First semi-final: Leicestershire 173-4 (20 ovs) bt Essex 150-9 (20 ovs) by 23 runs

Second semi-final: Notts 176-6 (20 ovs) bt Surrey 139 (19.1 ovs) by 37 runs

20th over WICKETS: Here we are then - it all comes down to the final over and Nottinghamshire need 17 runs. Franks takes two from the first Allenby delivery, but perishes by run-out when chancing a second of the next ball. Will "Jiggy" Smith comes in and needs 14 from four. He starts with a single, but the game is up when batting partner Clough gets caught chasing a six. The final delivery is spanked for six, but it is too little too late for the Outlaws, Leicestershire are the Twenty20 champions.
Notts 173-8

19th over WICKET: This is far from cricket weather, but there is no point ending this pulsating final early. New batsman Franks misses his first delivery and then powers the next into the stands for six. The penultimate ball of the over prompts a fast single, but sharp fielding removes Patel for 27.
Notts 161-6

18th over WICKET: As the rain sluices down on Trent Bridge, Patel takes his turn as slugger and the result is two consecutive boundaries. Just as the home crowd senses victory, Ealham lofts a ball to Maddy, who makes absolutely no mistake. Advantage Leicestershire again.
Notts 152-5

17th over: Ealham spanked Masters for 30 runs in an over earlier in the season. Can he go after Cummins? The answer is an emphatic yes as the first two deliveries go for 10 runs. The over costs 19 - has Snape made a big error bringing back the young bowler?
Notts 141-4

16th over WICKET: Read and Patel have the weight of Nottinghamshire on their shoulders now. Patel responds with a thumping four, but Read top edges a sweep to Broad to become the fourth Outlaws victim. Enter six hitter Mark Ealham.
Notts 122-4

15th over: As the rain falls harder, Leicestershire's position strengthens. Any immediate stoppage would hand them victory on Duckworth Lewis.
Notts 116-3

14th over WICKET: Broad is back and he draws a swing and a miss from Hussey. He goes one better on the very next ball, tempting Hussey into a loose shot that costs him his wicket. What a difference two overs make. The Outlaws could be up against it now and Broad finishes with 1-18 off his four overs, an excellent return.
Notts 110-3

13th over WICKET: A better over for the Foxes as Fleming holes out for 53 to Cummins at long leg from the bowling of Snape. Will this prove to be a pivotal moment?
Notts 108-2

12th over: Hussey is living dangerously, but he is still living it up in the middle. So is Fleming, who reaches an imperious fifty. The boundaries are flowing in a partnership worth 53 runs in 31 balls and that is very bad news for Leicestershire.
Notts 104-1

11th over: Foxes captain Snape brings himself on but can only look on as Fleming steers another flighted stroke to the boundary. Hussey follows his captain's example again, but he bludgeons the ball to the rope.
Notts 90-1

10th over: Leicestershire turn to spinner Henderson in an attempt to stem the flow of runs. The tactic works, but Nixon drops a half chance behind the stumps.
Notts 79-1

9th over: A beautifully timed four from Fleming is followed by a booming six down the ground from Hussey. After almost running out his captain on the previous delivery, I think Hussey has made amends.
Notts 74-1

8th over: Hussey opens his shoulders and lofts a four over backward point's head to up the run rate a tad. The Outlaws will need plenty more of those if they are to leave Trent Bridge with the cup.
Notts 60-1

7th over WICKET: Maddy, the hero of Leicestershire's innings with the bat, tries his luck with the ball. And he has an immediate result, trapping Swann lbw for 14. This man can do no wrong today as danger man Hussey enters the fray for Nottinghamshire.
Notts 51-1

6th over: Masters comes on for the unfortunate Cummins. But he has bad history against the Outlaws himself, having gone for 30 runs in an over earlier this season. This over is far tighter than that (just the nine) as the field restrictions elapse.
Notts 49-0

5th over: Broad glares at Swann after another quality delivery passes the bat. But he has no chance to stare down Fleming, who belts a subsequent ball for four. The New Zealand captain is in ominously good nick.
Notts 40-0

4th over: Swann flashes hard and gets away with an edge as Cummins continues to be expensive. He narrowly misses a tough caught and bowled chance as a few drops of rain start to fall.
Notts 31-0

3rd over: Broad is the picture of consistency at the other end. Only singles and dot balls are coming from his probing overs.
Notts 22-0

