A superb century from Jesse Ryder (116) and a composed 99
from Ravi Bopara held up Lancashire’s bid for a dominant second day against
Essex at Chelmsford.
The New Zealand and former England international added 186
runs for the fourth-wicket partnership after Essex – who reached 328/7 by close
of play – had been reduced to 29/3 in the morning session by Lancashire.
James Anderson (4-56) played a key hand on Day Two for the
Red Rose and was responsible for denying Bopara his second hundred against
Lancashire this season on home soil. Anderson, who claimed three wickets for 11
runs with the new ball, also removed England captain Alastair Cook with only the
second ball he delivered to his international skipper in the early stages of
the day.
After the first day of this County Championship match had
been washed out due to persistent rain, Lancashire were hoping for positive
progress on the second day of their trip to Chelmsford. Lancashire’s decision
to bowl first was certainly vindicated after the home side were pegged back to
29/3 inside the first hour of the match.
The battle between England’s all-time leading run-scorer and
wicket-taker - Cook and Anderson – was scheduled to be a key contest in this
match, but Anderson won the conflict with his international captain, trapping
Cook lbw for one in the third over of the day.
Glen Chapple, who captained Lancashire in 2013 when Essex
were bowled out for 20 on home soil, then had Tom Westley caught behind by Phil
Mustard without scoring. The Lancashire veteran entered this fixture needing
only 18 more wickets to reach the coveted milestone of 1,000 first-class
victims and he took his first-class tally to 984 wickets when he claimed the
important wicket of Nick Browne.
The Essex opener became the first batsman to reach 1,000
first-class runs for the county since 2008 last week against Leicestershire
with his fifth hundred of the season, but Chapple (2-64) ended his innings on
27 when he edged to Anderson at third slip, the scoreboard now reading 29/3.
Lancashire were unable to completely dominate proceedings
due to a superb recovery from Ryder and Bopara, who rebuilt the innings either
side of lunch with a confident and assured partnership. Ryder played Essex out
of trouble the only way he knows how to; by being aggressive and playing his
shots with a no-nonsense attitude.
The Kiwi all-rounder was therefore able to accelerate to his
half-century in only 59 balls, hitting ten boundaries and a huge six on his way
to this milestone. By contrast, it took Bopara 147 deliveries to reach his
fifty, in a much more measured knock than the demonstration given by Ryder.
Bopara hit eight boundaries on his way to fifty, by which
stage Essex had progressed to 171/3 and Lancashire early dominance was a
distant memory. Ryder launched Luis Reece out of the ground for his second of
three sixes, a maximum which lead to several of the visiting dressing room –
including Ashley Giles – to attempt to retrieve the ball.
Ryder, who has represented New Zealand on 18 occasions in
Test cricket, went to three figures in 115 balls, hitting 17 fours to the two
sixes on his way to a commanding hundred. His determination to play expansive
strokes had often ended successively and so Ryder, who hit Tom Bailey (1-68) for
six the ball before, was disappointed that he played on for 116, trying to
guide the ball down to third man.
This breakthrough left Essex in a comfortable position at
215/4 and Bopara, now accompanied by Ryan ten Doeschate, was able to
consolidate the efforts he and Ryder had put forward throughout the afternoon
session. The Essex duo added a further 95 runs to the total for the
fifth-wicket stand, prolonging Lancashire’s frustration after such a
devastating start to the game.
Ten Doeschate (59) followed the example of Ryder, playing
with confidence as he hit six fours and one six in his 79-ball innings, while
Bopara continued to favour the refined approach. Steven Croft felt the brunt of
ten Doeschate’s impetus at the crease when he was clobbered into the river for
six, a shot which took the Essex all-rounder to a 58-ball half-century.
The re-introduction of Anderson proved to be very crucial
indeed as the Burnley-born paceman had both Bopara and ten Doeschate back in
the pavilion in quick succession, restoring a degree of balance to the close of
play scorecard. Anderson first had ten Doeschate caught at mid-off by Chapple
for 59 and he then added the prized scalp of Bopara to his collection, denying
the former England all-rounder a thoroughly deserved century.
Bopara, who hit a hundred against Lancashire earlier this
season in a commanding Royal London Cup victory at Chelmsford, had been stuck
on 99 when ten Doeschate got out and he failed to progress beyond this
unsettling figure, edging behind to Mustard with the score at 311/6.
This was Anderson’s second breakthrough in successive overs
with the new ball and he added another wicket to his collection in a rampant
spell for the visitors when Mark Pettini (8) edged the ball onto his stumps,
attempting to shoulder arms to Anderson in the evening session.
James Foster (8*) and Graham Napier (0*) will resume Essex’s
first innings tomorrow morning, with Essex in a comfortable position after the
hosts closed on 328/7, largely indebted to the efforts of Ryder and Bopara for
their outstanding partnership.
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