from The Independent June 22 2002 (thanks Jenny)
London - Nasser Hussain lost his personal battle with pace bowler Shaun
Pollock in the Benson and Hedges Cup final on Saturday.
The England skipper lasted just two balls against his South African counterpart as Warwickshire
sent Essex crashing to 181 for eight off their 50 overs at Lord's.
Hussain, opening the batting after Essex were put in, was caught behind off an unplayable
leg-cutter. Hussain, who had only got half forward, stared at the pitch before trudging off.
The favourites never really recovered after losing four wickets in the first 10
overs, John Stephenson coming in at number four and lasting even less time than Hussain. He was bowled first
ball off an inside edge by fast bowler Neil Carter.
Essex skipper Ronnie Irani, his fine form with bat and ball this season earning him a recall to the
England squad, then threw his wicket away cheaply with a lofted drive easily caught at mid-on off
the bowling of seamer Dougie Brown to make it 61 for five.
Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, mixing conventional drives with reverse sweeps, looked set to improvise
an Essex fightback with 30 off 44 balls. But he was brilliantly caught down the leg side by
wicketkeeper Keith Piper as off-spinner Neil Smith's tactic of bowling a leg-side line to the
left-hander paid off.
That left Essex on 86 for six in the 25th over and England left-arm spinner Ashley Giles further
turned the screw for Warwickshire with a miserly spell.
The Essex 100 came up in the 30th over before England reject Aftab Habib gave his wicket away,
chipping Giles straight to short-midwicket.
Giles, hoping to feature in England's upcoming one-day international
series against Sri Lanka and India, bowled 10 overs in taking one for 28 as Essex
battled to bat out their overs. Paul Grayson top-scored with 38 not out.
The final is the first of the limited-overs competitions of the English county season. Saturday's sides
are coached by Bob Woolmer (Warwickshire) and Graham Gooch (Essex).