Essex phir haar gaya! Paanchvi baar, aur woh bhi Glamorgan ke haathon, jo kisi bhi angle se T20 Blast ke “superpower” nahi hai. Will Smale ne toh jaise Essex ke bowlers ko apne bat se khelne ka mauka hi nahi diya. 65 runs, 20 overs ke andar, aur woh bhi jab Glamorgan ne 220 ka bada score khada kiya. Yeh toh wahi baat hai jab 2019 mein Ben Stokes ne England ke liye Ashes mein Australia ke bowlers ko tabaah kiya tha—bas yahan Glamorgan ka chhota sa hero Smale tha, jo apne dam par match le gaya.
Smale ki yeh innings koi nayi baat nahi hai. Glamorgan ke liye woh pehle bhi aise teer chala chuke hain. Pichhle match mein bhi, jab Glamorgan ne Essex ko 6 wickets se haraya tha, Smale ne 43 runs banaye the, aur Kiran Carlson ke saath 91 runs ki opening partnership ne match ko ek tarfa kar diya. Yeh Glamorgan ki team, jo kabhi kabhi chhoti si dikhti hai, apne chhote chhote heroes ke dam par bade bade dikhne wale opponents ko dhool chata rahi hai. Smale ka yeh tezi se khelna, aur bowlers ke saath khelna, yaad dilata hai jab Viv Richards apne zamane mein bowlers ke dil mein darr bitha dete the.
Ab dekho, Essex ke liye yeh match bhi koi naya dukh nahi tha. Paanch haar ek saath—yeh toh wahi kahani hai jab 2003 mein Australia ne India ko World Cup final mein rula diya tha. Par Essex ke liye ek chamakta sitara nikla—Luc Benkenstein. 62 runs, woh bhi jab team 180 pe hi ruk gayi, yeh koi chhoti baat nahi. Benkenstein ka yeh performance yaad dilata hai jab Kevin Pietersen ne apne debut series mein South Africa ke khilaaf aisa hi josh dikhaya tha. Luc ka yeh tezi se khelna, apne aap mein ek nayi ummeed jaga raha hai. Yeh ladka, jo abhi jawan hai, shayad Essex ka agla bada naam ban jaye.
Glamorgan ki baat karein toh, unka yeh jeet ka silsila sirf Smale tak nahi ruka. Colin Ingram ne 39 aur Dan Douthwaite ne 30 runs ka yogdaan diya, aur Mason Crane ke 3 wickets ne Essex ke batsmen ko bandh ke rakha. Yeh team spirit Glamorgan mein saaf dikhta hai—jaise 2007 T20 World Cup mein India ke youngsters ne ek saath milkar duniya ko hila diya tha. Glamorgan ke liye yeh jeet ek bada signal hai—woh shayad is season mein bade dhamake kar sakte hain.
Lekin Essex ke liye, yeh haar ek aur jhatka hai. Ek team jo kabhi County Championship mein bade bade naam se takkar leti thi, ab lagatar haar rahi hai. Luc Benkenstein ka josh ek taraf, par baaki team kahan hai? Michael Pepper ne bhi 60 runs banaye the pichhle match mein, lekin fir bhi team haar gayi. Yeh thodi si mayoosi toh banta hai—jab ek team mein itna talent ho, aur fir bhi woh jeet ke liye taras rahe hain. Shayad Essex ko apne purane din yaad karne honge, jab 2019 mein unke bowlers aur batsmen dono ek saath chamakte the.
