Jamie Porter decided to give professional cricket "one last go" and has been rewarded four years later with a starring role in Essex's County Championship-winning campaign.

It is an achievement that 24-year-old Porter describes on behalf of his team-mates as "something we'll never forget" as he reflects on an unstoppable campaign.

A campaign rich in promise came to fruition when second-placed Lancashire's defeat against Somerset today confirmed Essex as champions in their first season back in the top flight after promotion last summer.

Head coach Chris Silverwood has therefore helped to deliver two glory years, culminating in Essex's seventh title and first since 1992, under the captaincy of Ryan ten Doeschate.

Porter's path from life behind an office desk - which he had accepted, as a 20-year-old back in early 2014, was realistically what lay ahead for him - is remarkable.

He tops the list of Specsavers Division One wicket-takers, with 64 putting him one ahead of Essex off-spinner Simon Harmer, and admits he can still scarcely take in what has happened.

Casting his mind back just three seasons, he remembers how plenty of wickets in Essex club cricket restored the self-belief which had been eroded after failing to win a contract previously.

His native county came calling again, and Leytonstone-born Porter followed his heart.

"I quit my job after one second-team game," he said. "I had enough savings to get me through that summer, so I thought, 'I'll give it one last go'."

Just a few months earlier, things had been very different.

"I didn't get picked up, so went to work that winter in an office," Porter said. "I thought that was me for the long haul.

"But then I had a good season playing for Chingford, took a lot of wickets at the start of the year, got the nod from Essex - and thankfully I've never looked back."

That remains the case, of course.

"I don't think it will ever quite sink in until I've stopped playing the game - because everything has happened so quick," Porter added.

"But I could still be in that office. There's a lot worse things I could be doing ... but I'm grateful for having this job."

He owes particular thanks to former England seamer Silverwood.

On the subject of how the Yorkshireman has helped him, Porter said: "Where do we start?

"I think when I came here I had the tools, probably maybe even had a little bit more pace (than now).

"(But) I was very raw ... he's helped me put it all together, and is the man behind it all ... (and) taught me how to bowl."

Silverwood has also guided Essex swiftly onwards and upwards, and at the start of this season they dared to dream already they could win the title.

"This was the ambition," said Porter. "A lot of people thought it was a bit too ambitious, but we thought, 'Why not?'.

"We know we have the players that can turn up and win you a game ... that we have it in the locker to bowl teams out in a session.

"It wouldn't be right to say we thought we were going to win it, but we felt we could definitely push."

There were some early knocks, but with eight wins Essex have sealed the deal.

"I think in the first few games, (we thought) it might (even) be tough to survive in this division," added Porter.

"But the way we bounced back and turned it around ... and dominated games the way we have, has been pretty special.

"As a group of lads, we're very tight-knit - and when guys have a bad day, we're all there and get behind them. We get along so well off the pitch.

"We've been saying to each other, 'We're on the brink of making history'. It's something we'll never forget."