Essex Eagles, one-day high flyers for much of this season, were brought unexpectedly down to earth by bottom-of-the-table Middlesex Crusaders, who crafted a 41-run victory in their Second Division clash in the Norwich Union League. Set 210 to win, the Eagles lost wickets regularly and never had clear sight of a moderate target on a worn Chelmsford pitch.

Although there were flashes of style about the Eagles' reply, the Crusaders kept up a knack of breaking through when it mattered. Darren Robinson was first to go, bowled by Aaron Laraman for seven. Jon Dakin, after a promising start, was unsettled when wicket-keeper David Nash came up to the stumps, and duly caught behind cutting at Simon Cook.

Of the key middle-order wickets, Andy Flower, having taken consecutive boundaries through cover, was caught at backward point off Cook attempting another. Graham Napier, after hitting Cook for six over long-on, was caught at mid-off off the same bowler. Aftab Habib was lbw to an Abdur Razzaq in-swinger, and crucially Ronnie Irani then swept Jamie Dalrymple to backward square leg, where Cook held a fine, one-handed catch above his head.

Jamie Foster, after two attractive boundaries through extra cover, was held at mid-wicket, and Ashley Cowan, over-ambitious after a sensible knock, was caught at deep backward square leg off Paul Weekes. Although John Stephenson showed his experience, he ran out of partners with Essex well short of the required total.

Earlier the Crusaders' innings had ebbed and flowed. Half centuries from Andy Strauss and Owais Shah were followed by a middle-order collapse, before a partnership between Nash and Dalrymple salvaged respectability.

Middlesex chose to bat on winning the toss, only to find Irani, remarkably, bowling four maidens in his first five overs. It was he who made the first breakthrough, having Laraman caught behind by Foster as he edged a drive. Irani's accuracy may well have contributed to Sven Koenig's downfall, courtesy of a direct hit by Tim Phillips at cover as he sought his first run.

Enter Shah, guns blazing in the form of an array of cover boundaries and two consecutive sixes off Phillips. But shortly after completing a run-a-ball fifty Shah succumbed, caught by Robinson off the off-spinner James Middlebrook, who was later to account for the Middlesex captain. Before that Phillips bowled Ed Joyce for nine, and had the dangerous Razzaq caught behind without scoring. When Weekes fell to Middlebrook, also for a duck, Middlesex were 150 for seven.

That they eventually managed to pass 200 was down to a steely partnership of 57 between Nash (24*) and Dalrymple, who managed three boundaries in his 34 before being well caught by Stephenson at long-off in the final over, trying to hit Cowan over the top. Middlesex were relieved by the recovery, which was ultimately crucial to their success.

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