TIM Southee claimed a hat-trick as he returned stunning figures of 6-16 to help Essex to a crucial five-wicket win at home to Glamorgan this evening.

The Kiwi's fireworks came in the Welsh side's last over as he had Nick James caught by Tom Westley, clean-bowled Stewart Walters, and then trapped the in-coming Alex Jones lbw.

And with the final ball of the innings he had Mark Wallace caught by Mark Pettini for a duck, to add to the wickets he had claimed earlier of the portly Mark Cosgrove and Mike O'Shea.

It left the Eagles chasing a target of 145 for victory.

And they had to chase that down without their stand-in skipper Ravi Bopara, who was recalled by England earlier in the day for their ODI with Sri Lanka.

With regular captain James Foster serving the second of his two-game ban, Pettini donned the armband he gave up last season and responded with a 33 opening knock.

The low-scoring dismissals of Adam Wheater, Southee and Owais Shah left Essex struggling in their reply.

But Scott Styris, playing with an injury, joined Ryan ten Doeschate at the crease to see Essex home.

But a win for Surrey over Hampshire tonight means Essex are still facing an uphill battle to qualify from the southern group for the knock-out stages.

Essex: Pettini, Wheater, Shah, Walker, ten Doeschate, Styris, Westley, Southee, Phillips, Craddock, Masters.