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Essex Eagles Ground The Ford County Ground, Chelmsford Southend Website Captain Ronnie Irani Overseas players Andre Adams Danish Kaneria Andre Nel Dale Steyn Others Jahid Ahmed Justin Bishop Ravinder Bopara Maurice Chambers Andy Clarke Alastair Cook Ashley Cowan Ryan ten Doeschate Andy Flower Grant Flower James Foster Darren Gough Paul Grayson Will Jefferson James Middlebrook Graham Napier Tony Palladino Mark Pettini Tim Phillips Alex Tudor Benefit Paul Grayson

Essex County Cricket Club in 2005 are playing their cricket in Division Two of the County Championship and Division One of the Sunday League. They started the season 8-1 to win the Second Division Title, and as possible promotion contenders.

Their first first-class game of the season was a poor performance, just scraping by with a four wicket win against Cambridge UCCE. The first County Championship game was against Yorkshire, which was won easily. Then there was a rain-affected win in the Sunday League against Hampshire and a mid-week game against Glamorgan, which was abandoned as a "no result" without a ball being bowled.

Essex then beat Somerset convincingly in the Championship, before drawing in an extraordinary game against Northamptonshire. The return game against Glamorgan was won by five wickets. On 17 May they were eliminated from the C&G Trophy at the second round stage at Old Trafford. There then followed two games in the Championship: a defeat against Worcestershire and a draw with Yorkshire, which left them third in the table behind Durham and Yorkshire at the end of May.

June started with a draw in the Championship against Derbyshire, before winning a nail-biter against Middlesex at Lord's. Then, they whimpered to an innings defeat at Durham, before recovering to take a massive win over Gloucestershire thanks to a century from Andy Flower, and a 39-run win at Worcestershire followed. In the Twenty20 Cup, Essex made one win and one loss against Sussex, interspersed with a win over Kent. Rainy weather in the South Division meant that five teams were challenging for the places, and Essex were one of them, looking strong after beating Surrey in a five-over match at Chelmsford, by a solitary run. However, against a Kent side without a win so far in the Twenty20 Cup, they lost by five runs, and that shock result sent Essex out of the quarter-finals.

However, in the National League was team was going from strength to strength. Topping the league before the interval, Essex continued with victories over Northamptonshire and Lancashire to open up a eight-point gap at the top of the table, being undefeated after nine of sixteen games. To add to that, they beat Northamptonshire by ten wickets in the County Championship, ensuring they were still only three points off the third and last promotion spot.

After their win over Lancashire, they stayed in the North, drawing their County Championship match with the Lancastrians, and then travelled to Grace Road to draw a match with Leicestershire - their sixth draw of the season, which left them three points adrift of the promotion places, having played a game more than the third-placed Lancashire side. They did manage to beat league leaders Durham, though, which tightened up the Division Two title battle. Middlesex visited Southend on Sunday, and Essex won a closely-fought game by two runs, which virtually secured them the National League title, although a 60-run loss to Gloucestershire put some excitement back into it. The team then came back from a 120-run first innings deficit to beat Derbyshire in Derby, which sent them into second place in the Division Two table.

A no-result in the National League extended their lead to ten points with four games remaining, before they declared their way out of the rain-hit match with Somerset and lost by five wickets. The next day, they won the National League win over Hampshire Hawks to take their first major trophy since winning the Natwest Trophy in 1997.

September started with a two-day draw with Australia, before they beat Lancashire by 55 runs in the National League. Lancashire came back in the Championship, though, denting Essex' promotion hopes as Lancashire ran out victorious inside three days. In fact, that came to be crucial, as Yorkshire finalised their draw with Derbyshire on 19 September to send Essex out of contention. Essex had to be content with a National League victory, cementing the already confirmed victory with a win over Worcestershire, and a Championship draw with Worcestershire and a seven-wicket League win over Northamptonshire rounded off the season.

Tables

Championship

2005 County Championship - Division Two
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pen	Bat	Bowl	Pts
1	Lancashire	16	7	6	3	0	43	47	212
2	Durham	16	6	8	2	0	45	44	205
3	Yorkshire	16	5	10	1	0.5	49	42	200.5
4	Northamptonshire	16	5	8	3	0	45	46	193
5	Essex	16	5	7	4	0	51	36	185
6	Worcestershire	16	5	4	7	5.5	53	46	179.5
7	Leicestershire	16	3	7	6	0.5	45	45	159.5
8	Somerset	16	4	5	7	0	42	37	155
9	Derbyshire	16	1	7	8	0	31	43	116

totesport League

2005 totesport League - Division One
Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	NR	Pts
1	Essex Eagles	16	13	1	2	56
2	Middlesex Crusaders	16	10	5	1	42
3	Northamptonshire Steelbacks	16	7	7	2	32
4	Glamorgan Dragons	16	6	6	4	32
5	Nottinghamshire Outlaws	16	6	7	3	30
6	Lancashire Lightning	16	6	9	1	26
7	Gloucestershire Gladiators	16	6	9	1	26
8	Worcestershire Royals	16	5	10	1	22
9	Hampshire Hawks	16	5	10	1	22

Match details

Cambridge UCCE v Essex (9-11 April)

Darren Gough bowling for Essex against Cambridge UCCE

Essex beat Cambridge UCCE by 4 wickets

Cambridge UCCE and Essex started the season at Fenner's Ground in Cambridge. For the first time the Cambridge UCCE team was dominated by players from Anglia Polytechnic University rather than Cambridge University. The first day was a successful one for Cambridge UCCE, who completed an innings of 321. This was quite a recovery from 7 down for 139, when Friedlander (81), who has represented Boland in South Africa, and Wright (76) got together. James Middlebrook took 5 for 54 for Essex. On the second day, Essex put together 307 for 4 declared, although no player scored more than Ravinder Bopara, with 69. Cambridge UCCE scored 64 for 3 by close of play. On the third and final day, Cambridge UCCE piled on more runs, finally declaring on 255 for 4, the highlight of which being 129 not out from Adnan Akram.

