Mark Pettini smashed a brilliant half century to guide Essex to a seven- wicket victory with five overs to spare against Surrey in the Twenty20 Cup.

With the two finalists in the competition qualifying for the lucrative Champions League the new season has been given extra spice.

Hosts Surrey batted first and totalled 126-9, with Danish Kaneria taking 3-22.

Pettini, with 66 off 35 balls, and Ravi Bopara then put on a rapid 82 to set up an easy win for Essex.

Surrey's innings got off to a terrible start as they slipped to 10-3, with their top three of Scott Newman, James Benning and star man Mark Ramprakash all managing just a single apiece.

Alistair Brown and Usman Afzaal steadied the ship with a 59-run partnership before Kaneria dismissed Afzaal for 25 in his first over, with Bopara taking a superb running catch.

In his next over the Pakistan spinner bowled Brown on 35 as he attempted to sweep to leave the Brown Caps 76-5.

Jon Batty struck a couple of big sixes in his 21 before Surrey slumped from 107-6 to 107-9 in quick succession.

Jimmy Ormond and Matthew Spriegel lifted them to 126-9 with a valiant last-wicket stand, but it was too little to late.

Essex lost their first wicket in the third over when Varun Chopra edged a Matthew Nicholson out-swinger but Pettini and the in-form Bopara took advantage of some wayward bowling to seize control.

When Bopara holed out for 22 Essex were already in sight of victory and although Pettini followed 10 runs later to leave Essex 105-3, victory was already assured.