Bopara fires to deliver Essex win

A Jim Allenby half-century and 4 for 33 from Dean Cosker helped Glamorgan towards only their second Clydesdale Bank 40 victory of the season with a three wicket success over Sussex at Swansea. The defeat is a setback to Sussex's chances of reaching the competition semi-finals and was not the best way to warm up for Monday's Friends Provident t20 clash against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Alex Hales returned to haunt Durham by smashing an unbeaten 96 in Nottinghamshire's five-wicket Clydesdale Bank 40 triumph at Chester-le-Street. On his last visit to the ground, 21-year-old Hales held a controversial boundary catch which turned a Twenty20 match in his side's favour. He insisted the catch was clean and Dale Benkenstein, who was on 40, took his word for it when a six had been signalled.

Ravi Bopara put his England snub behind him by hitting a superb half-century as the Essex cruised to a nine-wicket Clydesdale Bank 40 victory over the Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. Young opening batsman Rob Newton blasted his first half-century in senior cricket, making 66 off 78 balls, but some indifferent batting from his team-mates meant the Steelbacks could only reach 198 for 9 off their 40 overs.

Veteran seamer and Hampshire captain Dominic Cork held his nerve in a last-ball finish in Canterbury to clinch a tense two-run win over Group C rivals Kent. Chasing Hampshire's par-for-the-course 40-over total of 238 for 7 on a tricky St Lawrence pitch, Kent needed 13 off Cork's final over of the game with six wickets still intact. Home opener Joe Denly chipped a single from the first ball to reach a 107-ball century - the first by a Kent player in this year's competition - but it was Cork who kept his cool.

Mike O'Shea hit 90 to help the Unicorns pull off a shock three-wicket victory over stunned Worcestershire in a thrilling match at Kidderminster. Needing 278 to win, they reached their target with two balls to spare. O'Shea was the hero with his best one-day score which included five sixes and seven fours off 62 balls. He put on 115 in 13.3 overs for the fourth wicket with Keith Parsons who made 47 to leave embarrassed Worcestershire still searching for their first Group A win of the season after seven attempts.

Ajmal Shahzad marked his selection in the England Test squad with a four-wicket haul as Yorkshire maintained their 100% winning record with an eight-wicket win over Middlesex. The 24-year-old, selected in the 12-man Test squad to face Pakistan on Thursday, took 4 for 34 as Yorkshire coasted to a comfortable victory. Shahzad's efforts together with a fine unbeaten innings of 86 by Jacques Rudolph means Yorkshire top Group B with five wins from as many games.

A Marcus Trescothick cameo helped Somerset maintain their 100% record in this season's Clydesdale Bank 40 with a crushing 94-run victory over Surrey to stay top of Group A after six matches. Batting first on a magnificent pitch at The Oval, the Sabres posted a massive 303 for five thanks to a whirlwind 69 off 47 balls from Trescothick and a stand of 145 in 19 overs between Zander de Bruyn and James Hildreth - a Somerset record for the fourth wicket in one-day cricket against Surrey.

Warwickshire strengthened their grip at the top of the Group C table with a 25-run victory over Leicestershire, despite a brilliant unbeaten century and career-best bowling figures from James Taylor. Warwickshire opener Neil Carter laid the foundations for the Bears' win with the third limited-overs century of his career, scoring 101 out of their challenging total of 272 for 8.