ESSEX got their sixth T20 Blast win from seven after a two-wicket win over Middlesex at Chelmsford.
Tim Phillips proved to be the hero hitting an unbeaten 33 off 13 balls, including four sixes to see the Eagles to victory and remain top of the South Group.
Essex won the toss and elected to bowl first on a glorious evening in Chelmsford with the County Ground full to capacity.
Phillips got the early wicket of Joe Denly for five, which brought skipper Eoin Morgan to the crease. He stated his intent with a huge six back over Phillips' head on his second ball.
Tom Westley had a sharp caught and bowled opportunity to claim Morgan's wicket, but the spinner was unable to hold on. The England international looked in imperious form, hitting Masters over his head for a four and then Reece Topley for a straight six. Dawid Malan then pulled and cut Topley for back-to-back fours to end the powerplay 48 for one.
Tymal Mills struck as he cleaned up Malan for 28 in the ninth over with the Middlesex score on 72 for two. That brought Dan Christian to the crease, who never looked comfortable. He was dropped by James Foster with a difficult chance off an inside edge, but just two balls later he chipped the ball up to Ryan Ten Doeschate off Topley to take a simple catch at mid-off.
Morgan carried on at the other end, straight-driving Mills for four and moved seamlessly to his 50 off just 38 balls. But could do nothing about the wickets falling at the other end. Ryan Higgins was trapped LBW for seven by David Masters.
However, Morgan carried on, hitting Phillips for three consecutive fours, followed by a streaky edged four off ten Doeschate to give Middlesex some more momentum. But disaster struck for Middlesex, as Topley then ran out Morgan from the boundary. Shocking running with Neil Dexter left Morgan stranded halfway down the wicket on 69.
That seemed to stall the Middlesex innings and some tight death bowling from Bopara, Topley and Mills restricted the visitors to 153 for five off their 20 overs.
Mark Pettini and Jesse Ryder got the reply off to a steady start, both hitting fours through the covers in the opening overs. But Ryder was caught on the leg-side boundary for just eight off the bowling of debutant Harry Podmore as he top-edged an attempted flick.
Middlesex tried to bog the Essex batsman down but Pettini struck a massive six over long-on off the bowling of James Harris. A four over mid-wicket and then a pulled four by Tom Westley moved the score to 43 for one after the powerplay. Dexter then bowled Westley round his legs for six, which brought Bopara in to loud cheers from the crowd.
But the man in form could only get ten before being caught behind by John Simpson off the spin bowling of Ravi Patel. And the next over Pettini was also caught behind for 42 from 36 balls off the bowling of Dexter.
Ten Doeschate and Ben Foakes aimed to rebuild the innings, with boundaries being hard to come by. But the skipper took charge, as a hit over the covers, a late dab to third man and a pull to square-leg providing fours.
Essex were soon five down as Malan caught Foakes at the long-on boundary for nine. Then it was six as Foster gifted an easy caught and bowled chance to Gurjit Sandhu and Essex were in real trouble.
But Phillips then smashed a six over long-off and clipped a four down to fine-leg to get the hosts in touching distance. A pulled six over mid-wicket, left Essex needing 20 from 12 balls.
But then in the penultimate over ten Doeschate chipped the ball to Morgan to depart for 34. But Phillips took over the helm, hitting two sixes in the final over to see the Eagles over the line.
The Eagles now have a week off before travelling to Somerset next Friday in the T20 Blast.
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