Essex were set to resume the third day of the County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Garon Park requiring 169 runs for victory with six wickets intact.
Although the visitors would expect to complete their second win of the season in the competition, the hosts are not without hope of pulling off a shock success.
Having been dismissed for 88 to record their lowest completed innings total since they crashed to 68 all out at Tunbridge Wells against Kent in 2001, many anticipated that Gloucestershire captain Jon Lewis would enforce the follow-on.
However, despite a first innings lead of 190 runs, he made the surprising choice to bat again.
The decision hardly proved rewarding when his side were bowled out for 139 in less than 39 overs to leave his opponents a challenging 330 runs for victory.
Essex had reached 161 for four at the close.
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