FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, The Oval:
Essex 174-6 (19.4 overs) beat Kent 171-6 (20 overs) by four wickets
Match scorecard

Alastair Cook has only played four Twenty20 matches for England

Half centuries from Alastair Cook and Mark Pettini helped Essex to a four-wicket win over Kent at The Oval.

Replying to struggling Kent's 171-6, Essex completed the run chase with just two balls to spare, finishing on 174-6.

Cook (51) and Pettini (51) gave Essex a good start, only for the home side to be given hope when they removed Scott Styris (25) and James Foster.

But Tim Phillips came to the crease, the fast bowler settling nerves by hitting his first ball to the boundary.

Although a Kent home fixture, the match was played at The Oval as Kent experimented with capturing the attention of fans who work in the capital.

Initially, the change of venue seemed to suit the South Group strugglers as they moved to 68-2.

But two run-outs in six balls sent Joe Denly (35) and Geraint Jones back to the pavilion.

With the score on 73-4, Darren Stevens set about repairing the damage and, with able support from the tail, he struck a swift half century (50 not out), taking his side to 171-6.

However, the steady scoring of Cook and Pettini put Essex in such a commanding position that even their late wobble could not prevent them from winning and strengthening their hopes of a quarter-final place.

While Kent's hopes of making the last eight are over, Essex remain tied for second place with Somerset, who also won, just two points behind South Group leaders Sussex and four points clear of the chasing pack.

Essex coach Paul Grayson told BBC Radio Essex:

"We were quiet again with the ball and our fielding was not up to standard but if we can win when you're not totally on top of your game, it just shows the quality of players we have got.

"For some reason, they got the ball reversing. Azhar [Mahmood] is a very skillful bowler and young [Matt] Coles bowled well, too. They put us under a little pressure but we held our nerve.

"We tried to have a left-hand and right-hand combination in our batting order. That has worked well for us in the past."

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