Frinton moved into the Jaygate Homes Two Counties Championship top four with a character-building one-wicket win over Witham.

It was a result which left the mid-Essex side still searching for their first success of the season after five games.

But once again the Ashlyns Road club managed to engineer a nail-biting finish from a seemingly comfortable situation.

Winless Witham (138) got away to a less-than-perfect start when Keith Jones dismissed both openers for ducks in the first over of the match before destroying the visitors batting with an excellent return of 6-51.

John Chick made a swift 32 for Witham before David Dowdeswell (4-64) made him his first of four victims.

Frinton opened and closed Witham's innings with a wicket, Martin Wells taking a magnificent running catch in the deep from the final ball.

Chris Coleman's 6-28 for Witham in Frinton's reply would have been good enough to steal the show most days, but left-hander Tony Stubbs carried his bat for a match-winning knock of 79.

Elsewhere in Division One, Wivenhoe (165-5) enhanced their title chances with a five-wicket win over top-five rivals Mistley (163) - Mistley's first defeat of the season.

Strike bowler Darren Selley put Wivenhoe in the right mood with a destructive five-wicket spell before Australian big-hitter Kieran Gilbert blitzed the Mistley attack with one of the most scintillating batting displays ever witnessed by his Wivenhoe team-mates.

Gilbert massacred the Mistley bowling - East Anglian Premier League bowler Richard Pineo and all - for a blistering 53 which included a six and 11 fours.

Further down the River Stour, Harwich's West Indian opener Martin Alexander was also in magnificent form.

He blasted 12 sixes - including two in the first over he faced - while carrying his bat for a tremendous 150 not out in a high-scoring second division win over Abberton.

Alexander put on 136 with Warren Poole (45) for the first wicket and an unbeaten 159 with Lee Jackson (86 not out) for the second.

Abberton responded to Harwich's 295-1 with 246-8 which included 74 for G Saunders and 3-60 for spinner Colin Semple.

Dave Denny was also in great form in Division Two as 100 per cent leaders Braintree (141-2) clocked up their seventh win of the season against Brightlingsea (138-8).

Denny hit two sixes and 12 fours in an undefeated 85 opening the innings.

And Eight Ash Green's man of the moment Stuart Hammond scored 123 in his side's 24-run win at Tattingstone.

In the lower divisions there were also of plenty of runs about.

John Lawrence weighed in with 101 before he was run out as Harwich (233-5) beat Kelvedon (183-9) by 50 runs in Division B.

Jonathon Orris hit a career-best 125 not out as Mistley (244-3) saw off Division C rivals Halstead (165-9) by 79 runs.

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