Surrey's Gareth Batty has taken seven wickets in two games in the FriendsLifeT20

FriendsLife Twenty20: Surrey (128-8) beat Essex (111-9) by 17 runs

Ravi Bopara in batting action for Essex as Steven Davies looks on (Gavin Ellis/TGS)

Surrey came from staring defeat in the face to picking up a comfortable victory Essex lost eight wickets for 44 runs as they collapsed from 44 without loss to 88-8 chasing Surrey’s originally modest 128 off their 20 overs.

The Eagles recovered slightly but finished 17 runs short of their target.

Despite their powerful batting line-up Surrey only hit 15 fours in their innings and Essex only managed eight fours with Tim Phillips hitting the first and only six of the match.

Rory Hamilton-Brown won the toss and elected to bat and the skipper opened up with Steven Davies.

The wicketkeeper moved off the dreaded duck with his third ball and Hamilton-Brown thumped a four from Phillips’ last delivery of the opening over.

David Masters was the other opening bowler and Davies hit him for three fours in the over.

But the stumper was out, stumped by former England keeper James Foster, off the bowling of Phillips.

Graham Napier came into the bowling attack in the fourth over, replacing Masters and the all-rounder removed the captain, caught and bowled, for nine.

Zander de Bruyn came and was walking back the very next ball with his middle stump knocked out of the ground to leave Napier on a hat-trick.

Ryan ten Doeschate struck next, taking the wicket of Spriegel, clean bowled for 13.

Jason Roy was the next man to depart, skying James Franklin to long on where Masters claimed the catch.

Zafir Ansari and Gary Wilson looked to steady the ship, passing the 100 mark but the former edged Phillips behind to leave Surrey 108-6.

Gareth Batty tried to increase the rate but he was clean bowled by Napier to leave the hosts struggling on 115-7 going into the end of the innings.

Murali Karthik and Wilson added 12 but with two balls remaining Bopara clean bowled the latter.

Jade Dernbach came out for the last ball and picked up a single meaning Essex need 129 to win at just under six and a half an over.

Out came Bopara and Mark Pettini to open the innings and the England international hit Dirk Nannes for two fours in his first over, the second of the innings.

The pair put on 44 before Dernbach forced Pettini to edge behind to Davies for 20.

Greg Smith was the new man but he was run out for nine bringing Owais Shah to the crease.

But with the former England man was out for the same score, LBW to Batty.

Ryan ten Doeschate entered the action but he lost Bopara soon after as he was caught by Spriegel off the bowling of Batty.

And the Dutchman departed off the bowling of Spriegel, skying the ball to Roy.

Essex keeper James Foster came and went without scoring, LBW to Ansari, as the collapse continued.

Graham Napier could not stop the slide as he was run out by Jason Roy and Essex had lost seven wickets for 42 runs when they were cruising.

Franklin was the next man to depart two runs later with a leading edge to Hamilton-Brown off the bowling of Gareth Batty.

Phillips finally gave the crowd some entertainment as he launched Spriegel into the crowd to inject life into the Essex innings again that had looked rudderless since Bopara was dismissed.

Dernbach came back on and Masters could not score with the paceman bowling him for three leaving Essex needing 24 off nine balls.

The Eagles needed 22 off the final over to win and 21 to tie with Nannes to bowl the last over.

Phillips hit a single off the first ball leaving Tymal Mills on strike, who edged the second ball doen to third man for a single.

With three balls to go Essex needed three sixes to tie the match and send it into a Super Over.

But the next ball was a dot ball removing any chance of a win as Surrey claimed the spoils.