Essex v Warwickshire
LV= Insurance County Championship
The Cloudfm County Ground, Thursday 20 – Sunday 23 May
Team News:
Essex: Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Dan Lawrence, Paul Walter, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater (wk), Simon Harmer, Peter Siddle, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.
Warwickshire: Dominic Sibley, Will Rhodes (c), Rob Yates, Pieter Malan, Sam Hain, Michael Burgess (wk), Tim Bresnan, Olly Stone, Danny Briggs, Liam Norwell, Oliver Hannon-Dalby
Match Details:
Umpires: Ben Debenham & Ian Gould
Toss: Warwickshire won and elected to bat first
Result: Match Drawn
Day Four Match Highlights: Coming Soon
Day Four Reaction: Andre Nel
Day Four Match Report:
THE LV= Insurance County Championship clash between Essex and Warwickshire ended in a draw after yet another rain-ruined day.
Only 22.5 overs were possible on the final day and in the match overall, 219 overs were lost to scupper hopes of a positive conclusion to the match after Essex had gained a first-innings lead of 51 runs.
Play did get underway on time on day four and the deficit was wiped out when nightwatchman Danny Briggs steered a ball from Peter Siddle to the fine leg boundary ropes to post an unbroken 81 balls first wicket stand.
Briggs and Will Rhodes had advanced the total onto 63 without being separated when rain brought proceedings to a halt after an hour and a quarter’s play.
The next sighting of the players came after lunch had been taken and with the fourth ball of the afternoon session, Sam Cook claimed his 25th wicket of the campaign when Briggs, who had scored 37, was caught at cover by Dan Lawrence.
But after another 13 deliveries and with the total 66 for 1, rain swept across the Chelmsford venue sending the players and umpires scurrying for cover.
Rhodes, captain of the Bears who played 4 matches on-loan for Essex back in 2016, had reached 21, Dom Sibley was 2 not out and Cook had taken 1 for 7 from 8.5 overs.
From thereon, a series of showers prevented any further play and an early tea was taken but at 4:30pm, umpires Ben Debenham and Ian Gould decided there was no chance of any further play.
For the first time in 48 matches since he joined the county, Simon Harmer failed to take a wicket in a match although, because of the adverse weather, he was only able to send down 18 overs.
Essex took 12 points from the match and Warwickshire 11 and Tom Westley’s men now head north for their next Group One Championship match which begins on Thursday against Durham at Chester-le-Street.
Day Three Match Highlights:
Day Three Reaction: Ryan ten Doeschate
Day Three Match Report:
Half-centuries from Alastair Cook and Ryan ten Doeschate enabled Essex to gain a slender advantage over Warwickshire on the third day of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Warwickshire at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Cook made a polished 57 while ten Doeschate contributed 56 as the County Champions totalled 217 all out to gain a lead of 51 runs. Warwickshire were left to face one over at the end of the day which nightwatchman, Danny Briggs successfully negotiated from Sam Cook.
On a pitch that offered the bowlers some encouragement; Cook always looked in control as he punctuated his innings with eight boundaries and it came a surprise when he was dismissed.
He departed from the scene when he chased a wide delivery from Will Rhodes and edged a catch to Rob Yates in the gully. Cook’s dismissal left Essex 100 for 4 and Rhodes was to pick up two more wickets in quick succession as Essex slipped to 125 for 6.
Paul Walter was trapped lbw for 22 and then Adam Wheater skied a return catch off a mistimed pull whilst still looking to get off the mark.
That left ten Doeschate to shoulder the main responsibility if Essex were to gain the upper hand and the 40-year-old rose comfortably to the challenge. His discipline and concentration never wavered as he ushered the home side into the lead having received valuable support from Simon Harmer.
The latter faced 20 deliveries before getting off the mark and a further 27 to move into double figures which he achieved with a boundary when facing Liam Norwell. But his innings boasting sound defence and a number of well-timed pleasing drives was to bring valuable runs and give Essex the advantage.
Ryan ten Doeschate was to reach his 50 with his seventh boundary and it was also the second time this team had posted a half-century, the previous occasion having been achieved when the teams met at Edgbaston.
Having reached the milestone in what was his 200th first-class match, ten Doeschate was caught behind soon afterwards when he gloved Norwell to give wicket-keeper Michael Burgess his third catch of the innings.
The former Essex skipper departed with Essex still 31 runs short of a batting point with three wickets intact. Peter Siddle scored 2 before they moved 11 runs closer to the 200 runs figure and it was the arrival at the crease of Sam Cook to join the vigilant and effective Harmer saw the target reached.
They had studiously added 23 runs in 15 overs when Cook was yorked by spinner Danny Briggs Harmer ended unbeaten on 40 having batted for 155 minutes during which time he faced 114 deliveries.
Essex had resumed the day on 16 for 1 and Tom Westley soon became a victim of Oliver Hannon-Dalby when caught by Burgess for 8. Dan Lawrence was yorked for 14 by Norwell ending a partnership worth 48 with Cook.
After only 61 balls were possible on day two, there was a further loss of 25 overs due to bad light and there was one bizarre incident when umpires Ian Gould and Ben Debenham brought the players back onto the field shortly before 1pm after a break for bad light only to take them off the field before play could resume.
Lunch was taken and play got underway again at 2:35pm.
