Date-stamped : 28 Jul97 - 14:43 Leatherdale`s seamers deny Essex top spot By Charles Randall at Chelmsford Essex (217) tied with Worcestershire (217) ESSEX failed to regain their place at the top of the AXA Life Sunday League table yesterday, even if this exciting 20-wicket tie did break Worcestershire`s five-year domination over them in the compe- tition. David Leatherdale turned up trumps for Worcestershire with his medium-paced seamers when he was required to bowl the final over, Essex`s last pair requiring only four runs to win. Ashley Cowan and Peter Such sensibly tried to achieve glory in singles, but, unusually in this sort of Sunday situation when the odds are stacked in favour of the batsman, Leatherdale bowled Cow- an, off his fifth ball, to leave the tail-ender beating the ground with his bat in frustration. It was not difficult to sympathise. Worcestershire, with a depleted attack, deserved to share the points, and Essex`s suspect middle-order batting suggested why there had been such a long gap since their previous Sunday ti- tle, in 1985, the last year they won any one-day competition. Stuart Law seemed to have all the best lines for Essex yester- day. The Australian took four wickets for 37 with his seamers, a per- sonal League best, held two catches, and struck 42 in 29 balls to give Essex a firm shunt at the start of their run-chase. An Essex success would have ended their opponents` title aspi- rations almost certainly, and it would have rubbed in Worcester- shire`s heavy NatWest Trophy defeat at Chelmsford three weeks ago. Graeme Hick, who scored 146 in the Trophy game, crafted 48 im- pressively yesterday, passing 6,000 Sunday runs in the pro- cess, with Law quick off the blocks in reply, launching Stuart Lampitt`s fifth ball straight for six. Worcestershire`s bowlers had a say this time, especially Matthew Rawnsley, who conceded only 29 runs with his left-arm spinners for two upper order wickets. Steve Rhodes, with a catch and stumping off him, brought his tally of victims to 258, passing the League record held by David Bairstow, of Yorkshire. Worcestershire`s lively ground-fielding saved a bundle of runs and tested Essex nerves, Leatherdale`s direct hit accounting for Ronnie Irani at a crucial time. Two driven sixes by Robert Rollins gave Essex hope where none had seemed to exist and they needed 21 off the last three overs with four wickets in hand, but Worcestershire kept their nerve. Tom Moody gave Worcestershire a decent start, collecting four sixes, and looked set for a bigger score than his 59 off 68 balls. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)