Essex Close In On Victory
Bopara - Another Domestic Fifty.
Essex were closing in on their third LV County Championship Division Two victory of the season against Derbyshire at Chelmsford.
After the visitors had been left a victory target of 372, they reached the close on 188 for five, still 184 short of their goal.
The match turned decisively in the home side's favour just before the end of play when they got rid of Dominic Telo and Rikki Clarke in the space of four deliveries.
The fourth-wicket pair had put together an entertaining partnership of 87 before Telo, having struck nine boundaries in his 69, was caught at silly point by Mark Pettini pushing forward against leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
In the next over wicketkeeper James Foster took a magnificent catch, standing up to paceman Ryan ten Doeschate to end Clarke's effort on 44.
Before that double setback, Derbyshire were making a gallant fight to score the highest total in their history to win a Championship game, with Telo and Clarke leading the fightback after coming together on 97 for three.
Off-spinner James Middlebrook removed Steve Stubbings and Dan Birch following an opening stand of 57, before Kaneria took a superb return catch to end the brief stay of Wavell Hinds.
But Telo and Clarke, wasting no opportunity to punish the wayward delivery, seized the initiative until Essex reasserted their grip in the closing overs.
Earlier, the Essex second innings was built around half-centuries from Ravi Bopara and ten Doeschate.
Bopara maintained his record of reaching 50 in each of the six Championship matches he has played this season by making 71, including 10 fours.
He eventually became a victim of paceman Graham Wagg as he presented wicketkeeper James Pipe with one of his seven catches in the match.
Following his century in the first innings, ten Doeschate added an unbeaten 55 in the second during an entertaining knock spanning 73 balls in which he hit one six and six fours.
He was left stranded as Wagg and Charl Langeveldt wrapped up the innings, both bowlers finishing with four wickets. Wagg's came at a cost of 71 while Langeveldt's cost 52.
As a result of their efforts Essex were all out for 238, their last four wickets going down for the addition of just 34 runs.