CHELMSFORD

(final day of four: Gloucestershire won toss)

Essex (19pts) beat Gloucestershire (5pts) by eight wickets

Gloucestershire 275 all out, 68 overs (North 98, Napier 4-50), 184, 93.3 overs (Snell 53, Kaneria 5-53) ESSEX 279 all out, 89.5 overs (Foster 57, Kirby 5-60) and 181-2, 47.4 overs (Bopara 103*, Dexter 71*).

Close

Essex took just quarter of an hour to knock off the 31 they needed for victory. Ravi Bopara scored his third Championship hundred of the season and ninth first class hundred of his career to ease Essex to victory. Bopara and Neil Dexter put on an unbroken 174 to see Essex home.

Essex should have won the previous day, but they still bought time for a relaxing net before heading down to Southampton for the first semi-final of the Twenty20 Finals day against Kent at 11.30pm tomorrow.

Bopara stepped down and lifted Vikram Banerjee over his head for six off the fourth ball of the day and looked in as beautiful touch as he had the previous evening. His 100 came off 111 balls. Even Jon Lewis, the Gloucestershire captain, clapped, albeit briefly.

Lewis had been an incensed by Essex claiming the extra half hour last night to ram home their advantage. Bopara and Dexter did not even attempt to get the 64 needed and though the umpires and players said this morning it had been amicably resolved, no doubt it will stick in the memory bank for next time.