This left Essex 270 to win. They lost wickets in doing so, with Palladino taking four wickets, and the students gamely going for a win. However, an all-round performance by Essex finally saw them home with four wickets left. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Yorkshire (13-16 April)

Essex (12pts) drew with Yorkshire (5.5pts)

At Chelmsford, Yorkshire won the toss and put Essex in to bat. Essex never looked by, as Will Jefferson, Essex' 6'10'' opener put on 149 before being out leg before just before the end of the first day's play. Essex captain, Ronnie Irani, said, "People think his height is a weakness, they try and over-test it — they try and pitch it up too much or bowl short too much." Jefferson could have been run out for 0 after a mix-up with Cook, and was dropped on 6. Alastair Cook, hero for the MCC at Lord's fell early for 11. However, Jefferson was given admirable support by Zimbabwean Grant Flower, who was 55 not out at close, with Essex on 224 fo 2, after 26 overs were lost to rain. Seven Yorkshire bowlers were used, but few had any success, and England bowler Matthew Hoggard went wicketless on the first day.

A total of 47 overs were possible in the next two days, as Essex moved on to 394 for 4 - losing two men to Hoggard. Andy Flower, Grant's brother, and Ronnie Irani were on unbeaten half-centuries at the close of the third day's play, a draw a virtual certainty.

After adding only 7 in 11 balls on the fourth and final day, Essex declared on 401 for 4, batting on to score the extra bonus point before putting Yorkshire in. Yorkshire found it difficult on a pitch that must have been affected by the rain. Whilst Yorkshire's captain, Craig White, resisted with 59 not out, the team disintegrated to 205, 196 behind. Essex enforced the follow-on, but in yet another rain-affected day, Yorkshire held on. Jaques scored 67 not out from 88 balls out of his team's 105 for 2. Essex scored maximum bonus points, but were denied by the weather. Yorkshire escaped with the draw, but were fined 0.5 points for a slow over rate during Essex' innings. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Hampshire v Essex (17 April)

Essex (4pts) beat Hampshire (0pts) by 16 runs (D/L method)

At the Rose Bowl, Hampshire Hawks batted first, scoring 175 for 9, as Tim Phillips took 3 for 31. It was a good day for spin, with Grant Flower also taking 2 wickets. In reply, Essex Eagles' Will Jefferson was 44 not out, and Essex 69 for 2 off 16 overs when rain put an end to play, leaving Essex the winners on the Duckworth-Lewis method. England's star one-day player of the winter, Kevin Pietersen, managed only 5 off 14 balls for Hampshire before being bowled. (BBC scorecard)

Glamorgan v Essex (22 April)

Match abandoned - Glamorgan (2pts), Essex (2pts)

This match, which was scheduled to be played at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff was abandoned without a ball being bowled. It was the first time for almost eight years a one-day league match at Cardiff has ended as a no-result. (BBC scorecard)

Somerset v Essex (27-30 April)

Essex (22pts) beat Somerset (2pts) by nine wickets

On 35 overs were possible on the first day. On a green Taunton pitch, Somerset fared poorly against Essex's seam attack. Alex Tudor, who had moved from Surrey, took the first two wickets, including Marcus Trescothick for 4. Somerset were on 119 for 5 at stumps.

Somerset were soon dismissed on the Thursday for 190. Essex's youngsters, Alastair Cook, who looked to be headed for an England call-up before long, and Ravinder Bopara, aged 20 and 19 respectively, made merry with the bat. Although the pitch did not seam as much as the first day, they put on 181 together. Cook was finally out bowled for 111, and Bopara not out for 71 at close, with Essex on 224 for 3, 34 runs ahead.

Bopara could not add to his overnight total on the third day, as he was caught off Richard Johnson's bowling. But Essex were able to take control, finally declaring on 427 for 8 when Tudor was run out for 57. Somerset's fast bowlers, Johnson and Andrew Caddick had picked up three wickets each, but had not been able to stop the flow of runs. Foster was not out on 78 when the declaration came. In reply, Somerset fared okay till Trescothick went with the score on 57, and then, at 65 for 1, Andre Adams, Essex's New Zealand import took a hat-trick. Michael Burns edged an outswinger, and Sanath Jayasuriya and James Hildreth were both leg before. With Adams picking up one more wicket before the close of play, Somerset finished on 128 for 5, still 109 runs off making Essex bat again.

On the Saturday, Somerset's tail was quickly reduced to 180 for 8. There was then something of a rearguard action with 63 put on by Caddick and Robert Turner for the ninth wicket, and Turner and Nixon McLean putting on 70 for the tenth. This left Essex with a target of 77 to win, which they did easily with the loss of just one wicket. (BBC scorecard)

Devon v Essex (3-4 May)

Essex beat Devon by 180 runs to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

No play was possible on the first day at Exmouth because of rain. When play started on what was a wettish pitch with a slow outfield Essex hit over the top and ended on 264 for 5 off their 50 overs, with Andy Flower and Ravinder Bopara recording half-centuries. Devon were not competitive in reply and soon succumbed, making only 84, although that could be seen as a recovery from 23 for 6 - a position they were in thanks to Essex pacers Andre Adams and Darren Gough, who shared three wickets each with the new ball. Neil Hancock, who turned out in two Twenty20 games and one National League match for Somerset in 2004, top scored with 40 despite batting at seven. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Leicestershire (6-9 May)

Essex (21pts) beat Leicestershire (3.5pts) by six wickets

In a relatively closely fought game at Chelmsford, the Essex team showed more resilience than the visitors, with nearly everyone chipping in to give the hosts a relatively comfortable victory. It started with a good bowling effort on the first day, after Ronnie Irani had chosen to put Leicestershire in. It nearly backfired, Darren Robinson and Darren Maddy easing their way to 98 for no loss, but the part-time medium pace of Essex number three Ravinder Bopara got Maddy out, resulting in a mini-collapse to 167 for 8. David Masters (27) and Phil DeFreitas (20) saved the innings somewhat, but Leicestershire's final total of 220 off 81 overs meant that Essex looked like being in the drivers' seat. Dale Steyn, the young South African pace bowler with three Test caps, took three for 69 on Essex debut, but Darren Gough was the pick of the bowlers with three for 46 - including Robinson, Paul Nixon for a golden duck and DeFreitas.

