CHRIS Dent and Jon Lewis put on an unbroken 101 for the ninth wicket to ensure a draw for Gloucestershire in the County Championship Division Two match with Essex at Bristol.

The home side looked in danger of defeat when they were 209-8 in mid-afternoon and only 143 ahead overall.

But young batsman Dent, with 70, and long-serving seamer Lewis, with a run-a-ball 50, frustrated Essex with a partnership that spanned 19 overs.

Essex’s cause was hampered from the 46th over onwards by the bowling absence of Ryan ten Doeschate, who was ordered from the attack by umpire Steve Garrett for delivering two beamers in an over.

Gloucestershire had begun the day on 37-2 and Essex struck twice in the first 10 overs to raise their hopes of victory. Kane Williamson was caught behind off Chris Wright for 31, and Chris Taylor edged David Masters to Matthew Walker at second slip.

The Gidman brothers, Alex and Will, revived the innings with a fifth-wicket stand of 70, which ended when the former was lbw to Ten Doeschate for 42.

The Netherlands all-rounder was ordered from the attack in his next over, but it was still looking good for Essex when Will Gidman played across a delivery from Reece Topley just after lunch and was lbw for 32.

Dent and Ed Young frustrated the visitors for 15 overs before Young’s attempted cut at Ravi Bopara only resulted in an edge to James Foster behind the stumps.

It became 209-8 when Walker took a one-handed, low catch at second slip off Bopara to dismiss Ian Saxelby for six.

But that was Essex's last success of the day as Dent and Lewis played some fine attacking strokeplay to rescue a draw for Gloucestershire.