Hoping that the NatWest Pro40 would herald a fresh start to Yorkshire's flagging season, Darren Gough, the captain, saw half his team return to the pavilion inside 15 overs. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who smashed 57, including three sixes, added 39 for the third wicket with Anthony McGrath, but Yorkshire collapsed to 113 for nine and only a defiant last-wicket partnership of 44 between Gough and David Wainwright helped them to respectability.

Essex cruised home with seven overs to spare. Mark Pettini and Graham Napier added 63 for the second wicket and Ryan ten Doeschate finished the match with a six. Gough broke down after bowling only two balls and was forced to temporarily leave the field. It was as sad as it was symbolic.

Yorkshire
A W Gale c Foster b Napier 1
†G L Brophy lbw b Masters 1
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan c and b Kaneria 57
A McGrath c Gallian b Napier 18
J A Rudolph lbw b Kaneria 8
A Lyth b Chambers 2
A U Rashid b Bopara 8
T T Bresnan run out 3
R M Pyrah lbw b Ten Doeschate 1
*D Gough c and b Ten Doeschate 33
D J Wainwright not out 9
Extras (lb 8, w 8) 16

Total (36.2 overs) 157

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-43, 4-68, 5-71, 6-93, 7-111, 8-111, 9-113.

Bowling: Napier 6-0-27-2; Masters 3-0-25-1; Chambers 6-0-26-1; Kaneria 7-1-18-2; Bopara 6-0-22-1; Ten Doeschate 7.2-0-25-2; Middlebrook 1-0-6-0.

Essex
*M L Pettini lbw b Wainwright 57
J E R Gallian c Brophy b Naved 7
G R Napier c Rudolph b Pyrah 46
R S Bopara st Brophy b Rashid 16
G W Flower not out 10
†J S Foster c McGrath b Wainwright 9
R N ten Doeschate not out 11
Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2

Total (5 wkts, 33 overs) 158

J D Middlebrook, D D Masters, Danish Kaneria and M A Chambers did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-86, 3-126, 4-130, 5-146.

Bowling: Bresnan 5-0-23-0; Naved 5-0-25-1; Gough 0.2-0-2-0; Pyrah 3.4-0-25-1; Rashid 8-0-35-1; Wainwright 8-0-33-2; Rudolph 2-0-11-0; Lyth 1-0-3-0.

Umpires: N L Bainton and R A Kettleborough.