With every Essex batsman except number 11 Steyn (run out for 0) scoring in double figures, Essex showed a real team effort, with in-form opener William Jefferson top-scoring with 93 as Essex got into a relatively comfortable lead of 142. Leicestershire fought back well on the third day, though, having lost Maddy before stumps on the second day to be 57 for 1. Robinson, Dinesh Mongia, Aftab Habib and HD Ackerman all passed 30, and Claude Henderson chipped in with a fine 55 from number 9, as Leicestershire made their way to a lead of 190. Only Gough showed consistent threat, taking four wickets for 60, while Steyn again became too inconsistent - he conceded 102 runs in his 21-over effort, although he did get the wickets of Robinson and Otis Gibson.

Essex had the entire fourth day to secure their victory, but didn't slouch - their 191 runs were up inside 44.2 overs, England A left-hander Alastair Cook the fastest scorer with 59 off 69 balls while Zimbabwean keeper Andy Flower finished with 74 not out to lead Essex to their target. To compound Leicestershire's misery, they were deducted half a point for a slow over rate. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Northamptonshire v Essex (11-14 May)

Northamptonshire (12pts) drew with Essex (6pts)

At Northampton the home side batted first. Bilal Shafayat (153) and Usman Afzaal (168) scored two huge centuries to help Northamptonshire to 552 for 7 declared. When Essex finally got to bat, it was a different story, with the batsmen, particularly the tail, struggling. Johann Louw took 6 for 51, as Essex subsided to 178. The follow-on was enforced, and from then on the bat dominated again. Alastair Cook made a career-best 195 in 513 minutes, supported by Zimbabwean Andy Flower, who made 142 not out, as Essex eased to the draw at 495 for 6 declared. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Glamorgan (15 May)

Essex (4pts) beat Glamorgan (0pts) by five wickets

Essex Eagles continued their unbeaten run in all cricket this season, fighting their way out in a tricky situation against Glamorgan Dragons at Chelmsford. Essex won the toss and chose to field first, to reasonably good effect, as they tied Glamorgan down to 216 for 7. James Middlebrook was the main contributor with the ball, taking two for 27 off 9 overs, but South African pace bowler Dale Steyn also contributed with three for 34 amid no-balls and wides. Andrew Davies and David Harrison then reduced Essex to 31 for 4 before Ravinder Bopara (96 not out) and, once again, Middlebrook (46) took centre stage. With a partnership of 122, the two turned the game around for Essex, and wicket-keeper James Foster contributed with a healthy 38 off 30 balls to see Essex to the target with five wickets and sixteen balls to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Lancashire v Essex (17 May)

Lancashire beat Essex by 6 wickets to progress to the Quarter-Finals of the C&G Trophy

Andrew Flintoff took 4 for 26 in helpful bowling conditions as Essex made only 195 for 9 at Old Trafford. In reply, Lancashire's opening partnership of Mal Loye and Stuart Law put on 53 in 10.1 overs, before Alex Tudor dismissed them both. Brad Hodge, however, kept the run rate up. Hodge was dropped on 32, and Lancashire might have been put under pressure if it had been taken, but instead he went on to make 82 off 102 balls, as Lancashire made there target with 6 wickets and 6 overs to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Worcestershire (20-23 May)

Worcestershire (21pts) beat Essex (4pts) by eight wickets

Essex and Worcestershire took notice of the bad weather forecasts, racking up runs swiftly at Chelmsford. The Essex batting effort was not very spectacular, and only Ronnie Irani's 85 saved some grace for Essex as wickets tumbled amid showers on the first day. They finished 220 all out as Worcestershire's bowlers teamed up, Matthew Mason the best with four for 48. In reply, Ben Smith made a century including fourteen fours, and with help of Gareth Batty (54) and Kabir Ali (53), both former England players, Worcestershire got to 383 all out - a lead of 163. Alastair Cook, Essex' 20-year-old prodigy, made a quick 46, but it was their 37-year-old Zimbabwean Andy Flower who, as so many times before, was the top scorer and the rock of the Essex innings with 85 - which led them to 329.

Setting Worcestershire a paltry 167 to win, Essex got off to a good start bowling, removing opener Stephen Peters for 0 and nightwatchman and wicketkeeper Jamie Pipe for 11 just before stumps, as Darren Gough and Dale Steyn took a wicket each for Essex. On the fourth day, however, Stephen Moore built on his good batting form after 246 against Derbyshire a week before, however, making 63 not out and pairing up with Graeme Hick (76 not out) for 146 runs to win the match with relative ease. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Yorkshire v Essex (25-28 May)

Essex (12pts) drew with Yorkshire (9pts)

Centuries from Andy Flower (188) and Ronnie Irani (103) along with 93 from the former Yorkshire player Darren Gough helped Essex to a massive score of 622 for 8 declared at Headingley, as Yorkshire's bowling were taken for runs. Essex were 76 for 4 after two wickets from Deon Kruis, but Yorkshire failed to turn the screw, and the partnerships for the fifth to eighth wicket were all worth more than 100 runs for Essex. Andy Flower and Irani added 213 for the fifth wicket.

