v Surrey

[ytsejam]

Oh er missus, 4 new bowlers (well Dixon has played a little!) in the side for tonight!!......could be interesting....or a disaster!

[jimmy]

Nasser on Sky keeps saying Essex previously focused on t20 at expense of other formats ! OUTRAGEOUS SIR !!!!!!!!

[JasonP]

Very poor loss.  First letting them get 170 odd from 90 for 6 and then two experienced players in Foster and Napier both getting out caught on the boundary when we needed only 17 from 2 overs having got the rate down.  for them to both get out in consecutive balls like that was criminal.  Napier is always likely to do something like that but Foster had to see it through.

[frank21]

Hmm just got back from game. Plus points Zaidi a find, ryan slow to get going but accelerated, Westley played well, napier played alright so he got out he was doing what was required. Minus points bopara should not open, not sure Lawrence is ready for t20.

 Controversial suggestion foster should open with  Ryder playing a more moderate opener role

[Stringbok]

I think that must be the weakest Essex T20 side I have seen. we are at least one batsman light. In T20 it seems even the best bowlers can go round the park so I think we would have been better spending our overseas money on a batsman.

We were only remotely competitive because Of Slurry's butter fingers.

Essex may have been guilty in the past of prioritising T20 but I think for the first time in a long while the Championship side is stronger.

[afinetickletoleg]

People have moaned in the past about concentrating on T20 so everyone must be delighted with this season to date.

[Valentines Park]

I am.

I would gladly crash & burn in Crash-Bang-Wallop if it means promotion.

[JasonP]

I think that must be the weakest Essex T20 side I have seen. we are at least one batsman light. In T20 it seems even the best bowlers can go round the park so I think we would have been better spending our overseas money on a batsman.

We were only remotely competitive because Of Slurry's butter fingers.

Essex may have been guilty in the past of prioritising T20 bit I think for the first time in a long while the Championship side is stronger.

Swap Lawrence for Bopara in the order and put in Velani for Dixon and I think we'd look a better side.

[ytsejam]

Poor effort tonight to throw away a game where a) the opposition were 90 odd for 6 and b) were also practicing their dropped catches for most of the Essex innings!
Positive points were Zaidi's batting, Quinn's "change of pace and variation" bowling and both Westley and Napier batted well.
Negative points, Dixon!! (wayward bowling, could easily have gone for many more runs), Bopara trying to do it all (opening, captain and bowling the last over!), Lawrence really shouldn't be in the T20 matches at this stage of his career, and the pace of our innings (chasing a low total for Chelmsford) was far too slow and left Napier and later batsmen too much to do.

Like others have said though, would easily have taken a rubbish T20 campaign this season if it meant success in the Championship, before the season started, so am still pleased with the start we have made overall in 2016.

[JasonP]

Poor effort tonight to throw away a game where a) the opposition were 90 odd for 6 and b) were also practicing their dropped catches for most of the Essex innings!
Positive points were Zaidi's batting, Quinn's "change of pace and variation" bowling and both Westley and Napier batted well.
Negative points, Dixon!! (wayward bowling, could easily have gone for many more runs), Bopara trying to do it all (opening, captain and bowling the last over!), Lawrence really shouldn't be in the T20 matches at this stage of his career, and the pace of our innings (chasing a low total for Chelmsford) was far too slow and left Napier and later batsmen too much to do.

Like others have said though, would easily have taken a rubbish T20 campaign this season if it meant success in the Championship, before the season started, so am still pleased with the start we have made overall in 2016.

Bopara bowled at the death last year in a lot of matches and did it very well.  Napier used to do it but started going for a lot of runs and Bopara was a massive improvement on him.  I agree with you on the opening I think he's much better suited to batting at 4.
The pace of the innings was due to the fact we lost 3 early wickets.  They knew they couldn't afford to lose any more wickets at that stage so they did a pretty reasonable job.  THey needed 8.5 an over and going into the last two overs they needed 8.5 an over so they actually paced it pretty well.  17 from the last two we really should have got.
Lawrence will be a very good twenty20 player I think.  He has all the shots but we may have to be patient with him while he learns how to play in this format.  There are few other options really.

[Mog]

I note "Fortress Chelmsford" continues to be an impregnable bastion for No Change Essex!

[Mog]

Nasser on Sky keeps saying Essex previously focused on t20 at expense of other formats ! OUTRAGEOUS SIR !!!!!!!!

How disrespectful of Nass, it's no wonder the Club lack credibility because of 'ill informed' opinion from people who clearly know nothing ....talking of which, did Irani try to get into the commentary box to confront him?

[bwildered]

Really should be in the bag - 47 off 30 & 17 off 12  after recovery . Only had themselves to blame  has forgot to do the basics rather that trying to hit every ball out the ground .
Riaz can hit a ball, so why did Dixon take a single of the last ball of the penaltinive over, leaving him at the non -strikers ?
Got to get smart or will soon be elimated .

[bwildered]

With the introduction of the Sky pod , where were the disabled spectators relocated ?

[Andy]

This is the problem with any t20 competition, a match can go pear shaped so easily. Was surprised we got as close as we did - earlier in our innings I had a very bad feeling.

We've tinkered a lot with the squad this year, ironically we've changed the CC less than the T20, partly due to one Matt bowling poorly, the other getting injured and Zaidi being a spinner (therefore never picked until July). Perhaps yesterday is a sign that there's a lot of tinkering needed before we can get it right: we need to use front line spinners, even if for 1 over, perhaps Bopara opening is one job too many and perhaps velani's fielding is enough to get him a start.

Still only one match gone.