2nd over: A bad start for inexperienced bowler Cummins - his first two deliveries go for four off the fluent bat of Fleming and five more runs follow.
Notts 18-0

1st over: Despite posting the highest Twenty20 score in a final, history is against Leicestershire as the side batting second has won each of the three finals in the short history of the competition. Broad opens the bowling for the Foxes and keeps it fairly tight save for a highly debatable wide call.
Notts 5-0

INNINGS BREAK:

20th over: Maddy hits Ealham's final full toss towards Smith at long-off, and he rushes in too far, the ball clearing him and running for four, leaving the opener on 86, and in possession of another Twenty20 record - the highest score in a final. Leicestershire's 177-2 is also the highest score in a final.
Leics 177-2

19th over WICKET: Allenby's scintillating innings ends on 64 when he fails to beat Shreck's expert throw that bounces perfectly into Read's gloves, but new man Harrison continues the momentum with three braces and a single.
Leics 166-2

18th over: Patel is just unable to cling on to Maddy's aerial shot as he dives forward at deep mid-wicket, and Allenby eclipses all for aerial distance with another six that might have had air traffic control reaching for the controls.
Leics 157-1

17th over: Allenby reaches fifty from 36 balls with his fifth four, an effortless flick off his pads over mid-wicket off Franks, then Maddy produces a straight drive that he appears to stop midway through the shot, but once again it sails over the ropes for six more.
Leics 144-1

16th over: Clough replaces Ealham and sends down a superb over, mixing up his pace and conceding just two off the bat, deceiving Maddy with an off-cutter and then unlucky not to trap him lbw.
Leics 130-1

15th over: A superbly timed sweep brings Maddy four more, then although he does not time the next one as he slogs at Swann, Franks is this time unable to keep it in and it bounces over him for four, and the 100 stand soon comes up from 63 balls.
Leics 127-1

14th over: Maddy appears to sky a slog sweep but it has more than enough legs to disappear into the stand at mid-wicket, then reaches fifty from 41 balls with a pulsating straight drive for another six off the unfortunate Ealham.
Leics 115-1

13th over: Franks realises he cannot catch Maddy on the mid-wicket boundary, but has the presence of mind to parry the ball back into play and prevent six.
Leics 99-1

12th over: Maddy clubs consecutive boundaries off Ealham and both batsmen are on 40 with eight overs remaining.
Leics 92-1

11th over: Allenby brings up the fifty stand from 37 balls by taking a pace down the pitch and striking Swann back over his head.
Leics 81-1

10th over: Ealham comes into the attack and although never the quickest of bowlers anyway he tries a slower ball, which is dispatched many rows back at mid-wicket by the impressive Allenby.
Leics 73-1

9th over: Swann replaces Sidebottom but drops short and the touch of width allows Allenby to cut firmly to the fence for his third four.
Leics 64-1

8th over: Allenby places a neatly timed clip off his toes to perfection off Shreck and it races to the mid-wicket boundary.
Leics 56-1

7th over: Franks misses the target with an underarm throw that could have run Allenby out and Shreck prevents a boundary for Maddy when he sprawls along the third man fence.
Leics 48-1

6th over: Allenby helps a short one from Shreck round the corner and into the stands, then drives the next one along the ground past backward point for four.
Leics 43-1

5th over WICKET: Ackerman departs when he drags a wide one from Sidebottom back on to his stumps.
Leics 30-1

4th over: Ackerman is perfectly balanced to glance Shreck off his pads for four, and Maddy is given a reprieve on 13 when he lobs a cut that Clough spills as he hits the turf diving forward.
Leics 25-0

3rd over: Maddy steps on the accelerator, on the front foot to launch Sidebottom deep into the stands for six and plays a similar stroke next ball which, though not as well timed, brings him a one-bounce four.
Leics 17-0

2nd over: Shreck also keeps the boundaries at bay in his opening over.
Leics 6-0

1st over: The lights are on for the final and Sidebottom produces an accurate opening over, with just a single to both batsmen.
Leics 2-0

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE WIN BY 37 RUNS

20th over WICKET: Smith takes his fourth catch as last man Doshi lofts Ealham to deep mid-off and Notts seal an emphatic victory.
Surrey 139

19th over WICKET: The powerfully built Franks rattles Kumble's timbers with a yorker and 44 will be needed from the final over, although six runs have been deducted because of a slow rate.
Surrey 139-9

