Sam Cook returned from injury to linchpin Essex’s 22-run victory over ‘Battle of the Bridge’ rivals Kent Spitfires and put the Eagles in pole position for a Vitality Blast quarter-final place.

Fast bowler Cook ended a 49-day hamstring injury lay-off to take one for 21 as Essex defended 187 despite Tawanda Muyeye’s T20 best of 73.

Adam Rossington, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper and Matt Critchley all passed 30 as the Eagles set an imposing total – with Paul Walter the stand-out with an unbeaten 46.

The victory bucked the trend at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, which had seen the side batting first win just one of the previous 11 matches, and kept Essex in the top four, while Kent remain bottom.

The Essex batting innings went through three fluctuation stages, having been stuck in.

The powerplay belonged to them as Adam Rossington biffed 36, while Elgar ticked along unspectacularly – with 50 brought up in the opening six overs.

Rossington plinked the last ball of the powerplay to mid-on, but Pepper took over the aggressive nature – with three successive fours off Joey Evison, ahead of a four-six combo to take down Matt Parkinson.

But Elgar holing out to long on in the 12th over saw Kent pull things back. It came five deliveries into a 31-ball spell without a boundary, which also saw Pepper caught at deep midwicket for a 20-ball 34.

Parkinson took both those wickets as he found a little grip to cause issues with seamers backing him up from the other end.

But his four overs two for 29 were followed by the Eagles souring to a decent target – with Walter and Critchley taking 67 from the final five overs. All included a six, but also plenty of clever field manipulation.

 Cook’s return from a hamstring injury suffered in the Vitality County Championship fixture with Kent in May for his first Blast appearance of the year and started with just a single off his opening over.

Eathan Bosch, on T20 debut for Essex, began equally strongly with just a wide and the scalp of Daniel Bell-Drummond in his first but his second, which went for 24, put the Spitfires in control.

It was the centrepiece of Muyeye and Marcus O’Riordan’s 85-run stand, one which stayed closely with the required rate.

Zimbabwean-born Muyeye moved to an effortless fourth T20 fifty in 34 balls.

But Essex opened the door back up with O’Riordan sharply caught and bowled by Snater, Sam Billings slicing Simon Harmer to cover and Muyeye also returned to Snater – who had clearly put the Dutch’s misery behind them.

The visitors then completely lost their way with Jack Leaning carving to extra cover as only 53 runs were scored in the last eight overs.

Walter and Cook easily saw out the 36 required from the last two overs to win.