Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands all-rounder, completed an outstanding performance by taking four for 29 and achieving a run-out to speed Essex to their third championship victory of the season, which has put them in a challenging position in the second division.

The forecast rain arrived in the afternoon, but it was all over in 52 minutes, with Derbyshire, who had started the day needing 184 to win with five wickets in hand, losing them all for the addition of 30 runs in 52 balls once Ten Doeschate had broken through.

Jake Needham, the nightwatchman, and Greg Smith held out for six overs, but then Ten Doeschate uprooted Smith's leg stump off an inside edge and Derbyshire offered no further resistance. Danish Kaneria had Needham caught behind in the next over and Ten Doeschate, who had scored 118 and 55 not out, did the rest. He had Jamie Pipe taken on the square-leg boundary, Graham Wagg brilliantly caught by James Foster, the wicketkeeper, diving in front of first slip, and finished the match by following through to run out Charl Langeveldt when the last man set off for an impossible quick single.

It confirmed the value of the South Africa-born Ten Doeschate, 28, who has worked hard to establish himself in the Essex side after playing first-class and one-day international cricket for the Netherlands. He could qualify to play for England, but has no ambitions in that direction. “I am just happy to be playing county cricket,” he said. “I find it immensely rewarding.” If only more people felt like that.

The other player to catch the eye was Foster, who is a far better wicketkeeper-batsman at the age of 28 than he was when he won the last of his seven England caps five years ago.

There are not many wicketkeepers in the world let alone England who could have taken the catch that he snapped up to dismiss Rikki Clarke on the third day. Ten Doeschate produced a brutal, lifting delivery, Clarke got an edge and Foster, standing up, pouched the ball somewhere near his armpit.

“He is the best wicketkeeper in England and has been for some time,” Kaneria, the Pakistan leg-spinner, said. “He is also a fighter who scores valuable runs. If I was picking a world XI, he would be in it.”

Scoreboard

Essex: First Innings 404 (R N ten Doeschate 118, A N Cook 95, A J Tudor 68; J Needham 4 for 81)

Second Innings 238 (R S Bopara 71, R N ten Doeschate 55 not out; G G Wagg 4 for 71, C K Langeveldt 4 for 52)

Derbyshire: First Innings 271 (D J Pipe 95 not out, G M Smith 53; R S Bopara 4 for 33)

Second Innings
D J Birch c Foster b Middlebrook 31
S D Stubbings b Middlebrook 30
F D Telo c Pettini b Kaneria 69
W W Hinds c and b Kaneria 2
*R Clarke c Foster b Ten Doeschate 44
J Needham c Foster b Kaneria 1
G M Smith b Ten Doeschate 11
D J Pipe c Dexter b Ten Doeschate 6
J L Clare not out12
G G Wagg c Foster b Ten Doeschate0
C K Langeveldt run out 12
Extras (b 4, lb 4) 8
Total (63.4 overs) 226

Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-82, 3-97, 4-184, 5-184, 6-196, 7-198, 8-204, 9-204.

Bowling: Tudor 8-0-54-0; Chambers 3-0-22-0; Kaneria 27-14-54-3; Middlebrook 12-1-46-2; Bopara 4-0-13-0; Ten Doeschate 9.4-1-29-4.

Umpires: B Leadbeater and J W Lloyds.