Essex bags home the Bob Willis Trophy by beating Somerset at Lord’s in their game held yesterday.
Essex team captain Tom Westley believes that winning the Bob Willis Trophy is as prestigious as winning the County Championship title. He said this after they had been declared as the winners of the Bob Willis Trophy in their final match against Somerset at Lord’s.
The team had achieved a lead in the first inning. Then, Essex chose to bat their way towards victory rather than chasing down the target of 237 runs to win. True enough, the team managed to bag home the trophy after they had batted the game out for a draw.
Upon winning the trophy, Westley says, ‘It's hard to put into words how chuffed I am for the boys. To win the Bob Willis Trophy is amazing. I am incredibly proud of all the boys up there, the management. We set out before the tournament started - no one knew if it was going to be a one-off tournament or a one-off final at Lord's - so that added that extra specialness. This may never happen again so to win it is amazing, a great feeling’.
‘It sits in the same place (as the Championship) for me. First year as captain, trying to fill (Ryan ten Doeschate) Tendo's shoes and the success we have had as a club, it's massive for me, it's massive for the club. We have a very special group of players, we have a fantastic culture at the club led by Anthony McGrath. Any game of cricket we play, means an awful lot to the club, to the group of lads in the changing room’, he added.
Essex’s victory proves how they continue to dominate first-class cricket as they had also won last year’s T20 Blast. Meanwhile, Somerset has yet to bag home a red-ball tournament trophy as they have landed in second place once more. To learn more about these teams and the T20 Blast League where they both play, check out Betwala.
READ MORE: What is the T20 Blast League?
