Napier and Porter dismantle Gloucestershire

Graham Napier and James Porter bowled Essex into a winning position on the second day of the Championship match with Gloucestershire at Bristol.

The two seamers shared seven wickets as the hosts were bowled out for a paltry 116 in reply to 319, Napier finishing with 4 for 27 and Porter 3 for 30. Both struck again to reduce Gloucestershire to 10 for 2 following on before a battling half-century from Michael Klinger saw his side close on 126 for 3, still 77 behind.

After rain had delayed the start of play by 50 minutes, with five overs lost, the home side began their response to Essex's first day total. Porter produced a fine six-over spell of 2 for 20 from the Pavilion End with the new ball that saw the 22-year-old claim the wickets of Will Tavare and Klinger.

That set the tone for a day in which the ball continually swung and nibbled about off the seam. By lunch Gloucestershire's first innings was in tatters at 61 for 5, with Chris Dent, Gareth Roderick and Geraint Jones all dismissed.

It was a similar story in the afternoon session as five more wickets tumbled for 55, Napier wrapping up the innings with three of them - all bowled - in the space of five balls. Benny Howell top scored with a meagre 29.

The Essex seamers had given their Gloucestershire counterparts a lesson in consistent line and length. With the follow-on imposed, Napier and Porter set to work again. Dent fell lbw to a Napier inswinger without a run on the board and Tavare departed for four to a thin edge behind off Porter. At tea Gloucestershire were 36 for 2, with hopes of a recovery resting on Klinger.

Roderick needed a fair amount of fortune to post 24, being dropped twice and escaping a run-out chance. With the total on 65 in the final session he flashed at a wide ball from Jesse Ryder and nicked a catch to wicketkeeper James Foster.

Even Klinger needed some luck in the bowler-friendly conditions, which included some uneven bounce, but scrapped it out to reach his half-century off 97 balls, with seven fours.

At last Gloucestershire managed to put a decent partnership together as Ian Cockbain contributed a solid 25 to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 61. Klinger ended the day 62 not out and Gloucestershire may well require a big hundred from the in-form Australian to get back into the game.