ESSEX did their promotion chances no harm as they put themselves into a commanding position after the first day of their final County Championship match of the season against Worcestershire.
Jesse Ryder took 5-24 as Essex skittled their visitors for just 84 in the first innings at Chelmsford after James Foster had won the toss.
Nick Browne then looked solid with the bat and reached 106no by the end of play to guide the Eagles to 198-3 at stumps
David Masters got the opening wicket with his first over as he had Richard Oliver caught by Tom Westley for 0.
But then it turned into the Ryder show as he picked up Moeen Ali (12), Daryl Mitchell (4), Alexei Kervezee (2) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (4) in quick succession.
Jamie Porter then got in on the act as he had Tom Fell caught in the slips by Ryder for seven, with Ryder getting his fifth wicket trapping Oliver Cox LBW for a duck.
With Worcestershire reeling on 31-7, Joseph Leach put up some resistance with five 4's in his 39. Brett D'Oliveira (7) hung around for 27 balls before he was caught behind off Graham Napier, with Leach then well caught and bowled by Masters.
Napier wrapped up the innings when he bowled Jack Shantry for six, with the visitors all out for 84 before lunch was even taken.
Foster used only four bowlers, with Masters finishing on figures of 2-18, Porter 1-23 and Napier 2-18.
The Essex reply got off to a poor start when Tom Westley failed to beat a direct throw from D'Oliveira and was run out for three.
Greg Smith joined Browne but was caught by skipper Mitchell off the bowling of Morris for 14 to bring Ravi Bopara to the crease.
Bopara made steady progress, hitting just three boundaries in 82 deliveries. But he was eventually also caught by Mitchell off England spin-bowler Ali for 31.
The in-form Foster entered the fray with Essex on 106-3 and carried on from where he had left off – with back-to-back centuries in his previous two matches.
Foster finished 36no, with Browne's unbeaten century including 15 fours in 220 balls at the crease.
