Porter claims 10 wickets for the match to spice up Essex’s title hopes

Essex 169 (Rossington 39, Turner 3-23, Abbott 3-37) and 85 for 4 (Walter 28*, Browne 28, Abbott 3-23) beat Hampshire 120 (Porter 5-37) and 131 (Gubbins 45, Porter 5-46) by six wickets

Quick Porter adopted his first-innings 5 for 37 by snaring 5 for 46 within the second innings for match figures of 10 for 83.

It was his first 10-for away from the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, first since 2018 and in his renaissance season he now has a Division One-leading 47 wickets.

Chasing 83 to win, Kyle Abbott claimed 3 for 23 however Nick Browne’s 28 and Paul Walter’s 28 not out took Essex to their sixth win of the season with a six-wicket victory.

Hampshire’s gamble to ask for a end result pitch backfired as the same old Ageas Bowl seam-friendly pitch which flattens out by no means flattened out.

That meant virtually incessant seam motion, coupled with invariable bounce, made batting tough – typified by Nick Gubbins’ 45 being the best particular person rating of the sport and solely 506 runs coming in whole throughout the 4 innings.

Hampshire and Essex each knew going into the match that solely the winner would realistically be capable to problem Surrey for the title.

Surrey will land on not less than 167 factors – and extra probably 183 – after the conclusion of their conflict with Somerset. Essex are actually as much as 166 factors and Hampshire on 135, with 72 factors nonetheless out there.

Hampshire misplaced their remaining 4 wickets for 9 runs in 25 balls – with Porter and Sam Cook sharing the spoils.

James Fuller’s back-foot waft was caught behind to the ninth ball of the day and Abbott lasted 4 balls earlier than he was brilliantly caught by a one-handed Simon Harmer pounce at second slip.

Porter added Hampshire to Somerset and Worcestershire in his 10-for victims when John Turner drove to Harmer.

Amid the churn of batters, Gubbins was nonetheless there having solely moved his in a single day rating from 44 to 45. In seeing No.11 Mohammad Abbas arrive on the crease he aborted his affected person fashion and was bowled making an attempt to slog throughout the road with Hampshire all out for 131.

Essex had misplaced three wickets of their chase of 30 in opposition to Kent final week, albeit rushed by incoming rain. They threatened an analogous wobble on the Ageas Bowl.

Abbott picked up Alastair Cook nicking behind a drive to the tenth ball of the innings earlier than Tom Westley – the division’s second highest run scorer – clipped to midwicket within the fourth over.

But Hampshire’s early jubilation was drowned by Browne grafting with Walter – the pair chalking up 33 runs for the third wicket.

Browne was put down at mid off by Liam Dawson earlier than finally falling lbw to Abbas however the injury he had made by way of his 4 boundaries was already deadly to Hampshire’s possibilities.

Matt Critchley had the highest of his off stump kissed by a gorgeous Abbott in-ducker and Michael Pepper was softly dropped at sq. leg second ball with 29 nonetheless wanted. But Pepper and Walter guided Essex to victory within the additional half an hour earlier than lunch.