Notts strengthen position

Mark Ealham took four wickets to hasten the end for Essex's batsmen © Getty Images

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Nottinghamshire extended their lead at the top of the LV County Championship Division Two by thrashing hapless Essex by an innings and 112 runs.

Veteran all-rounder Mark Ealham did most of the damage with 4-46, including an opening spell of 3-18 to remove three of the Essex top five, as the visitors proved completely unable to cope with the medium-pacer’s guile and accuracy.

Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate offered some late resistance with a buccaneering 102, but it only delayed the inevitable, with Ealham claiming the last wicket of Graham Napier with 11.4 overs to spare.

It was their fourth win in five matches and again justified their status as promotion favourites, while Essex were left to rue their toothless bowling attack with six seamers missing through injury.

With rain in the air at the start of the day’s play, Notts captain Stephen Fleming opted to declare on their mammoth overnight total of 664-7, the fifth highest score in the club’s history and their highest ever against Essex.

Ryan ten Doeschate's late flurry of runs was not enough to stave off defeat for Essex

Mark Pettini completed a miserable match with an edge off Charlie Shreck to Chris Read for one after only 13 balls.

Ravinder Bopara had time to drive Shreck for four before the drizzle returned to force the players off until after lunch, with 33 overs lost.

Despite the fact that Essex needed to reach 347 to make Notts bat again, their batsmen showed little application, with Varun Chopra, Tim Phillips and James Foster all driving loosely at Ealham to be caught behind.

England hopeful Bopara at least produced some attractive drives in a gutsy 50 including 10 fours before he was bowled by an in-swinger from Paul Franks.

Tea came five overs later and James Middlebrook gave his wicket away after the break with another loose shot off Shreck to Graeme Swann in the slips.

But with the end seemingly in sight, ten Doeschate went on the attack in a seventh-wicket partnership of 130 in 26 overs with Graham Napier - a club record against Notts.

The hosts’ attacking field meant there were plenty of gaps for the pair to exploit, with the Dutchman bringing up his eighth career hundred with an edge to third man for four.

He hit 13 more boundaries and a six before he cut Franks to Ealham at gully, with Danish Kaneria quick to follow clean bowled.

Napier then holed out to Franks at mid-off, which brought the match to an end as Essex seamer Andrew McGarry was unable to bat after sustaining a broken finger on day one.