CHRIS Dent blasted an unbeaten 55 off just 23 balls as Gloucestershire produced a shock t20 Blast victory over South Division leaders Essex by six wickets at Cheltenham.

The left-hander hit five sixes and two fours to clinch an unlikely win, a target of 184 being reached with two balls to spare in a thriller. Skipper Michael Klinger contributed 45, while both Alex Gidman and Ian Cockbain made 27.

Essex posted 183 for seven after losing the toss, Ravi Bopara profiting from being dropped three times to make 51 and Ryan ten Doeschate smiting 27 off nine balls at the death. Benny Howell was the most successful bowler with four for 26 from his four overs.

Essex skipper Ten Doeschate said: “We were carrying a few injuries and it was a bit of a jaded performance. I felt we should have scored more runs on that pitch and we are disappointed.”

Halstead Gazette:

Ravi Bopara celebrates getting 50 runs at Cheltenham. Picture: GAVIN ELLIS/TGS PHOTO

It was only the second time in 12 group matches that Essex had suffered defeat and came against a Gloucestershire side who only had pride to play for, with no chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

The visitors made a poor start to their innings when Tom Westley was caught behind for a golden duck off the third ball of the game, bowled by left-arm spinner Tom Smith.

But Mark Pettini and Kishen Velani responded with a stand of 42 off 28 balls before Pettini was caught at deep square by Howell off Graeme McCarter.

At the end of the power play Essex were 59 for two. The eighth over saw Bopara survive a caught and bowled chance to Howell on four and Velani, on 34, caught at long-on the ball after depositing a full toss over mid-wicket for six.

Halstead Gazette:

Graham Napier (centre) is congratulated on the  wicket of Gloucestershire’s Ian Cockbain by James Foster. Picture: GAVIN ELLIS/TGS PHOTOS

Bopara was badly dropped for the second time on 19, Jack Taylor spilling the chance at short third-man, before going on to add 52 in 34 balls for the fifth wicket with Ben Foakes (23).

Bopara had hit six fours and a six by the time he fell to Howell in the 18th over, the ball after being dropped for a third time by David Payne, the same fielder atoning on the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Ten Doeschate smacked two fours and two sixes in his cameo and 19 came off the final over, sent down by McCarter.

Gloucestershire openers Klinger and Gidman both hit straight sixes off the third over of their team’s reply, bowled by left-arm spinner Tim Phillips.

Halstead Gazette:

Kishin Velani scored 34 for Essex. Picture: GAVIN ELLIS/TGS PHOTOS

Young seamer Matt Salisbury conceded only three off the last over of the power play and it was not until the seventh over that Klinger and Gidman brought up their half-century stand.

Bopara broke the partnership on 71 by inducing a return catch from Gidman. There was no keeping the England one-day international out of the action as he then took a catch at deep mid-wicket off Phillips to send back Howell for a brisk 16.

Salisbury took a brilliant low catch running round from short third-man to remove Klinger, with Gloucestershire requiring 91 off 7.5 overs. Cockbain helped add 70 in six overs before being bowled by Graham Napier at the start of the 19th over.

But Dent finished the game with two, two, six, four off the final over from Salisbury to secure the win.