MATT Mason took four wickets to spearhead a successful first day for Worcestershire in the Frizzell County Championship Division Two match against Essex at Chelmsford.

The pace bowler finished with figures of 4-48 as the home side slip-ped to a modest total of 220.

Home skipper Ronnie Irani scored 85 of those runs but needed two slices of luck while performing his rescue act. He was dropped at second slip by Graeme Hick at 28 and eight runs later by Zander de Bruyn failed to accept a return catch.

Both those escapes came during a four-over spell in which the visitors put down as many catches, James Foster being the beneficiary of the other two as Vikram Solanki and Stephen Peters spurned chances.

Foster's let-off did not prove too expensive, however, because he had made only 22 when Hick held on to a catch at second slip offered against Kabir Ali.

Irani took advantage of his good fortune to produce some fine drives either side of the wicket before his innings was brought to an end as off-spinner Gareth Batty pulled off a magnificent return catch.

The Essex captain struck 10 fours and two sixes in his 138-ball stay.

But Mason proved a real handful as he got the ball to move just enough on a pitch tinged with green to trouble all the batsmen.

Worcestershire were eft with five overs to negotiate and they closed on 17-0.