Bopara stars as Essex take charge

County Championship D2, Chelmsford, day two (close):
Essex 404 & 59-3 v Derbyshire 271
Match scorecard

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England all-rounder Ravi Bopara starred with bat and ball to put hosts Essex in control against Derbyshire.

Ryan ten Doeschate was unable to add to his overnight 118, but Alex Tudor's 68 helped Essex to 404 all out.

David Pipe helped Derbyshire avoid the follow-on, but fell for 95 as Bopara (4-33) claimed four wickets in nine deliveries to bowl them out for 271.

And Bopara then fired 32 off 25 balls with wickets falling around him, to help Essex to 59-3 - a lead of 88 runs.

Bopara's spell of medium pace - which yielded just three runs - was a heartbreak for Pipe, who fell five runs short of repeating the century he scored at Chelmsford last season.

But he did at least help the visitors pass the follow-on target, which had looked unlikely when he walked out to the crease with Derbyshire 120-5.

That was largely due to Danish Kaneria's three wickets, but Pipe and Greg Smith (53) looked like taking Derbyshire close to Essex's first-innings total until Bopara struck.

Charl Langeveldt then took to the stage with the ball, producing a superb spell late in the day in taking two wickets - including that of England opener Alastair Cook - in reducing Essex to 34-3.

But Bopara continued to battle aggressively, firing six fours, and he will hope to take Essex into a match-winning position on day three.