Half centuries from captain Tom Westley and a maiden fifty from rookie Charlie Allison had seen the hosts post 298-9. Then having reached 236-3, the wheels came off in stunning fashion as Essex rallied to claim a memorable victory. That made it 247-6 and had Essex fans believing in the impossible, although Simpson pulled Webster away for a boundary. The target was 33 off 42 balls, before Simpson hit Porter for successive boundaries at the start of the 44th over to ease Middlesex nerves. And Westley then bowled dangerman Simpson with Middlesex seven runs short of their goal to the delight of the home support.

Source: Metro August 11, 2023 19:50 UTC