ESSEX skipper Ryan ten Doeschate admitted his team was gutted to be knocked out of a second quarter final in a month by Warwickshire.

A superb all-round performance from Rikki Clarke saw Warwickshire to the One-Day Cup win at Chelmsford, to add to the Twenty 20 Blast victory they secured on their way to winning that title.

Clarke, who hit an explosive 78 not out in the Twenty20 Blast Trophy success last weekend, he struck a more sedate 68 and captured three for 40 to book his team a place in the semi-final.

A disappointed ten Doeschate said: “It was a big disappointment to fall at the quarter-final stage again but full marks to Clarke. He played really well and got the ball to move about at the start of the innings and reaped reward form that ability."

Oliver Hannon-Dalby also played a significant part in the visitors’ win with four for 44 including the wicket of Jesse Ryder who had revived Essex hopes with a belligerent 90 from 95 balls that included three sixes and seven fours.

Braintree and Witham Times:

Jesse Ryder gave Essex some hope

He had the New Zealander caught at backward point by Varun Chopra with 83 still needed, and that departure led to a rapid decline in the innings as the final three wickets in the space of two overs.

But it was Clarke who stole the limelight after Chopra (36) and Will Porterfield (27) both fell to off-spinner Tom Westley with the total on 62 and 67 respectively.

Clarke emphasised his class to enable Warwickshire to seize the initiative. In reaching 50 from only 71 balls, he hit only two boundaries including a six but his ability to coax the ball into the gaps ensured that the scoreboard kept ticking over smoothly.

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Graham Napier celebrates the wicket of Jeetan Patel

Jonathan Trott was equally adept in finding the gaps on a sluggish pitch and he made 61, with six fours before left-arm seamer Reece Topley had him caught behind.

It was Topley who also removed Clarke, this time with the help of Graham Napier at deep mid-off but if Essex thought they had seen the last of Clarke, they were sadly mistaken.

Given the new ball, he trapped Westley lbw for five before yorking Greg Smith for 10 as the home side slumped to 38 for three in the ninth over, Mark Pettini having been caught behind off Hannon-Dalby for six.

Ryder arrived to give the innings impetus but he was unable to find a partner at the other end to provide the tempo needed to mount a serious challenge.

James Foster and ten Doeschate did their best with 19 runs each but needed 39 and 25 balls respectively to gather those runs.