Jason Gallian led the way as Essex returned to winning ways by hammering Middlesex by eight wickets in their Friends Provident Trophy clash at Chelmsford.

The 37-year-old right-hander struck his second century in the competition this season to spearhead his side to their fourth victory in the competition in five outings.

Gallian made an unbeaten 111 from 126 deliveries as Essex romped past Middlesex's 259 for seven with seven overs to spare.

While sharing in two substantial partnerships, Gallian was quick to seize upon anything loose, helping himself to 14 fours and a six.

Gallian, in his first season with the county since his move from Nottinghamshire, has so far amassed 742 runs in all competitions at an average of 57.

It is a rich vein of form which has so far brought him three hundreds and there was an inevitability about this latest one as soon as he took guard.

He never looked in the slightest trouble as he left Essex looking odds-on favourites to reach the quarter-final stages of the competition.

Varun Chopra and Ravi Bopara were the others who enjoyed themselves against a toiling Middlesex attack.

Chopra made 50 from 56 balls before he was stumped off Shaun Udal, a dismissal which ended a stand of 95 in 18 overs.

He struck one six and seven fours.

Bopara should have been Udal's second victim immediately afterwards, but the off-spinner failed to hold on to a sharp return catch.

It proved a costly miss.

Bopara made the most of his escape by smashing four sixes and eight fours in an unbeaten 85 from 72 balls while taking Essex to their target in an unbroken stand of 153 in 21 overs.