WICKET-KEEPER James Foster took another opportunity to remind the England selectors of his all-round talents when he struck a defining century as Essex crushed Leicestershire in their County Championship clash inside two days at Grace Road.

Only two weeks ago, the 28-year-old hit 111 not out, although opponents Worcestershire went on to record a six-wickets victory.

On this latest occasion, another unbeaten knock totalling 132 was a major factor in his side’s victory by an innings and 74 runs.

The Loughton-based gloveman has repeatedly been ignored by the England selectorial hierarchy as they scour the country looking for a batsman who can keep wicket.

Currently Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose are preferred, although neither is in the same class as a wicket-keeper as the Essex man.

It has been perceived that Foster lacks runs on a consistent basis - but he has answered that criticism with some significant innings in one-day cricket and is now churning out the runs in the longer form of the game.

In his last eight championship visits to the crease, he has struck back-to-back unbeaten hundreds and three other half-centuries to endorse his claims to a place on an England tour this winter.

Reflecting on the rout of Leicestershire, he spoke exclusively to the Guardian.

"Our bowlers got us in a great position on the first day when we skittled Leicestershire out for 107 and then our batters had a session and a half to build a useful position," he said.

"Mark Pettini scored a superb half-century and when I went out there, I just tried to work the ball around and things went well."

In a chanceless innings, Foster struck 16 boundaries from the 219 deliveries he faced to act as the cornerstone of the Essex 335 all out score.

"I took the odd calculated risk walking down the wicket on occasions to the seamers and then sometimes hanging back in my crease to mix things around so that the bowlers couldn’t settle into a persistent line and length," he explained.

"That’s something I’ve tried to do this year at various times and that approach has been paying dividends.

"It was important to get a hundred lead on that wicket at Leicester and we felt that 200 would virtually give us a match winning advantage and that’s how it panned out."

Foster was accompanied in a fifth wicket partnership worth 128 by debutant Jaik Mickleburgh.

The 18-year-old from Norfolk is the latest talent to emerge from the Essex Academy and he drew high praise from Foster.

"A big mention for Jaik Mickleburgh who batted superbly well, he was making his debut on a tricky wicket and took to it like a duck to water," he enthused.

"He showed a lot of maturity, he was really calm, very composed and played his shots picking out the right balls to hit and he did himself great credit.

"I enjoyed batting with him and offering him a few words of encouragement.

"I know what it’s like when you first come into the Essex first team, Ronnie Irani had a good chat to me on the first few occasions when I first started and that helped a lot.

"Obviously you don’t tell players how to play but you just encourage them and suggest various things.

"Jaik was very cool and calm and I never felt that I had to worry about him because he looked such a natural in the environment, he looked part of the scene.

"He played a couple of really smart shots particularly the six that took him to his fifty. It was a serious hit, he smacked the ball a long way and he not only impressed a lot of our own boys but also the opposition and the umpires.

"Personally, it was nice for me to score a century and finish on the winning side this time."

Foster has not discounted the county’s promotion prospects, although he believes that the issue may not be settled until the final day of the season.

"We came into the Leicestershire game in a mid-table position knowing that we had a lot of hard work in front of us and that if we won three of our remaining games, we might have half a chance of getting promoted.

"Although we’ve won this game, promotion is still a very long way off.

"We’ve still got three very tough games against three good teams and, I know it’s a cliché but all we can do is to take one game at a time.

"We are still in with an excellent chance of getting promoted in the Pro40 and the pressure games keep coming but that’s good.

"As professional sportsmen, you want the intensity and competitive element in every game."

Essex are in action at Chelmsford on Friday when they entertain Hampshire in the Twenty20 Floodlight Cup.

Then on Sunday, they travel to Edgbaston to face Warwickshire in their penultimate Pro40 match of the season.

Next Tuesday they commence a County Championship match at Wantage Road against fellow promotion-pursuers Northamptonshire.