Friends Provident Final - preview

Date released: 12 August 2008

It's an East of England derby match as Essex take on Kent in the Friends Provident Trophy Final, at Lord's, on Saturday 16 August.

You can follow the match live with Lords.org and our live text, over-by-over coverage with exclusive photos of all the action - plus your comments, questions, banter and support.

Be sure to come back to Lords.org on Saturday.

History

Essex bird: The Eagles' mascot guards the trophy Both sides have won the competition twice, under it's former name of the NatWest Trophy or the Gillette Cup - but neither have even made it as far as the final for over a decade.

Essex recorded wins in 1997 and 1985, Kent's wins came way back in 1967 and 1974.

Both counties have experienced the bitterness of being the beaten finalist too. Essex in 1996 and Kent in successive years in 1983 and '84.

Form & ones to watch

Essex

Eagle eyes on the trophy: Essex boys eye the prize The Eagles have already had their hands on the trophy this year - at their media day at the County Ground in Chelmsford, along with their mascot.

They come into the final after a good start to their Pro40 season. They won confidently in the 50-over Friends Provident Trophy format too.

They met Leicestershire in the quarter-finals, at Grace Road, trouncing the Foxes by 118 runs.

Bopara: Having a great season with bat and ball England's Ravi Bopara was the architect of that victory. His staggering, record-breaking 201 from just 138 balls included 18 fours and 10 sixes.

Essex's international attack turned the screw: Bopara; former England bowler Alex Tudor and Dutchman Ryan ten Doeschate each taking two wickets.

Essex won the toss and batted again in their semi-final, at home in Chelmsford against former Essex player, Darren Gough's Yorkshire.

England's opener, Alistair Cook did the damage with the bat scoring 97 of Essex's total of 285.

The Essex bowlers arguably won the match.

Ten Doeschate took three more wickets and Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria took three as well. Yorkshire were all out for 198.

England have released Bopara and Cook for the final.

Perhaps it's an omen. Cook can see his name on the Honours Board - having scored 105 in both 2006 and 2007. Perhaps he's due another in 2008?

Kent

The Spitfires are in great form in the shorter forms of the game too.

Kent beat Essex in the Twenty20 Cup finals, knocking out the Eages in the semi-finals at The Rose Bowl.

Kent have their own stars from Pakistan to rival Kaneria. Yasir Arafat and Azhar Mahmood were both born in Rawalpindi.

Mahmood scored a rapid 24 from 19 balls and took one Essex wicket. Arafat took two wickets and added 10 runs from 9 balls.

Arafat starred in the Spitfires' run to the Friends Provident Final too, taking three Somerset wickets in the quarter-finals.

Kent beat holders Durham Dynamos in their semi-final up at Riverside.

Key player: Kent skipper Robert Key It was the batsmen who lead the way in their 83-run victory. Opener Joe Denley scored 102 from 125 balls bested by South African Martin van Jaarsveld's 122 from 93 balls, including three sixes.

Kent's captain, Robert Key was said to be in consideration to be the next England captain.

Kent have drawn the 'home' dressing room at Lord's and Key will see his name on the Honours Board. He scored a brilliant double-century here in 2004.

Essex alumni

There's a neat link between several of the Essex squad and the MCC University Centres of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE).

Three men that have played their part for Essex this season: Tim Phillips (Durham); Tony Palladino (Cambridge); and Chris Wright (Cambridge) are all UCCE graduates.

Essex's big-hitting batsman, Mark Pettini, is another former UCCE student, having graduated from Cardiff.

The Eagles' England-aspirant wicket-keeper, James Foster, is a Durham graduate too.