39), reduced Kent to 150/9 after 18 overs, leaving them needing an improbable 38 runs from the last two overs.
Just when the game appeared over, Jake Lintott and Fred Klaassen produced a sensational counterattack. The pair added an unbeaten 34 runs in just 12 balls, with Klaassen smashing 18 off five deliveries and Lintott contributing 17 off nine, dragging the game to the wire. The equation came down to 10 runs off the final four balls, but Charlie Bennett kept his composure under pressure and closed out the contest, ensuring Essex emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Essex recovered from an early setback to post an imposing 187/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to a blistering finish that saw them plunder 66 runs in the last four overs. Michael-Kyle Pepper fell early, but Jordan Cox and Paul Walter rebuilt with a 29-run stand before Walter departed, leaving Essex at 43/2 at the end of the Powerplay.
Cox made the most of an early reprieve and contributed a valuable 40 off 31 balls, laying the platform for the middle order. Charlie Allison then anchored the innings superbly with a well-crafted 74 off 47 deliveries, accelerating brilliantly in the latter stages. Wiaan Mulder provided the late fireworks with a stunning 29 off just 11 balls, helping Essex finish strongly and set Kent a challenging target of 188. For Kent, Matt Milnes was the standout bowler, returning impressive figures of 3/23.
Chasing 188, Kent were rocked by early wickets, but skipper Sam Billings kept their hopes alive with a superb 62 off 38 balls, sharing a crucial 58-run stand with Chris Benjamin (16). However, regular strikes from Essex, led by Zaman Akhter (3/19) and Charlie Bennett (2/39), reduced Kent to 150/9 after 18 overs, leaving them needing an improbable 38 runs from the last two overs.
Just when the game appeared over, Jake Lintott and Fred Klaassen produced a sensational counterattack. The pair added an unbeaten 34 runs in just 12 balls, with Klaassen smashing 18 off five deliveries and Lintott contributing 17 off nine, dragging the game to the wire. The equation came down to 10 runs off the final four balls, but Charlie Bennett kept his composure under pressure and closed out the contest, ensuring Essex emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins.
Player of the Match: Charlie Allison
Charlie Allison (POTM): "[There must be a lot of confidence in the group?] Certainly. After the first two games, it was pleasing to bounce back the way we did. The boys put in a really solid performance, and hopefully, after the next two County Championship games, we can carry this momentum forward and continue playing with the freedom we've shown.
[What's working so well for you?] I'm keeping it as simple as I can. My approach is just to hit strong shots — that's the technique I work with — and then hopefully everything else falls into place."
[What's working so well for you?] I'm keeping it as simple as I can. My approach is just to hit strong shots — that's the technique I work with — and then hopefully everything else falls into place."
That's all from this engrossing contest, folks! For now, it's me, Deepak Prakash, signing off on behalf of my colleagues Pritam Dey and Sachin Yadav. CHEERS!