BRISTOL

(Day three of four; Essex won toss)

Gloucestershire 175-3, 51 overs (Kadeer Ali 92*, Taylor 58* (Ahmed 2-54) and 195 all out, 73.4 overs (Porterfield 69, Ten Doeschate 3-18, Ahmed 3-42, Wright 3-44). Essex 510 all out (Chopra 155, Foster 122, Woodman 4-65).

Lunch

Gloucestershire’s best session of the game saw them recover from two early wickets to score 91 for two wickets in 33 overs. There was little to set the pulse racing and they are still 198 off the follow-on and 347 behind, but there was at last a measure of control for the home side.

They had been facing humiliation at 89 for five. Chris Taylor was out in the second over, caught behind pushing defensively at Chris Wright.

Wright soon had David Brown, who top-edged an ill-advised pull on this slow pitch and was caught at mid-on.

But Will Porterfield was indefatigable and he reached his fifty off 151 balls. It was his seventh Championship fifty this season, but his highest score is 93.

Porterfield, 24, the Ireland opening batsmen, has had a decent first season, with an average hovering in the mid-30s. He has faced more balls than any other Gloucestershire batsman this season.

Gloucestershire’s top seven has been interchangeable this season with Steve Snell, the wicket-keeper, arguably their most reliable batsman. So it was no surprise that he should hold up Essex, playing the odd drive over the top against James Middlebrook.

Tea

Having fought hard in the morning sunshine, Gloucestershire collapsed in a heap after lunch, following-on 315 behind and then losing three wickets before tea.

Will Porterfield had the unusual misfortune to be dismissed twice in 51 minutes by Jahid Ahmed, the Essex seamer, who was swinging the ball back into the left-hander.

Gloucestershire lost eight wickets for 89 runs in 28.4 overs in the session and finished still needing 258 runs to make Essex bat again.

Porterfield was trapped leg before shouldering arms in the second over after lunch and then bowled pushing forward second time around. Steve Snell was well caught at cover off a mistimed drive.

Hamish Marshall was leg-before to Ahmed playing a half-hearted drive down the wrong line. Rob Woodman, on debut, batted solidly for his 13 off 50 balls before an aborted drive gave Tony Palladino a caught and bowled chance.

It was Kadeer Ali’s turn to drop anchor, but it looks unlikely to hold fast against the Essex tide.

Close

After the carnage of the afternoon Kadeer Ali and Chris Taylor began an unlikely rescue mission. Ali drove with increasing authority, particularly wide of mid-on and Taylor looked almost ridiculously comfortable given the context of the game. They defied then dominated a tiring Essex with 118 in 32 overs in the session, extending their unbroken partnership to 129 in 34 overs.

Jahid Ahmed continued to impress and switching to the Ashley Down Road End had the frustration of seeing both batsmen edge between keeper and slip. Although why Essex only had one slip (who then stood wide) given their lead, only Mark Pettini, the captain, will know.