Essex produced a superb bowling display to beat Hampshire by 54 runs at Chelmsford and secure a Twenty20 Cup quarter-final at home to Northants.

Essex failed to capitalise on Mark Pettini's 49 and, with Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas taking seven wickets, were bowled out for 159.

But Graham Napier had a wicket maiden in the second over and Maurice Chambers gave up just 18 runs in his four overs.

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria took 4-22 as Hampshire were dismissed for 105.

Hampshire, who host the Twenty20 finals day on 26 July, had been strengthened by the arrival of both Tremlett and Mascarenhas.

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The duo had netted with the England one-day squad at Lord's in the morning.

Their class told as Essex seemed to have an under-par score at the midway stage, despite Pettini's 34-ball 49.

Pettini dominated a stand of 60 for the opening wicket with Jason Gallian - who was unable to find the boundary ropes in a 23-ball innings.

A series of Essex batsman got in and got out, and once Tremlett had hoovered up the tail to finish with 4-25, Hampshire might have been the more confident team at the break.

But Napier (1-14 from four overs) and David Masters (2-25 in three) swiftly reduced Hampshire to 38-3.

Michael Brown and Sean Ervine attempted a recovery, but Jamaica-born youngster Chambers - who also took three catches in the deep - removed the dangerous Ervine in his first over.

The Hampshire innings quickly disintegrated and Essex knew victory was theirs long before Nantie Hayward had holed out off Kaneria in the 18th over.

It was a disappointing batting performance from the visitors, who would have progressed at Essex's expense with a victory.

Tremlett bowled beautifully, picking up four of the last five wickets at a personal cost of four runs in eight deliveries, three times shattering the stumps as the batsman found his pace and accuracy too much.