ESSEX launched a fighting recovery against LV County Championship Division Two leaders Worcestershire at Colchester to finish on 269-9 after their top order had been demolished by Kabir Ali.

The fast bowler roared in to get rid of Jason Gallian, Varun Chopra and Grant Flower at a personal cost of 13 to leave the home side 24-3 in the 11th over.

Gallian and Chopra were bowled while Flower, Saturday’s hero in the Friends Provident Trophy triumph over Kent at Lord’s, departed lbw to the second ball he received.

But Essex were revived by skipper Mark Pettini and James Foster during a fourth-wicket partnership that produced 114 in 33 overs.

Both batsmen unleashed some fine drives while completing half-centuries, each of them containing seven fours.

But Worcestershire were to seize the initiative again when both batsmen were dismissed in successive deliveries.

Pettini had made 59 when he snicked a catch to wicketkeeper Steve Davies to provide paceman Imran Arif with success.

With the first ball of the following over, Kabir claimed his fourth wicket when Foster departed for 55, again Davies holding the catch.

Arif went on to pick up three more wickets quickly by getting rid of James Middlebrook, Graham Napier and Chris Wright, but Essex were brought right back into the game with a belligerent innings from Ryan ten Doeschate.

He helped himself to 10 fours while completing his half-century from just 41 balls and, by the close, had added another seven while moving to 87.

Ten Doeschate wasted no opportunity to punish any delivery off line and length and punctuated his innings frequently with powerful strokes either side of the wicket.

Kabir, the country’s leading wicket-taker, picked up his 57th Championship victim of the campaign when he had David Masters well caught at first slip by Ben Smith.

It also signalled his season’s fourth haul of five or more wickets in an innings as he went on to finish his day’s labours with figures of 5-77 from 21 overs.

Arif claimed his four wickets, also for 77 runs, in 24 overs on a day where play did not start until after lunch because of rain.

A blow for the visitors was the loss of fast bowler Matt Mason. He left the field through injury after sending down just one over and is not expected to bowl again in the match.