Essex achieved their third-highest T20 score thanks to Jesse Ryder's unbeaten 107 against Hampshire at Chelmsford. The burly New Zealander hammered eight sixes and eight fours to leave the visitors facing an uphill task.

The home side's best T20 effort was 242-3 against Sussex in 2008 and they made 225-3 against the same opponents last summer, both of those matches also played on home soil at the County Ground.

BBC Hereford & Worcester's Ian Randall: "Considering how many Worcestershire were chasing - and they haven't had a big score - they have done pretty well to get to this position."

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Birmingham Bears have won five of their last six T20 Blast games, but their bowlers will have their work cut out to make it six out of seven after an undistinguished batting effort against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Only Varun Chopra (40) and William Porterfield (36) made scores of any note, and four wickets went down for 12 runs in the last two overs despite a six from Recordo Gordon off the first ball he faced.

Ollie Freckingham completes an impressive evening's work, taking 2-21 from his four overs, but Jack Leaning then wallops Clint McKay for six and successive fours off Grant Elliott.

The New Zealand all-rounder has Rich Pyrah caught by Tom Wells going for another big hit, but Leaning retains the strike for the penultimate over.

Fifteen runs needed from 12 balls.

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Ben Hilfenhaus takes his second wicket, having the dangerous Hamish Rutherford caught by Samit Patel for a breezy 37.

But Derbyshire continue to go at more than 10 an over as Chesney Hughes dispatches Patel for a four and six off successive balls.

Hughes has 41 off just 19 balls

Ross Whiteley is giving Worcestershire hope as they chase a daunting total of 194 for victory against Northants.

Five wickets are down but Whitely has 23 from 14 balls and has smashed a couple of huge sixes. The hosts are now well back in the game with 157 posted and four overs left.

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George Bailey is angry with himself - and rightly so. The Australia star gets a shortish delivery that he has time to pick his spot and hit wherever he likes. But he mistimes it and gives a simple catch - it's a wicket which significantly alters the odds in Gloucestershire's favour.

There's a lot on Luke Wright's shoulders now - the skipper is 40 not out, but he's looking a slightly frustrated figure at the moment.

Getting interesting at Grace Road as Yorkshire youngsters Will Rhodes and Jack Leaning look to put pressure with some excellent running. Rhodes milks Kevin O'Brien for six runs before Leaning takes 11 off Grant Elliott, all run.

But Ollie Freckingham returns and removes Rhodes for 11, caught well by Jigar Naik, with the first ball of his final over,

BBC Essex's Paul Newton: "Jesse Ryder is just so nonchalant. He's totally calm after every six - he just stands there waiting for the next one."

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And there it is, a first T20 century for Essex opener Jesse Ryder, who reaches three figures by smashing a long hop from Yasir Arafat for his eighth six.

Graham Napier departed to the last ball of the previous over, caught off Gareth Berg as he tried to loft the ball over the off-side field, but Hampshire are going to have it all to do when it is their turn to bat, although the outfield is a fast one.

BBC London 94.9's Andrew Moon: "Middlesex's total was probably 30 short. They ultimately didn't put enough runs on the board and Somerset won with a great all-round performance.

"To win in the 17th over in a T20 game is an absolute hammering."

A massive six from Peter Trego is a fitting end to a match that Somerset have always been in control of, setting the seal on a massive nine-wicket win with 12 balls remaining. A good old-fashioned thrashing in other words.

Jim Allenby ended up on 89 not out off just 51 balls.

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Spinner Stephen Parry completes his four overs with excellent figures of 2-19 as Laurie Evans gives a catch to Kyle Jarvis. With Rikki Clarke also failing, the onus is now on William Porterfield, 28 not out off 29 balls, to find a way to boost the Birmingham Bears scoring rate in the closing overs of their innings.

Somerset are making light work of this run chase, and the ease with which they are doing it suggests Middlesex's total was significantly short of what it needed to have been.

Peter Trego and Jim Allenby - who at 84 not out could have even been eyeing up a century with a bigger target to chase - are untroubled at the moment.

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It is quite surprising to find out that Jesse Ryder has never made a T20 century - his best score to date is 90 - but the big New Zealander must surely have one in his sights against Hampshire after clubbing the sixth six of his innings off Danny Briggs to move to 82 not out.

A smart catch by Adam Wheater sends home skipper Ryan ten Doeschate on his way, but that only brings Graham Napier, no stranger to spectacular hitting, to the middle.

It's getting dark at Leicester as the storm clouds gather over Yorkshire's reply.

Kevin O'Brien denies Vikings captain Andrew Gale yet another 50 against Leicestershire, caught by his namesake Niall for 23.

Grant Elliott's first over then goes for seven, and Yorkshire need 57 off seven overs. This could go either way.

BBC London 94.9's Andrew Moon: "James Franklin's body language is that of a captain whose side are staring at a defeat."

Only 31 more needed for the Cidermen, with Jim Allenby still going well.

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Surrey lost six wickets for just 53 runs as they failed to build on Jason Roy's fine half-century and collapsed from 76 without loss to 146-8.

Only four men reached double figures but Roy's composed 61 from 47 balls has given Surrey something to defend in Cardiff.

Dean Cosker was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers with stunning T20 Blast figures of 4-25 from his four overs.

Kiwi batsman Hamish Rutherford sets off like a train on his T20 Blast debut for Derbyshire.

He takes a four and a six off the first over from Harry Gurney and then smacks successive fours off Ben Hilfenhaus, reaching 31 off 15 balls.

But Hilfenhaus responds by removing Wes Durston as the hosts begin at more than 10 an over.

Matt Machan and Craig Nash have both gone cheaply for Sussex, but with Luke Wright at the crease and Australia's George Bailey the next man in it's a bit early to write off Sussex just yet.