LV County Championship Division Two, Bristol |
Close, day three: Gloucestershire 255 & 37-2, Essex 321 |
Essex 6pts, Gloucestershire 5pts |
Adam Wheater top scored with 69 to help Essex head into the final day of their clash with Gloucestershire in Bristol with a slender lead.
Wheater's effort, backed by Owais Shah (51), Jaik Mickleburgh (42) and Ryan ten Doeschate (44) helped Essex go from 25-0 overnight to 321 all out.
That gave them a first innings lead of 66 over their hosts.
Gloucestershire had whittled that down to 29 by stumps as they closed on 37-2, with Kane Williamson 22 not out.
But, on a day when many of Essex's batsmen all made contributions, there was again disappointment for England hopeful Ravi Bopara, who lost his off stump to Jon Lewis to depart for a fourth-ball duck.
