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Essex v Lancashire

LV= Insurance County Championship

The Cloud County Ground, Tuesday 20 – Friday 23 September

Team News:

Essex: Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Dan Lawrence, Feroze Khushi, Matt Critchley, Adam Rossington (wk), Shane Snater, Simon Harmer, Sam Cook and Jamie Porter.

Lancashire: Luke Wells, Keaton Jennings, Josh Bohannon, Steven Croft, Dane Vilas (c), George Bell (wk), George Balderson, Tom Hartley, Tom Bailey, Will Williams and Matt Parkinson.

Match Details:

Umpires: Richard Kettleborough & David Millns
Match Referee: Wayne Noon
Toss: Lancashire, who elected to bat
Result: Lancashire won by 38 runs

Scorecard: View Here

Day Two Highlights:

Day Two Reaction: Anthony McGrath

Day Two Report:

George Balderson claimed a hat-trick to wreck Essex hopes in an incredible match at Chelmsford that spanned just a little over 4 sessions.

The pace bowler finished with 5/14 from seven overs and was duly supported by Will Williams who returned 4/24 as Essex lost lost nine wickets for 35 runs in pursuit of 98 to win.

Only two Essex batters reached double figures against the telling and incisive bowling of the Lancashire duo. They helped their side to 19 points, whilst Essex have to settle for three after a dramatic Championship clash.

Lancashire had resumed their second innings on 25-6 with debutant, George Bell looking settled on 24.

However, his 28-ball knock ended when he was bowled around his legs by Snater to reduce Lancashire to 34-7. Snater had taken 5/6 in 4.2 overs at that stage.

The two Toms, Bailey and Hartley, both hit successive boundaries in an uncharacteristically wayward over from Sam Cook that cost 17 runs.

Bailey then threw the bat to the first ball of the next over only to pick out Lawrence on the long-leg boundary and hand Snater his sixth wicket and incredible figures of 6/10.

Cook gained a measure of personal satisfaction when Hartley attempted an upper-cut to a short ball and only succeeded in edging behind to give Sam Cook his 200th first-class wicket for Essex.

Simon Harmer had the last word when he struck Matt Parkinson full on the front pad to end the visitors’ second innings inside 24 overs for 73.

With the floodlights on throughout the day, the home side, seeking a third successive Championship victory in September, set out on the task of reaching 98 runs for victory.

Alastair Cook and Nick Browne made a comparatively serene start to the chase and had 24 on the board in seven overs to ease the nerves of the home camp before Browne was trapped lbw by Bailey.

The introduction of Balderson was instrumental from a Lancashire point of view and he had Cook beaten all ends up with his second delivery by one that ducked in and dislodged his leg bail.

His next ball had Dan Lawrence chipping to Will Williams at mid-wicket before the bowler breached Matt Critchley’s defences to claim his hat-trick.

Lunch arrived soon afterwards with Balderson feasting on figures of 2-2-0-3, while Essex left the field on 34-4.

Feroze Khushi soon followed after the break as he was bowled by Will Williams for a single as Essex moved on to 35-5.

Adam Rossington opted for aggression and collected two boundaries before Balderson wiped him out and with the score on 55, Essex lost their seventh and eight wicket, both to Williams.

During all the carnage, skipper Tom Westley had stood firm but he finally succumbed for 13 having survived 41 balls when he was caught to become a fifth wicket for Balderson.

Williams rounded off proceedings when he bowled Sam Cook to leave Lancashire celebrating victory.

All-rounder, Snater capped off a fine individual performance by being awarded his county cap during the lunch interval following an outstanding season for the Club.

Day One Highlights:

Day One Report:

Simon Harmer’s prodigal return from international duty with South Africa was marked with another five-wicket haul for the Club with 26 wickets falling on the opening day at Chelmsford.

