Middlesex finally get first win

TWENTY20 CUP SOUTH DIVISION, Lord's:
Middlesex 166-5 beat Essex 143 by 23 runs (Middlesex 2pts, Essex 0pts)

Middlesex v Essex scorecard

Dexter struck six fours and four sixes in his 51-ball 73

Neil Dexter's 73 helped Twenty20 Cup holders Middlesex record their first win in this season's competition as they beat Essex by 23 runs at Lord's.

Dexter shared a second-wicket stand of 100 with Owais Shah (49) as the hosts, having won the toss, racked up 166-5.

Tyron Henderson then picked up 3-34 as the visitors were bowled out for 143, despite 51 from opener Varun Chopra.

Essex now face Hampshire at Chelmsford on Sunday, with the winners advancing to the quarter-finals.

Dexter's highest Twenty20 score in 35 games came with six fours and four sixes as Middlesex took advantage of an Essex side without Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara, who have joined up with the England squad ahead of the Ashes.

Chopra did his best to make up for their absence, but lacked support as wickets fell regularly at the other end.

His opening partner, skipper Mark Pettini, who had scored 167 runs in his previous two innings, was brilliantly caught and bowled by Steven Finn, while Graham Napier and Matt Walker both went cheaply to leave Essex struggling at 40-3.

Grant Flower (18) and James Foster (19) gave them some hope, but when they fell to the spin of Shaun Udal and Dawid Malan respectively, the visitors were doomed to defeat.