Essex head coach Graham Gooch is looking for a positive response from his players when they meet Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge tomorrow.
Gooch's men will be looking for their first County Championship win at the sixth attempt following four draws and last week's defeat to Surrey.
The coach wants his players to bounce back from that crushing 258 runs reverse to the County Champions through a focussed attitude.
"We need to compete at each and every session," he said.
"It's not like three-day cricket when you could perhaps fail to impose yourselves on one or even two days, because the nature of the games then was that you could often salvage the situation with a good effort on the final day.
"Four-day cricket is not like that, it's similar to Test cricket where one or two poor sessions can see you out of the game."
Gooch also called on his batsmen to score more runs because he felt their performances have been "below par on occasions".
Nottinghamshire were promoted with Essex ad Middlesex last season but Essex will not recall their visit to Trent Bridge in 2002 with fervour.
On that occasion, the visitors were bowled out for 130 on a pitch that skipper Ronnie Irani described as a "terror track" with 15 wickets falling on the first day.
More on Essex County Cricket Club
Published Thursday, May 29, 2003
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article