The off-spinner, who had bowled just 23 overs in two months since his last appearance for Essex in late July, claimed his sixth five-wicket haul of the summer to take his tally past fifty for the fifth time in six seasons. But while his 5/41 helped skittle Lancashire for 131, Essex struggled initially to capitalise in the third v fourth clash in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

Lancashire seamer Tom Bailey matched Harmer’s efforts by taking 5/36 as Essex were dismissed for 107. Only Alastair Cook’s resolute 40, the highest by anyone on an extraordinary day, prevented Lancashire from eking out a bigger first-innings lead than the 24 runs they managed.

However, that was not the end of the strange affair. When Lancashire batted for a second time in the evening gloom, Luke Wells was bowled first ball by Sam Cook before Shane Snater had three lbw appeals upheld in four balls to account for Keaton Jennings, Steven Croft and Dane Vilas.

When Cook then had Josh Bohannon caught behind Lancashire were reeling on four for five. And that became worse when Snater took a fourth wicket, his sixth of the day, knocking over George Balderson’s stumps. By the close, at 25 for six, Lancashire’s lead was a precarious 49.

Lancashire, who won the toss on a wicket of variable bounce under leaden skies, were all out first time around three-quarters of an hour after lunch. Snater started their demise with his first ball, beating the outside of Wells’s bat and rapping the off-stump. The first-wicket stand of 25 turned out to be the largest of the innings, and second largest of the game to date.

Snater also removed Lancashire’s other opener, Jennings, at the start of his fourth over when an uncontrolled inside edge ballooned into the covers. In between, Cook, who had switched to the Hayes Close End to accommodate Snater, trapped Bohannon lbw to one that kept low.

Harmer’s magisterial entrance was delayed until the 18th over and he bowled unchanged from the River End until Lancashire’s brittle resistance was ended. Croft reverse-swept him for four before he rediscovered his range and sent one skidding through to claim Vilas lbw.

Croft hung around for a time before he chanced another reverse sweep, realised his error, tried to rectify it and dabbed the ball to the diving Alastair Cook at slip.

Harmer went to lunch with a third scalp under his belt when George Balderson injudiciously left the last ball before the break and was another lbw victim.

Lancashire were seven down soon after the interval when George Bell marked his first-class debut by attempting an extravagant drive at Cook and was bowled. Will Williams did not last long before he was struck on the pad by Cook with bat nowhere near ball.

The innings was wrapped up in the 40th over – with Bailey unbeaten on 24, the highest of the innings – when Parkinson edged to slip to give Harmer his 29th five-wicket return in six seasons for Essex.

Essex’s reply followed a similar dreary pattern. Nick Browne went third ball when he tried to whip Bailey through the onside and was lbw. Next over Tom Westley shouldered arms to Williams, turning to see his off-stump pegged back, before Bailey had Lawrence playing all around a delivery to depart lbw.

The procession back to the Pavilion continued. Balderstone removed Matt Critchley with his fifth ball, Hartley taking the catch at head height, to his right, at third slip.

Feroze Khushi batted brightly before he dragged the first ball after tea from Parkinson onto his stumps. Adam Rossington, meanwhile, fished outside off-stump and kept walking.

Alastair Cook had watched the wickets tumble, but after holding up his end for 98 balls, he was seventh out, pinned plumb on his back foot by Bailey. Essex’s innings finished seven overs later as Snater, Harmer and Jamie Porter departed in quick succession. That, though, was not the end of a bizarre day, not by a long way.

Inspired by yet another gutsy Shane Snater performance Essex snuck home to complete a narrow victory against Yorkshire, their second one-wicket win this season.

The victory moved Essex to within five points of third-place Lancashire and the winner of next week’s clash will be firm favourites to finish behind the top two.

The fixture, starting on Tuesday 20 September, will be the final time the Men’s First XI appear at The Cloud County Ground this season. Tickets are available online, over the phone or at the gate.

Squad:

Essex welcome Simon Harmer back to the squad after his stint with the South African Test side.

The Opposition:

Lancashire have had a ‘what if’ sort of season after falling just short in both the Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup finals, with the latter coming as recently as Saturday.

Their good form has extended to the LV= Insurance County Championship where they sit in third place after consistently challenging the top spots all season.