18th over: Batty completes a defiant fifty from 36 balls with a drive off Clough that skews through the slip area and Read, already minus one tooth, then has to take a head high beamer that Batty ducks.
Surrey 124-8

17th over: Medium-pacer Franks is swung away short of third man for two by Kumble, but even his friend Tendulkar would struggle in this position, although Batty moves into the 40's with a sliced drive on one knee.
Surrey 111-8

16th over WICKETS: Clough begins with a slower ball and Murtagh succeeds only in slogging it to long-on, a perfect yorker beats Salisbury all ends up and knocks back leg-stump but Kumble keeps out the hat-trick with a single, as Batty brings up the 100 with a fortuitous thick edge through slip.
Surrey 100-8

15th over: Batty dances down the pitch to Swann and gets a thick edge through the slip area for four but a remote 81 are needed from the final five overs.
Surrey 96-6

14th over: Ealham digs in a yorker with the final ball of his over as Batty is unable to launch the boundaries his team so desperately need.
Surrey 86-6

13th over: Swann ensures the scoring rate of 14 per over will not be reduced, as just four singles result from the over.
Surrey 78-6

12th over: Batty smashes an Ealham full toss straight back at the diminutive all-rounder, who is lucky the ball does not take him with it to the boundary, another drive races to the fence and Ealham then collides with Batty in the rush for a quick single, the batsman scrambling home despite being felled in an unfair contest.
Surrey 74-6

11th over WICKET: Smith produces an astonishing catch on the backward square-leg boundary, diving backwards to pluck out Mahmood's sweep off a Swann full toss above his head. Batty is then hopelessly out of his ground but Read spills the stumping chance and the only thing dislodged is his one of his front teeth, Batty reverse sweeping for four after the delay for treatment.
Surrey 63-6

10th over: Evergreen Ealham shuffles in for an exemplary opening over which Batty simply cannot get away, fortunate to edge the final ball through the vacant slip area for four.
Surrey 58-5

9th over WICKET: The inevitable happens, Mahmood and Ramprakash remain on different wavelengths, and Ramprakash is sent on his way without the need for video evidence. Mahmood sweeps spinner Swann for six over mid-wicket then moves to 21 from 10 balls with a back cut for four.
Surrey 54-5

8th over: At last Ramprakash breaks the shackles, with a front foot pick up for six off Shreck, then tries something similar and two fielders collide on the boundary to let the ball trickle for four, then the next ball is edged straight up in the air, the bowler calls for the ball but spills the catch.
Surrey 42-4

7th over:Ramprakash appears to think it is a Championship match and is dealing in defensive singles, and Sidebottom's allocation concedes just seven runs.
Surrey 30-4

6th over: After two communication breakdowns in two balls that could have resulted in run-outs both times, Mahmood decides that fours are the way to avoid the confusion and hits a straight drive followed by a hook for boundaries off Shreck.
Surrey 26-4

5th over: Ramprakash cannot get the ball away and only manages a thick edge for a single down to third man.
Surrey 17-4

4th over WICKET: Clarke top-edges a pull but it falls safe, although the hirsute Sidebottom dives in to prevent a boundary, but another ugly swipe results in Clarke's demise and the top of the stumps are disturbed, as Shreck claims his third wicket.
Surrey 16-4

3rd over WICKET: Ramprakash calls for a quick single, Butcher is not the quickest off the mark and Smith's excellent work in the field continues with a direct hit that beats the dive.
Surrey 10-3

2nd over WICKETS: Brown slices a boundary off Shreck but then skies him into the deep and Will Smith takes measured steps backwards to hold a well-judged catch, before the hapless Benning is beaten all ends up by a well-pitched up delivery that rattles the timbers. Ramprakash is hurried by a delivery nearing 90mph but gets a single off the last ball.
Surrey 9-2

1st over: Benning bravely opens the innings despite his finger injury, but cannot make contact and every shot he attempts he takes his hand off the bat in discomfort, and is fortunate to survive an lbw appeal by Sidebottom.
Surrey 2-0

INNINGS BREAK:

20th over: Ealham hoists Mahmood for a straight six, the Pakistan all-rounder is then fortunate to escape with a chest high full toss, Ealham collects an overthrow to retain strike then flicks a low full toss fluently over mid-wicket for six more before falling for a thrilling 18 with the final ball when his stocky little legs cannot beat a direct hit from the deep.
Notts 176-6

