Worcestershire head coach Alan Richardson heaped praise on his players after they extended their win streak to three with a victory over Essex.

Richardson hailed the "character, team-work and team ethic" of his squad as they managed to secure another win in the Vitality County Championship at Chelmsford.

The 43-run win capped off a fantastic comeback having been 10-4 on the opening morning, with Essex failing to muster more than 140 by the final afternoon.

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The triumph over Essex builds on impressive showings against Durham and Kent, leaving Richardson and his squad feeling optimistic.

Essex, a powerhouse on their home turf, ranked second in the table before their encounter with the Pears.

"I said to the lads that in all my time as a player, I don’t think I won a four-day game at Chelmsford", Richardson said.

“They’ve always been historically very strong there and they’ve got better and better, a phenomenal four-day side over the last five or six years.

"For us to go there, play as good cricket as we did, compete for as long as we did, show belief and character, I think it’s right up there."

He continued: "It was a real team performance and I don’t just say that in terms of performance, but more so in how they went about it, how they approached it."

Richardson insisted that his team has the potential to become the best in the game if they continue to hone teamwork.

He said: "We always talk about it a lot: if we want to be in the game, we want to be the best team we can be and the best team in the game."

The head coach was equally complimentary of Worcestershire's fielding and batting efforts, saying: "There were lots of really good performances with the bat and the ball and outstanding fielding."

The victory has propelled Worcestershire to fifth place in the table.

With three games remaining, they stand a comfortable 28 points above the relegation zone.

Richardson concluded: "We did just did it this time in slightly different ways in different conditions and we should take great pride in that."