TEAM NEWS
Essex: Paul Walter, Dean Elgar, Tom Westley, Jordan Cox (WK), Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, Noah Thain, Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Sam Cook (C), Jamie Porter.
Leicestershire: Rishi Patel, Sheridan Gumbs, Rehan Ahmed, Nick Kelly, Lewis Hill, Joey Evison, Ben Cox (WK), Ben Green (C), Tom Scriven, Alex Green, Josh Davey
MATCH DETAILS
Umpires: Mark Newell & Rob White
Match Referee: Peter Such
Toss: Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Essex won by 6 wickets
DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS
DAY FOUR REPORT
Despite the best efforts of Leicestershire’s Lewis Hill to deny them, Essex left Uptonsteel Grace Road with a six- wicket victory as they eyed a chance to lead Division One at the halfway point of the Rothesay County Championship.
Chasing 215 from a minimum 59 overs, Tom Westley’s side eased home with 13.1 overs in hand thanks largely to Paul Walter’s 110, a second Essex century of the match after Jordan Cox’s first-innings double. A haul of 23 points took them one ahead of overnight leaders Sussex before waiting for the result from Scarborough, where only an unlikely win for Warwickshire could deny them top spot.
Yet they would have been celebrating a third consecutive win much sooner but for a marathon vigil of defiance by Leicestershire stalwart Hill, who batted for seven hours and 10 minutes and faced 320 balls before he was last man out for 127 as Leicestershire, following on, totalled 428 in their second innings.
Shane Snater and Simon Harmer took three wickets each but Hill’s refusal to surrender his wicket ate up the whole of an extended final morning, leaving Essex, who had at one point looked like winning comfortably inside three days, with at least some work to do. Yet it was small consolation for the home side, who have lost their last four matches.
Essex had begun the day hoping to make short work of the three Leicestershire wickets still standing overnight.
They removed the first obstacle after Harmer’s off-spin was introduced, Tom Scriven falling leg before on the sweep.
But 35-year-old Hill, who had resumed on 64 after prolonged support from Ben Cox and Ben Green on day three, found another adhesive partner in Josh Davey.
Davey’s 68 minutes at the crease tested Essex’s patience further. He seemed even to be taunting them as he launched Harmer over long-on for six and brought up Leicestershire’s 400 by reverse-sweeping him for four.
Moments earlier, Hill cut Charlie Bennett for four and then dived home for a second run off a similar shot to complete his hundred, rising to celebrate vigorously. It was his first century since last July, the 10th of his first-class career and by some distance his slowest, coming off 275 balls.
Davey was caught behind off a thin under-edge as he tried to punch away Matt Critchley’s legspin. It left Leicestershire nine down but their number 11, 19-year-old rookie seamer Alex Green, survived 22 balls, allowing Hill to eke out 23 more runs.
Between, they used up virtually the whole of the half-hour added to the morning session after the fall of the ninth wicket. There were just two deliveries remaining before lunch when Hill, having lofted Critchley over mid-on for his 12th four, wearily attempted another and missed.
It had been an extraordinary, characterful effort, if rather more obdurate than elegant. Hill has struggled for runs in general this season and, had Leicestershire not been so badly hit by injuries and absences, would likely not have played in this match.
Instead, he enjoyed probably one of his finest moments, readily acknowledged by the Essex players, who were gracious enough to congratulate him, virtually to a man.
Needing to score at 3.64 per over, Essex soon lost Dean Elgar, caught at first slip as Davey squared him up. Westley fell to a terrific catch at backward point but 116 more from 35 overs in the final session looked well within their compass.
Charlie Allison, who caught the eye with five fours, was bowled by Ben Green for 36 but new batter Critchley hastened the conclusion by hammering six off Rehan.
Walter completed his second hundred of the summer from 125 balls. He could not see the job through as Hill topped off his day with a fine catch in the deep, leaving Michael Pepper - substitute for the England-bound Jordan Cox - to hit the winning boundary square on the off side.
DAY THREE HIGHLIGHTS
DAY THREE REPORT
Essex, looking to go top of the Division One table, were pushed back in their pursuit of a third consecutive win as bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire staged a second-innings fightback in the Rothesay County Championship at Uptonsteel Grace Road.
After following on 214 runs behind, the heavily-depleted home side were still 30 in arrears when overseas batter Nick Kelly became their fifth second-innings casualty half an hour after lunch.
