Such quality

Essex 316-3 dec and 197-4 Cambridge University 17

Peter Such took five wickets for the 30th time in his career to dismiss Cambridge University for 170 as Essex took command of the game at Fenner's yesterday.

The acting county captain, who finished with figures of five for 34, claimed all his wickets as the students collapsed from 131 for four, and they had to rely on their last pair to save the follow-on with a 10th- wicket partnership of 22.

Then the Essex batsmen took control, stretching their first- innings lead of 143 by 197 for the loss of four second-innings wickets.

At the start of the innings, it was the Essex seamers, Steve Andrew and Mark Ilott, who did the damage, claiming two wickets each to reduce Cambridge to just 56 for four on a pitch of uneven bounce.

However, Cambridge rallied, and were rescued by a 75-run fifth-wicket partnership between Russell Cake, their captain, and Will House before Such caught and bowled House to initiate the collapse.

Cake battled to his ninth half-century before falling to Such and it needed lusty blows from Andy Whittall to avoid the university making a quick return to the wicket.

Essex lost Jon Lewis, but Darren Robinson and Robert Rollins shared a century partnership before off-spinner Rob Jones dismissed both - Robinson just three short of a century.