A fine all-round display from Tim Phillips led Essex to a thrilling two-wicket NatWest Pro40 victory over title contenders Somerset at Taunton.

Phillips took five for 38 with his left-arm spin to help bowl out the Sabres for a below-par 205 and then hit 41 off 35 balls as the Eagles recovered from 12 for three to get home with five balls to spare.

John Maunders was the other Essex hero with 78 off 97 balls. The result means Sussex will seal the Pro40 League if they win their final fixture against Worcestershire.

With Essex 91 for three and well behind on Duckworth-Lewis, a high wind threatened to end the game - because it was rocking the floodlight pylons. But it dropped in the nick of time for the Eagles, who went on to an unlikely win.

Phillips destroyed the Sabres middle order, after they had made a confident start - having lost the toss. But it could have been even better for the Eagles if they had not dropped five catches in a wretched fielding display.

Varun Chopra paid a heavy price for dropping Marcus Trescothick on nought in the covers off Graham Napier. Trescothick went on to dominate an opening stand of 68 with Craig Kieswetter, while Chopra split the webbing on a hand and had to be replaced by substitute fielder David Masters.

Batting never looked as easy once Kieswetter and Trescothick were parted. Kieswetter and Justin Langer succumbed to full-tosses, and James Hildreth was stumped off a Phillips wide.

Peter Trego and Zander de Bruyn got starts without being able to go on to the major score Somerset needed, as Phillips got the ball to turn on a dry pitch.

He removed Hildreth, Langer, Trego, de Bruyn and Alfonso Thomas - while Arul Suppiah was run out after Chris Wright recovered well from a misfield. Napier also impressed with ball, taking the prize wicket of Trescothick with a perfect yorker.

Essex looked to be plunging to defeat when Alastair Cook, Napier and Mark Pettini all fell in the opening overs - sent down by Charl Willoughby and Thomas.

But James Foster (38) and Maunders started the recovery with a fourth-wicket stand of 86. Then after Chopra - batting despite his injury - fell cheaply to make it 123 for six, Phillips came in to clinch the man-of-the-match award.