Cricket Round-Up: Essex get taste for scraps

THANKS to Middlesex appetites, the rest are left fighting over Sunday table scraps for the next fortnight and in that respect it was Essex who emerged yesterday as the favourites to come home second in the League after fighting their way to an 11-run win over Nottinghamshire at Colchester.

Colchester is quite used to excitement of one kind or another - there was a day when some troublesome locals let down the press tent, leaving cricket correspondents looking for a way out as well as words - and tight bowling and fine fielding saw Essex out of a corner as they sort to defend a modest 176 for 7.

The combination of a slow wicket and outfield made runs hard to come by and more than half the Essex total arrived from Graham Gooch (55) and Paul Prichard (47). Nottinghamshire, though, also struggled, Chris Broad taking nearly 37 overs to top score with 63 and the side restricted to 165 for 6 off their 40 overs by the sort of bowling sent down by John Stephenson - 2 for 18 from his eight overs.

Where once there were half a dozen sides sharing third spot, Somerset and Hampshire now find themselves in the clear. It was Somerset's tail that got them out of trouble to earn a two-wicket win over Worcestershire at Taunton.

Chasing only 126, Somerset slipped to 49 for 6. Late contributions, though, from Richard Snell (27), Ken MacLeay (26) and Neil Mallender (19 not out) steered them home with three balls to go.

As for Hampshire, Tony Middleton tucked away a Sunday-best 98 to help beat Northamptonshire by 81 runs at Bournemouth. He hit eight boundaries as Hampshire accelerated to 255 for 3 after being put in. Middleton, though, who missed out on a century when holing out in the covers, adopted a minor role in an opening stand of 103 with Robin Smith, who hit two sixes and five fours in a fast 61.

Needing to score around six an over, Rob Bailey did his best with an aggressive 64 that included sixes off Cardigan Connor and Shaun Udal. But Udal gained revenge when he had Bailey caught on the boundary, going on to return 4 for 51. Connor also weighed in, taking 3 for 30 to finish off the visitors in the 39th over.