WORCESTERSHIRE face a relegation showdown with Lancashire next week in an attempt to preserve their First Division status in the totesport League.

This much became clear at Chelmsford last night after the Royals suffered a four-wicket defeat at the hands of Essex, who were confirmed champions three weeks ago.

Faced with a Worcestershire total of 240-9, Essex achieved victory with just five balls to spare on the back of half-centuries from Alastair Cook and Grant Flower.

Cook struck 62 from 77 balls, 10 of which he despatched to the boundary, while Flower scored 81 at exactly a run-a-ball, an effort which contained four sixes and four fours.

Essex suffered a few nerves late on following the dismissal of Flower when he was bowled in the 41st over with Essex still 28 runs short.

Ryan ten Doeschate and James Middlebrook were dismissed by successive Kabir Ali deliveries with the total on 218, but Ravinder Bopara and James Foster saw Essex home to their 12th win of the campaign. Bopara finished unbeaten with 46 from 45 balls.

Earlier, Vikram Solanki hit a sparkling 79 from 62 deliveries to help Worcestershire get off to a fine start. His innings contained 11 fours and two sixes but none of his colleagues were able to bat with anything like his fluency.

Chris Gayle made 44 from 58 balls in an innings spanning two trips to the middle after he had gone off in the middle of the third over feeling unwell.

Worcestershire's innings subsided dramatically when the visitors lost four wickets in successive deliveries in the 44th over, sent down by Andre Adams.

The seamer bowled David Leatherdale, Kabir Ali and Ray Price but was unable to claim a hat-trick because the second dismissal, that of Gareth Batty, was a run out.

Meanwhile, Middlesex underlined their second-placed finish with a 44-run win over hosts Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Lancashire went into the game in the bottom three in the table and knew a win would lift them out of the relegation zone if Worcestershire failed to win.

Half-centuries from Ed Smith, Owais Shah and James Dalrymple, who was unbeaten on 63, saw the visitors reach 263-4.

The Middlesex attack shared the wickets around as the home side were dismissed for 219.

When Glen Chapple was run out for 71 from 69 deliveries defeat was all but confirmed for Lancashire whose other main contributions came from Stuart Law (37), Dominic Cork (27) and Iain Sutcliffe (22).