Napier leads Essex romp

All-rounder Graham Napier smashed a Twenty20 world record 16 sixes in a brutal 152 not out as Essex thrashed Sussex by 128 runs at Chelmsford.

Napier’s 58-ball knock, which also included 10 fours, was a record for the Twenty20 Cup and second only to New Zealander Brendon McCullum’s 158 not out in all matches in the format.

Napier’s innings helped Essex to 242 for three, a target which proved well beyond Sussex as they were bowled out for 114. Maurice Chambers and James Middlebrook took three wickets apiece.

Napier said: “It was awesome, fantastic. I just started to see the ball better, middled one or two and then got into a rhythm.”

Warwickshire booked their place in the Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals with a four-wicket win over Somerset at Edgbaston.

Michael Powell hit the winning boundary with two balls to spare after Jim Troughton (57) and Jonathan Trott (48) had set the Bears on the way in a second-wicket stand of 89.

Two half-century partnerships – sandwiching the loss of six wickets for 39 runs – had taken Somerset to 173 for six in their 20 overs.

Justin Langer (44) and Marcus Trescothick (21) rode their luck to add 68 for the first wicket and Omari Banks and Arul Suppiah (both 32 not out) then plundered 66 in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand.

Northamptonshire’s quarter-final hopes suffered a knock as Worcestershire ended a five-match losing run in their Midlands/West/Wales Division meeting at New Road.

Stephen Moore hit a fine 51 to set up the chase before Moeen Ali (26no) and Steve Davies (23no) saw him home by six wickets.

Jonathan Trott works the ball to leg on the way to 48 for a victorious Warwickshire

The Steelbacks had been restricted to 160 for seven despite 66 not out from former Royals all-rounder Andrew Hall.

Elsewhere in the division, Gloucestershire overcame Glamorgan by seven wickets at Bristol, their first win in the competition this season.

Irishman Will Porterfield led the way with 62 as the Gladiators made light work of the Dragons’ 130 for six, Hamish Marshall adding 41 to a second-wicket stand of 83.

Durham all but clinched a place in the last eight with a 39-run win over Yorkshire under the Duckworth/Lewis method at Chester-le-Street.

The North Division leaders benefited from being asked to bat first as they made 162 for eight then, in rapidly fading light, Yorkshire limped to 49 for five before rain ended play after 10 overs.

Phil Mustard launched Durham's innings with 49 off 37 balls, including two sixes, while Dale Benkenstein added 29.

Steve Harmison then took 2-7 in the gloom as the Dynamos closed in on victory, with Jacques Rudolph 22 not out when play was halted.

Yorkshire will now have to win both their remaining group games to have any hope of progressing.

James Allenby hit a half-century and then took three wickets to steer Leicestershire to a dramatic five-run victory over Nottinghamshire at Grace Road.

Allenby top-scored with 57 in the Foxes’ 131 for six and then claimed 3-15, taking two of the wickets in the final over as Notts were hustled out for 126 with one ball left.

Half-centuries from Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan ensured Middlesex got back to winning ways by beating Kent by six runs at Uxbridge.

Morgan scored 62 from 43 balls and Malan scored an undefeated 52 from 34 balls in a total of 171 for seven.

Tyron Henderson (4-29) and Shaun Udal then shared seven wickets to dent the Spitfires’ hopes of remaining at the top of the South Division.

Robert Key top-scored for Kent with 49 from 38 balls before he holed out at long-on. The Crusaders then took charge as Yasir Arafat and Justin Kemp fell in successive deliveries.