TWO sunny days at Castle Park have allowed Essex to manoeuvre themselves into a promising position in a match that could be crucial to their chances of promotion.

Having missed a good opportunity to bowl Surrey out cheaply in favourable conditions on Wednesday, they at least batted well to gain a lead that could be significant on a pitch offering turn.

No team are likely to have a better chance of beating Surrey for the first time this season in a match not involving contrivance. Without Mark Ramprakash, Anil Kumble and Rikki Clarke — the last two through injury — the visiting county badly missed the India wrist spinner on a pitch that afforded much less seam movement than on the first day. Nor did the ball swing.

The day might have gone differently had Ravi Bopara, on 24, and Mark Pettini, on 21, not been dropped in successive overs off Neil Saker and Azhar Mahmood respectively. Reprieved, the pair went on to add 170 in 54 overs for the third wicket before each fell to rash shots in the 90s. Indeed, all four Essex batsmen dismissed yesterday got themselves out.

Bopara’s flamboyant 138-ball innings, featuring 12 fours and one sumptuous straight six off Ian Salisbury, impressed Peter Moores, the watching director of the ECB Academy. An impetuous flick across the line, however, not only provided Stewart Walters with a maiden first-class wicket on debut, but also cost Bopara a third hundred of the campaign.

Pettini, with a single career century, will be kicking himself for throwing away the chance of a second. His was a much grittier effort than Bopara’s, but not long after pulling Walters for six, he tried to repeat the shot off the much quicker Mohammad Akram and top-edged to long leg.

Andy Flower, caught in the gully driving, and Ronnie Irani, caught at backward point after giving Nayan Doshi the charge, perished after bright starts. James Foster, driving beautifully, completed a fine 77-ball fifty the day after his great friend, Will Jefferson, left the county amid acrimony. The tall opener is thought to be on his way to Nottinghamshire, although Derbyshire and Warwickshire are also interested.

• DARREN THOMAS has been released by Glamorgan after 15 seasons with the county. He took 504 first-class wickets, was a member of the championship-winning team of 1997 and his career-best figures of eight for 50 came when playing for England A against Zimbabwe A in 1998-99.