Essex v Lancashire
Pre-season friendly
The Cloudfm County Ground, Thursday 25 – Friday 26 March
Squad News:
Essex: Nick Browne, Varun Chopra, Michael Pepper, Dan Lawrence (c), Ryan ten Doeschate, Josh Rymell, Will Buttleman, Aaron Beard, Jack Plom, Shane Snater, Sam Cook, Feroze Khushi, Robin Das
Lancashire: Dane Vilas (c), Keaton Jennings, Owais Shah, Alex Davies, Josh Bohannon, Steven Croft, Rob Jones, George Lavelle, Danny Lamb, Luke Wood, Tom Hartley, Tom Bailey, Saqib Mahmood, Liam Hurt, Jack Blatherwick, Jack Morley
Match Details:
Umpires: Neil Bainton & Nigel Llong
Toss: Uncontested, Essex to bat first
Result: Match Drawn
Day Two: Close of Play Report
Shane Snater returned figures of 5 for 19 as Essex drew their second two-day friendly with Lancashire at The Cloudfm County Ground with the visitors posting 141-9 from 50 overs in response to the Essex score of 170-7 from 55 overs.
The Dutch International added another couple of wickets to his trio of successes achieved on the opening day whilst the impressive Sam Cook also claimed two victims in figures of 2 for 30.
The 25-year-old was rewarded for his accuracy and excellent line as a series of Lancashire batsmen fell to his right-arm fast-medium bowling.
The Red Rose had started the day on 71-4 but lost a wicket to the third ball of the morning and without addition when George Lavelle was caught by wicket-keeper Will Buttleman off the bowling of Aaron Beard.
In cold conditions and windy conditions, the score had edged onto 9 when Cook pinned Tom Bailey in the crease for 11 and then in his next over, removed Rob Jones for a duck. Jones had scored an unbeaten century in the match earlier in the week between the two sides but Cook had his measure on this occasion striking him on the front pad as the batsman pushed forward.
Enter Snater who wasted little time in announcing his arrival when with his second delivery of the day, Dane Vilas drove to cover and was caught by Michael Pepper without score to leave the visitors 99-8.
Only Owais Shah appeared comfortable against the lively Essex pace attack and the former Scotland under-19 player took on the responsibility at holding the innings together to finish with 39 not out.
He saw Tom Hartley become another Snater scalp when he edged a ball into the gloves of Buttleman to leave Lancashire 113-9 but found a dependable ally in Liam Hurt as the pair staved off any further problems with Hurt 19 not out when the morning session concluded.
And that was to prove the end of the action. With an adverse weather forecast accurately predicted for after Lunch, the teams decided to settle for the draw.
Essex are now scheduled to entertain Kent in a two-day friendly starting on Monday in their final pre-season warm-up match ahead of the 2021 season.
Day One: Close of Play Report
Michael Pepper and Shane Snater proved the pick of the performers for Essex who reached 170-7 from 55 overs before Lancashire responded with 71-4 from 20 overs on the opening day of the second two-day friendly match between the teams at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Pepper scored 40 and then late in the evening session, Snater grabbed three wickets in four balls to trigger a dramatic Lancashire collapse.
Pepper played confidently throughout his 99 minutes at the crease striking eight boundaries during which he figured in the highest partnership of the innings adding 52 runs with Dan Lawrence in a little more than 13 overs.
Lawrence, captaining Essex and fresh from his laudable performances for England in their recent Test series in India, also timed the ball with precision. He made 34 that included half-a-dozen boundaries.
Openers Nick Browne and Varun Chopra put on 43 before being parted. Both fell to leg before decisions, Chopra the first to go having scored 26 when becoming a victim of Josh Bohannon and then Browne fell to Keaton Jennings for 24 to leave the home side 72-2.
Pepper was joined by Lawrence, who was soon into his stride, and the pair made pleasing progress with both playing with fluency and quick to punish the looser deliveries.
Pepper retired out for 40 and seven balls later, Lawrence succumbed to the left-arm spin of Tom Hartley for 34 to leave Essex 129-4, but without addition, another wicket fell when a mix-up between Josh Rymell and Ryan ten Doeschate ended with the former Essex skipper being run out without scoring.
Rymell spent 20 minutes at the crease before he was summoned back into the pavilion having retired out with 12 and allowing ten Doeschate another opportunity.
However, he only managed 9 before he was trapped in front by Bohannon and a couple of overs later, the innings closed leaving Will Buttleman 20 not out.
Sam Cook and Aaron Beard shared the new ball for Essex but despite passing the bat of both openers, Keaton Jennings and Alex Davies, the pair went unrewarded.
However, it was the alternative pace duo of Shane Snater and Jack Plom that found the breakthrough.
In an incisive spell of lively bowling, Snater accounted for Davies for 38 and Bohannon for a first-ball duck, before having Danny Lamb caught for 5 by Chopra at first slip.
With Plom bowling Keaton Jennings behind his legs for 18, the visitors had lost four wickets in 10 balls for the addition of just 5 runs.
Play is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning at 10:30am with the format of the day dependent on the weather.
