ALASTAIR FRASER has spent a cricketing life in the shadow of his elder brother, Angus, so there was an egalitarian delight in seeing him figure so prominently in the victory which gave Middlesex top place in their group and a home tie in the quarter-finals.

It is six years since Fraser, 30, bowed out of a full-time career in cricket, but this season he has answered the call to play on a match-by-match basis for Middlesex.

There was an additional poignancy in his telling contribution of four for 45 yesterday, earning him the Gold Award, as the side with whom he tried to make a fresh start after leaving Middlesex in 1991 were Essex.

Injuries were a recurring theme in a game of seesawing fortunes. Fraser himself risked severe damage in the cause of fraternal solidarity, colliding painfully with an advertising hoarding to turn a four off his brother into a three. After treatment on and off the field, he returned to have Ronnie Irani caught behind in his first over and never looked back.

A first century for Essex by Nasser Hussain in this competition, off 121 balls, was the polished foundation of a moderate rather than imposing total.

The acting Essex captain, suffering from a variety of minor ailments, also had to juggle an injury-hit attack. Peter Such limped off with a side injury after four tight overs, and Ashley Cowan was handicapped by a back injury.

Middlesex lost their way after a positive start, but left-handers Paul Weekes, also effective with the ball, and Jason Pooley made light of the task of scoring 64 off the last 10 overs.