Essex 421 for six (Elgar 120, Critchley 103*, Cox 67) vs Kent
Nothing modifications with any nice pace at Chelmsford. Plans are presently afoot for a grand renovation of the pavilion and its surrounding concourse – the one nook of this postage-stamp floor with any wriggle-room for enlargement – although slightly like this week’s announcement that the bottom’s Hayes Shut and River Ends have been renamed in honour of its most storied Take a look at performers, Graham Gooch and Sir Alastair Cook dinner, there’s been no pretence of an improve in signage within the interim. Certainly, the interactive “Graham Napier Sixes Path”, with its 16 plaques to commemorate every of Napier’s swings for the bleachers in his well-known T20 onslaught in opposition to Sussex in 2008, stays Chelmsford’s most seen tribute to any former participant, Graham or in any other case.
It wasn’t all plain crusing for Essex after Tom Westley had received a useful toss on the primary genuinely shirt-sleeves day of the season. In step with the uneven problem that this month’s two-round experiment with the Kookaburra ball has created, Kent’s seamers brought on havoc for exactly 21 balls. In that point, Westley himself was caught behind for five off George Garrett, after Feroz Khushi – whose use of an improperly sized bat at Trent Bridge nonetheless threatens his facet’s top-of-the-table standing – selected to not use it in any respect this week in being bowled by Wes Agar whereas shouldering arms first-ball.
Cox’s confidence on the entrance foot was ample excuse for Elgar to step up his personal intent with a sequence of compact drives of his personal, however it was the introduction of Matt Parkinson’s legspin that kicked Essex’s innings into overdrive. Cox greeted his first-ball full-toss with a dismissive slap by means of the covers – the primary of three fours in a 13-run first over – and he was scarcely allowed to settle thereafter in leaking 25 runs in his first three.
Having romped to his fifty from 61 balls, an opportunity got here and went for Cox when Agar at superb leg fumbled a top-edged pull off Nathan Gilchrist, however he had added solely seven extra runs when Garrett pushed a contact fuller to pin him on the knee-roll for 67. It was hardly the harbinger of a Kent fightback, nonetheless. Critchley emerged with a platform of 169 for 3 however simply as importantly the Kookaburra coming into its dead-zone within the thirty ninth over, and Essex duly punched alongside at a fee of 4.5 an over, with scarcely a have to over-reach themselves.
Elgar’s departure got here as one thing of a shock when, on 120, he popped a tame catch to quick midwicket off Parkinson and dropped his bat in frustration at his personal missed alternative, however that merely unleashed the lengthy levers of “Tall” Paul Walter, who bombed the long-off boundary with a 4 and two more and more weighty sixes earlier than scuffing a 3rd try to present Parkinson his second wicket.
Michael Pepper, too, peppered the boundary, together with with a full-faced carry for six over the quilt rope, solely to pick deep third with an tried ramp, one wanting his fifty. Critchley, nonetheless, made no such error in carrying Essex previous the second new ball and thru to the shut, with the promise of a lot extra the place these first-day choices had come from.
The one really duff be aware for Essex had come earlier than play, when Sam Cook dinner – their Kookaburra-proofed seamer whose ten-wicket haul had routed Nottinghamshire within the first spherical – was dominated out of competition. Not, it must be stated, in protest on the flawed Cook dinner getting the honour of an Finish named after him, however as a precaution after feeling a thigh pressure.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
