County Championship: Essex win relegates Worcestershire back to Division Two

Jamie Porter has now taken 27 wickets against Worcestershire

Worcestershire's relegation back to Division Two of the County Championship was confirmed as they were beaten by an innings and 129 runs by 2017 title-winners Essex at Chelmsford.

Resuming on 140-4, Joe Clarke had not added to his overnight 74 when he lost his middle stump to the third ball of the morning, bowled by Jamie Porter.

Ed Barnard and Wayne Parnell then added 51 for Worcestershire's eighth wicket.

But Porter (4-57) removed Barnard and Simon Harmer took the last two wickets.

Following his career best 7-41 in the first innings, Porter finished with a match haul of 11-98 - only the second time he has taken 10 wickets or more in a match.

South African all-rounder Parnell - who signed a three-year Kolpak deal to stay at New Road earlier in the week - was unbeaten at the end on 50.

Worcestershire, who were only promoted a year ago, had their fate sealed just five days after lifting this year's T20 Blast trophy.

Essex's third win in four games still gives them the chance of catching Somerset for second place.

Essex fast bowler Jamie Porter:

"It is always nice to see the back of Joe Clarke. That was a big moment. It was a relief to get him out early. And it was nice to win in style.

"I feel like the last couple of weeks I have bowled well without too much reward. In my head, I tell myself that, when you bowl well, the wickets will come. In fact I wanted to get through the spell quickly due to my illness.

"I have no other plans for the winter until the squads are selected. I wouldn't say that was the aim because you just want to go out there and do your job and, if an England selector is watching on a specific day, then that is great.

"It would be amazing to get a call for Sri Lanka and I'll have my fingers crossed for the next 24 hours. I think I have put myself in a good position for a call."

Pears stand-in skipper Daryl Mitchell told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"It's disappointing but unfortunately, in the Championship, we haven't been good enough over the course of the season. We have to learn from the mistakes we've made, which have cost us at critical moments.

"Essex at home, when we were chasing 215 to win, but got bowled out for 182. Lancashire at Southport when we set them 300 and plenty on the final day and they got them. Even Surrey last week, before Morne Morkel came on and bowled so brilliantly.

"It's no disgrace getting relegated. There's only eight teams in Division One and 25% get relegated. There are some very good teams in there.

"But we have the nucleus of a team that can bounce back. Only four of that team are over 22. The likes of Josh Tongue, Dillon Pennington and Ed Barnard are all 22 or under. And, with Joe Leach to come back, we have a strong bowling attack. We have some good young batters too, if we can keep the group together."

The ultimate yo-yo team

Worcestershire could be considered English sport's ultimate yo-yo team.

After winning promotion for the sixth time in 14 years in September 2017, they began this season as favourites for a sixth relegation in 14 years in 2018.

That is exactly how it has worked out in the end but, after losing their first three matches, not without a decent fight from Kevin Sharp's men.

The Pears have only won two of their 13 matches to date, but that is more than they have managed in some of their seasons in the top flight. In fact, they failed to win any of their 16 games in 2009.

Thumping both of their main relegation rivals Lancashire (by 202 runs at home in June) and then Yorkshire (by an innings at Scarborough in August) did a lot to keep their safety hopes alive.

But they were always likely to struggle following the midwinter upheaval that caused director of cricket Steve Rhodes to depart, and they were certainly not helped by the loss of captain Leach just five matches in with a season-ending back injury.

They have again punched above their weight in one-day cricket - winning the T20 Blast, as well as finishing top of their One-Day Cup group for the second successive year, thanks to having so many match-winners in their team. It is not just their overseas signings Callum Ferguson and Martin Guptill, or England star Moeen Ali, that have contributed. More often, it has been lesser-known names such as Ben Cox, Barnard, Ross Whiteley or "find of the season" Pat Brown.

But they have not consistently scored enough runs in Championship cricket, and an already comparatively impoverished non-Test playing ground county, who have not had a Kolpak player in their ranks since 2007, simply find it hard to compete with the bigger spenders.

Worcestershire have already addressed that imbalance by signing up late-season success Parnell for the next three years. The South African's decision to stay frees up space for another overseas signing - and the hope is that, if they can hang on to prize attraction Clarke, they might yo-yo their way back up again in 2019.

The Pears' ups and downs