Essex Eagles lost their last nine wickets for 54 runs, and the target of 110 was not enough to win their first match of the 2005 Twenty20 Cup to Sussex Sharks. Winning the toss and batting, Essex made their way to 55 for 1 in the sixth over, as Ronnie Irani hit 34 off 18 balls. But the dismissal of Irani and then James Middlebrook for 29 set them back to 73 for 3, before Andy Flower was run out. Grant Flower put on 14 with Ryan ten Doeschate, before Mushtaq Ahmed ended their innings with five for 11 from 21 deliveries – as Essex posted an all-out total of 109, losing their last six wickets for 11. Sussex scored at a rate around 7.5 runs an over, with Matt Prior scoring an unbeaten 66 off 50 balls, and 14 extras helped the Sharks past the target after 14.4 overs. Andre Adams was the only Essex bowler to take a wicket, dismissing Ian Ward in the third over.