Somerset surrendered the initiative at the top of Pro40 Division One as they lost their clash with Essex Eagles at Taunton by two wickets.

The Sabres went into last night's match knowing four wins from their final four games would ensure they claimed the title.

But they collapsed to 205 all out and Essex reached their target with five balls to spare.

Somerset must now win their final three matches and hope Sussex and Worcestershire slip up.

Brilliant new-ball bowling from Charl Willoughby and Alfonso Thomas undermined the Essex reply but the visitors recovered from 12-3 to claim victory.

Willoughby forced Alistair Cook to play on for four and had Mark Pettini caught behind for the same score. Meanwhile, Thomas bowled Graham Napier for a duck.

A fourth-wicket partnership of 86 between John Maunders and James Foster raised Essex hopes before Thomas returned and produced another inswinger to bowl Foster for 38.

Tom Westley then cut Mark Turner to point first ball and when Varun Chopra chipped the young quickie to cover it was 123-6.

Maunders was dropped three times before he was bowled by Pete Trego for 78 to reduce Essex to 171-7.

Tim Phillips struck 41 to follow up his 5-38 with the ball but even his dismissal, run out by Trego, could not stop Essex.

The defeat was all the more painful for Somerset because they collapsed from 68-0 in the ninth over to lose all 10 wickets for 137 runs in 30 overs.

And it could have been much worse as Essex, who rested some of their senior bowlers, dropped five catches.

Marcus Trescothick was reprieved twice in the first two overs and top-scored with 42 from 32 balls before he was yorked by the impressive Graham Napier.

Craig Kieswetter had hit seven fours but he clipped Chris Wright to deep square-leg for 36.

The middle order – James Hildreth, Justin Langer and Zander de Bruyn – continued their poor run of form.

Hildreth (16) was dropped on 10 and then stumped off a leg-side wide from Phillips to give the left-arm spinner his first wicket.

Langer was struck on the shoulder by a Napier bouncer first ball. He managed just one four in 35 balls before he chipped to mid-wicket.

Trego, on 27, was bowled by Phillips and de Bruyn failed to take advantage of a misfield, causing Arul Suppiah to be run out for seven.

De Bruyn failed to make amends as he hoisted Phillips to long-on for 33 just two runs later.