WORCESTERSHIRE came down to earth after the euphoria of clinching promotion as they were bowled out for 84 on the opening day of the LV= County Championship clash with Essex at Chelmsford.

The visitors were put into bat on a green-tinged wicket and Jesse Ryder exploited the bowler-friendly conditions with 5-24 in 10 overs in a devastating new-ball spell.

All-rounder Joe Leach continued his recent good form and top-scored with 39 off 30 balls with five boundaries. But Moeen Ali (12) was the only other player into double figures.

Then Essex opener Nick Browne with 106 not out helped his side reach a commanding 198-3 by the close.

The only high point for Worcestershire was Charlie Morris reaching 50 Championship wickets for the season.

Worcestershire, needing a maximum of six points to lift the Division Two title, lost opener Richard Oliver (0) in the first over when he edged David Masters to Tom Westley at second slip with a single on the board.

Moeen drove Ryder for the first boundary of the innings and a similar shot brought him another four. A three wide of gully by Moeen meant the over cost 11 runs.

Masters asked questions of the England all-rounder in the testing conditions but it was Ryder who dismissed Worcestershire’s most experienced pair of batsmen in successive overs.

First Moeen was caught behind by Essex skipper and keeper James Foster. Then captain Daryl Mitchell (4) was through his shot to a slower delivery from Ryder and the ball spooned up to Graham Napier with the score on 21-3 in the 10th over.

Alexei Kervezee (2) shouldered arms and was bowled by a Ryder delivery which cut back sharply and the New Zealander trapped Tom Kohler-Cadmore lbw for four.

Tom Fell (7) perished to a loose shot when he lashed out at James Porter and fell to a head-high catch by Ryder at first slip.

Ben Cox was lbw to Ryder for nought at 31-7 but then Leach and Brett D’Oliveira, playing his first Championship match of the season, added 45 in nine overs.

Napier had D’Oliveira (7) caught behind and then Masters held onto an instinctive caught and bowled chance offered from a powerful shot by Leach.

The innings ended on the stroke of lunch when Napier bowled Jack Shantry, the hero against Surrey earlier this month, for six.

Worcestershire made an early breakthrough when Tom Westley (3) was run out when failing to beat a good throw from D’Oliveira after being called for a quick single by Nick Browne.

Morris reached his half-century of wickets when Smith (14) edged to Mitchell at second slip with the total on 26-2.

But from that point Essex gradually built a position of strength.

Browne and Ravi Bopara added a watchful 80 in 34 overs before the latter, on 31, edged Moeen to Mitchell at slip.

Browne was then joined by Foster and they consolidated with another significant partnership.