WORCESTERSHIRE’S Joe Leach took his first five-wicket haul of the campaign as Essex declared at 451-9 at lunch on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at New Road.

Leach starred for Worcestershire after a rain-delayed start to the morning, finishing with 5-115 from 27.4 overs.

The County vice-captain snapped up four wickets in just 23 balls, including a brilliant caught-and-bowled chance to remove England skipper Alastair Cook for 142.

Resuming on 335-2 off 90 overs, with Cook on 130, Essex lost Ravi Bopara without adding to his overnight score of 48.

The former England batsman went back to a delivery from Leach and was clean bowled in the fourth over of the day.

Leach then removed Daniel Lawrence for a duck, in his next over, caught at first slip by Tom Kohler-Cadmore with the score at 346.

And Leach then claimed his third victim in three overs when Jesse Ryder was trapped LBW for nought with the total unchanged.

A cover driven four from Essex skipper Ryan ten Doeschate off a full-pitch delivery from Matt Henry brought up the visitors’ 350 in the 100th over.

With Leach giving little away, Cook was Essex’s sixth wicket to fall with the score at 359, superbly caught and bowled by the vice-captain.

Leach’s excellent return catch ended the England opener’s chanceless 284-ball innings which contained 22 fours and a six.

Wicketkeeper James Foster added impetus to Essex’s innings and his pushed two took the visitors to 400 off the first ball of the 108th over.

Doeschate and Foster added 73 in 10 overs to lift the run-rate before the Essex skipper was adjudged LBW to Ed Barnard for 28 with the total at 432.

The hard-hitting Graham Napier came to the crease and cracked two successive straight sixes off Jack Shantry before he caught at long-on by Matt Henry for 16.

Foster continued his quick-scoring innings and reached his half-century, which contained five fours and two sixes, from 42 balls.

He remained unbeaten on 51 when the Essex declaration arrived after a fine diving catch at extra cover from Barnard off the bowling of Leach removed David Masters for one.