Essex phir se haar se bach nahi paya! Hove mein Sussex Sharks ke khilaaf Vitality Blast ka match, jahan Jordan Cox ne apne bat se jaadu dikhaya, lekin baarish ne unki mehnat par paani pher diya. 82 runs, 47 balls, 6 chakke, aur 6 chokke – Cox ne toh Sussex ke bowlers ko bilkul nanga kar diya! Lekin kya fayda? Baarish ne match ko 17 overs tak seemit kar diya aur phir pura dhona bhi. Essex 177/4 tak pahuncha, aur Sussex 14/3 par hi atka reh gaya jab baarish ne game khatam kar diya.
Yeh koi nayi baat nahi hai Essex ke liye. Vitality Blast mein unka record is baar kuch khaas nahi raha. Ek bhi jeet nahi mili, aur yeh match bhi unke haathon se nikal gaya. Cox ka yeh shandaar performance dekhkar lagta hai jaise woh England ke liye bhi bada naam kama sakta hai, lekin Essex ki team abhi bhi apni haar ka silsila todne ke liye jaddojahad kar rahi hai. Cox ne apne aap ko saabit kiya, lekin team ka sath nahi mila. Shane Snater ne bhi bowling mein dum dikhaya, ek double wicket maiden daala aur 2 overs mein 3/8 ke figures ke sath Sussex ko jhatka diya. Lekin baarish ne sab barbaad kar diya.
Ab thodi si baat cricket ke us pal ki jo sabko yaad hai – 2021 T20 Blast final, jab Cox ne Kent ke liye 58 not out banaye the aur ek aisa catch liya tha jo ab bhi logon ke dimaag mein hai. Lewis Gregory ka wicket lene ke liye Cox ne boundary par ek akrobatik stunt kiya, jo shayad T20 cricket ke sabse yaadgaar moments mein se ek hai. Us din Kent ne trophy jeeti thi, aur Cox ke fans ko laga tha ki woh star ban jayega. Lekin ab, Essex ke sath, woh apni purani chamak dikhane ki koshish kar raha hai, aur yeh 82-run ki inning uski wahi class dikha rahi hai.
Sussex ke liye yeh match ek bachaav tha. Unke bowlers, jaise Nathan McAndrew aur Henry Crocombe, ne thodi si ladai dikhai, lekin Cox ke aage unki ek na chali. Crocombe ne 4-0-28-2 ke sath thik-thak bowling ki, lekin Cox ke chhakke aur chokke rokne ke liye koi plan kaam nahi aaya. Sussex ki batting shuruat mein hi ladkhada gayi, jab Snater ne Harrison Ward aur John Simpson ko turant pavilion bhej diya. Lekin baarish ne unhe bacha liya, warna Essex shayad apni pehli jeet haasil kar leti.
Cox ka yeh performance dekhkar dil khush ho jata hai. Ek aisa player, jo 24 saal ki umar mein hi itna talent dikha raha hai, usne England ke liye T20I debut bhi kar liya hai September 2024 mein Australia ke khilaaf. Essex ke liye 2024 season shandaar raha tha jab usne 918 runs banaye, jismein 4 centuries shamil thi. Yeh banda jab form mein hota hai, toh bowlers ke liye saza se kam nahi! Aur Essex ke liye bhi yeh ummeed ki kiran hai. Dean Elgar (33) aur Paul Walter (35) ne bhi sath diya, aur yeh dikha ki team mein dum hai. Agar baarish na hoti, toh shayad Essex ka haar ka silsila toot jata.
Lekin cricket mein “agar” aur “magar” ka koi kaam nahi. Baarish ek haqeeqat hai, aur Essex ab bhi jeet ke liye taras raha hai. Cox jaise players ke hone ke bawajood, team ka yeh haal dekhkar thoda dukh hota hai. Sussex, jo ek badi team maani jati hai, uske khilaaf Essex ne poora zor lagaya, lekin nature ne unka sath nahi diya. Ab agli baari mein kya hoga? Kya Cox aur Essex apni kismat badal payenge, ya phir yeh silsila chalta rahega? Sirf waqt hi batayega, lekin abhi ke liye, Essex ke fans ke dil mein bas ek hi sawal hai – jeet kab aayegi?