19th over WICKET: Read latches on to Murtagh's slower ball and stands tall to lace over long-on for six, before cutting the next high to Butcher at backward point, the next somehow misses everything, with Batty up to the stumps, and trickles away for four byes.
Notts 159-5

18th over: Salisbury deceives Read with successive googlies, before a leg-break is savagely cut for four.
Notts 147-4

17th over WICKET: Kumble keeps the boundaries at bay and with his last ball he forces Hussey to drag on to his stumps via his boot, to end an explosive innings of 42 from 30 balls with four sixes.
140-4

16th over: Hussey has to reach for a drive against Doshi, but it still sails over extra cover for six more and Read cuts the final ball off the back foot for two more.
Notts 136-3

15th over: Kumble comes back but Hussey launches a straight six, then picks up another maximum with a fearsome cross-batted swipe that almost goes out of the ground.
Notts125-3

14th over WICKET: Patel is out of his ground Inzamam style and Doshi almost adds another victim when Read edges a turning ball just wide of a diving Batty.
Notts 111-3

13th over: The second 50 comes from 39 balls and Hussey moves to 17 with a towering six off Salisbury into the stands at long-off.
Notts 106-2

12th over: The portly Patel shimmies down to Doshi and clubs him back over his head for a one-bounce four.
Notts 94-2

11th over: Salisbury makes it a spin combination and although he is accurate, he is cut away for four.
Notts 85-2

10th over WICKET: Doshi is introduced with his left-arm spin but the wicket comes from a run out, as Swann hesitates a fraction, and after a series of replays he is centimetres out of his ground as Mahmood returns to Batty.
Notts 76-2

9th over: Swann is tucked up by a Clarke bouncer but his hook off the top of the bat falls short of Doshi at fine-leg, while Hussey smears one through the leg-side and the batsmen push for three as the veteran Kumble fields.
Notts 72-1

8th over WICKET: A quicker one from Kumble claims dangerman Fleming as he angles the bat to try and guide it through gully.
Notts 63-1

7th over: Clarke comes into the attack as the Notts 50 comes up from 37 balls, and Fleming plays the shot of the day - a classical off-drive for four - that proves Twenty20 is not all muscle and hustle.
Notts 60-0

6th over: Benning is still off the field but will be able to bat as it is an external injury suffered during the game. Meanwhile, Indian spin maestro Anil Kumble is introduced with an over of field restrictions still to go, and Swann gets a thick edge to fine-leg to scamper three from the final ball.
Notts 49-0

5th over: Fleming flays Mahmood over point and the ball thuds into the boards in an instant, then he adds a crunching cover drive to unsettle the bowler, who responds with a wayward slower ball that is a wide.
Notts 44-0

4th over: Murtagh strays down the leg-side and is helped away for four more by Swann, then struggles with his line to the left-handed Fleming and bowls a similar ball, which has an indentical result.
Notts 33-0

3rd over: Mahmood's clever slower ball defeats Swann, but the final ball of the over follows the batsman as he backs away and is superbly flicked to square-leg for four.
Notts 21-0

2nd over: Fleming struggles to find his timing but Benning sustains a nasty finger injury when he jams his hand in the ground, which requires him to leave the field for treatment, then the New Zealander picks up one from Murtagh that is not all that short and pulls it away for the first boundary, and Swann flips the final ball off his pads to fine-leg for four more.
Notts 16-0

1st over: Azhar Mahmood sends down an accurate opening over at fast-medium pace as the cool breezy conditions rermain for the second semi-final, both batsmen away with singles.
Notts 3-0

1435: Stephen Fleming wins the toss and informs counterpart Mark Butcher that Notts will bat first.

