Cricket: Irani Feasts on Sussex Fare, Again

If one thing was guaranteed to cheer up Ronnie Irani after his side's lame showing in the semi-final of the Twenty20 Cup, it was a one-day match against Sussex.

The Essex captain took a hundred off them in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy in May, then compiled another during a last-ball Twenty20 victory in July. Yesterday he added a third before Darren Gough, apparently born again after being named in England's provisional 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy, took four for 39 to help keep Essex ahead of the pack in NatWest Pro40 First Division.

Irani was disconsolate at Trent Bridge on Saturday but there are few more irrepressible figures on the county circuit and the way he advanced down the pitch to hammer James Kirtley through mid-off in the second over suggested the juices had not taken long to start flowing again.

He showed he had timing too with a sweet six over long-on off Robin Martin-Jenkins before bringing up his half-century with the first of two slog-swept sixes in two balls off Ollie Rayner's off-spin. A fourth six followed when Murray Goodwin's momentum carried him over the boundary after he had caught Irani's pull off Luke Wright, and Irani's second fifty needed only 30 deliveries.

After that Ravi Bopara, also in the England squad, sparkled with an unbeaten 54 off 34 balls but somehow the evening kept coming back to Gough. His contribution to Essex's total had been a chest-out 21 from No3, which is where he bats in one-day cricket these days. England might resist the move, although Gough's penchant for persuasive self-publicity means nothing can be discounted.

The selectors might be more interested in the two wickets he took with the new ball, even if the first came courtesy of a poor delivery and an even worse shot from Richard Montgomerie, whose attempted cut flew to slip. Gough then bowled Chris Adams for a duck off the inside edge and in between caught Rayner at short fine leg. Even at 35, he cannot be kept quiet for long.

From 23 for three, Sussex were given hope by Matt Prior's 82 from 80 balls and Carl Hopkinson's 51-ball 68, an innings which was worrying Essex after the home side had subsided to a seemingly hopeless 144 for seven. But Gough summoned up all his experience to hit the base of Hopkinson's leg-stump, then skittled James Kirtley. He is not going to go quietly.