ESSEX coach Paul Grayson admits he has given up on the confusing permutations involved in qualification from their Twenty20 group, but just hopes they are still in with a sporting chance before play gets underway tonight at the County Ground.

Essex need to beat Kent tonight to stand any chance of making the quarter-finals of the lucrative competition - that much is clear.

Much could depend on last night’s game between Surrey and Kent, which took place after our newspaper went to press.

A win for Kent last night, coupled with an Essex win against Kent tonight, should see Essex through.

But a win last night for Surrey last night, followed by another with for Surrey tonight against Sussex, could see Essex go through at Sussex’s expense.

Whatever transpires, it will probably be a nerve-wracking night.

Grayson said: “It could well come down to run-rate, and we will have to try to keep an eye on that as well as going for the win.

“But we can’t concentrate too much on the calculations, and who’s played who, and points here and there.

“It’s all very confusing and I have given up on it really because all we can do is prepare ourselves properly for the game.

“We are looking forward to it and if we can get through then hopefully we can start playing our best cricket and get to the finals.

“We made a disappointing start to the competition, we know that, and it would be good to have more control over the situation.

“But if someone had said at the beginning we might have to beat Kent in our last game to reach the quarter-finals, we would have taken that.”

Kent beat Essex comfortably in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago. Essex set a target of 154 and Kent knocked that off with two overs and eight wickets to spare.

The Eagles were put into bat after losing the toss, and reached 153-8 from their 20 overs with Mark Pettini hitting 36 and Owais Shah 34.

However, the Spitfires made light of their task after Rob Key and Azhar Mahmood combined for a 97 runs stand in 11 overs for the second wicket.

Essex squad: Pettini, Wheater, Shah, Bopara, ten Doeschate, Styris, Foster, Napier, Southee, Phillips, Masters, Walker, Westley.