Essex director of cricket Chris Silverwood insisted that batting first was "absolutely the right decision" despite their heavy defeat by Nottinghamshire in County Championship Division One.
The hosts went into the game at Chelmsford on top of the table, but lost by an innings and 52 runs, having been bowled out for just 184 on the opening day after skipper Tom Westley won the toss.
Notts' left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White took six of the wickets to fall and added three more in the second innings for overall figures of 9-109.
"I was happy with the wicket, I don't mind it turning a bit, which it did," Silverwood told BBC Essex.
"You've got to trust your defence, you've got to have a solid defence against spin, but equally you've got to know where your scoring options are.
"The game is about scoring runs - you've got a bat in your hands, so where can you score, how can you hit him off his length and put pressure back on him as a batsman."
The hosts went into the game at Chelmsford on top of the table, but lost by an innings and 52 runs, having been bowled out for just 184 on the opening day after skipper Tom Westley won the toss.
Notts' left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White took six of the wickets to fall and added three more in the second innings for overall figures of 9-109.
"I was happy with the wicket, I don't mind it turning a bit, which it did," Silverwood told BBC Essex.
"You've got to trust your defence, you've got to have a solid defence against spin, but equally you've got to know where your scoring options are.
"The game is about scoring runs - you've got a bat in your hands, so where can you score, how can you hit him off his length and put pressure back on him as a batsman."
