A magnificent performance by Warwickshire all-rounder Dougie Brown, who blasted 108, took his side to victory by three wickets with five balls to spare at Edgbaston.
Essex had looked to be cruising to a Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy quarter-final place until the Scotsman took hold with his dramatic display.
Brown arrived at crease with side facing defeat at 83-6 and chasing 257 in the 22nd over.
But in partnership with Ashley Giles, he masterminded Warwickshire's revival and ultimate success. The pair added 170 to bat the visitors out of the game.
The partnership was a seventh wicket record for the competition and owed much to the batsmen's improvisation as they carved and drove their way against an increasing dispirited Essex.
Brown had hit four sixes and eight other boundaries off 96 balls when he was finally dismissed, losing his middle stump to Scott Brant with only four more runs required for victory.
Fittingly Giles, who had offered such fine support, struck the winning blow with the first ball of the final over off Jon Dakin to complete a remarkable comeback for the Midland county.
Essex too had mustered a fight back when put into bat only to face a scoreboard that read 0-2 after one over.
From the first delivery of the match England Test captain Nasser Hussain played a ball from Waqar Younis to cover point, but he hesitated before answering Will Jefferson's call for a run.
Hussain set off but the throw from Jim Troughton arrowed directly onto the stumps at the non-striker's end, leaving the forlorn Hussain to reflect on a first ball duck for the second time in his last three innings for the county.
Five balls later Jefferson was caught at slip also for a duck, but then James Foster and Andy Flower (82) started the restoration act by realising 49 runs for third wicket.
But Foster was caught for 22 as he pulled a delivery from Brown to midwicket.
Ronnie Irani went cheaply for 11 but a partnership worth 107 in 19 over between Flower and Mark Pettini added the required substance to the innings.
But it was an effort in vain with Brown deservedly being voted man of the match. He had taken 2-37 with the ball before his assault with the bat.
Afterwards a hugely disappointed Irani said: "We had the game in our grasp but when somebody like Dougie Brown plays that sort of innings it's very hard or almost impossible to contain him, and you have to say good luck to him."
More on Essex County Cricket Club
Published Thursday, May 29, 2003
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