FOR Essex captain Mark Pettini, reaching Twenty20 Cup Finals Day is a vindication of all the hard work he and first-team coach Paul Grayson have put in over the past 12 months.

The 24-year-old endured a baptism of fire after unexpectedly taking over from the injured Ronnie Irani in June 2007, suffering a poor season both personally and collectively as Essex lurched from one disappointing result to the next.

However, 2008 has been a different story.

Pettini has found much-needed form with the bat, while his captaincy – in tandem with Grayson’s leadership – has flourished as Essex have discovered their touch in both one and four-day cricket.

“Me and Paul Grayson had a chat over the winter and sat down and worked out how we were going to go forwards,” explained the Echo columnist.

“We seem to be reaping the rewards.

“It’s never easy to take over half way through a season.

“I had high hopes for this team from the moment I took over. We have some really talented cricketers here.”

And that talent has been translated into results this summer as Essex go into tomorrow’s big day unbeaten in 10 matches.

“I did not expect such success results-wise in such a short space of time,” he added.

“I have to think sharper in Twenty20 cricket.

“It is a learning curve and the more you do it (captaining), the better you get.”

The big-hitting Pettini is a huge fan of Twenty20 cricket, and knows just how lucrative it could be for him and his team-mates should Essex prevail at the Rose Bowl and reach the inaugural Champions League.

However, he insisted the Eagles were more concerned about lifting trophies than anything that might come along with such success.

“It is nice for cricket to be on the map – not just in England but all over the world,” he added.

“But the guys always wanted to win before the money came into the game so nothing has changed.”

Pettini will open the batting with Ravi Bopara tomorrow, with Graham Napier continuing in his pinch-hitting role at number three.

James Foster, Ryan ten Doeschate and James Middlebrook will all play, with David Masters, Danish Kaneria and young paceman Maurice Chambers – a revelation since forcing his way into the side last month – also guaranteed to start against Kent.

On-loan Kent batsman Neil Dexter cannot play against his parent county, leaving Zimbabwean veteran Grant Flower, batsmen Jason Gallian and Varun Chopra and bowlers Chris Wright and Tim Phillips to fight for the remaining two places.

The Spitfires have no injury worries.

Essex Eagles: (from) Pettini (capt), Bopara, Napier, Flower, Foster (wkt), ten Doeschate, Middlebrook, Masters, Danish Kaneria, Chambers, Gallian, Chopra, Wright, Phillips.

Kent Spitfires: (from) Key (capt), Denly, Kemp, van Jaarsveld, McLaren, Stevens, Walker, Jones (wkt), Azhar Mahmood, Yasir Arafat, Tredwell, Amjad Khan, Cook, Joseph, Northeast, Saggers.