With the wicket still maintaining its assistance for the bowlers, an intriguing day is in prospect tomorrow.
Day Two Match Highlights:
Day Two Match Report:
Only 61 balls were possible at The Cloudfm County Ground but it was sufficient for Peter Siddle to return his best bowling figures for Essex.
The Australian pace bowler took 6 for 38 as Warwickshire were bowled out for 166. Essex then lost Nick Browne as they reached 16-1 before the rain, which started at 12.15 pm, washed out play for the remainder of the day.
Warwickshire lost their remaining three overnight wickets, two to Siddle, whilst adding seven runs.
Tim Bresnan completed his half-century from 102 balls that included four boundaries but he was the final wicket to fall, caught at first slip by Alastair Cook off namesake Sam to give the bowler figures of 3 for 48.
The final three Warwickshire wickets fell in 16 balls and all with the total on 166.
Because of earlier rain, play was delayed by 15 minutes but Bresnan soon added the three runs needed to reach his fifty before Siddle struck in successive deliveries.
He had Danny Briggs caught by Paul Walter at point and immediately accounted for Liam Norwell who had his off stump removed as the Group One leaders claimed their third bowling point. That wicket also gave Siddle his sixth 5-fer for the County, with his last for Essex also coming against Warwickshire in 2019.
Although last man Oliver Hannon-Dalby avoided the hat-trick, Cook produced a beautiful delivery to Bresnan that wrapped up the innings.
The weather dictated that Essex would only receive 7.3 overs on the day but there was time for Alastair Cook to execute a wonderful cover drive that raced to the boundary.
However, the home side lost a wicket when Browne, having scored four of the nine runs on the board, nicked a Norwell delivery behind the wicket.
The weather though was closing in. The bails were replaced by heavier versions as the gale-force winds made their presence felt and after an hour’s play, rain arrived to ultimately end play for the day.
Cook will resume on 11 and Tom Westley is 1 not out.
Day One Match Highlights:
Day One Reaction: Peter Siddle
Day One Match Report:
Peter Siddle had a day to remember at The Cloudfm County Ground where Warwickshire reached 159 for 7 at the close of a truncated day of cricket.
The 36-year-old was in scintillating form for the Group One leaders in grey and windswept conditions. He returned figures of 4 for 36 accounting for Will Rhodes, Rob Yates, Sam Hain and Michael Burgess before rain swept down on Chelmsford during the tea interval. There was a resumption at 6:26pm but only 16 further deliveries were sent down before bad light brought an end to proceedings.
During the lunch interval, the Australian quick bowler had been awarded his County Cap during the land was also presented with his 2019 County Championship winner’s medal. Siddle had made a significant contribution to the side taking 34 wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.08.
For the first time in two seasons because of Covid-19 restrictions, spectators had been permitted to attend The Cloudfm County Ground. The Members that were successful in the ballot saw Warwickshire reach 22 before Peter Siddle struck with two wickets in 9 balls in his first spell of the day.
Skipper, Will Rhodes had batted for three-quarters of an hour for 10 when he edged Siddle’s third delivery to Nick Browne in the gully. It was the bowler’s first wicket at Chelmsford since 2019 and in his last appearance on the ground when coincidentally the opposition was Warwickshire.
In his next over, Siddle uprooted the middle stump of Rob Yates who had made a match-winning unbeaten century when the teams met at Edgbaston earlier in the season. This time around, Yates was still seeking to get off the mark when he was castled.
Before lunch, the Group One leaders were celebrating another wicket and their first bonus point of the match, when Pieter Malan was caught low down at third slip by Tom Westley for 10 off the bowling of Jamie Porter.
It was a deserved wicket for Porter who, together with his new ball partner Sam Cook, had passed the bat on numerous occasions with finding the edge.
The Bears went into the break on 55 for 3 with opener Dom Sibley 28 not out and proving his well-being in his comeback game following a fractured finger.
He lost partner Sam Hain in Siddle’s first over after the resumption when the batsman, who had just got off the mark, stepped across the line to be adjudged lbw.
Sibley though was the epitome of patience and watchfulness and had batted a little over 2 and a half hours to post 43, including 7 runs from one stroke that included 4 overthrows, when Cook was rewarded for his efforts.
Bowling from the River End, he found the edge of the England man’s bat and Simon Harmer took the catch at second slip to reduce the visitors to 76 for 5.
Michael Burgess and Tim Bresnan set about the task of rebuilding the innings and gradually nurtured a revival by adding 56 for the sixth wicket in 23 overs.
Burgess was grateful for a ‘life’ with his score on 17 and the total on 92 when he edged Porter to second slip but Harmer was unable to hold on to the sharp chance.
It was Siddle who ended the partnership. Burgess had advanced to 35 out of 132 when he opted, fatally, to shoulder arms and had his off-stump knocked back with the bowler able to boast figures of 4 for 27.
Olly Stone came and went quickly, superbly caught one-handed by Harmer for 4 to give Cook a second wicket and leave the scoreboard showing 150 for 7 at Tea.
Former England Tim Bresnan though batted resolutely. The 36-year-old stood firm and played responsibly and was just three runs short of his half-century when the weather finally closed in.
Essex made one change from the side that beat Derbyshire in the previous match with Peter Siddle taking over from Shane Snater.
