Essex v Derbyshire Vitality Blast game 5

Derbyshire 173 (Montgomery 50, Potts 35) 

Essex 179-5 (19.4 overs - Allison 67*, Walter 41, Critchley 37, Potts 1-23)

Essex won by five wickets

Derbyshire were not quite on it today, in all departments of the game and the result thereafter came as no surprise. 

The somewhat erratic bounce did for some of the players. Certainly Martin Andersson and Wayne Madsen were both victims of this, while Amrit Basra struggled with his timing on a ground that few of them will have played on before. 

Matthew Montgomery played a fine innings, while Nick Potts showed why he has opened in the second team, but the overriding feeling was that 174 would be difficult to defend on a small ground.

It didn't help that catches went down. Both Allison and Walter should have gone early, to catches that needed to be taken. The giant Walter must be a challenge to bowl to and was taking heavy toll of the Derbyshire attack when he was overly ambitious against Morley and skied to the safe hands of Jewell.

When Benkenstein overestimated his powers of acceleration and was brilliantly run out by a throw from Montgomery to Andersson, Essex threatened to wobble and even the reassuring sight of the experienced Wiaan Mulder coming in failed to steady the ship. He looked strangely edgy and after a couple of wild swings hit Andersson to Montgomery at long on.

64 were needed from the last seven and the pace variations of Andersson caused uncertainty, but Allison reached a crucial half century and some lusty blows from Matt Critchley took the home side to a win. Perhaps Andersson shouldn't have bowled three straight overs, which allowed them to line him up for the last, but it is easy to be clever in hindsight.

Akif again bowled very well today and special mention should be made of Nick Potts. The lad has had his critics, but in recent matches and especially here he has shown an aptitude for the format. His innings gave Derbyshire a chance and he bowled intelligently, mixing up line and length to good effect, taking the game to within two balls of its natural conclusion.

It was an odd day. Yorkshire lost heavily to Gloucestershire and Durham went down to Nottinghamshire, who earned their first win. With Derbyshire taking the game to the last over, there has been little negative impact on their Net Run Rate and theirs is now the best in the section.

Perhaps there was a lesson to be learned today. In striving for 200-plus again on an unfamiliar ground, I think we made a mistake. 185 would have been very interesting and fewer attempted pyrotechnics might have got us there. 

Anyway, we move on. Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, this time next week.

Hopefully a chance to get back to winning ways.