Essex beat Yorkshire by 87 runs at Chelmsford after Darren Gough’s side were bowled out for just 198 in reply to Essex’s 285-8. Kaneria, who was turning his leg-spinners prodigiously, took the last two wickets in his ninth over to clinch the match but it was his first seven-over spell that cost just 19 runs which turned the match.

Essex’s total was boosted by a solid 95 by England opener Alastair Cook and Graham Napier, who scored 152 not out with 16 sixes in the Twenty20 Cup last week, made 61 off 34 deliveries.

Yorkshire’s England bowler Matthew Hoggard was not at his reliable best and went for 41 runs off his six overs with no wickets.

“We always backed ourselves to defend 285 on our home wicket,” Essex captain Mark Pettini said. “With a bowler like that you want batters to try big shots and take him on and he showed what a world-class performer he is again today as he has all through the competition.”

Former England fast bowling great Gough delayed the after-match awards presentation to give his team a rocket.

“We have done well to get this far but we didn’t do ourselves justice,” Gough said. “We could have bowled better in the last ten overs and we could have batted better.

“When you need eight and a half an over against Danish kaneria it’s going to be hard. We left our run chase against the spinners too late. You are never going to take Danish Kaneria at eight an over on that wicket, that’s why they keep signing him.

“Graham Napier also played a terrific knock of 60-odd and if it wasn’t for that we might have been looking at 250.”

Essex and Yorkshire have another crunch cup match this week in the Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals, with a place in the lucrative Champions League the target. Essex meet Northamptonshire and Yorkshire play Durham on Monday.