Gloucestershire v Essex, County Championship, Day 2 of 4

Gloucestershire batsman Matt Windows continued his remarkable run of success against Essex on the second day of the County Championship Division Two match at Bristol.

Windows top scored with 107 as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 268, a first innings lead of five over their visitors.

And that was his third hundred in his last three championship innings against Essex. He scored 151 in the 1998 game at Colchester and followed it up with 118 in last year's match at Gloucester.

It was also further confirmation that Windows, an England A tourist to Zimbabwe and South Africa two years ago, is growing into his new role at No 3 in the order this season, having batted at five for most of last summer.

After a poor start to his championship campaign, Windows scored 54 in the victory over Middlesex at Lord's last week and this latest effort was the ninth first-class hundred of his career.

Gloucestershire coach John Bracewell said: "It was a very good innings from Matt, but we know he can push on and go a stage further.

"He played very well at Lord's, but was out just after passing 50 and now he was out after just passing his hundred. He is capable of playing really big innings."

Gloucestershire made a poor start to the day when they lost openers Tim Hancock and Rob Cunliffe, for four and two respectively, inside the opening seven deliveries.

Hancock fell lbw on the back foot to Ronnie Irani and Cunliffe edged a Mark Ilott delivery to England captain Nasser Hussain at slip.

Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne departed soon afterwards for eight, when he gave a return catch to Ilott.

But Windows and Chris Taylor then revived the innings with a fourth wicket stand of 78. Windows cut, pulled and cover drove boundaries to all parts of the ground, while Taylor, who made history last week when he became the first player to score a century at Lord's on his first-class debut, dug in at the other end.

Taylor had moved to 18 when he fell to a slip catch by Stuart Law off Ashley Cowan in the second over after lunch.

Windows' fluent innings was finally ended in the 50th over when he drove a low catch to Darren Robinson in the covers from Tim Mason's bowling.

When Mark Hardinges was lbw to Danny Law for a duck soon afterwards, Gloucestershire had slipped to 173-6.

But the lower order performed creditably to ensure a narrow first innings advantage.

Jeremy Snape made an attractive 54 before he cut a Cown delivery to Robinson at point.

Mike Cawdron was caught at the wicket by Barry Hyam off Danny Law for 28. Then Jon Lewis and James Averis went cheaply to Law and Ilott respectively.

Reggie Williams, deputising behind the stumps for the rested Jack Russell, finished unbeaten on 28.

Essex were then reduced to 22-2 by the close in their second innings. Paul Prichard and nightwatchman Hyam both departed in the same fashion as they edged Lewis deliveries to Alleyne at second slip.