Worcestershire beat Essex by 75 runs with a day to spare despite a superb effort from Ravinder Bopara to complete his own version of The Great Escape' at New Road for his colleagues.

After the visitors had been set a challenging 340 runs for victory, the 23 year-old hit an outstanding 85 to offer some hope of pulling off an unlikely win. Having lost half the side for 91, the Essex all-rounder managed to bring the innings back from the brink as he dominated the home attack.

He gave notice of his intentions getting off the mark with a boundary past mid-wicket and continued to work the ball effectively off his legs in trademark style. He also punched the ball through the offside with effect as his quality and class continued to dominate proceedings.

It was his sixth wicket partnership with James Foster though that gave raised the visitors hopes as the pair posted 111 runs in 26 overs. Foster overcame a cagey start, and a dropped chance to Graeme Hick on four, to gradually find his touch to ease the Essex plight.

Bopara reached 50 out of 121 runs having faced 87 balls and struck six boundaries the half-century stand was completed before Foster lofted off-spinner Gareth Batty over the ropes at deep mid-wicket for the first six of the match.

The Essex wicket-keeper was given another "life" on 32 when he was dropped by Batty off Steve Magoffin with the score on 173 but a no-ball then brought up the 100 stand and with four byes taking the total onto 200, the complexion of the game had changed somewhat with Essex now holding a possible chance of completing their third win of the season in the County Championship.

However, the next ball brought about the demise of Bopara who had looked destined for a century but, having contributed 85 out of 202, was adjudged leg before to Magoffin as he looked to force the ball into the leg side.

Still requiring 138 runs, Alex Tudor joined Foster as the visitors moved another 32 runs closer to their target but then the Essex hopes nose-dived rapidly with the loss of the final four wickets in eight overs.

Foster, having batted for two hours and seven minutes, was caught at first slip by Ben Smith for 43 to give Kabir a fourth wicket and in the next over Tudor had his leg stump uprooted by Jones to end a 25-ball sojourn that brought him 27 runs from 25 balls with four boundaries including a six.

Tony Palladino chased a ball down the leg side and was caught by Davies without scoring and Danish Kaneria became the final wicket to fall after he had found the boundary ropes three times in an entertaining 15-ball worth 18 runs.