Worcestershire Royals were beaten by 25 runs against the Essex Eagles in the Clydesdale Bank 40 at New Road.

The Royals won the toss and chose to field but the Eagles made an excellent start as captain Mark Pettini and Tom Westley, who offered a couple of difficult chances to James Cameron at mid-off, batted through the first 20 overs.  Westley went to his 50 off 47 balls, with 7 fours and 1 six, before he was run out by Brett D'Oliveira at gully for 62 off 60 balls, with the score on 113-1 in the 21st over.

Pettini reached his 50 off 62 balls, with 2 fours and 1 six, but he was fortunate on 65 when he was dropped on the deep mid-wicket boundary by the substitute fielder, Matt Pardoe, who then pushed the ball over the rope for a six. Pettini and Owais Shah put on 65 for the second wicket until Shah was caught by David Lucas off Jack Shantry for 28 but Pettini was not to be denied his century, which came off 106 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. 

Pettini was eventually out when he was caught by Daryl Mitchell off Lucas (1-54) for 111 off 111 balls, with 7 fours and 3 sixes, and when Adam Wheater was caught by Vikram Solanki off Shantry (2-61) for 6 the Eagles were on 251-4 in the 38th over.  Then Ryan Ten Doeschate's cameo 50 off 24 balls, with 3 fours and 4 sixes, took the visitors to 269-4 off their 40 overs.

The Royals opening pair of Moeen Ali and Solanki had got to 22 in the 6th over until Solanki was caught by Greg Smith at deep square-leg off Graham Napier for 7 and then Ali, who looked in good touch, was caught behind by Wheater off Maurice Chambers for 42 off 43 balls, with 6 fours and 1 six, to leave the Royals on 59-2 after 12 overs. 

Phil Hughes and Cameron then put on 52 for the third wicket before Cameron was run out by Shah at point, when going for a single, for 29 and then the Royals lost two more wickets as Mitchell (1) was caught behind by Wheater off Westley and Neil Pinner (15) was lbw to Napier to leave the home side on 137-5 in the 28th over.

Hughes and Gareth Andrew tried to get the Royals back on track with a sixth-wicket stand of 67, with Hughes getting to his 50 off 62 balls, with 3 fours and 1 six, but then they both fell to Harbhajan Singh as Andrew was bowled for 32 and Hughes was lbw for 68 off 75 balls, with 4 fours and 1 six, to leave the Royals on 207-7 in the 36th over.

D'Oliveira (16*) and Ben Scott, who was caught by Pettini off Napier, in the last over, for 22 added a further 37 runs but it was not enough as the Royals finished on 244-8.

Worcestershire's director of cricket Steve Rhodes spoke to BBC Hereford & Worcester's Graham Hill on both their CB40 defeat against Essex and the draw against South Africa;

To listen to the interview please click here