A Tale Of The Tail

The 2nd day of Essex vs Hampshire at Chelmsford began with Essex in a bit of bother at 72-5, still 125 runs behind Hampshire's first innings total. The day didn't begin well as James Tomlinson forced Ben Foakes to edge one to keeper Adam Wheater for 20, though it took a 2nd appeal to convince the umpire, 73-6.
James Foster and Alistair Cook then carried on the recovery at a slow pace as the Hampshire bowling swarmed around them and 100 came and went, then Foster played a nothing perod to Danny Briggs to chip the ball straight back to him for 25, 117-7. Graham Napier and Cook took Essex to lunch, Cook reaching his 50 from 131 balls.
Cook was out soon after lunch, LBW to Tomlinson for 59 and 156-8, still 41 behind as Tim Phillips joined Napier. The pair swung to came towards Essex, repelling the bowlers and finding a regular supply of boundaries, including Napier's six off Briggs into the pavilion. They brought Essex the lead, and then the 200 with Napier reaching his 2nd fifty of the season from 81 balls. The runs were now flowing, and the first ball of the new ball was cracked by Napier to Carberry at point who fielded sharply, returned the ball before then wringing his hand from the pain. It was almost a surprise when Chris Wood managed to get some movement to have Napier LBW for 74 with the score on 243 with only Topley (average of pretty much nothing) to come. A couple of hits from Phillips gained the 2nd batting point before Topley edged Briggs to short leg where Shaun Ervine took a sharp catch, 254 all out a lead of 57 with Phillips 40 not out and Hampshire's 2nd innings to begin after tea.
Hampshire began cautiously, with the accurate bowling of David Masters and Topley tying them down a little when Master induced the edge off Carberry where Ben Foakes took a reaction catch above his head at short leg for 2, 14-1. Master then got his 2nd next over, Adams LBW for 9 as Essex looked like they might blast through the batting that evening. Liam Dawson and George Bailey held firm, however, and they whittled down the defecit before taking Hampshire safely to close 20 ahead on 77-2, Bailey on 26, Dawson on 31.

I Do Declare

So, to Chelmsford for some Championship Division 2 cricket between Essex and Hampshire. Day 3 and after a day 2 was washed out, Hampshire resumed on 303-6 in their first innings, Neil McKenzie 134 and Dimitri Mascarenhas on 7.
A maiden from Harbhajan Singh began the day, before McKenzie straight drove Graham Napier for four next over. David Masters came on for the third over at the River End and got McKenzie 6th ball, caught behind from a good ball for 139. Mascarenhas was left trudging back next over after Napier's yorker flattened his off stump, Hampshire now 308-8. David Balcombe got a similar sort of feeling as Napier did the same to him in his next over, 313-9. The end came soon as Danny Briggs got an outside edge to a big heave off Harbhajan and was comfortably caught at point by Greg Smith for 7, Hampshire 323 all out, Napier taking 4-62 and Masters 3-55.
Essex's first innings got under way with a three but then took on an unusual note as Billy Godleman and Jaik Mickleburgh blocked their way along for the rest of the session to 18-0 in 18 overs, Balcombe 7 over for 2 runs being the most startling statistic.
Essex then surprised everyone, including the groundstaff by declaring at lunch before coming out to help Hampshire to set an (obviously agreed) total for Essex to chase. Jimmy Adams and McKenzie came out to bat and went along comfortably for 14.5 overs, the highlights really being consecutive fours by McKenzie off Napier, 15 off Ryan ten Doeschate's only over (wide, and 3 fours round the ground by Adams) and McKenzie's lofted six over long off off Tom Westley. Hampshire declared with a single off Tom Craddock on 54-0, setting Essex 360 to win in a day and a half.
So, for the 2nd time in two hours, Godleman and Mickleburgh walk to the crease and it was a dig in effort from Essex as scoring runs proved to be difficult on a pitch that had had puddles on the outfield the day before as Balcombe and James Tomlinson found plenty of movement and the batsmen were more happy to leave the ball. Mickleburgh became the only wicket of the session as Tomlinson jagged one in and onto his leg stump for 18, 25-1. Westley and Godleman took the score to 44-1 at tea and began to score more freely, but were still happy to leave the ball where possible.
Balcombe got the breakthrough of Westley LBW for 26 with the score on 60, but that brought in Mark Pettini saw that no further wickets were lost as Essex crawled to 102-2 from 50 overs at the close still needing 258 more to win. Hampshire only dropped one catch, a low chance at slip off Tomlinson, but with plenty of time left, wickets are what is needed to win.

Phillips Turn Screws Hampshire

Still at Chelmsford for the 2nd game of the double header, Essex vs Hampshire.
Dominic Cork won the toss and let Essex bat first. Surprise at the top as Mark Pettini opened with Tim Southee in a pinch hitting role. Danny Briggs and Dimitri Mascarenhas opened the bowling and Southee was dropped off Mascarenhas, which proved to be a cruicial drop but Pettini was lbw next ball for 4.
Cork brought himself on in the 3rd over and Southee promptly smashed 13 off the over and then two sixes off Mascarenhas came before Owais Shah flicked to fine leg for 2. 40-2 was a good start and Southee hit more off Briggs then Ryan Ten Doeschate chipped to Ervine at mid-off for 3. Essex captain James Foster then provided the solid partner that Southee needed as the run-rate slowed after the powerplay due to good bowling from Imran Tahir and Shahid Afridi on his Hampshire debut, but Southee went to fifty off 19 balls before swinging his fifth six off Tahir. The 10th over finally brought the end as Southee went for one hit too many and was stumped by Nic Pothas off Tahir for 74 off only 34 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes with Essex 94/4.
Matt Walker fell to Cork in the 13th over and Adam Wheater fell in the 15th to give Afridi his first wicket as it looked like Essex would struggle to reach 150. Tim Phillips came in at 8 and took 12 off Briggs' final over before thumping 25 off Cork and Afridi before falling lbw to Cork, but the damage had been done with 33 off 19. Essex scrambled to 162-7, a good total in the conditions with Cork taking 2-35 and Tahir 1-22.
David Masters and Southee opened the bowling and Southee struck third ball to remove Jimmy Adams then James Vince joined Benny Howell in a useful partnership that emulated to a certain degree of success the Essex run fest before the unlikely Chris Wright broke the partnership in his first over having Howell caught by Phillips to leave Hampshire 41-2. Neil McKenzie and Vince pushed along steadily and at the halfway point Hampshire were 72-2.
Then Phillips struck in his 2nd over with McKenzie swinging a full toss to Southee at long-off. Runs then dried up as 13 came off the next four overs and Sean Ervine fell to Wright and then the key 15th over came. Phillips bowled Afridi first ball then there were two singles before Pothas swung the fourth ball to Southee at long-off before Vince smashed the fifth ball over the Tom Pierce Stand to bring up a 43-ball 50 then inside-edging the final ball onto his off stump to depart for 52, Hampshire now 101-7 and almost gone. Cork wasn't about to surrender as he smacked Ten Doeschate for two huge sixes into Hayes Close before Mascarehas hit Southee for another six and a four off the first two balls of the next over. He then sliced to third man where Tim Westley held a good catch. Wright's last over brought about a mix-up between Briggs and Cork leaving Briggs run out by Foster's quick pick up and throw to leave Hampshire 129-9. Cork then holed out off Southee to none other than Phillips to leave Hampshire 136 all out to wrap up an Essex win by 26 runs. Phillips was given the match award for his 4-29, Southee took 3-38 and Wright 2-22.