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Essex teeter on brink

Warwickshire (118-4) bt Essex (117) by 6 wkts.

The announcement half an hour into play that England had gone down at the Oval elicited the same silent resignation with which Essex supporters have watched their side suffer eight consecutive one-day defeats.

If yet another of the county's sons, Nasser Hussain, follows Graham Gooch and Keith Fletcher as the decade's nominated man to revive his country, nothing will now save Essex from the Second Division.

Surprisingly choosing to bat first on the pitch used for their previous championship game, Essex failed to come to terms as balls stopped and Castle Park's traditional turn proved lavish. The ground was under water last Wednesday.

From 45 for two - Stuart Law well taken by Tony Frost standing up and Darren Robinson brilliantly held by Nick Knight at slip - three men went in eight overs attempting shots against deliveries which failed to come on. Gladstone Small, in his first appearance for four months, claimed two.

Ashley Giles's slow left-arm spin then proved unfathomable as he captured three for 20. Essex's chance of defending 117 disappeared when, within four balls, Knight was missed on 23 and Dominic Ostler on two.

As it was, Knight, offering a knowing blend of defence and dash, reached fifty from 80 balls and added 66 with Ostler before going to Peter Such (two for 13) as Warwickshire's win kept alive their own hopes of avoiding the drop.