New Zealand all-rounder Andre Adams then took two early wickets to dig into Yorkshire, who finished the second day on 53 for 2. The third day was calmly played by Yorkshire, as only Gough could take wickets - ending with four for 49. Yorkshire saw out the day well to end on 336 for 8, meaning that Essex would have to take twelve wickets on the final day to win the game. They only dug out seven - Tim Bresnan, Chris Silverwood and Deon Kruis frustrating them to build a further 72 runs overnight in the first innings, and following on Yorkshire easily withstood the spin of James Middlebrook who had to bowl 29 of 68 Essex overs, as Yorkshire made their way to 238 for 5 with Phil Jaques and Anthony McGrath making half-centuries (BBC scorecard)

Nottinghamshire v Essex (30 May)

Essex (4pts) beat Nottinghamshire (0pts) by six wickets

Former England international Darren Gough took four wickets for 16 runs, including both opening batsmen, as Essex Eagles strolled to a six-wicket win at Trent Bridge over Nottinghamshire Outlaws. Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 154 as Essex off-spinner James Middlebrook chipped in with two for 27 including the wicket of top-scorer David Hussey. Essex' batsmen all got starts in the chase, and captain Ronnie Irani, opening the batting, anchored the innings with a fine run-a-ball 53. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Derbyshire (1-4 June)

Derbyshire (11pts) drew with Essex (9pts)

Derbyshire batted first at Chelmsford, and they put on a commanding 462 with Stephen Stubbings making 92 and Graeme Welch 112. Essex lost quick wickets in reply, going to 34 for 4, but the tail wagged greatly with Ronnie Irani, James Foster and James Middlebrook all getting half-centuries as the hosts made 320. Derbyshire, who were without a win all season, probably erred in delaying their declaration to lunchtime on the fourth day, at 236 for 3, with Michael Di Venuto making 110. A half-century from Alastair Cook and a maiden first-class century from Ravinder Bopara saw Essex through to the draw on 245 for 5, well short of their theoretical target of 379. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Middlesex v Essex (5 June)

Essex (4pts) beat Middlesex (0pts) by one wicket

Essex Eagles won the top of the table clash in the National League against Middlesex Crusaders at Lord's, a match which the visitors looked certain to lose many times. Middlesex' innings opened slowly, as Paul Weekes and Ed Smith paired up for 101 for the first wicket but not scoring many runs in the process. A burst of wickets followed, which reduced Middlesex to 144 for 5, but a massive cameo from Scott Styris - who scored 71 from 43 balls, including seven sixes - wrested the target up to 244. In reply, Essex scored quickly enough, but lost many wickets, being 182 for 7 with Ryan ten Doeschate and former England all-rounder Alex Tudor at the crease. Tudor went quickly, as did No. 10 Andre Adams, and Essex required 26 for the last wicket. But ten Doeschate, who had earlier been smashed for 25 in his only over, now made up for it with a stunning display of hitting as the South African recorded a career highest score of 51 not out off 41 balls, to take Essex to the target with three balls and a wicket to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Durham v Essex (9-11 June)

Durham (22pts) beat Essex (3pts) by an innings and 19 runs

Durham continued their impressive form in the 2005 season by defeating Essex in just three days at Chester-le-Street. A hefty 506 in the first innings, with Gordon Muchall and stand-in captain Dale Benkenstein both making centuries, provided the basis for Durham's attack to see off the Essex batsmen in just 55 overs to leave them 106 all out and following on, Ashley Noffke and Mark Davies taking four wickets each. Essex fought back in their second innnings but their 380, including 82 from Dale Steyn (initially sent in as a nightwatchman) and 103 from tail-end all-rounder Andre Adams, was not enough to catch up with Durham's 399-run first innings lead, and Durham recorded an innings victory. (BBC scorecard)

Essex v Gloucestershire (17 June)

Essex (4pts) beat Gloucestershire (0pts) by 55 runs

Andy Flower smashed the Gloucestershire Gladiators' bowlers all around The County Ground in Chelmsford as he and Ronnie Irani paired up for 139 to send Essex Eagles to a final score of 271 for 7. Flower hit 127 not out off 93 balls, as Upul Chandana especially got to be punished, conceding 64 runs from 9 overs. In reply, Alex Tudor snared out a couple of early wickets, Gloucestershire lost wickets at regular intervals, and even a quick hit-out from Chandana - who scored 32 off 30 balls - was not enough to take a win from the Eagles, their fifth of the season. Essex thus went top of the National League table along with Middlesex. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Worcestershire v Essex (19 June)

Essex (4pts) beat Worcestershire (0pts) by 39 runs

In a low-scoring match at New Road in Worcester, Essex Eagles prevailed to take a four-point lead into the month-long break in the National League, defending 203 for 9 with relative ease. Having won the toss, skipper Ronnie Irani was the first victim of the Worcestershire Royals bowling with a three-ball duck. Chaminda Vaas and Ray Price got two wickets each as Essex' batting faltered, but 34 from Ryan ten Doeschate saved the visitors. Worcestershire started positively, Graeme Hick and Stephen Moore pairing up for 66 for the first wicket, but part-timer William Jefferson removed both of them in quick succession to start the Worcestershire rot. With only Stephen Peters surviving hostile bowling, scoring 41 not out, Worcestershire eventually finished on 164 all out. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Sussex v Essex (22 June)

