Graham Napier starred with the bat as Essex overcame a top-order collapse to beat Hampshire by four wickets.
Chasing 143 to win the LV= County Championship Division Two clash at Chelmsford, the home side slumped to 31-6 to give Hampshire hope of victory.
But Napier (78) joined forces with Mark Pettini (35) for an unbroken 112-run partnership as Essex secured their first win of the season.
Hampshire had begun day three 20 runs ahead with eight second-innings wickets in hand, but they added just eight to their overnight 77-2 before David Masters bowled George Bailey.
That brought James Vince to the crease and he and Liam Dawson took the score to 144 before the latter was superbly caught by Ben Foakes off the bowling of Tim Phillips for 52.
Napier then bowled first-innings top scorer Sean Ervine for just two, and although Vince made 67, when he fell to Masters with the score on 188, Hampshire's tail collapsed.
Masters took another wicket to make it five in the innings and nine in the match, while Ravi Bopara took three as Hampshire lost their final five wickets in the space of five overs for 11 runs, all out for 199.
That left Essex a target of 143, but they were soon in deep trouble as their top order disintegrated within the first nine overs.
Alastair Cook was the first man out, bowled by David Balcombe for four, before his opening partner Tom Westley was run out for the second time in the match, this time after a mix-up with Rob Quiney.
Bopara lasted just three balls before he too fell to Balcombe, and when Quiney and then Ben Foakes were out from consecutive balls to James Tomlinson, Essex were reeling at 24-5.
Skipper James Foster was then run out as he chased a quick single, but that brought Napier to the crease.
Having scored 73 at Northampton a fortnight ago and 74 in the first innings here, there is no doubt he is a man in form.
And he hit ten fours and three sixes in his 88-ball innings, taking the game away from Hampshire and securing 21 points for Essex - a win which will lift them off the foot of the table.
Essex are next in action on Friday when they again host Hampshire, this time in a Yorkshire Bank 40 game under the lights.
