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BBC Sport looks at how Essex reached the final of the Friends Provident Trophy, where they will meet Kent at Lord's on 16 August.
Group games
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
In a change to the 2007 format, the 18 first-class counties, plus Scotland and Ireland, were divided into four regional five-team divisions, with each team playing every other team in their division once.
Unlike 2007, there was a quarter-final stage - with the top two teams in each division qualifying for the last eight - while the experiment allowing players to refer decisions to the TV umpire, which had been trialled in 2007, was scrapped.
As it happened, both teams that qualified for the final came from the south-east division - so have already met each other twice in this competition this season.
SOUTH-EAST DIVISION MATCHES
20 April: Beat Kent by 31 runs
As the competition began, Mark Pettini (119) and Ravi Bopara (99) helped Essex to 317-5 at Canterbury, but despite 124 from Martin van Jaarsveld and some clean hitting by Azhar Mahmood and Yasir Arafat, Kent's reply fell short.
27 April: Beat Sussex by 14 runs (D/L)
Half-centuries by Bopara (59), Grant Flower (71) and Ryan ten Doeschate (61) helped Essex post 291-8 from their 150 overs at Chelmsford. With Sussex 31-0 in reply, it rained and their target was adjusted to 156 from 24 overs - but the visitors fell short as Andre Nel conceded a miserly 16 runs from his five overs.
11 May: Beat Surrey by 156 runs
A record-breaking win saw Essex rack up their highest ever limited-overs total of 391-5 after openers Pettini (144) and Jason Gallian (117) added a mammoth 268 for the first wicket at The Oval. Mark Ramprakash hit 98 in reply before falling to David Masters who took one-day best figures of 5-17.
16 May: Lost to Kent by 106 runs
Kent moved top of the table, inflicting Essex's first defeat of the competition as Yasir Arafat (4-29) helped skittle the home side for 124 at Chelmsford.
18 May: Beat Middlesex by 8 wickets
Graham Napier had Middlesex reeling at 0-2 with two wickets in the first over, before Ed Smith (75) and Eoin Morgan (100) helped them to 259-7. But Gallian (111 not out) was in the runs again, aided by Varun Chopra (50) and Bopara (85 not out) as Essex cruised home at Chelmsford.
25 May: Lost to Surrey by 8 wickets
Surrey gained a modicum of revenge a fortnight after their previous heavy defeat in a match reduced to 40 overs by rain. Chopra (79) top-scored as Essex were bowled out for 215 at Chelmsford, before Scott Newman, Mark Butcher and Usman Afzaal's half centuries saw Surrey home with three-and-a-half overs to spare.
26 May: No result (rain) v Sussex
With the ground at Hastings unplayable because of heavy overnight rain, a point was enough to book Essex's place in the quarter-finals.
28 May: Lost to Middlesex by 8 wickets (D/L)
Needing a win at Lord's to finish top of the group, Essex made 244-8 after being asked to bat first, with ten Doeschate hitting 97. But after a rapid 34 by unlikely pinch-hitter Shaun Udal, Essex were 18 runs adrift on Duckworth/Lewis when bad light and then rain curtailed play with Middlesex 120-2 after 25 overs.
Friends Provident Trophy: South East Division
| |
|
P |
W |
L |
T |
N/R |
R/R |
Pts |
| 1 |
Kent |
8 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0.67 |
11.0 |
| 2 |
Essex |
8 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0.31 |
9.0 |
| 3 |
Middlesex |
8 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0.07 |
8.0 |
| 4 |
Surrey |
8 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
-0.63 |
7.0 |
| 5 |
Sussex |
8 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
-0.54 |
5.0 |
QUARTER-FINALS
4 June: Beat Leicestershire by 118 runs
Bopara was the hero, blasting 201 not out - Essex's first limited-overs double century - while also adding 190 for the fifth wicket with James Foster (61) in their 350-5. The Foxes slumped to 232 all out in reply with Bopara, Alex Tudor, Napier and ten Doeschate all grabbing two wickets each.
SEMI-FINALS
5 July: Beat Yorkshire by 87 runs
Kaneria (left) took three wickets in Essex's semi-final win
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After Kent had eased past holders Durham the previous day, Essex dominated Yorkshire at Chelmsford to book their place at Lord's.
Report: Kent v Durham semi-final
England's Alastair Cook made 95 and the big-hitting Napier hit six sixes in his 61 as the home side made 285-8 from their 50 overs.
Yorkshire were then given a steady start as Andrew Gale and Anthony McGrath hit half centuries, but leg-spinner Danish Kaneria (3-32) and medium-pacer ten Doeschate (3-30) saw Essex home as the Tykes fell for 198.
Essex and Kent have also met each other three times in the Twenty20 Cup this season - with both teams recording a win apiece in the group stages, before Kent won by 14 runs when they met in the semi-finals.
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