Sussex (2pts) beat Essex (0pts) by nine wickets

Essex Eagles collapsed to lose their first match of the 2005 Twenty20 Cup to Sussex Sharks. Winning the toss and batting, Essex quickly made their way to 55 for 1, with Ronnie Irani hitting 34 off 18 balls. But two quick wickets set them back, Andy Flower was then run out, and Mushtaq Ahmed ended their innings with five for 11 from 21 deliveries - as Essex ended all out for 109. In a stately reply, Sussex didn't hurry too much, as Matt Prior scored 66 off 50 balls, and 14 extras helped the Sharks past the target after 14.4 overs. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Kent (24 June)

Essex (2pts) beat Kent (0pts) by 29 runs

The match at Chelmsford was made into even more of a slog-effort by the English rain, as both sides were limited to 12 overs. Andy Flower made 46 off 29 balls, and 17 extras made the Essex Eagles run-rate exactly eleven an over. Defending 133, Essex got off to a good start as Antonio Palladino took two wickets, which stopped the visitors from massive smashing, and Kent Spitfires finished on 103 for 4 - thirty runs short of their winning target. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Sussex (26 June)

Essex (2pts) beat Sussex (0pts) by 43 runs

After Johannes van der Wath had given Sussex Sharks the edge with two early wickets against Essex Eagles, Andy Flower and Ryan ten Doeschate rebuilt to send the hosts to 151 for 5 after their 20 overs. Sussex, however, imploded following the departure of Chris Adams for 44, as Grant Flower took three quick wickets, and James Middlebrook and Andre Adams mopped up the tail for just 108. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Hampshire v Essex (28 June)

Match abandoned; Hampshire (1pt), Essex (1pt)

Hampshire Hawks and Essex Eagles shared the spoils as the match at The Rose Bowl, Southampton never got underway. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Hampshire (29 June)

No result; Essex (1pt), Hampshire (1pt)

Hampshire Hawks endured their second no-result in two days against Essex Eagles, having batted to a competitive total of 151 for 9 in their 20 overs, with Greg Lamb making 67. However, the Essex innings never got off, due to rain. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Middlesex v Essex (1 July)

Middlesex (2pts) beat Essex (0pts) by 31 runs

Middlesex Crusaders defeated Essex Eagles despite missing Irish batsman Ed Joyce, who had gone off to play in the 2005 ICC Trophy. An opening partnership between Owais Shah and Ed Smith for 100 built the platform, Shah eventually making 79, and despite three wickets from Essex off-spinner James Middlebrook, Irfan Pathan smashed two sixes in his 21 to lift Middlesex to 185 for 6. Then Pathan took three quick wickets, those of Alistair Cook, Ronnie Irani and Ravinder Bopara, as Essex crashed to 45 for 5. James Foster made 62 not out to rescue Essex' honour somewhat, but the final score - 154 for 7 - was well short. Pathan got another wicket near the end to finish with four for 27. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Surrey (5 July)

Essex (2pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by one run

Rain ravaged The County Ground, Chelmsford and delayed the match between Essex Eagles and Surrey Lions to after ten o'clock. When it finally began, it had been shortened to five overs a side, and Essex made good use of it as they scored 71 for 3 - Ronnie Irani making 32, while Azhar Mahmood took two for three for Surrey. In reply, Antonio Palladino took two wickets for Essex, but it looked up for grabs when Surrey needed eight off five after James Middlebrook bowled a wide that went for four - however, he only conceded six runs from the remaining balls of the game, and Surrey finished on 70 for 2. Yet, they would have to be exceedingly unlucky in their last game to be eliminated, while Essex jumped into the top three and looked to qualify along with them. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Kent v Essex (6 July)

Kent (2pts) beat Essex (0pts) by five runs

Dane Amjad Khan, who had missed the first part of the 2005 ICC Trophy and most of the Twenty20 Cup due to injury, returned to cricket with a very decent bowling spell of three for 24 to set Essex Eagles back to 26 for 3. Khan's Kent Spitfires had batted first, however, and 59 not out from left-hander Michael Carberry lifted them to a total of 154 for 4, while Andre Adams shone on the bowling front for Essex with two for 12 off three overs. However, the Spitfires kept firing dangerous balls at the Eagles, and eventually shot them down to 149 for 7 - Mark Pettini making 60 in vain before he was run out, while Andrew Hall took two for 30 for Kent. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Northamptonshire (8 July)

Essex (4pts) beat Northamptonshire (0pts) by five wickets

Essex Eagles recorded their seventh win in eight attempts in the National League, cementing their place at the top. After Northamptonshire Steelbacks won the toss and batted at Chelmsford, three run-outs and Grant Flower's bowling, which yielded three for 21, saw them go from 185 for 5 to 200 all out. Essex's reply was secured by a healthy 90 not out from Flower after Essex had struggled initially, being 95 for 4. 29 not out from Dutch-South African Ryan ten Doeschate sent them past the target with ten balls to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Northamptonshire (10-13 July)

Essex (22pts) beat Northamptonshire (3pts) by ten wickets

Essex won a spin-dominated match at Chelmsford. Batting first, Essex made 506 against Northamptonshire - whose normally astute spin attack was batted out of the game. Monty Panesar took a career best seven-wicket-haul in the innings, but conceded 181 runs in the process, bowling a mammoth 56.3 overs. The Northamptonshire reply was stifled by four wickets from James Middlebrook, as they crumbled to 141 for 6, but Ben Phillips and Damien Wright added 95 for the seventh wicket before Tony Palladino grabbed three wickets in four balls, and they finished on 247. Following on, Northamptonshire had made 203 for 2 when Essex' captain Ronnie Irani brought Alastair Cook on as seventh-bowler. The off-spinner, normally an opening batsmen, claimed his three first first-class wickets as three wickets fell for five runs, and Danish Kaneria wrapped up the rest of Northamptonshire's batsmen as they bowed out for 261. Chasing a target of 3, William Jefferson hit a four with the second ball of Essex' innings, thus ending the game. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Lancashire v Essex (19 July)

