Worcestershire produced one of their most memorable ever victories in the Vitality County Championship when they defeated Essex by 43 runs on the final afternoon at Chelmsford.

Essex were set a 184 target and were bowled out for 140 in 46.2 overs, with Logan van Beek picking up four wickets for 26 runs.

It was the county’s third successive Championship win, a massive boost to their hopes of cementing a spot in Division One.

A competitive contest in which either side gave no quarter eventually ended in Worcestershire’s favour after Essex lost their last eight wickets for 71 runs.

Worcestershire’s win was even more remarkable for how they fought back from being 10-4 on the opening morning.

Their fighting qualities in the face of adversity were again evident, as was their positive attitude with the bat and determination not to be tied down by the Essex attack on a used wicket taking spin.

Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira led the way with a half-century in both innings. His three knocks since returning from rehab on his troublesome shoulder have produced scores of 97, 68, and 51.

But contributions during their two innings from Ethan Brookes, Tom Taylor, Jake Libby, Adam Hose, and Amar Virdi, who is on loan, were also crucial.

With the ball, Brookes also excelled in Essex’s first innings and again showed how much he is developing into a key performer with bat and ball, while Taylor and Logan van Beek greatly impressed on the final day.

Spinner Virdi demonstrated good control during a marathon 37.4 overs in his first bowl in first team red ball cricket for two years when on loan to Somerset.

It was the third most overs Virdi has ever bowled in a Championship innings after 41.4 versus Worcestershire in 2018 and 44.2 against Leicestershire in 2021.

He followed it up by bowling unchanged throughout Essex’s second innings to finish with 2-66 from 23 overs.

A special mention as well for the keeping of Gareth Roderick, who produced some memorable catches, including a stunning one to dismiss Shane Snater on the final afternoon.

Worcestershire lost their remaining two wickets for 18 runs in the space of five overs to Sam Cook after resuming on 303-8

Taylor (17) was undone in similar fashion to many players in this game by a delivery which nibbled away and was caught behind.

He added 40 for the ninth wicket with van Beek in another useful partnership.

Van Beek (22 not out) was able to pull Jamie Porter through mid-wicket to the boundary.

But the innings was wrapped up when last man Virdi (2) tried to work a Cook delivery to leg and lobbed up a return catch.

Cook finished with figures of 4-23 from 15 overs.

Joe Leach took the new ball and struck an early blow for Worcestershire in removing South African opener Dean Elgar (6) in his third over

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Leach went around the wicket to the experienced left hander and he was lbw to a delivery angled in with 17 on the board.

Virdi, who picked up three wickets in the first innings, shared the new ball and quickly settled into a good rhythm.

Robin Das clipped Leach in the air just short of D’Oliveira at mid-wicket and was then beaten all ends up by a superb delivery of extra bounce from the seamer which flew through to keeper Gareth Roderick.

Leach bowled three successive maidens before he was replaced by Taylor who made a second breakthrough when Tom Westley (21) edged a delivery which moved away and Roderick did the rest.

D’Oliveira, fielding in a straight short mid-on position, then played a major role in two dismissals in a van Beek over shortly before lunch.

Jordan Cox connected with a drive off van Beek but D’Oliveira deflected the ball with his left hand onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Das (32) out of his ground.

Two balls later Cox (11) went for a lofted drive against van Beek and this time D’Oliveira pulled off a superb one-handed catch at full stretch away to his right at 71-4.

The wickets continued to tumble at the start of the afternoon session.

Matt Critchley (7) turned Virdi off his hip and an alert Hose snaffled the opportunity at leg slip.

Van Beek then accounted for Paul Walter (3) who went for the cut shot but only succeeded in finding the edge and Roderick took an excellent catch high and away to his left.

First innings century-maker Michael Pepper then survived a confident lbw shout to the first ball he faced from Virdi.

Pepper was fortunate to slash Taylor over Rob Jones at slip for a boundary and he and Simon Harmer added 38 for the seventh wicket.

But Taylor struck for the second time when Harmer (18) nibbled at an away swinger and Roderick again showed a safe pair of hands.

Essex were then 119-7 and the injured new batter Shane Snater was accompanied to the middle by Elgar as a runner.

But then Virdi skipped away in delight after claiming the wicket in his 20th successive over of Pepper who was lbw for 22 to a delivery which came back sharply.

Worcestershire moved to within one wicket of victory when Snater (4) leg glanced van Beek and the evert alert Roderick flung himself to his left to hold onto the catch inches from the ground.

It was all over when Cook attempted to pull van Beek and only found Brookes running around to deep mid wicket and he made no mistake.

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