Only first place Surrey have fewer than Lancashire’s one defeat in red-ball cricket this season, that defeat coming at the hands of Essex in Manchester. It was a performance which arguably kickstarted Essex’s season after a relatively slow start.

In the spotlight at the start of the season was young batter Josh Bohannon, however, it has been the more experienced heads of Keaton Jennings and Luke Wells who have excelled with the bat this season. Jennings has already reached the 1000-run mark and has done so at an average of over 70, Wells’ 940 runs have come at 58.75 while Bohannon himself has 792 runs at 46.58.

Will Williams began his Lancashire career on a short-term overseas contract but shortly after ended his career in New Zealand to sign for Lancs as a local player. The move has paid off as he has since taken 27 wickets at under 20 apiece, but it’s Tom Bailey who leads the wicket-taking charts with 43 scalps at 25.04.

Last time out:

When the sides last met in red-ball cricket in May, Essex had won one of their opening five Championship fixtures and were searching for momentum.

They found their spark in Manchester with a comprehensive victory that started a run of three successive wins and five in seven since making the trip North.

Batting first Essex posted 391, largely down to a wonderful 120 from Dan Lawrence who reached three figures despite struggling with a hamstring injury. The innings was bolstered by 71 from Nick Browne and 72 from Shane Snater, neither his first nor his last contribution with the bat this season.

Sam Cook and Jamie Porter then delivered four early breakthroughs as Lancashire were reduced to 14-4, which soon became 24-5 when Snater was introduced. Despite a 44 from Phil Salt, Lancashire stumbled to 103 all out, with Cook picking up 4/18 and two wickets each for Porter and Snater.

With the follow-on enforced, Essex’s opening pair of Cook and Porter once again made early inroads to leave Lancashire struggling on 43-3. This time they were joined by Simon Harmer who picked up his first five-wicket haul of the season to finish with 5/89 as Lancashire were bowled all out for 232. The winning margin for Essex was an innings and 56 runs.

How To Watch:

A free live stream of the game will be provided via The Essex Cricket Matchzone, which includes player stats, scorecards and clips throughout the game.

The broadcast can be accessed via the Essex Cricket Matchzone, courtesy of our hosts, Yorkshire – here.

This week’s match marks the final home game of the 2022 season with just a trip to Northamptonshire to follow in this year’s LV= Insurance County Championship.

Essex are going in search of a third successive victory after wins over Kent and Yorkshire.

Third-placed, Lancashire stand in the way and are coming off the back of a defeat in the Royal London Cup.

Gates Opening Times:

From 9:30am via the Main Entrance on New Writtle Street or the Tees River Gate which is the closest entrance from Chelmsford City Centre and Chelmsford Bus/Train Stations.

Scheduled Hours of Play:

Toss (Day One): 10am
Morning Session: 10:30am-12:30pm
Afternoon Session: 1:10pm-3:10pm
Evening Session: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Scheduled Close of Play: 5:30pm

Members Entry & Matchday Tickets:

The LV= Insurance County Championship is part of the 2022 Membership and Members are required to scan their card on the gate.

We encourage supporters to purchase tickets in advance of the game to speed up your entry into the ground and also to save you money with reduced-priced tickets available at £13 Adults, £10 Students/Young Adults (18-25) and £5 Juniors (U18s).

These can be bought online via the following link or alternatively by phone (01245 254010) in person at The Cloud County Ground.

Tickets will also be available on the gates from 9:30am each day and this is strictly card sales only. Post-lunch tickets are available priced at £10 Adults, with entry free of charge after the scheduled Tea break.

Matchday Purchases:

The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, which includes purchasing tickets on the gates, scorecards on the gates, and on food and drink purchases in the Doug Insole Pavilion and concourse areas. Find out more – here

Please note that the Essex Cricket Store is the only location on-site which accepts cash payments.

Scorecards will be available using contactless payment on the entry gates priced at £1, however cash sales will be accepted in the Essex Cricket Store if required.