Essex (4pts) beat Lancashire (0pts) by eight wickets (D/L method)

In cloudy conditions at Old Trafford, Essex Eagles took full advantage after shaking Lancashire Lightning's batting order in a match shortened to 40 overs a side. Only Ian Sutcliffe and Mark Chilton passed 15, while spinners Danish Kaneria and James Middlebrook shared five wickets between them. Lancashire eventually finished on 154 for 8, and Essex were set 156 to win due to a small rain-interruption in Lancashire's innings. Despite two wickets from James Anderson, Essex cruised to the target with more than seven overs to spare, Grant Flower making 66 and Ravinder Bopara an unbeaten 45. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Lancashire v Essex (21-24 July)

Lancashire (10pts) drew with Essex (9pts)

Essex batted resolutely and calmly, without any rush until the fifth session, and quietly worked their way to 536 for 9 declared at Old Trafford. Grant Flower made a healthy 115 before being caught behind off Gary Keedy, while his brother Andy made 138. Australian Andrew Crook got the best figures for Lancashire, three for 71 with his part-time off-spin, but he was also very expensive in only ten overs. Lancashire number three Mal Loye replied with 194 after Andre Adams had dug out the hosts' captain Mark Chilton for 4, as the match ground towards an inevitable draw, Loye spending 200 balls for his century and eventually spending nearly eight hours at the crease before being caught by Alastair Cook off Grant Flower, six runs short of what could have been his second double century in July 2005. Lancashire eventually batted out a mammoth 220.3 overs - Danish Kaneria bowling 70.2 of those without a single wicket - to make 655 for 6 before the captains agreed to a draw. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Leicestershire v Essex (26-29 July)

Leicestershire (11pts) drew with Essex (8pts)

Ronnie Irani and Alastair Cook, who both made fifties, lifted Essex to 297 after being put in to bat at Grace Road. David Masters was Leicestershire's best bowler, with four for 65, and he bowled eleven maidens in 25 overs. However, Masters and the rest of the Leicestershire middle order showed precariously little resistance with the bat, as Darren Gough took two quick wickets before stumps on day 1 and Tony Palladino joined in with two more as Leicestershire imploded to 20 for 4. John Maunders and Aftab Habib lifted Leicestershire to a more respectable score, but they were still 132 for 6 at close on day 2, with half the second day's play lost due to rain. The third day was rained off, and on the fourth day Habib went on to make an unbeaten 153, Leicestershire declared on 382 for 8, and the match ended in a draw as Essex easily survived 29 overs to make 80 for 2. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Durham (3-6 August)

Essex (18pts) beat Durham (3pts) by two wickets

Durham won the toss at Southend-on-Sea, yet only lasted two sessions for 196, New Zealander Andre Adams taking five for 60 while Danish Kaneria took three for 30 for Essex. The hosts struggled in the chase, however, as Australian Michael Lewis taking four for 69 as Essex stumbled to 134 for 7, but opener Alastair Cook hung around for four and a half hours, crafting 107 as Essex scraped 245. Adams dug out both openers when Durham returned to bat, but good partnerships from the rest of the order, led by Dale Benkenstein's 124, saw Durham to a second-innings total of 347.

Essex needed 299 to win, and had four sessions to do it. They lost Ravinder Bopara after just 12 minutes, caught off Liam Plunkett, but Andy Flower and Alastair Cook forged a 72-run partnership before Durham medium-pacer Mark Davies struck and had Cook caught behind. At stumps on day three, Essex were 129 for 2. Lewis and Gareth Breese did a lot of bowling for Durham on the fourth day, and after Ronnie Irani departed for 48, Durham got regular breakthroughs, as no Essex partnership following the third was worth more than 25. Andy Flower stood tall, however, spending six and a half hours at the crease to end with 132 not out. With the century, he passed 1000 runs in the Championship, and ensured a two-wicket win for Essex. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Middlesex (7 August)

Essex (4pts) beat Middlesex (0pts) by four runs

Essex Eagles extended their lead in the National League to eight points with a close win over Middlesex Crusaders and quenched nearly all hopes of a close finish for the title in that competition. Batting first, they had been worried by the opponents' captain Ben Hutton, who took three for 42, including top-scorer Ronnie Irani, as Essex faltered to 118 for 6. The Dutch international Ryan ten Doeschate ran well to make 44 off just 37 balls, as he played a major part in getting the Essex total to 202 for 8. Middlesex' top-order struggled, as only Paul Weekes passing 20 from the top seven, while Ed Smith and Ed Joyce both recorded ducks. At 102 for 6, and with skipper Hutton gone for 2, Middlesex still needed 101 runs with only four wickets in hand, but a patient 71-run partnership between Weekes and Ben Scott left Middlesex to hit 31 runs for the last three wickets. Scott hogged the strike, but couldn't get the necessary boundaries, and Middlesex finished their 45 overs on 198 for 9, five runs short of a victory that would have put them level on points with Essex. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Gloucestershire v Essex (14 August)

Gloucestershire (4pts) beat Essex (0pts) by 60 runs

Essex Eagles imploded to 122 all out in chase of a small target to bring a tiny measure of excitement into the National League title race, while Gloucestershire Gladiators recorded a rare victory to take them out of the relegation zone. Batting first, Gloucestershire were bowled out for 182 in only 44.1 overs, Matt Windows top-scoring with 57 while Darren Gough and Grant Flower took three wickets each. Malinga Bandara and Martyn Ball shared the highest partnership of the match, adding 59 runs for the ninth wicket to carry Gloucestershire from 118 for 8. Essex then crawled to 49 for 7, James Averis finishing with amazing figures of 8-2-9-2, while Ball and Mark Alleyne also grabbed two wickets each. Despite 46 from New Zealand all-rounder Andre Adams, Essex were all out for 122 when Adams was caught off the bowling of Mark Hardinges. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Derbyshire v Essex (16-19 August)

