Essex Vs. Lancashire LVCC Day Two.

Katich century puts Lancashire in charge.

Katich's ton was essential in Lancashire
closing in on Essex's total.

Closing on 266-7, Lancashire owe a great deal to their Australian international, Simon Katich, who led the visitors response scoring 120 not out. Trailing by just seven runs, Lancashire are hopeful of surpassing Essex's score early tomorrow morning as play ended early, once again, due to a dubious bad light call from the umpires.

Commencing play, the light was in fact worse than that at the close, w

ith floodlights aiding conditions. It was not long before Sajid Mahmood departed, flashing to Andrea Agathangelou off Glen Chapple for 23. Reece Topley had a similarly short stay at the crease - bowled by Chapple for one, as Essex finished with 273.

On his Lancashire debut Luis Reece displayed promising signs, opening the batting with Luke Procter, although he may have been given out LBW first ball of the innings. But the two youngsters found conditions challenging against experienced bowlers like David Masters. It was he who struck first, trapping Procter LBW for eight at 25-1.

Reece had tempted fate on numerous occasions and after surviving a lose shot he repeated this action once more but was not so lucky the second time round, edging to Tom Westley off Graham Napier for 24.

The third wicket stand was undoubtedly the highlight of the day for the visitors, acquiring 110 runs to put Lancashire in control of the game. It also saw the fourth successive left-hander of the innings, an occurrence of extreme rarity for the Red Rose county.

Despite reaching fifty from 104 balls, Ashwell Prince was subjected to some rather unsporting behaviour from Essex at times, typified by Masters reaction when he was eventually caught behind for 56. Katich reached the same feat in faster time (87 balls) and seemed unperturbed by the

events that may have got the better of Prince.

Unfortunately though Lancashire's middle order failed to offer adequate support to his cause, as Lancashire lost three wickets for 14 runs. Agathangelou (6) was unlucky to have a ball keep low on him, but Steven Croft's dismissal was nothing shy of poor batting, attempting to pull Napier and nicking behind to James Foster for a duck.

Topley finally joined the wicket-takers with two of his own, dismissing Gareth Cross and Wayne White, both of whom appeared impatient under the circumstances. Katich was indeed of a stable hand at the other end and in Kyle Hogg this eventually arrived. The pair mounted 58 runs between them before play closed and at no point did either look like getting out.

The eighth wicket stand also saw Katich reach his first century of the season for Lancashire, coming in 166 balls with 12 boundaries.