Accessibility:

Accessible parking:
Spaces are located at The Cloud County Ground and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Accessible Seating:
Accessible seating can be found in the Hayes Close End of the ground with a wheelchair-accessible platform located in Block One of the Tom Pearce Stand.

Carers can enter the ground on a companion ticket which is free of charge. This is upon the presentation in the Membership & Ticketing Office or on the gate with proof of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people under 16 years old.

We can also accept a Blue Badge and Access card.

Accessible Toilets:
Wheelchair-accessible toilets are located behind the main scorecard (Red Area), rear of the Doug Insole Pavilion (Blue Area) and adjacent to Block 25 at County Corner (Green Area).

Ahead of Your Visit:

We want to make sure supporters are all set ahead of visiting the ground. COVID-19 safety measures have been removed for the 2022 season but spectators are welcome to wear facemasks in the seated areas and whilst walking around the concourse if they choose.

In the event of adverse weather conditions on the day of the match, please keep up to date with the prospects of play via the Club’s Twitter and Facebook channels or from our automated phone line on 01245 254049.

Travel:

Parking:
• Spectators travelling by car will need to locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloud County Ground.

• The High Chelmer multi-storey will be open across all four days and closes at 10pm on Monday-Thursday.

• Meteor Way will be open for Members and open three hours before the start of play and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Public Transport:
• Chelmsford Bus Station is situated on Duke Street, next to Chelmsford Train Station, with connections to all over the County. Alternatively, bus numbers 42 and 100, which are operated by First Group, stop on New London Road, which is approximately a two-minute walk to the Ground, via New Writtle Street.

• Chelmsford Railway Station is operated by Greater Anglia and is an approximate 10-minute walk from The Cloud County Ground. Regular direct train services depart from Chelmsford to London, Stratford, Shenfield, Romford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich. Chelmsford is situated on the Liverpool Street to Norwich mainline.

Ground Entry:

Spectators are able to enter the ground via the Main Gate located on New Writtle Street or through the Tees River Gate.

Members:
• The Doug Insole Pavilion is open for Members upon the presentation of a valid Membership card and accessible by entering the ground through the Main Gate.

• The Woodland Group Premier Marquee will not be open to Members on Day Two (Tuesday) due to an event taking place.

• Members are not required to pre-book a match ticket and can enter by scanning their Membership card on the gate. If you require a replacement card, please get in contact with the Membership & Ticketing Office before the fixture to arrange a replacement or this may cause delays on entry for you and other spectators.

• Entry to this fixture are included in 2022 Membership and encourage Members to arrive in plenty of time to secure your seat. All seating for Championship games is Unallocated and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• The Members’ seated areas are located in the Doug Insole Pavilion Benches, Tom Pearce Stand, and Areas 1-14 in the River End of the ground. Members are also welcome to sit in Block 30 & 31, which is accessible via the Hayes Close Gate.

General Public Seating:

• Supporters who have purchased tickets can enter the ground by scanning the QR on your tickets that has been sent to you via email following your purchase. If you choose to print out your ticket, please ensure that the match details (including name and seat details) are included as per the image below. Make sure you have your match ticket available on your phone or printed out so it is easily accessible for ticket scanning on arrival. Please do not take a ‘screen grab’ of your QR code as that will not be read by the scanners.

• Ticket holders for this game are welcome to sit in the Unallocated Areas numbered 15-26, which includes covered seating in Areas 22-24.

• In the event of rain forecast on the day of the match, spectators can bring a small umbrella into the ground but metal spiked umbrellas are not permitted.

Around the Ground:

• Spectators are welcome to enter the pitch during the lunch & tea breaks when instructed over PA or by a member of the Club’s stewarding team. Please follow the guidance to the specific areas permitted to enter and please respect the playing surface. We encourage spectators to play on the outfield but please use softballs.

• Spectators are permitted to move behind the Doug Insole Pavilion but please respect the players’ area and walkway.

• The Club Store and Membership & Ticketing Office will be open for spectators for the duration of your visit.