Essex (19pts) beat Derbyshire (6pts) by five wickets

Essex came back from a 120-run first innings deficit, after Derbyshire had used a day and a half for their first innings at The County Ground, Derby. Derbyshire weren't overly keen on hitting runs, though four batsmen made fifties, and especially Luke Sutton took his time at the crease. His 88 took five hours, and he faced 241 deliveries. However, Derbyshire's tactic of attrition seemed to work - after amassing 426, all while Danish Kaneria was bowling (the Pakistani leg spinner bowled 60.1 overs, taking six for 111), Derbyshire immediately got breakthroughs with the ball. Essex crashed to 18 for 3 before the Flower brothers - Grant and Andy - put on 60 for the fourth wicket to help close the gap. By stumps, they were 113 for 4 from 50 overs.

After the relatively slow proceedings on the first two days, the third day gave the spectators nearly 400 runs while eighteen wickets fell. Graeme Welch took two wickets in consecutive deliveries in the early stages, as Essex crashed to 128 for 6, but Ronnie Irani made a four-hour 99 and was well supported by James Middlebrook and Darren Gough - the latter registering 51 off just 38 deliveries. Welch finished with figures of five for 68, his second five-for of the season, as Essex finished on 306. Then, Essex's bowlers suddenly found some form, Ravinder Bopara getting two early wickets to see Derbyshire to 34 for 4. Another rearguard effort from Luke Sutton and a fine 74 from Jon Moss saw Derbyshire to stumps with a lead of 314 with eight down - Sutton still not out with 38. A further 22 runs were added on the second day, while Danish dismissed Jake Needham to complete his second five-for of the match - Sutton was left stranded on 46 not out, setting Essex 337 to win. As Alastair Cook, Grant Flower and Bopara fell in quick succession, Essex were reeling on 82 for 3, but William Jefferson made 83 to set them back on track, and a 177-run partnership between Andy Flower and Ronnie Irani set Essex on the course for victory. They made it with five wickets to spare, and Derbyshire's winless drought continued. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Nottinghamshire (22 August)

No result; Essex (2pts), Nottinghamshire (2pts)

Essex Eagles edged closer to the National League title with two points at Chelmsford, though rain ravaged the game. Only eight overs of play were possible before the umpires called off the game, and in that time Essex lost both openers but still made 53 for 2 - a score including six wides bowled by the Nottinghamshire Outlaws bowlers. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Somerset (24-27 August)

Somerset (16pts) beat Essex (5pts) by five wickets

Somerset exploited Essex' declarations to take a five-wicket win despite rain dominating at Colchester, Somerset's fourth win of the season. After the first day was over, Somerset's overseas player Charl Langeveldt dug out Grant Flower on the second morning, but good contributions from the rest of the batting line-up - William Jefferson top-scoring with 93 - gave Essex a relatively comfortable 220 for 5 by stumps on day two. They powered on to 400 before declaring, losing only one wicket while James Foster made 107 not out. When Somerset were asked to bat, Andre Nel whipped out two Somerset wickets with the first three balls of the game, but no Essex bowler could get any more wickets as James Hildreth made 76 not out before the close of day three to set Somerset to 112 for 2. Overnight, the two captains agreed to a mutual forfeiture of innings, so that Essex would not have to bat again. Hence, Somerset would have to chase 289 in a day to win, while Essex would have to bowl them out. Andre Nel removed Michael Wood for a duck again, but Arul Suppiah added a quick 29, and former England Under-19 player Hildreth settled in well. He made his second unbeaten score of the match, this time worth 125, guiding Somerset past the winning target in 66.1 overs with five wickets to spare. Danish Kaneria bowled 24 of Essex' 66 overs, but to little effect, ending with one wicket for 80 runs, while Nel got William Durston for a duck to end with four wickets for the match - all ducks. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Hampshire (28 August)

Essex (4pts) beat Hampshire (0pts) by 12 runs

Economical bowling from Andre Nel and Danish Kaneria gave Essex Eagles the victory over Hampshire Hawks at Chelmsford, and the four points for the win increased their lead in the National League to an unassailable 14 points and secured the National League title. Essex opener William Jefferson kept his calm while the rest of the top order deserted him, making 88, but when three wickets fell for only three runs and the score was 172 for 7 Hampshire would have fancied their chances of bowling Essex out. Only two more wickets fell, though, as contributions from Ryan ten Doeschate, Graham Napier and Kaneria propelled Essex to 222 for 9 at the end of their 45 overs. Hampshire and England fast bowler Chris Tremlett got Napier, ten Doeschate and James Middlebrook out to end with three wickets for 48. Despite John Crawley and Nic Pothas recording a first-wicket partnership of 95, Kaneria kept his calm, only allowing 26 runs off his nine overs, and boundaries were rare after Pothas and Crawley were dismissed. In the end, Hampshire finished on 210 for 8, 13 runs short of victory - they could put some of the blame on their overseas players, as Australians Shane Watson and Andy Bichel contributed only four runs off 18 deliveries. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Australians (3-4 September)

Match drawn

Both sides surpassed 500 in their innings in this two-day match, which included four centuries and expensive bowling figures on either side - as Jason Gillespie was the most economical, with an analysis reading 22-3-80-0. Essex batted first at Chelmsford after winning the toss, and Will Jefferson added 140 for the first wicket with Alastair Cook before being bowled by Michael Kasprowicz. However, the second-wicket partnership was worth even more than the first. Cook slashed 33 fours and one six on his way to 214 - which would have been his highest first class score if the match had had first class status - and added 270 with Ravinder Bopara.

