County Championship: Tom Westley's career-best 238 not out puts Essex in control

Tom Westley's previous best was 185 against Glamorgan in 2012

A brilliant career-best 238 not out from Essex batsman Tom Westley put the Division Two leaders in total control against Worcestershire at Chelmsford.

The 27-year-old, who began day two on 58, hit 37 boundaries in his 361-ball knock - his maiden double century.

Earlier, England Test captain Alastair Cook was out for 66 and Ravi Bopara fell for 99 after sharing a third-wicket stand of 213 with Westley.

Ryan ten Doeschate added 77 not out as Essex closed on 512-4, a lead of 282.

It was a second day of complete dominance by the hosts, who went past 400 in the 96th over to take maximum batting bonus points and move a step closer to promotion back to the top flight.

Westley's third Championship hundred of the season also saw him become the leading scorer in either division with 1,189 runs.

The only slight blip was Bopara's dismissal one short of a century, edging Jack Shantry to slip, leaving the England all-rounder without a Championship hundred since July 2014.

Tom Westley told BBC Radio Essex:

"There has been a bit of banter in the changing room because I hadn't scored a double hundred. Nick Browne has scored two this year, and Adam Wheater got a double on loan at the start of the season, so they've been giving me a bit of stick for not being a proper batter until you score one.

"It has been frustrating, getting into good positions and feeling good and then for whatever reason getting out. I've scored a lot of fifties this season but haven't scored as many hundreds as I probably should have. It's nice to address it with a big one.

"That's also the best Ravi has batted this year. He's got a lot of 80s and 90s and he can't quite get over that hundred mark. He played beautifully and that was what he needed at that time."