• The Peter Edwards Museum & Library is located on-site adjacent to the Essex Cricket Store and will be open for the duration of the game.

• If you experience any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour during your visit to The Cloud County Ground then, please contact your nearest steward. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or text ‘CROWD’ including your stand and issue to 60066.

Food & Drink:

• The Doug Insole Pavilion will be serving a wide range of hot and cold drinks from the bar. A choice of snacks will also be available to purchase.

• The Members’ £10.00 meal deal is available, which includes a one-course hot meal and drink of your choice (up to the value of £5). This can be purchased in the Doug Insole Pavilion with meals served 30 minutes before the lunch break.

• Anne’s Pantry will be offering a choice of home-cooked meals, cakes/snacks, and drinks from their refreshment kiosks located in the Hayes Close End and River End.

They will be serving a range of meals suitable for all dietary requirements including vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free, as well as children’s portions.

• Other refreshment kiosks include bar areas located at either end of the ground in County Corner and Spinner’s Bar.

• Spectators can bring food and drink into the ground for this fixture. A limit of four cans of beer/lager or one bottle of wine per person but there’s strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted into the ground.

• Please note that The Cloud County Ground is now a cashless ground for 2022, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit.

Leaving the Ground:

At the conclusion of the day’s play, we ask spectators to leave the ground in a safe and patient manner. Stewards will be on hand to help direct you safely out of the ground.

We hope you have an enjoyable visit to The Cloud County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be available on essexcricket.org.uk ahead of the match.

Get in touch with us by email if you have any further questions at [email protected] or via the Club’s official Twitter and Facebook channels.

Watch The Action On the Move

Our Live Stream will be available for spectators with multi-angled ball tracking, replays and commentary courtesy of BBC Essex. Head to the Essex Cricket Matchzone to watch the action live ahead of the toss on Day One, plus view an interactive scorecard, stats and individual match clips.

>> Visit Matchzone

Law Changes for 2022:

A number of new cricket rules have been introduced for the professional game in 2022, which can be viewed here

Yorkshire v Essex

LV= Insurance County Championship

Clean Slate Headingley, Monday 12 – Thursday 15 September

Team News:

Yorkshire: Adam Lyth, Finlay Bean, George Hill, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Will Fraine, Jonathan Tattersall, Matthew Revis, Jordan Thompson, Ben Coad, Steven Patterson, Jack Shutt.

Essex: Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Dan Lawrence, Feroze Khushi, Matt Critchley, Adam Rossington (wk), Shane Snater, Ben Allison, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.

Match Details:

Umpires: Rob Bailey & Rob White
Match Referee: Will Smith
Toss: Essex, who elected to bowl

Scorecard: View Here

Day Three Highlights:

Day Three Report:

Essex secured back-to-back victories by chasing down 162 in a tightly fought contest. Shane Snater’s aggressive unbeaten 68 secured a thrilling one-wicket LV= Insurance County Championship win over Yorkshire inside three days to record a first Championship win at Headingley since 1984.

Essex took eight wickets during the first half of the day to bowl Yorkshire out for 252 in the second innings, including three apiece for leg-spinner Matt Critchley and new-ball quick Jamie Porter (4/64).

But they later slipped from 51/2 to 64/6 in a crazy 13-ball evening spell in which veteran seamer Steve Patterson struck three times for the hosts.

Patterson, who has not been offered a new contract beyond this season following 17 years of first-team cricket, finished with a brilliant 5/46, including the ninth wicket with the scores level.

But Snater heaved Ben Coad through midwicket to secure 20 points for his side – their sixth win of the campaign.

Snater, who also hit 46 in the first innings, successfully turned Essex defence into attack amidst a nail-biting finish. Essex are now four points behind Lancashire with two to play.

Battling Yorkshire, meanwhile, lost for the fourth time this season and are not yet out of relegation danger after only taking three points. Their position will be clearer when Warwickshire versus Somerset finishes tomorrow.