LEICESTERSHIRE WIN BY 23 RUNS

20th over: There is no miraculous finale, 25 are needed from Allenby's final ball and the Foxes can celebrate.
Essex 150-9

19th over WICKET: Bichel slams Griffith for four but another full toss is driven straight to cover by Napier, and the Foxes are just able to start the final over before the required time.
Essex 142-9

18th over WICKET: Having taken a catch, Allenby comes in with some gentle medium pace and strikes with a full toss first ball, driven straight to mid-off by Foster, Napier clips another full toss to square-leg for four but 39 are needed from the final two overs.
Essex 135-8

17th over WICKET: Allenby is able to catch above his head without stepping over the mid-wicket rope as Middlebrook is the fourth victim of Snape's crafty slow bowling.
Essex 127-7

16th over: Foster keeps Essex in the hunt with two powerfully struck off-side boundaries against spinner Henderson, leaving 53 needed from 24 balls.
Essex 121-6

15th over WICKETS: Bopara fizzes a pull straight to the fielder on the mid-wicket boundary to give the shrewd spinner a second wicket and Essex's chances nosedive, then descend even further when Ten Doeschate's top-edge is superbly caught by Maddy running back in the outfield.
Essex 109-6

14th over: The opening ball of Henderson's over is carved for four to bring up the 100.
Essex 106-4

13th over: Bowling so slowly that the batsman has time to go through the entire MCC coaching manual of strokes, Snape yet again proves difficult to get away, though Essex are aided by a terrible misfield from Griffith that allows them four.
Essex 96-4

12th over WICKET: Gough top-edges left-arm spinner Henderson's first ball short of the fielder, and although the Foxes might have wanted to see him stay out there and not hit many runs, a full blooded swipe goes all of 20 yards straight to the square cover fielder and the veteran paceman departs.
Essex 87-4

11th over WICKET: Skipper Snape claims an important wicket as Pettini falls in sorry fashion, right back in his crease and cutting not the ball but his stumps and knocking them over.
Essex 82-3

10th over: The bustling Masters, never likely to intimidate the batsmen with pace, is unfortunate to see an inside edge from Pettini race through the keeper's legs for four, and the powerful opener hits a superb short-arm jab over extra cover for for to reach 52 from 29 balls, before glancing the final ball for four.
Essex 79-2

9th over: Maddy comes into the attack to bowl some nagging medium pacers, Pettini launches one of the highest shots of the summer but Henderson, running back from mid-on arms outstretched like a baddy from Scooby Doo cannot reach it, and the opener then steps across his crease to glance for four.
Essex 65-2

8th over: David Masters, a gangly trundler bearing a resemblance to Marlon the chef from Emmerdale, is hoiked over square-leg for four by the ebullient Gough, still hopeful of a starring role.
Essex 54-2

7th over WICKET: Pettini hoists Broad to deep cover but Amjad Khan spills the chance diving forward, and the batsman compounds the error by slamming savagely off the back foot for four, unsettling the young bowler into a wayward off-side wide, before Cook attempts a reckless single straight to Maddy at short cover and the fielder hits the stumps with a direct underarm throw.
Essex 48-2

6th over: The first no-ball of the match from Griffith allows Cook a free hit, but the England batsman backs away and makes no contact, and although he looks uncomfortable at the crease, he takes a step down the pitch and manages to squueze a boundary, before a drive is parried by Sadler in the covers.
Essex 36-1

5th over: Pettini gives the innings such much needed impetus by using the pace of Broad and launching him over cover for four.
Essex 26-1

4th over: Cook, straight from the Test arena, cannot find his timing at all, survives two lbw appeals and scampers through for just a leg-bye.
Essex 19-1

3rd over WICKET: Broad briefly blots his copybook with a leg-side wide but Irani cannot deal with his pace and accuracy and edges to the keeper for a duck, and despite his baby-face he has already developed the fast bowler's hostile glare.
Essex 17-1

2nd over: Adam Griffith, a bustling Tasmanian seamer, is driven for the first boundary by Pettini, who then slices another four off the back foot next ball.
Essex 14-0

1st over: Promising paceman Stuart Broad, the most economical bowler in Twenty20 this year, shows why with a fine over, trapping Irani bang in front but umpire Hartley says 'not out'.
Essex 1-0

INNINGS BREAK:

20th over: Bichel begins the final over with a good yorker but the next is a low full toss that Nixon times perfectly for four through mid-wicket, the last ball traps Snape bang in front but the Foxes are 13 runs ahead of the average score at Trent Bridge this season.
Leics 173-4

19th over: The wily Snape is immediately away, picking up on Gough's slower ball and hitting it for four, then turns a half-volley off middle stump next ball for four more, before Nixon clips the last ball off his pads over mid-wicket for six to complete fifty from a mere 29 balls.
Leics 165-3

