Simon Harmer dismantled Warwickshire's batting line-up as they succumbed to an innings-and-164-run defeat at the hands of Specsavers County Championship Division One leaders Essex.

Harmer took a career best eight for 36, with only opener Ian Westwood and captain Ian Bell resisting the South African-born off-spinner, as Warwickshire disintegrated to 94 all out on the final day of the Division One fixture at
Chelmsford.

Only four players reached double figures - Andrew Umeed top-scoring with 21 - and the visitors lost their last eight wickets for 47 runs as they collapsed to their fourth innings defeat in six matches this season.

Needing 258 runs to make Essex bat again, they fell woefully short and this latest humiliation already leaves rock-bottom Warwickshire 40 points adrift of safety and contemplating a battle against the drop.

Harmer, though, proved irresistible as he claimed match figures of 14-128 on a worn pitch that was also used for Essex's dramatic Royal London Cup semi-final defeat by Nottinghamshire on Friday night.

With five fielders surrounding each Warwickshire batsman, there were enough appeals to have ended the game long before the close at 2.17pm.

Neil Wagner, playing his last game for the county before he steps aside to accommodate Mohammad Amir as overseas player, claimed the first wicket of the day before Harmer took centre stage.

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The New Zealander Test seamer removed Bell in the eighth over of the morning to reduce Warwickshire to 47-3.

Before he left the field at lunch, with Warwickshire 90-8, Wagner received a signed magnum of champagne to acknowledge his sterling efforts in helping Essex make a sensational start to their first season in Division One.

Harmer bowled 39 overs, almost unchanged, on the day before, and entered the fray on day four after Bell's departure.

With his sixth ball he had Umeed moving back indecisively and falling lbw. Two Harmer balls later, Sam Hain's attempt to check the sweep he planned resulted in him popping up a catch to Ryan ten Doeschate at short leg.

Harmer was as economical as ever, but when he gave one a bit of width, Rikki Clarke drove crisply through the covers for four. With Tim Ambrose, Clarke put a brake on the Essex charge for 16 overs before another clatter of wickets.

Clarke went controversially to a ball that pitched well outside off-stump and didn't look as if it would disturb the stumps as it turned to rap him on his pad, leaving the all-rounder looking aghast at the decision, while Ambrose threw his bat to the ground in frustration.

Next ball, Keith Barker tried to paddle the delivery away, got a top edge and was caught behind by Jamie Foster.

Jeetan Patel, who hit a quickfire 71 the previous evening, took successive boundaries off Harmer before he became the latest lbw victim on his back foot to another that spun in.

Boyd Rankin was Harmer's 13th scalp of the match when he completely misjudged a slow full-toss and was lbw.

Sunny Singh did not last long either, stretching forward and edging to Alastair Cook at slip as Essex clinched their fourth win of the season.