A solid team display at Chelmsford took the Brown Caps to a comfortable 8 wicket victory against the Eagles in the Friends Provident Trophy. Unbeaten half-centuries from Mark Butcher and Usman Afzaal saw the Brown Caps home after the Eagles were bowled out for 215 in a reduced 40 over match.

After heavy rain in the morning the start was delayed to 1.45 pm and the game reduced to 40 overs per side. Jade Dernbach great use of the damp conditions and moved the ball off the pitch to remove Mark Pettini in the first over, a first catch on debut for wicketkeeper Gary Wilson. The Brown Cap paceman then took the second wicket to fall in the seventh over when Jason Gallian softly cut the ball in the air to James Benning at point for 13, the Eagles 32 for 2. Varun Chopra was playing cautiously, but was able to score as the opening bowlers gave up loose deliveries every over. Matthew Nicholson was switched to the Hays Close End and in the eleventh over removed the danger man Ravi Bopara for just six. Then came a partnership 47 for the fourth wicket as the Brown Caps failed to remain tight. Chopra moved past fifty off 54 balls after some excellent cover driving as he was given full balls almost every over to keep the scoreboard moving at over 5 runs per over. He had rotated the strike well with Ryan ten Doeschate until they had a mix up and ten Doeschate was run out for 19, the Eagles 92 for four.

James Foster came to the crease and built his innings in typical fashion, sweeping and reverse sweeping the spin of Matthew Spriegel, as he kept the score moving with Chopra. The pair were looking to build a foundation in the middle period and Spriegel bowled well on debut to contain the pair. When Chopra was on 79 he then gave the Brown Caps a gift when he tamely lofted the ball straight to long-on off the bowling of James Benning as the Eagles were 152 for five. No other Essex batsman really looked in and the return of Nicholson saw the end of Foster, after he cut in the air to a diving Spriegel and went for 32. With wickets falling the Brown Caps contained Essex in the last 10 overs and restricted the total to 215 all out when James Ormond bowled David Masters off the last ball of the innings for 21.

Benning took 12 off the first over from Napier and hit the Eagle bowler for another six of his second over. Eagles captain Pettini turned to Chris Wright, but then Scott Newman joined in to hit three fours in the over through the covers as the Brown Caps raced to 45 off 5 overs. Benning had hit three fours and three sixes on his way to 38 off just 22 balls, but played one too many big shots and was bowled by Masters to leave the Brown Caps 58 for 1. Newman played with power through the off-side, hitting 5 fours and then he swept Middlebrook for six to bring up the 100 in the 14th over. Newman had reached 52 when he got a fine edge to Middlebrook and was caught behind by Foster with the Brown Caps 110 for two.

The in-form left-handed pairing of Mark Butcher and Usman Afzaal then guided the Brown Caps to victory as they stayed on top of the Eagles attack. Pettini tried everything and continually rotated his seven bowlers, but Butcher and Usman dominated against both spin and seam. Both bought up half-centuries as they took the Brown past the Eagles score with 22 balls to spare with an unbeaten 109 run partnership.

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