18th over WICKET: A dreadful gentle full toss from Bopara is launched over mid-wicket by Ackerman, who then smears one a good length one agriculturally with a lot of bottom hand for a one-bounce four into a similar area - before the third umpire says he is just short of his ground for a quick single as Phillips hurls the ball into keeper Foster.
Leics 147-3

17th over: Gough is back to stem the flow of runs and despite a mis-field from his captain, who cannot see where the ball has gone and fumbles around like a man looking for his glasses in the dark, he prevents any further boundaries.
Leics 133-2

16th over: Ackerman gets some bat on a glance off Bopara to record the fifty stand and then notches his own half-century from 43 balls.
Leics 126-2

15th over: Middlebrook continues to try Irani's questionable patience with a succession of full tosses, one that Ackerman drives fluently over extra cover for four and another that Nixon reverse sweeps off his front pad for four then conventionally sweeps yet another full toss for four - and his captain kicks at the turf like an angry bull.
Leics 117-2

14th over: Bopara returns for some steady medium pace, but Pettini fails to collect cleanly on the boundary, allowing a second run that brings up the 100, Nixon retaining the strike with a single to deep cover to reach 24 from 15 balls.
Leics 101-2

13th over: Middlebrook is brought on for some off-spin, but there will be no turn from a series of full tosses, unless it is a tactic, as Nixon's latest reverse only just clears the fielder for another boundary.
Leics 97-2

12th over: Phillips gets away with a waist high full toss but another full bunger is dispatched to the fence by left-hander Nixon, who displays the en vogue reverse sweep, then uses it away to pick up two more, before a conventional sweep for another brace, and a superb reverse sweep over backward point for his second boundary.
Leics 88-2

11th over WICKET: Having just been hit for six, Phillips runs back at mid-off to pouch a fine diving catch over his shoulder as Allenby slices his drive at Napier.
Leics 74-2

10th over: Phillips comes into the attack for some left-arm spin over the wicket, just pitches outside leg with a lbw appeal against Ackerman, but is then slogged high over mid-wicket by Allenby for the first six.
Leics 70-1

9th over: Napier produces a better over, but is indebted to Phillips in the covers who dives to save a certain boundary.
Leics 60-1

8th over: Bopara replaces Bichel but his second ball is sliced through the vacant slip area by the angular Allenby, then although one full toss is hauled in another is driven through mid-wicket by Ackerman for four.
Leics 56-1

7th over WICKET: Irani hurls himself at the boundary boards in somewhat cumbersome fashion but restricts Maddy to three, then takes a low catch at mid-on as the opener mis-times a drive and departs for 21.
Leics 43-1

6th over: Maddy is given some width by Bichel and slashes the ball to the boundary, before trying to turn one to leg that cuts away, squares him up and bounces just over the stumps. At the end of the fielding restrictions the Foxes have all their wickets intact.
Leics 36-0

5th over: Napier replaces Gough after two overs and his fifth ball Ackerman backs away and drives fluently to the square cover for only the second boundary, before clipping the next ball off his pads which Pettini cannot stop on the mid-wicket fence, not helped by an awkward bounce.
Leics 27-0

4th over: Bichel beats Ackerman as he moves across his crease, but umpire George Sharp correctly deems the ball heading down. The evergreen Australian demonstrates his enthusiasm by racing to mid-wicket to field off his own bowling, and Tim Phillips dives to prevent runs as Essex continue to restrict the Foxes.
Leics 18-0

3rd over: More expert bowling with the new white ball from Gough, finding some gentle in-swing, and only edged singles are taken.
Leics 14-0

2nd over: Bichel strays down the leg-side and is glanced down the leg-side for four by the energetic Maddy, the highest run-scorer in Twenty20, who keeps the bowling with a single.
Leics 10-0

1st over: Into a blustery cold wind, Gough begins with a leg-side wide but the rest of the over is right on the spot, and dangerman Maddy is trapped on the pad just outside the line of off-stump.
Leics 2-0

1128: The usual colourful collection of characters are present, Notts fans are battling to keep their Robin Hood costumes intact in the strong breeze and there is a huge cheer from a tinsel-clad Essex contingent as Irani leads out Essex through a line of glamour girls.

1120: A big day for Darren Gough as he tries to resurrect his England aspirations, the popular Yorkshireman expected to bat at three again for Essex and open the bowling.

1105: Leicestershire skipper Jeremy Snape decides to bat first on winning the toss, which surprises his opposite number Ronnie Irani. Alastair Cook is playing for Essex.