Lancashire will be confident of completing victory tomorrow after ending the third day in firm control of this match.

They forced bottom of the table Essex to follow-on after gaining a first-innings lead of 187 runs and then captured three wickets to leave the home side still needing a further 77 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Victory would considerably ease Lancashire's relegation worries and their cause today was assisted in chief by Glen Chapple who added two more wickets to his first innings haul of 4-71.

Having dismissed Essex for 236, the visitors were given an immediate boost to their victory aspirations when Chapple removed Darren Robinson for a duck and then followed up by having Stephen Peters superbly caught low down at slip by Graham Lloyd for 3. That gave the red-haired pace bowler his 50th first-class wicket of the season and left the home side on a parlous 8-2 in the ninth over.

A partnership of 68 between Paul Grayson and Stuart Law added some substance to a flagging innings but having reached 46, Law hooked Andrew Flintoff to deep fine leg where Joe Scuderi took a fine running catch to rekindle his side's victory hopes. It was only the third time this season that Law had failed to score at least one half-century in a championship match.

However Grayson continued in resolute manner showing studious defence to end the day 38 not out having batted for almost three hour to underpin his side's 110-3 at the close.

Earlier James Foster had offered dogged resistance in the Essex first innings batting resolutely for three hours to score 32. His eighth wicket serene partnership with Tim Mason produced 47 gritty runs in 26 overs and at one stage just two runs were added in nine overs.

Foster batted throughout the morning session but was dismissed three overs after the interval when Lloyd clutched a difficult chance at slip before Peter Such joined Tim Mason for an invigorating last wicket stand of 47 in 15 overs that took their side to their only batting point when Mason struck Chris Schofield for his second boundary of his innings to bring up the 200. There was time for Such to sweep John Wood for 6 before the tail ender was fooled by Schofield's wrong'un and was bowled for 21 offering no shot to leave Mason unbeaten on 41 and Essex asked to bat again.

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