Essex paceman Shane Snater rediscovered the form with the ball that deserted him last season to drive a massive hole in some fragile Lancashire batting on a rain-shortened day at Chelmsford.

Snater took just eight expensive wickets in an injury-ravaged campaign last year, having taken a combined 67 in the two previous seasons.

Sam Cook finished with 3-18 from 14 overs as Lancashire limped to 146 all out.

In 12 overs under the floodlights, Feroze Khushi refused to hang about with nine fours in a whirlwind 53 from 33 balls as Essex knocked 68 off the deficit for the loss of his wicket, caught in the slips off George Balderson.

Snater removed Keaton Jennings to a magnificent flying catch in the gully by Matt Critchley in his first over, and trapped the freewheeling Luke Wells plumb lbw in the next.

When they returned in mid-afternoon after a near two-hour rain break, Josh Bohannon faced just nine more scoreless balls before he edged Snater and Dean Elgar took a stunning one-handed catch low down at first slip.

Cook gained reward when Balderson failed to withdraw his bat in time and was caught behind and Snater’s first ball after tea pinned George Bell in front of his stumps for just four.

Matty Hurst hung his bat out to Cook and was a second victim for wicketkeeper Michael Pepper and Tom Bruce got a leading edge to chip Jamie Porter to mid-on before Noah Thain claimed a wicket on debut with his third ball in first-class cricket when Tom Bailey steered to second slip.

Ninth-wicket pair Jack Blatherwick and Will Williams put on 50 in 36 balls before Blatherwick went for another heave to Simon Harmer’s second ball of the game and holed out on the long-leg boundary.

Cook then wrapped up the innings when he had Nathan Lyon held at point to leave Williams not out on 32.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network.