They started the day on 87-2 in their second innings, trailing by four, and were bowled out for 252 midway through the afternoon. Jamie Porter finished with 4/64, while Matt Critchley’s leg-spin accounted for three wickets.

As impressive as Patterson was with the ball, Coad’s day three contribution was just as significant in taking this game down to the wire.

But perhaps not in the way you would expect.

The new ball seamer, who earlier in this match took his 200th first-class cricket, crashed an entertaining 69 off 70 balls with 10 fours and a six over midwicket to give himself and his bowling colleagues something to work with. He later struck twice with the ball.

Five wickets in the morning session, including two for Critchley, left Yorkshire 158-7 and with a lead of 69 after they resumed on 87-2.

Fledgling opener Fin Bean had been trapped lbw by a Porter yorker for 53, his maiden first-class fifty in only his second game.

But Coad changed things. He dominated an eighth-wicket partnership of 80 with Matthew Revis, the highest stand of the match. And his score was the highest individual score of the fixture as well.

He played a stand and deliver innings, taking the view, ‘If it’s up, it’s off’.

He was then bowled by one that skidded through from Critchley, while Porter claimed two of the last three wickets to fall to leave Essex with 52 overs of batting to do before close.

The last of those wickets was Patterson caught behind. He had earlier received a warm ovation from the Headingley faithful as he walked to the crease. But it wasn’t as warm as the one he received as he left the field to get a breather with four wickets under his belt after tea!

Given Essex’s caution in the early stages of their chase, Yorkshire’s hopes remained high.

Jordan Thompson had Nick Browne caught at third slip before tea and Tom Westley sliced Patterson to backward point shortly after, leaving the score at 35-2 in the 20th over.

Then came the turnaround as Patterson wheeled away from the Howard Stand End and Coad from Kirkstall Lane.

Patterson yorked Dan Lawrence playing to leg and superbly held a one-handed diving return catch later in the 26th over – 51-4.

Coad then trapped Feroze Khushi lbw and Patterson got a flashing Cook caught at slip. Essex were six down 98 short of their target.

By now, Essex had realised they had to break the chain and started to attack. And it worked, but not before George Hill had Adam Rossington caught at short midwicket (93-7).

Snater powered Patterson for six over long-on and later showed finesse by twice steering Thompson to the third-man fence.

Snater, who faced 51 balls, dominated an eighth-wicket partnership of 63 with Allison and reached a 38-ball fifty, by which time Essex needed only 20 and the game was seemingly back in their control.

But Coad got Allison caught behind and then Patterson bowled Sam Cook, leaving Essex 161-9 and scores level. But Snater held his nerve to hit the winning run to cap a remarkable conclusion.

Day Two Highlights:

Day Two Report:

During a sunny second day at Headingley, Lawrence reached 50 for the fifth time in during a summer beset by injury as Essex replied to Yorkshire’s first-innings 134 with 225.

Essex, who lead by four going into the third days play, toiled hard with the bat and then ball as the game stays in the balance after George Hill was caught at slip by Alastair Cook in the day’s final over as he wafted at a ball outside off-stump from Jamie Porter.

Essex were 79 for three from 33 overs at lunch. After Nick Browne’s off-stump was uprooted with the first ball of the day’s second over by Thompson, who also ousted Tom Westley as the first of five lbws in the first six wickets.

Before Steve Patterson also trapped Sir Alastair Cook in front for 23 as the former England captain played back to one which skidded through.

Thompson returned immediately at the start of the afternoon and struck in his first over for the second session running as Matt Critchley was lbw.

And when Feroze Khushi and Adam Rossington were trapped lbw with deliveries which kept low from Coad in the space of six overs, Essex were six down in the 41st over and still 29 runs adrift.

However, the day’s pendulum was about to swing again as Essex reasserted their authority thanks largely to their hard-hitting seamer Snater, who freewheeled his side into the lead.

Snater hit well down the ground, off the front and back foot as well as pulling Thompson for six to secure a lead at 135 for six in the 47th over.

He shared 75 inside 15 overs with Lawrence, who he passed in the mid-forties. The England man had been on 25 when Snater came to the crease.

