Doug Bracewell, Matt Critchley claim the key wickets to give Essex vital victory in title race
Paul Edwards13-Jul-2023
Lancashire’s cricketers arrived at Stanley Park this morning knowing that if they could bat out the day against Essex, they would certainly earn their team five points. Even in this era of extraordinary feats, chasing down 430 for victory on a fourth-day Blackpool pitch was surely an absurdity. So we thought anyway…But Keaton Jennings and his players also understood that even if they merely scraped a manky draw, it would go some way towards expiating the hurt to their professional reputations suffered by their hogwhimperingly incompetent performance on the third day. So it was one of those times on which county cricketers learn something about themselves that goes beyond technique and character. Colleagues and coaches can help but they cannot face the bowling in either the actual or metaphorical sense.Something like ten hours later, Jennings’ players had indeed discovered much about themselves, even in defeat to a fine Essex team, whose varied attack had conjured a 46-run victory with just ten balls to spare. And rather than block like buggery for 96 overs, Lancashire’s batsmen had played positively, more or less every one of them, to give their side a chance of achieving the highest successful fourth-innings run-chase in their history. As things turned out, it wasn’t quite enough but those who witnessed it, regardless of their loyalties, will not forget it.For in the penultimate over of the day, with Tom Westley’s players perhaps doubting that victory would be theirs, Rob Jones glanced Doug Bracewell into the safe hands of Dan Lawrence at leg-slip. Almost on the instant, Lawrence was mobbed by colleagues celebrating their fourth victory of the Championship season; at the same moment Jones stood motionless in the crease, the fact of his superb 111 suddenly lost amid the desolation of defeat. Of course he received a standing ovation as he returned to the pavilion, but so did Essex’s players at the end of a long drama, whose tension had seemed improbable in the extreme when the rain was cascading down on Monday and Tuesday.But in truth this match was something of a triumph for almost all the players, not least Jennings and Luke Wells whose 58-run stand in the first hour of the day was the highest opening partnership of the contest. However, since the previous three had all been nought, this achievement did not prompt Glen Chapple to lead a conga on the home balcony. What might have pleased Lancashire’s head coach rather more was the sight of his openers negotiating the first hour’s play with few alarms save Wells being dropped on two when Simon Harmer grassed a tough one-handed chance at second slip off Sam Cook. Shortly after midday, however, Jennings was not as fortunate on 30 when he tried to cut Bracewell but only nicked the ball high to Will Buttleman’s left and saw the keeper take an outstanding one-handed catch.Essex enjoyed no other breakthroughs in the morning session. On the contrary, Wells reached his fifty off 83 balls and Josh Bohannon took the fight to Harmer, twice lofting the off-spinner for leg-side sixes. Lancashire came in to lunch prosperously placed on 140 for one after 32 overs, the sort of score that led some well-watered souls in the pavilion to speculate about the chances of their side winning the match. Apparently they were getting particularly animated in the touring version of the 1864 Suite, although that might have been linked to the arrival of three cases of Château Lafaurie Peyraguey.Such excitement was not lessened when Bohannon whacked Harmer for another six over long-on in the second over after lunch but it was stilled a few moments later when Lancashire lost two wickets in the space of five balls. First Wells, having ridden a little luck and been dropped twice was safely taken at backward point by Paul Walter off Matt Critchley. Then Dane Vilas, who is sadly out of nick, could make nothing off Critchley’s googly and was bowled for a five-ball duck.The atmosphere of the game changed almost at once as the Essex fielders encouraged their bowlers with fresh optimism and loud encouragement. Justifiably so, as well, for having reached an impressive fifty off 65 balls, Bohannon again fell to a backward of square leg-side catch off left-arm seamer Paul Walter when a sweetly timed pull off his hip went straight to Jamie Porter at long leg.Phil Salt joined Jones and although Lancashire reached the midpoint of the day exactly halfway towards their target, they did so with their last two specialist batsmen together. And no-one was talking about knocking off 430 now. Yet as paralleled in so many cricket matches, Essex’s best chance of winning the game lay in the fact that Lancashire could also do so. While Jones and Salt were tantalised by the possibility of improbable victory, Westley’s players knew their own chances were increased as long as their opponents still had a sniff.The game swung in Essex’s favour, perhaps vitally so, shortly after tea. First, Salt, having made 41, top-edged a sweep off Critchley to Porter behind square on the leg side. Three overs later, Colin de Grandhomme hooked Paul Walter straight to Jamie Porter at long leg and it became plain that Lancashire were running out of batters capable of scoring the runs they needed for victory.Still, however, with 89 needed off the last 16 overs and the new ball about to be taken, they gave it a go. Tom Hartley made 17 before he nicked Cook to Buttleman. Next over Jack Blatherwick gave Porter a return catch and with seven overs left in the contest Tom Bailey skied Bracewell to backward point, where Harmer took a superb diving catch. Finally, and perhaps just a trifle too late, Lancashire settled for the draw and the crowd subsided into a tense silence. Will Williams defied Harmer with some front foot lunges and the draw beckoned. Then, Bracewell gathered his substantial form and galloped in to bowl to Jones….
