ten doeschate injury mars Essex victory

Essex 177 for 7 beat Somerset 167 for 7 by 10 runs
Scorecard

An injury to Ryan ten Doeschate marred Essex delight at a 10-run Friends Provident t20 victory over Somerset at Taunton. The all-rounder top scored with 48 in the Eagles' innings of 177 for 7, taking his average in the competition to nearly 74, but was forced to retire hurt with a leg injury and had to be helped from the field.

Somerset looked in control when reaching 122 for 1 in the 13th over, with Nick Compton contributing 74 and Marcus Trescothick 40. But a clatter of wickets saw them collapse to 167 for 9 as David Masters, Scott Styris and Danish Kaneria claimed two victims each. It was later confirmed that ten Doeschate had suffered a torn calf muscle that is likely to keep him out for six weeks.

Both teams have now won two games and lost three in the South Division and will need to improve to feature in the quarter-finals. The Essex innings was given a brisk start by Alastair Cook after they had won the toss. The England opener hit four fours in facing only nine balls before sweeping a ball from Zander de Bruyn straight to James Hildreth at short fine leg.

Ravi Bopara fell cheaply, but Matthew Walker hit four fours and a six in his 35, while ten Doeschate looked in supreme touch from the start of his innings and looked set to lift his side towards 200 as he took successive sixes off Arul Suppiah.

It was a massive blow for the Eagles when he collapsed attempting a quick single off Kieron Pollard with the total on 148 for 4 in the 17th over. Alfonso Thomas took the wickets of Grant Flower and Tim Phillips in a typically tight last over to keep Essex below 180.

That did not look like being enough when Trescothick and Compton put on 99 in 11 overs, or when Kieron Pollard came in to blast three sixes in the space of four balls off Kaneria. But he was out in the same over and Essex sensed their chance.

Compton was out hit-wicket trying to reverse sweep Masters, having faced 55 balls and hit 11 fours, but at 147 for 4 the home side still looked favourites. But Masters, Styris and Chris Wright had other ideas at the death, bowling full and running through the middle and lower order.