Lawrence, who faced 145 balls, was more than happy to play second fiddle before Snater pulled George Hill’s seam to midwicket, where sub fielder Ben Mike held on with the Essex lead on 46.

Lawrence reached his fifty shortly afterwards off 118 balls, his fifth of a frustrating summer that saw the 25-year-old suffer with two hamstring injuries during the early stages of the campaign and has had to find his way again for Essex.

He batted with skill and caution in bowler-friendly conditions, though would have been frustrated to feel for one outside off just after tea and edge Hill behind with the score on 209 for eight in the 68th over, a lead of 75.

Ben Allison, for 23, was then trapped lbw by Thompson before Hill’s third wicket was that off a swinging Sam Cook caught behind.

Sam Cook removed Adam Lyth early in Yorkshire’s second innings, however, Bean played with positivity but composure as he indicated easier batting conditions were ahead under the Headingley sunshine.

Day One Highlights:

Day One Report:

Sam Cook reached 200 first-class career wickets in record-breaking fashion as Essex bowled Yorkshire out for 134 during the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash at Headingley.

In returning an excellent three for 31 from 15 overs, the 25-year-old England Lions seamer became the first English bowler in more than half a century to bring up the double hundred at an average under 20.

Cook, whose 201 wickets have came at 19.56 apiece, achieved a feat last secured by Derbyshire’s Alan Ward in 1971 and took advantage of helpful conditions to vindicate captain Tom Westley’s decision to bowl first at the start of the two counties’ 12th match of 14 in Division One.

He was ably backed up by fellow seamer Shane Snater’s three for 39, while Jamie Porter and Ben Allison claimed two wickets apiece as the hosts were bowled out just before tea, including George Hill’s top score of 36.

There was no play possible beyond tea, taken at 3pm, due to rain, with Essex’s innings not starting. Forty-three overs were cut from the day’s allotted 96.

Play was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II and the national anthem, while both teams wore black armbands.

While Essex are bidding to end the season with a top three finish in Division One – they started this round 30 points behind Lancashire with a game in hand – Yorkshire are still not clear of relegation danger. They are 25 points clear of second-bottom Warwickshire.

Cook has been in outstanding recent form. He has taken 23 wickets in his last six appearances both in the Championship and for the Trent Rockets in the Hundred, including a match-winning 10-for against Kent last week.

Here is a bowler who is affectionately known as Little Chef at Chelmsford, owing to the presence of the Alastair Cook in their squad.

Sam is without express pace – he is not as quick as new ball partner Jamie Porter, for example – but he rarely lets batters settle with his accuracy and skill. Many see him as the ideal replacement for Jimmy Anderson in England’s Test team when needs be.

He made the initial breakthrough by getting Fin Bean caught behind for a duck one-handed by wicketkeeper Adam Rossington, who also had an impressive day. It was the first of four catches for the ex-Northamptonshire man.

That left Yorkshire, batting under floodlights all day, at four for one in the fourth over before Tom Kohler-Cadmore edged to third slip for his milestone wicket and Hill feathered behind.

When the latter fell for an innings top-score of 36 in the afternoon’s second over, Yorkshire were 64 for five in the 30th.

After an early Porter strike, getting the other opener Adam Lyth caught behind, Snater matched Cook’s contribution as Essex pressed ahead.

Snater’s first wicket was Will Fraine bowled for a duck shortly before lunch.

Afterwards, he had Matthew Revis caught behind off the inside edge and also bowled Jonny Tattersall for a hard-working 32 as Yorkshire fell to 100 for seven in the 41st over.

Allison then added his two wickets, including bowling Ben Coad with a vicious bouncer which he could only fend onto his stumps, before Porter wrapped up the innings by trapping Jack Shutt lbw in the 53rd over.

New Yorkshire loan signing Ben Mike, the all-rounder who has joined early from Leicestershire ahead of a three-year contract starting this winter, has not been selected and must wait at least a week for his debut.

Photo: SWPix.com