and Andre Adams (two for 12) took the final wickets as Sussex were bowled out for 108. (Cricinfo scorecard) Hampshire v Essex (28 June) Match abandoned; Hampshire (1pt), Essex (1pt) Hampshire Hawks and Essex Eagles shared the spoils as the match at The Rose Bowl, Southampton never got underway. (Cricinfo scorecard) Essex v Hampshire (29 June) No result; Essex (1pt), Hampshire (1pt) Hampshire Hawks and Essex Eagles played out their second no-result in their two days, after the Hawks batted to a total of 151 for 9 in their 20 overs, with Greg Lamb making 67. However, the Essex innings never got off, due to rain. (Cricinfo scorecard) Middlesex v Essex (1 July) Middlesex (2pts) beat Essex (0pts) by 31 runs Middlesex Crusaders defeated Essex Eagles despite missing Irish batsman Ed Joyce, who had gone off to play in the 2005 ICC Trophy. The opening partnership between Owais Shah and Ed Smith yielded 100 runs, Shah eventually making 79, and despite three wickets from Essex off-spinner James Middlebrook, Middlesex finished on 185 for 6 as Irfan Pathan hit two sixes to end with 21. Pathan then took three wickets inside 20 minutes, those of Alistair Cook, Ronnie Irani and Ravinder Bopara, and Essex were 45 for 5. James Foster made 62 not out at just the rate required to win, but Andre Adams could only hit at 7.5 an over as Essex finished on 154 for 7, 32 short of victory. Pathan had Adams caught near the end to finish with four for 27. (Cricinfo scorecard) Essex v Surrey (5 July) Essex (2pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by one run Rain ravaged The County Ground, Chelmsford and delayed the match between Essex Eagles and Surrey Lions to after ten o'clock. When it finally began, it had been shortened to five overs a side, and Essex made runs at a run rate above 14, totalling 71 for 3 – Ronnie Irani making 32, while Azhar Mahmood took two wickets for three runs in his only ver for Surrey. In reply, Tony Palladino took two wickets for Essex, but Surrey needed eight off five after James Middlebrook bowled a wide that went for four – however, he only conceded six runs from the remaining balls of the game, and Surrey finished on 70 for 2. Yet, they would have to be exceedingly unlucky in their last game to be eliminated, as they led