Essex turned in another poor performance while suffering a crushing six-wicket defeat at the hands of Hampshire in yesterday's National League Clash at Colchester.

Too many Essex batsmen paid the penalty for ill-disciplined strokes, while the bowlers never remotely looked like successfully defending a 184-8 total.

It can be claimed that Essex were weakened by the absence of Mark Ilott, Ashley Cowan and Ricky Anderson, their three top bowlers.

But that is hardly an excuse for the diet of wayward deliveries which were sent down and on which Hampshire - and Robin Smith and Derek Kenway in particular - were able to feast.

They showed their gratitude by scoring at a rate of exactly five an over while putting together an opening stand of 120. They seldom looked in trouble as a succession of cuts, pulls and drives quickly put their side in command.

Smith survived one chance before the hundred was raised in the 21st over when Stuart Law failed to hold on to a fierce drive in the covers, but by then Essex were also-rans.

Tim Mason eventually broke the partnership when he had Kenway caught behind by Jamie Foster for 56, an innings spanning 68 deliveries, and Smith followed soon afterwards. He, too, was caught by Foster, this time off slow left-armer Paul Grayson, for 62 which contained six boundaries.

But then Hampshire were within sight of the winning post and although they lost Giles White and Jason Laney before reaching it, nothing could disguise an inept Essex display. Hopes of them setting their opponents a searching test had virtually disappeared in the first few overs.

Paul Prichard was caught behind off Dimitri Mascaren-has in the sixth over and Stuart Law perished against the same bowler in the eighth.

Neither batsman managed to reach double figures and although Graham Napier managed to do so, he was caught behind with he total on 27 to provide England fast bowler Alan Mullally with the first of four wickets he picked up at a personal cost of 30.

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