Essex 179 for 5 (Allison 67*) beat Derbyshire 173 (Montgomery 50, Zaman 2-13) by five wickets

A tight bowling display, with four bowlers taking two wickets, restricted Falcons to 173 – with Matt Montgomery’s 50 a rare high-point on their first T20 visit to the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.

And it proved far under par as Allison, with help from Paul Walter and Matt Critchley, eased Essex to victory – with both sides sitting with two wins in their respective groups.

Derbyshire and Essex had only met in the Blast once before – in the 2019 semi-final which the Eagles won comfortably en route to their only title. A first T20 trip to Chelmsford didn’t end happily, but Derbyshire did start by winning the toss.

The Falcons have launched into this season’s Blast with aggression dialled up to 11, with scores of 197, 194, 230, and 234, and Aneurin Donald usually at the heart of it.

The Welshman’s last two innings, of 49 and 84, came with strike-rates of 204 and 271, and when he inexplicably managed to club a six over the off side in the second over, a repeat looked on the cards. But he only faced two more balls before giving a five-second hang-time catch for keeper Michael Pepper.

Zaman Akhter bowled Martin Andersson and Wayne Madsen, either side of Caleb Jewell falling in a Wiaan Mulder wicket maiden as the Falcons’ hopes of another gigantic score were clipped.

Ross Whiteley was stumped, and Amit Basra slapped to backward point, but Montgomery tried to hold the innings together with an offside-dominant innings. He reached his fourth T20 fifty but was caught next ball.

Nick Potts plonked a couple of sixes, but wickets kept coming, and a total of 173 fell far south of the 200 you usually need at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.

Michael Pepper didn’t take advantage of an early life in the third over, but Walter did – having been put down on 19.

Walter and Charlie Allison amassed runs at will without ever verging into slogging in their 64-run partnership. But after three controlled fours in a row, Walter over-swung and plinked straight up for a rapid 41, with Luc Benkenstein run out and Mulder caught soon after.

But Allison refused to let Essex lose their way, and with former Falcon Critchley exemplified risk-free cricket, while also sticking to the required rate.

Allison upgraded his clutch performance against the Spitfires for a leading role, picking up his second T20 fifty. And while Critchley holed out with seven needed off seven – to end a 58-run partnership – Allison once again completed the win with two balls to spare with a straight six.