Essex retain Floodlit Cup

Essex beat the PCA Masters by four wickets at Chelmsford on Thursday to win the Twenty20 Floodlit Cup.

Having already won their first three matches in the round-robin competition, also featuring Derbyshire, the Eagles went into their final match with the knowledge that another win would secure the Cup for the second year in a row.

Their opponents pushed them hard and it was only a late flurry from James Foster (65*) that ensured Essex reached their target of 157 with one ball to spare.

The Masters produced an innings that gathered momentum, after winning the toss, with four batsmen reaching 20. Azhar Mahmood top-scored with 36 off 23 balls, including a savage pull through midwicket off Ryan ten Doeschate for six to bring up the 100.

Essex