After contrasting fortunes in their four Benson & Hedges matches, Cup holders Essex now find themselves needing to beat Sussex on Easter Monday in their final zonal match that should see them through to a place in the quarter-final stages.

After starting with two total wash-outs, there was a belated start to Tuesday's match with Kent before Essex claimed a morale boosting victory by two runs at Canterbury, not traditionally one of the side's happier hunting grounds.

A prompt start and full day's play the following day though ended in defeat by Hampshire at Chelmsford before a good sized crowd witnessing the debut of Shane Warne for the visitors.

However it was London born, Australian educated Dimitri Mascarenhas that was to prove the undoing of the home side.

Warne held few terrors, returning 0 for 44 from his 10 overs but with the outcome of the match finely balanced, Mascarenhas blasted a rapid 21 from just nine deliveries to see Hampshire to victory by five wickets.

So far, it has been the continued emerging form shown by Stephen Peters, 21, that has been the most satisfying feature of the two completed matches with the talented youngster joining Ronnie Irani as the top two Essex run scorers in both matches.

Four points from four matches means that Essex will be casting anxious looks at other results and the weather forecasts as they seek to finish in the top two of their group which would guarantee progress to the knockout stages, although there are two places up for grabs for the sides finishing with most points from their zonal matches in the three groups.

Put in to bat by Hampshire at Chelmsford on Wednesday, they reached 201 for nine thanks to the efforts of Ronnie Irani and Stephen Peters.

At the halfway stage of their innings, Essex were 72 for four but a resilient knock by Irani -- 50 the 89 deliveries -- and Peters, who scored 43 from 42 balls, gave the innings some substance.

They produced a sixth wicket partnership worth 67 runs in 11 overs.

Warne attracted all the attention but his efforts in his debut match for his county were undistinguished.

He witnessed a cheeky reverse sweep by Peters off his bowling that brought four runs with the chirpy batsman proclaiming afterwards that "It was the first time I can remember playing that shot in my career."

Mark Ilott gave Essex immediate encouragement when the visitors began their reply with both openers back in the pavilion with only 11 runs on the board.

Robin Smith and Adrian Aymes pulled the innings round combining to accumulate 120 runs for the third wicket and put their side in the driving seat.

The outcome was thrown into doubt though when Paul Grayson bowled Smith for 56 and Ashley Cowan removed Aymes for 63 -- an innings that earned the wicketkeeper the Gold Award as man of the match -- and left Hampshire needing 21 runs from the final four overs.

Dimitri Mascarenhas soon settled the issue by blasting 16 runs off Ilott's final over before gliding Cowan to fine leg for the winning hit in the next over.

Well batted: Essex's Stephen Peters, who followed his 42 against Kent on Tuesday with 43 off 42 deliveries in Wednesday's match against Hampshire.

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