out of the quarter-finals. Sussex v Essex (22 June) Sussex (2pts) beat Essex (0pts) by nine wickets Essex Eagles lost their last nine wickets for 54 runs, and the target of 110 was not enough to win their first match of the 2005 Twenty20 Cup to Sussex Sharks. Winning the toss and batting, Essex made their way to 55 for 1 in the sixth over, as Ronnie Irani hit 34 off 18 balls. But the dismissal of Irani and then James Middlebrook for 29 set them back to 73 for 3, before Andy Flower was run out. Grant Flower put on 14 with Ryan ten Doeschate, before Mushtaq Ahmed ended their innings with five for 11 from 21 deliveries – as Essex posted an all-out total of 109, losing their last six wickets for 11. Sussex scored at a rate around 7.5 runs an over, with Matt Prior scoring an unbeaten 66 off 50 balls, and 14 extras helped the Sharks past the target after 14.4 overs. Andre Adams was the only Essex bowler to take a wicket, dismissing Ian Ward in the third over. (Cricinfo scorecard) Essex v Kent (24 June) Essex (2pts) beat Kent (0pts) by 29 runs The match at Chelmsford was shortened by the English rain, as both sides were limited to 12 overs. Andy Flower made 46 off 29 balls, and 17 extras boosted the Essex Eagles run-rate to exactly eleven an over. Defending 133, Essex got off to a good start as Tony Palladino took two wickets in the second over, Matthew Walker and Justin Kemp scored at 7.5 an over – well below the required 11 – and though Essex conceded nine extras, Kent Spitfires finished on 103 for 4, thirty runs short of their winning target. (Cricinfo scorecard) Essex v Sussex (26 June) Essex (2pts) beat Sussex (0pts) by 43 runs After Sussex bowler Johannes van der Wath had taken two wickets inside seven minutes and sent Essex Eagles to six for two at Chelmsford, Andy Flower (59) and Ryan ten Doeschate (42 not out from number six) rebuilt to send the hosts to 151 for 5 after their 20 overs. Sussex lost two wickets in the first two overs, falling to seven for two, and though Chris Adams made 44, only one batsman passed 20 as Grant Flower took three wickets for a single run, and James Middlebrook (two for 16)