Birthday boy Sam Cook and Adam Wheater rolled Essex over the winning line as the county champions edged a Bob Willis Trophy thriller over Kent by two wickets.

Essex still required 31 runs when Cook, who turned 23 today/yesterday/Tuesday, and wicketkeeper Wheater came together following a batting collapse created by Ivan Thomas.

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook (66) and 21-year-old debutant Feroze Khushi (45) had put on 86 runs for the fifth wicket to tilt the balance towards the county champions.

But Thomas, who missed the entirety of the 2019 season after he needed surgery to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament, took four wickets in 16 legal balls to send the jitters into Essex.

But the ninth wicket pair hung on in front of an unfittingly empty Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, with Sam Cook scoring the winning runs to send Essex top of the South Group table, claiming 21 points to Kent’s seven.

Kent had been on top of the match for two and a half days, having boasted a first-innings lead of 89.

But things started to unravel when they were bowled out for 112, thanks to Simon Harmer’s four wickets and fast bowlers Sam Cook and Jamie Porter’s contributions on day three.

Their first mission on the fourth day was to get nightwatchman Porter out quickly, which Grant Stewart managed in the 10th over – the usual No.10 striking to Daniel Bell-Drummond, who like Sam Cook was celebrating his birthday, at short cover.

That brought Alastair Cook to the crease, where he set up for the long haul – starting with a patient 37 run partnership with usual opening partner Nick Browne.

Kent then forced another twist in the topsy-turvy contest when Stewart and Hamidullah Qadri shared three wickets in five overs, for only 13 runs.

Qadri, the first county cricketer born in the 21st century, found Browne’s edge to give him his first wicket for his new team after moving from Derbyshire.

Stewart then returned for his second spell of the day and struck immediately when Essex skipper Westley nicked behind, before Chopra followed suit in his next over.

It would undoubtably have been a nervy time to arrive at the crease for only his second first-class innings, but Khushi shrugged off the butterflies to rebuild with Cook.

While Cook played his trademarked flicks and jabs, Khushi pulled off a number of flowing shots – the best of which came when he elegantly cut and then pulled Ivan Thomas in the 48th over.

Cook reached his 181st first-class half-century in 93 balls, brought up with a fine legside flick, before the 50 stand came up with Khushi.

Essex then suffered their second wobble of the day Thomas took four wickets in 16 legal deliveries to give Kent hope.

Cook may have felt a tad aggrieved to have been given out lbw to a ball angling across him, but Khushi could not quibble his edge behind.

That left Essex still requiring exactly 50, and only 20 more runs had been added before ten Doeschate was lbw to one which stayed low, with Harmer nicking the next ball behind to Ollie Robinson. Thomas returning figures of four for 32.

But Wheater (26 not out) and Sam Cook (15 not out) shared the last 31 runs to get Essex up and running in the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy, which is replacing the County Championship for the truncated 2020 season.

Speaking at the end of the match Kent captain Daniel Bell-Drummond said: “To take the champions from last year and make it a very difficult game in the end means there are a lot of positives to take.

“The third innings collapse was the reason lost the game so the main feeling is of disappointing.

“We are very proud of the bowlers’ efforts and the first innings batting.

“They got a few partnerships but I never thought we were out of it. Credit to the bowlers, they stuck with it throughout. The Essex run rate throughout the match was very low which is testament to the bowlers.

“Ivan Thomas at the end very tight and bowled a brilliant spell into the wind.

“He’s had a tough couple of years with his knee. He hasn’t been able to put performances out there this summer, but he has stayed patient and waited for his chance. He nearly brought it home for us and hopefully he can go from strength to strength.”