COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Edgbaston:
Warwickshire 155 & 155-3 beat Essex 114 & 193 by seven wickets
Warwickshire 19pts, Essex 3pts
Match scorecard

Maddy also got the wicket of Essex's Tony Pallaldino

Darren Maddy hit an unbeaten 50 to help Warwickshire win by seven wickets at Edgbaston and leapfrog above Essex out of the Division One relegation zone.

Resuming on 99-3, opener Matt Walker was run out early on for 38 before Rikki Clarke (3-20) and Chris Woakes (3-69) helped bowl out Essex for 193.

Needing 153 to win, Ian Westwood hit a rapid 40 before being trapped leg before trying to sweep Danish Kaneria.

But Varun Chopra (36) and Maddy laid the platform for the Bears' victory.

Essex, who have just one game left, now go bottom and look in big danger of going back to Division Two after just one season back in the top flight.

To stand any chance of survival, they must beat champions Durham when their final fixture commences at Chelmsford on Tuesday week (7-10 September).

Essex are now five points adrift of Warwickshire, who have jumped up two places into seventh, and Kent, who the Bears face at Edgbaston on Tuesday in their final home Championship game of the summer.

Earlier in the day Essex lost their last seven wickets for just 94, triggered by Walker's run out by Chopra.

Despite the loss of Boyd Rankin, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, after Woakes had got rid of visiting skipper James Foster, Clarke took over the role as key strike bowler, knocking back the off stump of both Ryan ten Doeschate and Mark Pettini with fine deliveries.

The Essex tail then failed to hang around, leaving Warwickshire with the chance to atone for their string of poor batting performances in recent weeks - which they duly did.

Westwood's positive hitting, including eight fours in his 58-ball stay, set the tone before Maddy and Clarke put on an unbroken stand of 47 to see their side home and boost their chances of staying up.

Survival is very much in the Bears' own hands, however, with both their final two games against fellow strugglers.

After this coming week's home date with Kent, they then take on Hampshire, currently in sixth, just eight points above them, at The Rose Bowl in the domestic season's final week (13-16 September).

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