But after Lewis Hill (64 not out) and Ben Cox (49) resisted for more than two hours in a sixth-wicket partnership of 90, Leicestershire closed on 326 for seven with a lead of 112. Seamer Shane Snater was the pick of the Essex bowlers with three for 64, with off-spinner Simon Harmer two for 98 from 41 overs.
Leicestershire openers Rishi Patel (58) and debutant Sheridon Gumbs (49) had earlier put on 96 before Patel’s departure began a collapse to 184 for five.
Victory here would be enough for Tom Westley’s side to claim top spot at the half-way stage of the competition if both Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire fail to chase down big fourth-innings targets in their matches.
Essex’s first-innings double-centurion Jordan Cox will not bat in the second innings after being asked to join up with England ahead of Wednesday’s second Test against New Zealand.
Michael Pepper has come in as a substitute to take the gloves in place of wicketkeeper-batter Cox.
Leicestershire, who had been asked to follow on late on Saturday after scoring 187 in reply to Essex’s first-innings 401, resumed on 51 without loss and were having a relatively good third morning until Patel’s demise.
The former Essex batter had passed fifty for the fifth time this season but succumbed to a delivery from Snater that flattened his middle stump as he tried to defend.
Gumbs, on his first-class debut, fell making room to cut off-spinner Simon Harmer but built on the good impression he left after his first innings.
He is only 22 yet embraces the old fashioned virtues of patience and application which, allied to a sound technique and calm demeanour, should serve him well. He grew in confidence, reeling off several classically pleasing shots among his eight boundaries until the wily Harmer bowled him with a delivery that kept a shade low, denying the left-hander what would have been a well-deserved half-century.
Second-wicket partner Rehan Ahmed offered a pat on the back as Gumbs departed but wasn’t long following him in, missing a sweep to be leg before.
Leicestershire’s hopes now seemed to rest with New Zealand international Kelly, their sole source of sustained counter-attack in the first innings, but after a couple of flashes of aggressive intent, including a straight six off Harmer, he played round one from Jamie Porter to fall on 19 at 166 for four in what felt like a big moment. Leicestershire still trailed by 48.
Yet resistance followed as Cox joined Hill, the sixth-wicket pair initially facing spin from both ends as Matt Critchley joined Harmer in the attack, ensuring Essex would need to bat a second time before the new ball was taken at 219 for five after 80 overs, and surviving six overs of Porter and Snater before reaching tea at 244 for five, 30 in front.
The breakthrough Essex craved came 11 overs into the final session as Cox dragged one on against Snater, with skiddy low bounce a factor again.
But Hill, who had reached his fifty from 173 balls after almost three and a half hours at the crease, found another resilient partner in stand-in skipper Ben Green as the pair stretched Leicestershire’s advantage by another 50 before the latter was leg before to a full delivery from third seamer Charlie Bennett.
DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Struggling Leicestershire are in danger of slipping to a fourth consecutive Division One defeat after being made to follow on by Essex on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash at Uptonsteel Grace Road.
Replying to an Essex first-innings total of 401 built around a highly impressive 204 by Jordan Cox, Leicestershire were bowled out for 187. They negotiated the first 13 overs of their second innings to be 51 without loss going into day three but are still 163 behind.
New Zealand international Nick Kelly made 78 but no other batter passed 23 as Leicestershire’s first innings elapsed in 63.2 overs, off-spinner Simon Harmer and seamer Charlie Bennett taking three wickets each.
Sheridon Gumbs, a 22-year-old opening batter making his debut in a depleted Leicestershire line-up, made a favourable impression and leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed - like Cox named in the England squad for the second Test against New Zealand - advanced his claims by taking four wickets, although he could make only five with the bat.
Gumbs made only 21 but defied the Essex attack for just short of two hours in his first taste of first-class cricket and is 16 not out overnight alongside Rishi Patel on 28.
Perversely, Leicestershire’s imperilled end to the day followed what had been their morning.
Although Essex achieved an impressive total given they were asked to bat first, their last seven wickets fell for just 63 runs as Leicestershire claimed maximum bowling points.
A sequence of dismissals that began with Matt Critchley’s demise on 97 just before Friday’s close and nightwatch Jamie Porter’s departure for a duck continued with Rehan Ahmed dismissing Charlie Allison and Noah Thain within the first three overs of the second day. The second new ball then saw Josh Davey remove Cox and Shane Snater in consecutive overs.
Cox, whose 26th four had taken him past 200 for the third time in his career, was well caught behind by his diving namesake Ben off a delivery that spat somewhat. The ball rebounded off his upper arm, which he rubbed pointedly, but in the umpire’s judgment had brushed his glove first. No argument with Snater, whose off stump flew.
