William Porterfield, Gloucestershire’s opening batsman, had the unusual misfortune to be dismissed twice in 51 minutes by Jahid Ahmed, the Essex seamer, as Gloucestershire appeared to be sliding towards an innings defeat in glorious sunshine at Nevil Road yesterday. Gloucestershire lost eight wickets for 89 runs in the afternoon session as they followed on 315 runs behind.

But from the perils of 46 for three, Kadeer Ali consolidated and then drove powerfully to 92, putting on an unbroken stand of 129 in 34 overs with Chris Taylor. Kadeer’s fifty came off 119 balls and he drove with increasing authority, particularly wide of mid-on. Taylor looked almost ridiculously comfortable given the context of the game.

But far from securing an elusive first victory in the Championship this season, Gloucestershire will need to bat even better in the next two sessions today to force a draw. Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, was rightly pleased with the season in which Essex won the Friend’s Provident Trophy, gained promotion in the Natwest Pro40 by winning the second division and finishing as semi-finalists in the Twenty20. But he said Essex needed a change of culture in the way they approached the longer game if they wanted to gain promotion.

“We know our strengths lie in one-day cricket,” Grayson said. “That doesn’t mean we’re putting four-day cricket on the backburner. I think it’s a culture really, we have to get away from thinking we’re just a good one-day side. Our thought process isn’t right. Our biggest problem this year is we haven’t got any batting points.” Gloucestershire have outperformed them easily there, but not in this match.

Porterfield was indefatigable and he reached his fifty off 151 balls and with Steve Snell guided Gloucestershire to lunch at 163 for five, but it went horribly wrong. Porterfield was trapped leg before shouldering arms in the second over after lunch and then bowled pushing forward second time around, undone both times by Ahmed swung the ball back into him. It was Porterfield’s seventh Championship fifty in his first season of Championship cricket and no Gloucestershire batsmen has faced more balls, but his highest score is 93. Steve Snell followed in the next over, well caught at cover off a mistimed drive.

Hamish Marshall, playing a half-hearted drive down the wrong line, was leg-before to Ahmed, the pick of the bowlers in his first Championship match of the season. Rob Woodman, on debut, batted solidly for his 13 off 50 balls before an aborted drive gave Tony Palladino a caught and bowled chance. At that moment jusut before tea, a three day finish looked likely, but Essex tired in the sun and Gloucestershire at last put Essex’s second string bowling attack in perspective.

Scoreboard

Essex: First Innings 510 (V Chopra 155, J S Foster 122, J D Middlebrook 75; R J Woodman 4 for 65)

Gloucestershire: First Innings
W T S Porterfield lbw b Ahmed 69
Kadeer Ali lbw b Palladino 6
H J H Marshall b Ahmed 13
R J Woodman c Mickleburgh b Wright 2
C G Taylor c Foster b Wright 16
D O Brown c ten Doeschate b Wright 7
S D Snell c Chopra b ten Doeschate 32
R K J Dawson lbw b ten Doeschate 12
*J Lewis c Foster b ten Doeschate 12
S P Kirby c Mickleburgh b Ahmed 1
A J Ireland not out 0
Extras (b 4, lb 15, nb 6) 25
Total (73.4 overs) 195

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-42, 3-49, 4-75, 5-89, 6-165, 7-173, 8-186, 9-195.

Bowling: Palladino 11-5-20-1; Wright 20-7-44-3; Ahmed 14.4-5-42-3; Bopara 8-3-22-0; Middlebrook 12-1-30-0; ten Doeschate 8-2-18-3.

Second Innings
Kadeer Ali not out 92
W T S Porterfield b Ahmed 0
H J H Marshall lbw b Ahmed 0
R J Woodman c and b Palladino 13
C G Taylor not out 58
Extras (b 2, lb 4, nb 6) 12
Total (3 wkts, 51 overs) 175

Fall of wickets:1-3, 2-3, 3-46.

Bowling: Ahmed 12-0-54-2; Wright 5-1-9-0; ten Doeschate 7-0-32-0; Palladino 10-5-21-1; Bopara 10-2-37-0; Middlebrook 7-1-16-0.

Umpires: R T Robinson and P Willey.