Gloucestershire v Essex, County Championship, Day 1 of 4

Test captain Nasser Hussain opted to turn out for Essex in the Division Two game at Bristol because he needs runs. His hopes for a long stay in the middle were shattered though as he was out for three as Essex totalled 263.

Gloucestershire's second line seamer Mike Cawdron found a ball to keep low off a length and won an LBW shout. The 23 year old was in a purple patch of 25 deliveries which were to bring him three wickets for seven runs, the other victims being Paul Grayson who prodded a catch to extra cover for 19 and Stuart Law who fished wide outside the off to be caught at the wicket for four.

Early moisture gave the home side the advantage in the morning as skipper Mark Alleyne believed it would when he won the toss. But the surface became more friendly by the hour and after losing their first five wickets in 46 overs for 161 the rearguard were able to put on 102 in 56 overs.

Gloucestershire were to some extent the makers of their own misfortune for with the Benson and Hedges Cup final coming up against Glamorgan on Saturday they decided to rest four of their leading players.

A win over Essex carried the promise of taking over at the top of the division but they have given their Australian Ian Harvey the match off along with Jack Russell, Kim Barnett and opening bowler Mike Smith.

While the wickets were falling Gloucestershire covered well for the absentees but the lack of penetration became more evident as the day wore on.

Paul Prichard had set the tone for the batting as he waited for the right ball to hit reaching his 50 with seven fours and sharing his most productive stand of 86 with Ronnie Irani for the fourth wicket.

With three wickets gone Irani set out to rattle the bowling, Jon Lewis in particular, and he crashed 16 runs in one over off Lewis who began the day with more first-class wickets than anyone else this season.

Alleyne had to cover for him and although Lewis came back to bowl a total of 17 overs there were no wickets for him and he went for 64. While Irani was making 52 of their 86 runs Prichard was accumulating steadily and looked certain to reach his 100 for he had never looked in trouble but he fell four runs short.

Facing his 170th ball he drove it straight towards Tim Hancock at mid-off. There could have been a hotly scampered single there in a tight finish but there was no need to look for one.

Prichard though called and was well out of his ground when Hancock threw down his wicket.

Prichard had hit 13 fours and Essex were needing a stabiliser. They found him in wicket keeper Mark Hyam who led a sturdy tail end fight which brought in a second batting point. A third half century of the day saw him to 53 with five fours until he was picked up in the slips by Rob Cunliffe off his 169th ball.

Essex could be pleased with the first day, it was a case not of getting out of jail but of not getting into trouble. For Gloucestershire there must have been regrets at the way they had weakened their side - in football it would have attracted an inquiry and a large fine - but at least their deputy wicket keeper Reggie Williams had something to celebrate.

In 11 summers with the county this is only his 38th first-class game for he has been kept in the background by Russell but he showed with three brilliant catches he is as sharp as anyone around. Stuart Law chased a wideish ball to find his right glove at full stretch for 4, Darren Robinson fell to a leg side spectacular without scoring and finally Tim Mason saw one fly off the handle into the gloves.

That last dismissal gave Williams his 100th first-class catch which showed what Glamorgan and Notts missed when Gloucestershire offered him to either of them so he could have the chance of regular cricket his talents deserve.

Facing one over before the close Gloucestershire were five without loss.