Ye Essex ke liye teesri seedhi haar thi, jo unki Vitality Blast 2025 ki shuruaat ko aur bhi kharab karta hai. Michael Pepper ne 30 ball mein 60 run banaye, jismein paanch chakke shamil the, lekin unki yeh shandar innings bhi Glamorgan ke kaptaan Kiran Carlson ke 93 run ke aage kam pad gayi. Carlson ka yeh performance unki leadership aur batting ka shandaar namoona tha, jo Glamorgan ke liye ek nayi ummeed jaga gaya.
Essex ki batting shuru mein thodi dheemi rahi. Timm van der Gugten ke pehle over mein sirf teen run bane, aur Adam Rossington ek baar phir struggle karte dikhayi diye. Lekin Pepper aur Dean Elgar ke beech 58 run ki partnership ne Essex ko 10 over mein 93 for 2 tak pahuncha diya. Pepper ke paanch chakke aur Elgar ke 32 run ne Essex ko ek mazboot score tak le gaya, lekin Glamorgan ke bowlers, jaise Dan Douthwaite (3 for 34) aur Ben Kellaway (2 for 26), ne unhe 183 tak rok diya. Yeh score chase karne ke liye mushkil tha, lekin Glamorgan ke liye naa-mumkin nahi.
Glamorgan ki batting shuruaat se hi aggressive thi. Carlson aur Will Smale ne 91 run ki opening partnership di, jismein Carlson ne 19 ball mein 32 run banaye aur Smale ne 43 run ka yogdan diya. Yeh partnership 2003 ke T20 World Cup ke ek match ki yaad dilati hai, jahan England ke Marcus Trescothick aur Vikram Solanki ne Australia ke khilaaf ek shandaar shuruaat di thi. Carlson ka yeh andaaz unke pehle ke performances ko bhi yaad dilata hai, jaise 2024 ke Metro Bank One Day Cup mein unke 89 run ke against Essex, jahan unhone team ko mushkil se nikaala tha.
Carlson ne apni innings mein extra-cover ke upar se shandaar shots khele aur spinners aur seamers dono ke khilaaf dominate kiya. Smale ko ek mauka mila jab Dean Elgar ne unka catch chhod diya, lekin woh iska fayda nahi utha sake aur agle hi over mein out ho gaye. Phir bhi, Carlson ne apna tempo banaye rakha aur 57 ball mein 93 run banaye, jismein do chakke Simon Harmer ke over mein shamil the. Unka yeh performance Sachin Tendulkar ke 2008 ke ek T20 match ki yaad dilata hai, jahan unhone Mumbai Indians ke liye 90 run ki match-winning innings kheli thi.
Jab Glamorgan ko aakhri chhe over mein 42 run chahiye the, Carlson ke back-to-back chhakkon ne match ko puraane tareeke se unke haq mein kar diya. Lekin unka wicket Michael Pepper ke shandaar diving catch ne liya, jo ek dramatic moment tha. Iske baad Chris Cooke aur Asa Tribe ne 10 run chase kiye, aur Glamorgan ne 19 over mein target haasil kar liya. Yeh jeet Glamorgan ke liye ek bada boost hai, jo pichhle saal Surrey ke khilaaf ek kareebi haar ke baad ab apne aap ko South Group mein strong contender dikha rahe hain.
Lekin, Essex ke liye yeh haar unke campaign ke liye ek bada jhatka hai. Teen match, teen haar – yeh unke liye 2009 ke T20 Blast ke shuruaati daur ki yaad dilata hai, jab woh pehle char match haar gaye the aur playoffs se bahar ho gaye. Pepper ka performance shandaar tha, lekin team ka overall form unhe mushkil mein daal raha hai. Glamorgan ke liye yeh jeet ek nayi shuruaat hai, lekin Essex ke liye abhi bohot kaam baki hai agar woh apna season bachaana chahte hain.
