Phillips takes five as Essex ease home

Essex 140 for 2 beat Unicorns 137 by eight wickets
Scorecard

Tim Phillips recorded career-best one-day figures of five for 28 as Essex hammered the Unicorns by eight wickets at the Victory Ground.

Phillips removed Josh Knappett, one of only three home players to reach double figures, and then blew away the lower order as the Unicorns could muster only 137 despite 58 from Chris Benham. They never looked like defending that total and the Eagles made virtually untroubled progress to 140 for 2 with 5.5 overs to spare.

After the Unicorns had won the toss and chosen to bat, Robin Lett fell cheaply to Friday's hat-trick hero Graham Napier. Michael Thornely made 25 before being trapped in front by David Masters and wicketkeeper Knappett put on 32 with James Campbell before the latter fell for seven.

Captain Keith Parsons was bowled by Ravi Bopara two balls later as the England hopeful's seven overs yielded two for 23, and Knappett then became Phillips' first victim, bowled for 23.

That was 71 for 5 and Benham was left to carry the tail end, the next four wickets grinding out 27 runs in a little over 10 overs. Phillips took all of them, Neil Saker offering limited support to Benham with nine while Amar Rashid and Glen Querl made it three second-ball ducks in the innings and Dan Wheeldon scored four.

Benham then cut loose, the bulk of his seven boundaries coming in a stand of 39 with last man Tom Craddock - who was obliged to face just nine balls in 34 minutes for his one not out. The expensive Lonwabo Tsotsobe returned to claim top-scorer Benham, caught by Matt Walker, and Essex were left to chase just 138.

Openers Mark Pettini and Alastair Cook made a fine start with a stand of 53 before England's new one-day captain was bowled by Saker for a pleasing 38 from 40 balls, which contained seven boundaries.

New man Napier launched one six but otherwise failed to live up to his big-hitting reputation and made just 11 from 20 balls before Benham, as catcher, and bowler Craddock once more teamed up to good effect.

Pettini and Bopara, though, progressed to the winning post in serene fashion, the former reaching an unbeaten 48 from 100 balls while Bopara made 29 from 46, hitting Benham's first ball for four to finish the match.