COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Bristol
Gloucestershire v Essex
21-24 April (Play starts 1100 BST)
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Gloucestershire 155 and 115-9, Essex 177(Glos 3pts, Essex 3pts)

Maurice Chambers was the pick of the Essex bowlers as wickets continued to tumble on the second day at Nevil Road.

The visitors were bowled out for 177 for a slender first innings lead of 22 before building a winning position with the ball in the final session.

Craig Spearman and Kadeer Ali put on 51 for the Gloucestershire's first wicket.

But then Chambers (3-30), Ryan ten Doeschate (2-32) and David Masters (3-12) sent the home side crashing to 88-8, eventually closing on 115-9.

Essex, who had begun the day on 60-3 in reply to Gloucestershire's first innings 155, had ten Doeschate's efforts with the bat to thank in the morning.

He top-scored with 42, but a Gloucester attack deprived of overseas signing James Franklin because of a hamstring problem, took the honours, skipper Alex Gidman claiming 3-23 and Jon Lewis 2-39.

James Middlebrook and ten Doeschate added an important 66 either side of lunch. But the game then swung again when the last three wickets fell in the space of nine balls.

Gloucester then looked to be taking a grip when they put on 51 for the first wicket through Spearman and Kadeer, who made his displeasure clear at being given out on 27 by umpire John Holder, who ruled he had nicked a ball from ten Doeschate to wicketkeeper James Foster.

It signalled yet another sway in fortunes in a two-day wicket spree that has claimed 29 scalps - eight of which fell for the home side for 37 runs in just 16 overs.

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