AN innings of 58 from Essex's Mark Pettini could do little to prevent Worcestershire taking a stranglehold on the Frizzell County Championship Division Two clash at Southend.

The home side finished the day on 115 for five in their second innings and still trail by 61 runs after Worcestershire finished with a first innings total of 373.

Worcestershire began the day on 332 for six and carried on where they left off with Steve Rhodes and Andy Bichel forming a dangerous partnership.

Rhodes, who started on 45, reached his half-century off 98 balls and played a series of intelligent strokes.

Bichel also looked threatening as the lower-order dangerman hit a quick 30 from just 31 deliveries.

However, with the two batsmen nearing a 50 partnership Bichel misjudged a tempting Justin Bishop delivery and edged to first slip where William Jefferson was waiting.

Kabir Ali lasted only nine balls before being adjudged lbw to Ashley Cowan for three.

With Worcestershire 350 for eight, Cowan was performing doggedly and stifled Rhodes' free-flowing batting as well as causing new batsman Matthew Rawnsley no end of problems.

Then Bishop took the prize wicket of Rhodes after he miscued to gully, where Phillips took the catch.

Three overs later Worcestershire's innings was over after new batsman Alamgir Sheriyar (two) edged Cowan through to Tim Phillips.

The pick of the Essex bowlers were Cowan (three for 51) and Bishop (three for 59) but despite their best efforts it still left the home side 176 runs off the pace.

Essex got off to the worst possible start in their second innings, Jefferson falling for a duck leg before to Sheriyar.

So Darren Robinson and Pettini carried the fight to the Worcestershire attack.

But with the home side going along nicely on 55 for one, Robinson was snapped up after carving out 15 runs when off-spinner Rawnsley induced a catch to skipper Graeme Hick.

Aftab Habib then arrived at the crease as Pettini marched on to a hard-earned half-century off 150 balls. But the new batsman made little impression and after reaching 13, he was clean-bowled by a rasping delivery from Kabir Ali.

Worse was to come for the now-faltering Essex batsmen as the industrious Pettini was out for 58.

A big innings was needed from James Middlebrook but eight balls later he became Batty's next victim when he played and missed without scoring.

The day finished with Ashley Cowan (two) and Andy Flower (14) still hanging on.