After 105 overs, Essex declared with the score 502 for 4, giving Australia the turn to exploit bad bowling and a flat pitch. Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden added 213 for the first wicket, Hayden went on to make a 118-ball 150 before retiring, while Brad Hodge was allowed to top score with 166 from number 4, including a 161-run fifth-wicket partnership with Brad Haddin. For Essex, James Middlebrook got the best bowling figures with two for 110, including Adam Gilchrist for 8, as Australia finished the day's batting practice with the score 561 for 6. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Lancashire (7 September)

Essex (4pts) beat Lancashire (0pts) by 55 runs

Dutch-South African Ryan ten Doeschate hammered a career-best 89 not out as Essex Eagles powered their way to 273 for 6 at Chelmsford. His innings included five sixes and four fours, as Sajid Mahmood was the main recipient of his boundary-hitting - ending with figures of two for 67 in nine overs. England Under-19 player Tom Smith, who had taken 15 Test wickets in three U-19 matches with Sri Lanka, proved that the gap between Under-19 cricket and List A cricket is huge, as he finished with 42 off his five overs. When Lancashire Lightning batted, Darren Gough got an early wicket of Ian Sutcliffe, and despite scores in the 30s from Andrew Crook and Mal Loye, Lancashire lost their first four wickets for 91 runs. Andrew Symonds rebuilt with Mark Chilton, but once Symonds was bowled by Gough - who ended with four for 31 - there was nowhere to hide for Lancashire. Kyle Hogg blitzed his way to 36, lifting Lancashire to 218, but they still suffered a comprehensive loss. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Lancashire (9-11 September)

Lancashire (20pts) beat Essex (5pts) by eight wickets

Lancashire's Indian spinner Murali Kartik got match figures of ten for 168 at The County Ground, Chelmsford, helping them to promotion in Division Two of the County Championship with two weeks to spare. Essex won the toss and chose to bat first, and were bowled out for 267, Kartik taking five and James Anderson three wickets. They struggled to 145 for 7, despite Alastair Cook's 64, but James Middlebrook and Andre Adams rescued them to two batting points in the first innings. Ian Sutcliffe and Mark Chilton added 94 for the first wicket, but Adams and Danish Kaneria fought back with two wickets each, as Lancashire ended on 139 for 4. On the second day, Andrew Symonds and Glen Chapple both made fifties, sharing a 136-run stand with sent Lancashire to 340 - before spinners Middlebrook and Danish Kaneria removed the last four wickets for no further score.

In the last session of the second day, Kartik took four wickets, and despite six double-digit scores Essex completed the day on 134 for 6, only leading by 61 runs. Sajid Mahmood then took two on the third day to finish Essex off for 227, setting Lancashire 155 to win, and a 106-run opening stand between Mark Chilton and Ian Sutcliffe brought them to the brink. Two wickets from Kaneria did not stop them, as Law hit an unbeaten 13 to power on to an eight-wicket victory, Sutcliffe ending with 80 not out as Lancashire won by eight wickets. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Worcestershire (18 September)

Essex (4pts) beat Worcestershire (0pts) by four wickets

Essex Eagles continued on their winning ways with their twelfth National League victory of the season, taking a win in the last over thanks to a 78-run stand between Grant Flower and Ravinder Bopara. However, it was Worcestershire Royals who won the toss and batted first, Stephen Moore and Vikram Solanki (coming in for Chris Gayle who retired hurt) adding 103 for the first wicket. Gayle returned when Solanki was dismissed, hitting 44, and 25 from Ben Smith helped Worcestershire to 227 for 5. Andre Adams took three wickets as Worcestershire lost four for one solitary run, but Smith hung in there with number 11 Nadeem Malik and ensured a total of 240 for 9. Essex lost captain Ronnie Irani for nine early on, but a stroke-filled half-century from Alastair Cook sent Essex to 135 for 3, and Grant Flower then hit four sixes to complete a run-a-ball 81. Despite two late wickets from Kabir Ali, Bopara saw Essex home with five deliveries to spare to finish on 46 not out. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Worcestershire v Essex (21-24 September)

Worcestershire (11pts) drew with Essex (10pts)

A total of 19 wickets fell in four days at New Road, despite only half a day being lost to rain. Batting first, Essex made 574 despite Stuart Wedge taking five for 112 in his second first class game, getting Ravinder Bopara as his first wicket. Essex got two early wickets; first class debutant Jahid Ahmed got his first wicket by removing 21-year-old Daryl Mitchell for 6, and Andre Adams bowled Graeme Hick, but Worcestershire's third-wicket partnership added 333, with Stephen Moore hitting 152 out of his 191 runs in boundaries. However, Worcestershire declared overnight on 424 for 3, and Essex scored 201 for one wicket in 36 overs, Alastair Cook rounding off his first season as an Essex regular with an unbeaten 117. Worcestershire were set 352 in 60 overs to win, and despite an 84-ball ton from Graeme Hick Worcestershire finished four runs short of the ten extra points a win would have given. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Northamptonshire v Essex (25 September)

Essex (4pts) beat Northamptonshire (0pts) by seven wickets

Essex Eagles took their thirteenth win in sixteen matches to round off their one-day season and end with a 16-point victory overall. Their bowlers built the foundation for this victory, as all seven bowlers to be used got at least one wicket, and despite half-centuries from Australians Martin Love and Damien Wright Northamptonshire Steelbacks were bowled out for 208. Wright then took two wickets to set Essex back to 22 for 2, but Alastair Cook then followed his 117 not out against Worcestershire in the County Championship earlier on in the week. His 110-ball 94 - a career best List A score, improving his previous best by 32 runs - was part of a 168-run stand with Grant Flower, which took Essex to the brink, with 190 for 3. Flower then hit the remaining 19 runs with Ravinder Bopara, and Essex won with seven wickets and 25 balls in hand. (Cricinfo scorecard)