ESSEX recorded their second Friends Provident Trophy victory in as many matches when they beat Sussex by 14 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method.

The home side posted a total of 291 for eight from their 50 overs at Chelmsford, but after Sussex had reached 31 without loss from eight overs there was a long stoppage because of rain.

When the action resumed, the visitors found themselves requiring a target of 156 from 24 overs and it was one that proved beyond them despite a valiant effort from Matt Prior.

He struck 50 from 57 balls but once he was caught on the long-on boundary by Andre Nel, the Sussex challenge faded as they finished on 141 for six.

Although he did not take a wicket, Nel played a prominent part in Essex's triumph, the South African paceman conceding just 16 runs in his allocation of five overs.

The Essex total was built around half-centuries from Ravi Bopara, Grant Flower and Ryan ten Doeschate after Alastair Cook had once again failed to make an impact.

The England left-handed opener scored only 48 in his two trips to the middle in the LV County Championship against Derbyshire - his only other outing - and on this occasion he made just eight before falling lbw to Robin Martin-Jenkins.

Cook's departure led to the arrival of Bopara who was to maintain his magnificent start to the summer with a stylish 59 from 71 deliveries that contained six boundaries.

It took a superb low catch at long-off by Martin-Jenkins to see the back of Bopara who in all forms of cricket so far this campaign has now scored 506 in six innings, including centuries in the opening two Championship games.

Bopara shared in a stand of 115 in 20 overs for the third wicket with Flower who batted with fluency while gathering 75, again with the help of half a dozen boundaries.

He was caught by a diving Michael Yardy at cover to provide Martin-Jenkins with another success, after which ten Doeschate heaped further misery on a toiling Sussex attack.

He struck 61 from 53 deliveries and helped himself to two sixes and four fours before he was bowled by James Kirtley, a dismissal that prompted James Foster to open his shoulders and gather an unbeaten 35 from 23 balls to lead Essex to their formidable total.

Mushtaq Ahmed, the veteran leg-spinner, for once went wicketless during his 10 overs while conceding 55, and it was left to Martin-Jenkins, Kirtley and Yardy to emerge as Sussex's most successful bowlers with two wickets each.