Even though I'm sure that Essex will be happy with that, I do think they need to rethink their bowling for the final should they get there. Firstly, why are they starting Beard - who can't really bat or bowl - only to bowl him for one over? Makes more sense to play an extra batter. Secondly, why did Walter and Snater only bowl 4 overs between them, given that those 4 overs went for a very impressive 2-22. I've never seen Snater bowl like that before. Usually he's a semi-quick bowler, who sprays the ball everywhere. Here, he was a Mascarenhas-type medium pacer, who just hit a spot with the keeper up. Looked way better like that.
I'd rather the day is washed out, and we resume from this point tomorrow, than have a rain reduced chase.
Yeah, the current five-over DL target of 38 with one wicket down is very low. We had more than that after less than three overs. I suspect it's why Essex haven't started like a train - which they usually do. They've probably been monitoring the DL rate constantly so far, knowing full well the damage that losing wickets can have on it. I'm not exactly sure what the DL target is right now after 2.5 overs and one wicket, but I think it's something in the region of 23 or 24.
115 off 12 overs. Which equates to 96 needed from 9.1 overs. We're going to need wickets to defend that. Given the potential of another interruption, I wonder how Vince will balance his bowling choices. In any rain effected game, you want to get in as many overs from your best bowlers as possible. Therefore using quite a bit of Turner and Ellis early on - much more so than usual - could be an option. But then that risks back-firing, if there isn't a further interruption. No-one wants to be left with Fuller needing to bowl the last over!
If this was a full 20 over match, I'd really back us from here. But as it is, Essex are still big favourites in my book.
Presumably one more over for Turner, one more for Fuller (right now), two more for Ellis, and one for either Howell or Dawson.
