We could still have great games like this if the authorities hadn't taken our games away from us, stopped showing them on terrestrial tv, stopped Test players playing in them, stopped putting them on at stupid times that clash with other competitions and stopped trying to push them aside to make way for games that no one wants to see unless you get free tickets. The ECB messed about with fixture lists that were all over the place and people just gave up and didn't want to pay to see players they had never heard of for too much money. These are classic games that you do not forget no matter how old they are. Typical Umpire Bird, how to try and stop a game when you can get it finished, he was always a showman and an overrated umpire, Hughes didn't have any trouble seeing the ball by the look of it.
From the late seventies to the mid/late nineties, Essex were the South Chokefrica of One Day County Cricket 🏏 competitions. They were a fantastic team in the County Championship, winning it a good few times in that era; but they threw some incredible games away in the limited overs formats, such as that final against Middlesex where they needed about ten to win with five wickets left, but lost five wickets for five runs or something like that.
Worst sport ever. The fans are reading newspaper or a book whilst the game is being played. The fielders are stood with their arms folded whilst the game is being played 😆 🤣
What an innings from Asif Iqbal. I remember watching it on tv with my parents. I was six. My mum cried when Asif was out. As a young kid I thought he was a magic player full of energy and with all the shots. Later, as a photographer, I always quoted Asif as a major hero and inspiration, for being so quick on his feet, which is a great assett to any lensman.
I think the 100 Nick Speak scored here (reached in 76 deliveries) is the only one day ton he ever scored. Astonishing, when you consider just how easy he made batting look !
What a match!, should never have scrapped the Sunday league. Who needs the mickey mouse and minnie mouse cricket. The 40 over competition was brilliant.
This was a very strong Northants side. David Sales for example was unlucky not to play for England. Curran, Ambrose, Bailey, Capel, Mal Loye (who didn't play in this final) Paul Taylor and Emburey were all internationals, and despite Northants not being seen as a fashionable (!) county, it does produce some good players. The pitch at Northampton is really slow though - or tends to be, so that's a problem they have to contend with.
