When play resumed on time at Chelmsford in the Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final, Worcestershire soon fell deeper into trouble against Essex. Chasing 263 to win and beginning the day at 26 for four, the visitors had added only five runs, all of them to David Leatherdale, when the batsman received the perfect delivery from Jon Dakin. Pitching middle stump, it swung late to beat Leatherdale's defensive push to clip off stump and Worcestershire were 31 for five.

Steve Rhodes came in and was immediately his busy self, working the ball around and picking up the scoring rate, but at the other end Gareth Batty appeared transfixed by the away swing of Dakin and John Stephenson so that he took 35 minutes to score a run. Stephenson eventually put him out of his misery when Batty clipped a ball off middle and leg to Ashley Cowan at mid-wicket.

Kabir Ali was run out for nine from seven balls when beaten by a direct throw from substitute fielder James Middlebrook at short third man after Rhodes had played a reverse sweep off the left-arm spin of Paul Grayson and had gone for a desperate single.

However unlikely Worcestershire were to match the ever increasing required rate, they still had a chance while Rhodes was there. However, he went when Andy Clarke bowled a slower ball that Rhodes charged and offered a return catch to the bowler who gleefully accepted it to plunge the visitors deeper into trouble.

The end was not long in coming. Stuart Lampitt was caught off Clarke at mid-off by Ronnie Irani, before the same bowler saw Graham Napier hold a stunning catch at backward point to dismiss Allan Donald. Worcestershire all out for 124 and Essex go to the final at Lord's on June 22nd by virtue of a thoroughly convincing 138 run victory.

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