Essex see off Gloucestershire at a canter

Essex v Gloucestershire – LV=Insurance County Championship – The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford – Report

Gloucestershire 76 and 197 (90.1 overs)

Essex 276 (102.4 overs)

Essex won the toss and elected to bowl

Essex won by an innings and three runs

Essex didn’t hang about, beating Gloucestershire inside seven sessions of their LV=Insurance County Championship Division Two encounter at sundrenched Chelmsford.

This was Essex’s second successive Championship victory inside three days. 

The tried and tested trio of Jamie Porter, Sam Cook and Simon Harmer did the first-innings damage. Porter took 4/32, while Cook snared 3/27 and Harmer an impressive 3/2 as Gloucestershire were skittled for just 76 – Ryan Higgins with 25, saving his side from further embarrassment.

Paul Walter led the way with the bat, hitting 96 off 241 balls, helping the home side establish a sizable advantage. Harmer contributed 45. David Payne and Khan snaffled three wickets apiece for the beleaguered visitors.

Harmer took his match figures to 6/81, and Cook 6/58 as Essex again made swift inroads. James Bracey (50) and Ben Charlesworth (49) did their utmost, while a last-wicket stand of 54 Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar only delayed the inevitable.

Essex top the table with two wins from two. They return to LV=Insurance County Championship Division Two action on Sunday, September 12-15 when they face Surrey at the Kia Oval (10:30am).

Essex: NLJ Browne, AN Cook, T Westley (Capt), MS Pepper, PI Walter, JS Rymell, AJA Wheater (WK), SR Harmer, S Snater, SJ Cook, JA Porter

Gloucestershire: CDJ Dent (Capt), JR Bracey (WK), BG Charlesworth, TC Lace, GL van Buuren, MAH Hammond, RF Higgins, ZG Khan, OJ Price, TJ Price, DA Payne

Umpires: NL Bainton and T Lungley

Scorers: AE Choat and AJ Bull

Match Referee: Will Smith