If Essex's batting display against Durham in the county championship on Saturday was disappointing, then Sunday's was shambolic.

Playing against fellow strugglers Warwickshire in the National Cricket League, Essex seemed to have already accepted their apparent imminent fate of relegation capitulating in alarming fashion.

Spectators, who had turned up in considerable numbers on a pleasant day, witnessed an abject batting performance that saw the home side record their lowest total in the competition this year of 117.

Essex decided to bat after winning the toss but the loss of Stuart Law in the second over for a duck only led to a succession of disconsolate batsmen making their way back to the pavilion, the majority being victims of their own self-imposed indiscretions.

The top scorer was Paul Prichard with 20 and it was only due to a ninth wicket partnership of 24 by Anderson and Mark Ilott that saw Essex into three figures.

Ashley Cowan offered his side some hope of pulling off a surprise victory when he bowled Warwickshire opener Neil Smith but Nick Knight played sensibly to underpin his team's success.

The former Essex player stroked a watchful half-century and featuring in two solid partnerships to send his side to victory.

Knight's third wicket collusion with David Hemp which realised 66 runs contained the attitude lacking in the Essex effort as the pair eschewed possible demise with watchfulness.

Warwickshire completed a six wickets win with 14 overs to spare that leaves them with hopes of avoiding relegation. For Essex, the beckoning trap door of relegation is wide open.

This was the county's sixth successive defeat in the competition, a worrying statistic for a side that was once considered as a leading exponent of the one-day art.

Not once in any of those six matches has the team been able to record a score of 200 in their allotted 45 overs.

There have been some memorable failures, 120 at Southend in response to Hampshire's 259 for five, then the following game saw them bowled out for 139, leaving Kent victors by five wickets.

A three wicket defeat against Hampshire at Southampton was then followed by a dismal performance against Leicestershire at Chelmsford with the visitors easing to a five wicket win with more than 13 overs to spare. Now the performance at Colchester.

With four matches left to play, it is hoped that Essex can muster some form which will offer members and supporters some hope for a renaissance of their former one-day acumen next year, in what is increasingly likely to be played in Division Two.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.