Essex recorded their second successive win in the county championship when they beat Gloucestershire at Bristol inside three days.

A fascinating dual between the two sides, uninterrupted by the weather, was closely contested throughout before the visitors produced the best session of the match enabling them to win by 109 runs.

Put into bat, Essex reached 263 in their first innings with Paul Prichard hitting 96 during a three hours 50 minutes stay at the crease in before he was run out in sight of his 33rd first class century.

Ronnie Irani his third consecutive half-century in the competition while Barry Hyam recorded his highest score in first-class cricket with 53 in an innings of determined application that saw him face 173 deliveries.

The home side passed their opponents score by five runs thanks to 107 from Matt Windows, his third championship century on the trot against Essex following his 118 last year and 151 in 1998.

Essex had time to face only eight overs at the conclusion of the second day, still time enough for them to lose both top scorers of the first innings as they closed on 22 for two, leading by just 17 runs.

The fifth delivery of the next day accounted for Nasser Hussain who had decided to play in this match in an attempt to spend time 'in the middle' and try to rediscover his batting form ahead of the Test Series against West Indies.

Having faced only nine deliveries and scored three before being trapped lbw in the first innings, this five ball stay at the crease without scoring hardly qualified the exercise as a worthwhile stay.

The England captain stated philosophically afterwards: "At least Essex won and that was the main thing here."

The Essex total of 199 all out was sustained by a resilient half-century from Paul Grayson, 42 from Irani and an unbeaten 32 from Darren Robinson, just reward after the batsman had been given out caught behind first time around when he clearly made no contact.

That set Gloucestershire 195 to win but on a hard wicket offering variable bounce, they disintegrated totally against some lively Essex bowling and were dismissed for 85 inside 32 overs.

There was no joy for Windows on this occasion who was caught by Hyam off the bowling of Mark Ilott for a duck, a dismissal that launched the Essex surge to victory.

Danny Law produced a brilliant spell of bowling to claim each of the last four wickets at a personal cost of 15 runs with the last man, James Averis, popping a catch into the hands of Grayson at forward short leg to whoops of delight from the bowlers and fielders.

The final innings had started at 4.25 pm and at 6.46 pm, Essex were celebrating a success that brought them 17 points and a surge up the championship table.

Scoreboard: Essex 263 all out (Prichard 96, Hyam 53, Irani 52) and 199 all out (Grayson 52, Lewis 6-47) Gloucestershire 268 all out (Windows 107, Snape 54) and 85 all out (D.Law 4-15). Essex won by 109 runs.

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