Cox and Critchley scored three quarters of Essex’s total between them and though Harmer’s 36 secured them a fourth batting point before Tom Scriven bowled him off the bottom edge, at 338 for three they had been looking for all five.
Nonetheless, it soon felt like 401 would be plenty as Leicestershire, lacking five of the batters who made up their top seven when these sides met in Chelmsford a month ago, never threatened to get close.
Rishi Patel, perhaps unluckily, was given out leg before to Porter before Snater similarly removed Rehan - dropped at first slip in the previous over - with one that kept notably low.
The recalled Lewis Hill was likewise undone by a ball that struck him at shin height.
Gumbs, a left-hander who played List A cricket for Surrey before moving to Grace Road last year, impressed with his patience and application. But Harmer, introduced after 20 overs, provoked an error with a flighted delivery that he edged to slip, going on to turn one sharply from outside off stump to bowl Joey Evison. Ben Cox was leg before to Thain offering no shot.
Kelly, the sole remaining major obstacle in front of Essex, reached his half-century from 78 balls but lost more partners as Harmer had Ben Green caught behind off an inside edge, and Bennett struck twice in consecutive overs. He removed Tom Scriven via an excellent, one-handed catch by Cox before Josh Davey tamely lofted a full toss straight to extra cover.
Alex Green, a 19-year-old pace bowler making his second first-class appearance, helped Kelly add another 20 for the last wicket before the latter’s defiance ended with a steepling catch to long-off.
DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS
Jordan Cox celebrated his call-up to the England squad for the second Test against New Zealand next week with an unbeaten 184 as Essex overcame a rocky start to dominate a rain-affected day one in their visit to Leicestershire in the Rothesay County Championship.
The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who was named in a 15-strong party for The Oval after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were omitted for disciplinary reasons, hammered his first hundred runs off just 73 balls, hitting 14 fours before reaching the milestone with his second six.
Matt Critchley made 97 as Essex, who had been put in on a green pitch at Uptonsteel Grace Road, recovered from eight for two to finish on 342 for five from 75 overs after the first session had been lost to early drizzle and a wet outfield.
Cox, who has three one-day internationals and six T20 appearances for England to his name, has yet to make his Test debut, having twice been on the verge of selection only to be injured.
His addition to the squad this time comes despite this match giving him his first red-ball cricket since last July and only his fourth match in any format since February after a stint in the Indian Premier League that did not bring a single appearance.
Yet his form clearly has not suffered for that as he recorded his 12th century in 63 first-class matches and passed 4,000 career runs at the same time.
He was the major partner in a stand of 147 for the Essex third wicket with skipper Tom Westley, which looked like it had some more mileage in it before Westley pulled the second ball after tea from Rehan straight into the hands of short mid-wicket to go for 41.
That was a rare moment of encouragement for Leicestershire, whose only previous successes had come in the first eight overs after the delayed start, as seamer Ben Green straightened one enough to trap Paul Walter leg before and then uprooted Dean Elgar’s off stump.
At that point, Essex supporters might have feared a bad day for their side but on a pitch that seemed to have fewer demons than might have been anticipated, particularly once the dampness of the early part of the day had given way to sunshine, Cox and Westley soon took charge.
Once they had been parted, Cox and Critchley added another 183 before the latter, who hit 12 fours and a six before, was bowled by Joey Evison - at Grace Road on a two-match loan from Kent - just short of a second hundred of the season.
Leicestershire picked up another late scalp when Rehan Ahmed dismissed nightwatch Jamie Porter but for the most part their bowlers had been punished ruthlessly for their inaccuracy, having compounded their problems by failing to take key chances.
Critchley had an escape after scoring only a single, albeit only when Rehan failed to hold what would have been a stunning caught-and-bowled. The leg-spinning all-rounder later saw Cox put down on 146 at short extra cover.
Leicestershire - bottom of Division One without a win - are looking to avenge a seven-wicket defeat at Chelmsford when these sides met in the last Championship round before switching to the Vitality Blast, a result that came about when the Foxes were bowled out for 60 with Sam Cook and Shane Snater taking four wickets each.
Cook is ruled out here after suffering a fractured wrist in training last month. Leicestershire, meanwhile, have been forced into eight changes because of injuries and non-availability.
Skipper Ian Holland, like Wiaan Mulder of Essex, is interrupting his season in England to play Major League Cricket in the United States.
