Lawrence of Arabia is perhaps the best known individual of that name
and during his career he was often the hero of the day. But it was Dan of
that ilk who was the hero of the day and took the plaudits at Blackpool’s
Stanley Park last week. Lawrence of Essex not only struck a magnificent
135 in the Essex second innings, striking eight fours and nine sixes, but
he held the match-winning catch at leg slip with just 10 balls remaining
to win the game for his county.
The first day, 10 July, was bathed in sunshine in the early morning
but by 11am clouds were building up and there was only time for 4.1
overs before the rain came. Just enough time, it should be said for Nick
Browne to lose his wicket to the fourth ball of the game, caught by Colin
de Grandhomme at a wide fourth slip before he had scored. Sir Alastair
Cook had opened his account with one of his trademark shots, a square
cut through point that raced to the boundary and with the country’s then
leading runscorer Tom Westley striking two boundaries, it was 12-1. And
an unlikely restart in the gloom at 5.30pm produced just three balls
before bad light, followed almost immediately by more rain ended play
for the day.
On the morning of the second day Blackpool chairman David
Cresswell was to comment, ‘It is absolutely amazing how after the
almost Biblical amounts of rain we have had over the past three days
that play should start on time today.’ And it was, for the groundsman and
his crew had done a marvellous job and there was a full day’s play on a
sunny but a rather cool and very windy day.
And the day belonged to Westley who made 135 in 325 minutes
with 18 fours. He was ably assisted by Paul Walter, 76 in 156 minutes
with four fours and three sixes, and the pair put on a ground record for a
visiting team, 155 for the fifth wicket, overtaking the 152 added by Peter
Kirsten and Kim Barnett for Derbyshire in 1981. The end result was
Essex were all out for 282 in 92.2 overs. For Lancashire Tom Bailey took
5-59 and Will Williams 3-71 with Walters’ 76 being his top score of the
season.
There was just time for Luke Wells to emulate Browne’s brief
knock, bowled by Jamie Porter from the fourth ball of the innings before
Lancashire closed on 37-1, Keaton Jennings on 12 and Josh Bohannon
on 20.
After a 45-minute delay due to overnight rain, the third day
belonged entirely to Essex who whittled their way through the
Lancashire batting in 44.4 overs as the red rose boys were dismissed for
a modest 145. Bohannon’s 44 and Phil Salt’s 35 not out were the main
contributors as Sam Cook took 4-42 and Walter 3-20, his first
championship wickets of the season; there was a wicket each for Porter
and Doug Bracewell for 38 and 24 runs respectively.
The Essex lead of 137 had not been extended when both openers
were dismissed, Browne from his third ball when he fell leg before wicket
to Bailey and Alistair Cook from his second when he cut Williams
straight to Vilas at point. Westley only made five but then came a 95-run
partnership for the fourth wicket between Lawrence and Matt Critchley
before Tom Hartley bowled the latter for 40 to make it 122-4.
In partnership with Lawrence, Walter was threatening to repeat his
first innings’ effort when Bohannon held a fine catch leaning almost over
the boundary at long on and Walter was gone for 24, with two fours and
one six, at 165-5. Two quick wickets then went down for 21 runs and
then the carnage began as all the Lancashire bowlers were put to the
sword.
In company with a belligerent Bracewell, Lawrence set about the
bowling with gusto and the pair added a visiting team ground record 106
for the eighth wicket. There was nothing the Lancashire bowlers could
do to stop it and even with nine fielders round the boundary the ball
continually defeated them. Indeed the last five overs the pair were
together they added an incredible 90 runs!
The onslaught ended when Lawrence, from the final over of the
day, struck Wells to long-off for what would have been another six had
not Jennings been stationed there to take the catch. He had made 135
from 125 balls in 205 minutes and with Bracewell 61 not out from 35
balls in 34 minutes with five fours and four sixes, Essex closed on 292-8.
Bailey again was Lancashire’s most successful bowler with 3-71.
Essex declared overnight, setting Lancashire a massive 430 for
victory in 96 overs. And they made a positive start, Jennings and Wells
putting on 58 in 15.5 overs before the former was well caught by a diving
Will Buttleman for 30. Bohannon joined Wells and continued the attack,
taking the total to 155 from 34.1 overs before the latter, dropped at short
leg when he had made 24, was caught by the same fielder off Critchley
for 75 with 11 fours and two sixes, made in 110 minutes from 126 balls.
Vilas unfortunately completed a pair before Porter caught
Bohannon in the deep off Walter for 68. Rob Jones and Salt then
continued the chase and put Lancashire in a strong position with a
partnership of 85 in 22.4 overs but at 279 the fifth wicket was lost when
Salt, 41, was caught at backward square leg by Sam Cook. At that point
there were still 30.5 overs remaining and with Lancashire requiring a
further 151 runs and Essex five wickets, the game was still in the
balance.
Jones, who was dropped by Browne at short leg on 49, was going
strong and with de Grandhomme as his partner the total advanced to
294 before the New Zealander was caught at fine leg by Porter off
Walter for nine. Jones and Hartley kept the momentum going until
Hartley, 17, edged Sam Cook to slip to make it 359-7.
Jack Blatherwick perished quickly, caught and bowled by Porter for
one to make it 360-8 but Bailey, a more than useful lower order
batsman, stayed put while Jones ran to a superb century from 149 balls
with 11 fours and one six. By now Lancashire were playing for a draw
and the Essex field had closed in significantly.
On seven Bailey skied what appeared to be a sitter to Walter at
mid-on but he inexplicably dropped it but it was not costly for two balls
later in trying to cut a ball it flew down to third man where Simon Harmer
took an excellent diving catch and he was gone for eight.
Last man Will Williams was protected to a degree by Jones but
even so he managed to keep out, quite comfortably, 17 balls and with
Jones stealing a single from the final ball of the 94 th over, it looked odds
on a draw … but no! He resisted the first ball but the second went down
the leg side and, unwisely as it turned out, Jones tried a leg glance off
Bracewell but only succeeded it feathering it to Lawrence who took a
nice clean catch; Jones had gone after battling for 241 minutes, 170
balls, for a fine 111 and the game was won and lost. For Essex,
Bracewell had 3-50 and Critchley 3-70.
The celebrations began with the Essex players hugging one
another in their delight before handshakes all round ended a thoroughly
sporting contest on a sporting wicket that had produced just over 1100
runs.
Despite the bracing weather, there had been good crowds on three
days and as chairman Cresswell commented, ‘There is nothing better
than seeing Stanley Park with a healthy crowd on and, despite the
weather spoiling the first day, the hosting of the match has been a huge
success.’ He stressed that it had taken plenty of effort from volunteers
and committee men as ‘even little jobs take time and effort’, adding ‘The
investment in upgrading the drainage was well worth the money spent
and this was much appreciated by Lancashire. We look forward to their
return on 9 August when Kent Spitfires will be the visitors.’
Gerry Wolstenholme
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