By John Virr – 2nd X1 Scorer
Essex won the toss and asked Yorkshire to bat first. Skipper, Noah Kelly was the first wicket to fall with the score on 19 – he was caught at 3rd slip for 4 made from 25 balls. His opening partner, Will Luxton continued his fine form from last week but having made 47 from 51 balls with 6 fours he was caught behind – 59-2.
Harry Duke was the 3rd wicket to fall before lunch – 17 from 42 with a four and at lunch we were 101-3; Jawad Akhtar 26 no from 43 balls. However, he was lbw only 10 balls into the afternoon session – 106-4.
Owen Smith and Matthew Milnes added 31 from 57 balls before the latter was run out for 22 from 32; Joe Thompson was bowled in the same over and we were 147-6. Ben Cliff was caught at 2nd slip for 2 and Hishaam Khan made 9 before being bowled – 170-8.
Smith went on to make a maiden 2nd X1 half century from 96 balls but was lbw for 55 and Yorkshire were all out for 195.
Browne and Connell opened the Essex reply and the former was well taken at 3rd slip by Kelly to give Milnes his first victim: Connell was lbw to Matt Rees for 9 and Essex were 30-2.
Rashid joined Fernandes and survived being dropped on 3 – he went on to make 65 from 71 balls with 11 fours before he fell to an excellent running catch at mid on by Kelly to give Harry Sullivan his first wicket. Fernandes was unbeaten at the close on 40 from 74 balls with 3 fours but Dwivedi was caught at short leg for 4 by Smith as Sullivan claimed his 2nd.
Day 2 will start with Essex trailing by 54 runs with 6 wickets remaining.
Day 2
Day 2 started with Essex trailing by 54 runs with 6 wickets remaining. In the 3rd full over of the day Matt Milnes struck twice bowling Fernandes for 41 and having Jones taken at 1st slip by Will Luxton without scoring – 142-6. He then reduced them to 154-7 when Gladwell was caught behind by Harry Duke also for no score.
Lockrose was the next to depart being very well caught by Ben Cliff at mid on to give Hishaam Khan his 1st wicket. Bennett was lbw for 9 and despite Thain remaining unbeaten on 43 from 67 balls with 6 fours Jawad Akhtar wrapped up the innings by having Speer caught at cover and 141-4 had become 201 all out giving our hosts a 6 run lead.
Two overs were possible before lunch but it included the loss of Noah Kelly caught at 2nd slip for 1; lunch 8-1. The 1st over of the afternoon session saw Duke dropped at long leg and he and Will Luxton went on to produce a partnership of 103 in 164 balls before Duke was stumped for 41 from 80 balls with 4 fours. Prior to this Luxton had reached his half century from 77 balls with 8 fours.
Jawad Akhtar made 15 from 32 balls before, he too, was stumped 131-2, leading by 125. Owen Smith joined Luxton and at tea we were 134-3, Luxton 68 no and Smith yet to score.
In the hour post tea Essex bowled 21 overs during which we scored 84 runs – Smith reached his 2nd half century of the game and Luxton his century: Smiths 50 from 61 balls with 6 fours and a six and Luxtons ton from 174 balls with 13 fours.
The lead was extended at a good rate and at the close we were 281-3, leading by 275 heading into the final day. Smith is 83 no from 95 balls and Luxton 131 no from 222 balls – their partnership exactly 150 from 216 balls.
Day 3
The sunshine and warmth had disappeared to be replaced by a much cooler temperature and grey skies on a day that almost mirrored the recent 1st team again at Chelmsford between the same counties.
Will Luxton went past 150 with a six and a four but fell in the same over to a fine low catch at deep mid wicket by Rashid – he made 153 from 232 balls with 18 fours and a six. He and Owen Smith had added 181 in 240 balls.
Shortly after the wicket another landmark was reached – Smith having made his maiden half century in the 1st innings now reached his maiden century from only 114 balls with 13 fours and a six. He and Joe Thompson added 42 in 36 balls prior to the declaration at 354-4 leaving Essex to score 349 for victory in a minimum of 84 overs.
Matthew Rees dismissed Connell, lbw for 6 with the score at 10 but it was only shortly before lunch that the 2nd wicket fell; Browne also lbw this time to Hishaam Khan for 19. At lunch Essex 55-2 requiring 294 more runs in a minimum of 68 overs.
Shortly after lunch Rees claimed his 2nd lbw decision to dismiss Rashid for 4 followed by Matt Milnes bowling Thain for 1 and Essex were 70-4. Fernandes and Jones then added 53 in 114 balls before the latter was caught at mid wicket by Milnes off Akhtar and at tea Essex were 129-5 needing, an unlikely, 220 to win with 38 overs left.
Progress was slow in the immediate post tea session but Harry Sullivan bowled Fernandes for 75 made from 140 balls with 6 fours and in his next 2 overs he had Gladwell lbw for nought and Dwivedi bowled for 4 and Essex were 147-8.
Lockrose and Bennett survived 105 deliveries adding 13 runs and there were 12 maiden overs during this period as Akhtar and Sullivan tried to break the partnership, however it took a change of bowling with the reintroduction of Hishaam Khan to achieve the objective as he had Lockrose caught behind from his 2nd delivery – 160-9. We were already in the last hour and as a last attempt the new ball was taken by Khan and with the first ball he bowled Speer to gain the victory by 184 runs.
That brings to an end the current batch of red ball Cricket and our T20 campaign starts with a group game at Weetwood on Tuesday 20th May against Leicestershire with a 1pm start.
