A DAY of critical importance to Essex’s chances of promotion could hardly have gone better for them. Ronnie Irani’s side played some compelling cricket, the tail punching above its weight in the morning before the attack bowled superbly in the last two sessions. The extra half-hour was claimed, allowing a notable victory over the second division leaders inside three days.

Lacking three senior players, most importantly Mark Ramprakash, when they began their second innings exactly 200 behind, Surrey’s batting buckled under the considerable pressure placed on them. Every member of the Essex attack played his part and Varun Chopra’s brilliant throw from backward point to run out Mark Butcher provided a key dismissal at a crucial juncture.

Well though Essex have performed as a team in this match — helping to scotch rumours of unrest at the club — one Essex player made a telling contribution to his team’s cause yesterday. James Middlebrook, 41 overnight, batted flawlessly to complete the third hundred of his career, from 172 balls with 12 fours and a six, masterminding a lead that was unexpectedly large. On a pitch with both turn and bounce, Middlebrook then bowled his off breaks beautifully to claim three second-innings wickets.

A knee injury that Ian Salisbury had suffered in the field on Thursday prevented him from bowling yesterday, a key factor in Essex’s progression from 399 for six overnight to 530 all out. Nayan Doshi was not the threat Surrey would have hoped for, and Alistair Brown’s occasional off spin was easily seen off.

Although James Foster and Andy Bichel went early, Middlebrook and Tim Phillips added 95 for the ninth wicket, stretching the lead to a psychologically daunting margin.

Early wickets set Surrey back. Jon Batty was bowled by one from Bichel that kept low before Stewart Walters was undone by extra bounce from Alex Tudor, playing for the first time against his old county.

Brown was the only Surrey batsman to suggest any real permanence, reaching a fifty off 78 balls before he was caught in the gully, driving at Mervyn Westfield. There was more good news for Essex yesterday when it emerged that Andy Flower has agreed to a contract extension until the end of the 2008 season.