THE Twenty20 Cup match between Hampshire and Essex at the Rose Bowl last night finished as a tie with both sides taking one point each after Essex finished on 164-8 wickets.

Chasing 165 runs for victory, the visitors appeared well on course at 98 for three at the end of 13 overs but the loss of two wickets in successive deliveries then left the match absorbingly placed.

Jason Gallian had reached 55, his best score of the season in the competition but he was run out attempting a second run to deep long on to end a 42 runs partnership in four overs with James Foster who was then immediately dismissed for 12 when he was caught off a leading edge.

Grant Flower and Ryan ten Doeschate then colluded for 35 runs in three overs to tip the balance back in favour of Mark Pettini's men but ten Doeschate was caught in the deep for 26 having faced just 12 balls.

At the start of the penultimate over, Essex required 18 runs but they lost two wickets in four balls with James Middlebrook caught at cover for four while Grant Flower was run out for 19 as the tension rose.

Danish Kaneria took three runs from the last two balls of the over and 11 were needed from the final over bowled by Billy Taylor. A single to the Pakistan leg-spinner bowler was followed by a delicate glide to the fine leg boundary by Masters before three more singles were taken leaving Kaneria to face the final ball of the match with three runs required for victory.

He struck the ball out to deep mid-wicket but the batsmen could only scramble two runs to leave today's return at the County Ground set to provide a shoot-out for a place in the quarter-finals.

There was no repeat glory for Graham Napier with the bat, the all-rounder was caught for 17 from 15 balls that included three fours.

Having won the toss, the home side reached a challenging 164 for six wickets with Michael Carberry leading the way with 51, his fourth half-century of the season in the competition.

Essex had bowled well to restrict their hosts to 52 for two at the halfway stage before Hampshire pressed the accelerator taking 44 from the next four overs as Carberry and Michael Brown moved the innings along with a purpose taking 11 from a Maurice Chambers over and 14 off Ryan ten Doeschate.

Carberry reached a 42-ball half-century when he pulled ten Doeschate for a six but he was run out shortly afterwards to end what was to prove the highest partnership of the innings with 79 runs from 11 overs Brown, who had struck Middlebrook for successive sixes, had reached 44 when he was also run out but Sean Ervine kept the scoreboard ticking over rapidly hoisting three sixes in a quickfire 28 from just 13 balls, two of which he sent over the ropes off Napier.

The visitors conceded 55 runs from the final four overs, including 18 off Middlebrook and 19 off Napier who had earlier claimed the wickets of both openers.