FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, Chelmsford:
Essex 167-3 (18.4 ovs) beat Gloucestershire 162-5 (20 ovs) by seven wickets
Match scorecard

Bopara re-inforced his credentials as an all-rounder at Chelmsford

Ravi Bopara took 1-27 and then hit 59 off 46 balls as Essex hammered Gloucestershire by seven wickets to secure an FP t20 quarter-final place.

Chris Dent (31) top-scored for the visitors in their 162-5 as several batsmen got in but failed to go on.

Bopara and Alastair Cook's opening partnership of 119 put Essex well on their way to victory.

Bopara fell to Richard Dawson, and Cook (73) was bowled by David Payne, but it was too late for Gloucestershire.

Cook, who struck 10 fours, needed a huge slice of luck before making an impact.

After making only three, he was dropped off successive deliveries. Wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty spilled the first diving to his left and then David Payne failed to hold on to a sharp caught and bowled.

Cook made good his escape by going on to complete an entertaining half-century with three successive fours off spinner Aaron Redmond.

Bopara, whose innings included two sixes among his seven boundaries, was finally bowled by off-spinner Dawson as he attempted to cut. Matt Walker smashed Alex Gidman for two sixes to seal the win in emphatic style.

Earlier, five Gloucestershire batsmen got beyond 20 but no-one was able to progress in the manner of Cook and Bopara.

Five of the six Essex bowlers took a wicket. Once again the most impressive was Maurice Chambers, the young fast bowler's three overs costing 18 runs, and included the wicket of Gidman after his 30 from 18 balls had given Gloucestershire a flying start.

Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman told BBC Radio Bristol:

"There's a lot we can take from tonight. Although we lost there were some very good individual performances.

"I said at the beginning of the Twenty20 competition how small the margins are. No one means to make mistakes and the batters don't mean to not take the singles.

"That's the difference between the good sides who perform day in, day out and ourselves who are a little bit inconsistent."

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