County Championship: Jamie Porter & Simon Harmer help Essex beat Lancashire

Jamie Porter took his second 'five for' in the Championship this season

County champions Essex came through a late alarm as they beat last season's runners-up Lancashire inside three days for the second time this summer.

On a day in which 20 wickets fell at Old Trafford, nine were taken by Jamie Porter (5-30) and Simon Harmer (4-34).

After helping Essex post 302 to earn a one-run first-innings lead, the duo bowled out Lancashire for 105.

Essex then slipped to 41-4 before Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara saw their side to 108-5 to win by five wickets.

A day of drama at Old Trafford began with an air ambulance on the pitch at the old pavilion end when a male spectator was taken ill - and a half-hour delay while he was taken to hospital.

Tom Bailey made up for lost time, taking three wickets as Essex, 221-6 overnight, were reduced to 260-9. But a 42-run last-wicket stand between Red Rose old boy Neil Wagner (29) and Sam Cook proved a turning point.

It meant Lancashire had to face three testing overs before lunch - and Porter struck twice, removing both openers, England's current Test match first-choice Keaton Jennings and Alex Davies for ducks.

The hosts failed to recover as, with Harmer's skills on a turning pitch once again supplementing Porter's accuracy and raw pace, wickets fell regularly throughout the afternoon.

From 29-6, some big shots by the tail enders at least spared some blushes, Joe Mennie blasting an unbeaten 32 to help Lancashire reach three figures.

But, after Graham Onions had taken the first three Essex wickets to cause some panic, Bopara's unbeaten 36 saw the visitors home, chiefly with the help of his captain ten Doeschate, who holed out off Matt Parkinson just before his side's third Championship victory of 2018 was completed.

Lancs captain Liam Livingstone told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I just don't think we played enough good cricket over three days to warrant winning the game. You can't be 40-odd for five in both innings and expect to win. We've been out-batted and out-bowled.

"We're obviously disappointed. It hurts to lose. But we're not even halfway through the season, so there's still a lot of cricket to be played.

"The pitch wasn't great, but both teams had to bat on it. We're making no excuses. We were just beaten by a better team."

Essex coach Anthony McGrath told BBC Radio Essex:

"That's a great win. Every time we come to Lancashire, we know it's going to be very difficult. We were the two best teams in the league last year.

"It went back and forth all the way through until the third innings. But Jamie Porter, in particular, was absolutely outstanding and was well backed up by Simon Harmer.

"Our bowling was incredible as we were a bowler down in the second innings. Sam Cook's bowled a quarter fit there (shins). Someone always finds a way. Sam's done it, Simon's done it, Peter Siddle, Neil Wagner last year. This time it was Jamie. We just have a knack, and long may it continue."