David Masters snapped up five wickets to help Essex secure a commanding position after the first day of their match against Leicestershire.
A bowler-friendly Grace Road pitch and overcast conditions saw 14 wickets fall in the day with Leicestershire dismissed for 107 after being put in.
Essex then slumped 34-3 but recovered to reach 144-4 before bad light brought an early close with six overs left.
Essex captain Mark Pettini led the fightback with a fine knock of 58.
He was involved in a fourth-wicket stand of 66 with James Foster, and the wicketkeeper was still there at the close on 28 with Jaik Mickleburgh also unbeaten on 27 on his championship debut.
But it was Masters who would probably have enjoyed the day more than anyone.
He left Leicestershire to join Essex at the end of last season and has twice done well now against his former county, returning career best figures of 6-24 earlier in the season at Chelmsford.
Ryan ten Doeschate also cashed in, picking up four wickets for 16 in 7.1 overs. But it was a poor batting performance by the home side with HD Ackerman the only man to reach double figures in their innings.
Leicestershire would have been in a sorry mess without the South African's unbeaten 55 off 125 balls. He was in the middle three hours showing the sort of concentration and defiance the rest of his colleagues lacked.
After Ackerman, the next highest scorer was number 10 batsman Nadeem Malik, who made nine while the biggest partnership of the innings was 22 for the fourth
wicket between Ackerman and Joshua Cobb.
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