For a cold, windy Good Friday, why not go to Chelmsford to see the 2nd day of Essex vs Gloucestershire? Essex had been all out for 364 the evening before so Gloucestershire strated the day batting and, in tough conditions, they struggled. David Masters and Maurice Chambers found early swing and the first runs of the day were from Chris Dent's edge over the slips for four. His opening partner Richard Coughtrie fell in the next over for a duck, caught at slip by Alviro Petersen.
Dan Housego and Dent then somehow managed to add 62 for the 2nd wicket as edges fell short of the slips and chances were missed by both James Foster and Greg Smith. Finally, Tymal Mills splattered Dent's off stump for 38 before Housego and Alex Gidman saw them to 86-2 at lunch. After lunch was a different story as Gloucestershire's luck ran out and after a couple of good strokes Alex Gidman edged Masters to Foster to go for 15, 91-3. Hamish Marshall then looked all at sea against the swing and could only skew one from Chambers to cover where Masters took an excellent diving catch.
Housego brought up the 100 only to see Iain Cockbain play around a full ball from Chambers (0) and when Housego himself was bowled by Masters for 39, Gloucester were 108-6 having lost 4-22 since lunch. It was now bitterly cold, windy and dark with the ball swinging round corners as Ed Young was caught behind after blasting three 4s, off Masters on 13. Will Gidman, Ian Saxelby, James Fuller and Paul Muchall (on debut) then managed to cobble together a reasonable resistance as they got Gloucestershire to 180, Mills (3-35) and Graham Napier finished off tail still 35 short of avoiding the follow-on at the stroke of tea. Chambers took 3-49 and Masters 3-49 (off 20 overs) as Essex decided to enforce the follow-on against their hapless foes.
Given how badly the previous session had gone, their was only one way the match was heading and Napier and Masters ripped through the top order in a further (floodlight assisted) session of mayhem. First Dent was caught by Foster off Napier for 5. Then, after 45 minutes, Coughtrie was stuck on the pad, loud appeal, given out for a 33-ball duck to bag a pair in a day, leaving him scratching his head as to how Essex had scored runs yesterday. This spurred Napier on and Alex Gidman fell two balls later prodding to Tom Westley at slip for nought. 19-3 became 29-4 as Housego wafted Masters to Peterson at slip before Marshall fell LBW for eight leaving them 42-5 and meaning they had lost their last 13 wickets for 131.
Will Gidman and Cockbain then saw off 3 more overs when the umpires called them off for bad light, which when you've got floodlights on is a bit ridiculous, not that the batsmen complained, they were in the pavilion before Foster had realised what had happened. After all that Gloucestershire are left 55-5 still 129 away from making Essex bat again and making a 3 day finish almost certain.
