A MATCH-WINNING all-round performance by Ronnie Irani against his former county steered Essex to a victory which was never as comfortable as the margin suggests. Irani followed up a bowling return of four for 32 with an undefeated 95 from 100 balls including a six and seven fours.

With Lancashire comfortably placed at 137 for two in the 31st over after Michael Atherton and Neil Fairbrother had put on 60 in 10 overs, Fairbrother tried to lift Irani over midwicket once too often and missed a perfectly straight ball.

Atherton was the steadying and productive influence on the Lancashire innings. Only occasionally expanding into adventure, his fifty came from 81 balls and contained a mere two boundaries, but it was important for the side that he should remain as wickets fell about him.

Andrew Flintoff struck the ball ferociously towards midwicket where Stuart Law clung on to a remarkable catch. It was equalled by Paul Grayson who never appeared to be in range of a chance at midwicket offered by Ian Austin, but somehow reached up and backwards to grab the ball in an outstretched left hand.

Essex made an uncertain start chasing such a modest target. After an out-of-touch Stuart Law had gone, it needed Irani and Grayson to provide some spine to the innings with a stand of 72 in nine overs, before more wickets left Irani to steer his adopted county home with 23 balls to spare.