Daniel Lawrence (141*) batted throughout the entire final day at Chelmsford to deny Lancashire victory in the opening County Championship match of the summer.
The Essex batsman battled hard for more than seven hours, reaching his fifth first-class century after a 333-ball vigil. Lawrence and Westley shared 135 runs for the third wicket after Essex were put under pressure by two late wickets on the third day.
Lancashire failed to make a single breakthrough in the entire morning session, with a burst of wickets in the afternoon session renewing their optimism, but Lawrence failed able company from his captain, Ryan ten Doeschate, as the match was drawn with Essex on 316/6.
The hosts had been set a phenomenal target of 478 to record an unlikely victory against the Red Rose county after Alex Davies hit a maiden hundred in Lancashire colours. The removal of openers Varun Chopra and Nick Browne before the close left Lancashire with the task of taking eight wickets to record victory, but their bowlers toiled on an increasingly flat wicket.
Lawrence and Westley both recorded fifties in the morning session, taking the overnight score from 89/2 to 162/2 by lunch. Chances were nonexistent for Lancashire, although Westley had been shelled twice in the evening session on the previous day.
Stephen Parry (2-52) broke their defiance with a perfectly flighted delivery to bowl Westley for 61, ending a stand of nearly 60 overs. Essex lost another two wickets in quick succession and three batsmen for the addition of nine runs when Kyle Jarvis (3-58) was introduced after lunch.
The Zimbabwean first enticed Ravi Bopara (4) into a thin edge behind to Davies, before relying on a smart low catch from Haseeb Hameed in the covers to account for Adam Wheater, reducing the hosts to 198/5.
Lancashire's renewed optimism was stamped out by another century partnership, this time between teenager Lawrence and his captain. Ten Doeschate (41) provided the perfect foil against an experienced bowling attack, with James Anderson (0-54) failing to take a single wicket in 24 overs.
Lawrence reached tea with a century to his name, advancing to three figures in 216 deliveries, with Lancashire's bowlers beginning to doubt their chances once again. With a minimum of 11 overs left in the day, the Red Rose needed a minor miracle and Jarvis returned to provide a last-ditch revival for the visitors.
With ten Doeschate approaching a half-century, the paceman struck a blow to his rearguard by trapping him lbw at 300/6. Lancashire had finally exposed the first signs of Essex's lower order, but Lawrence shepherded the strike alongside kolpakd spinner Simon Harmer to ensure there were no further setbacks.
Match drawn: Essex 8pts, Lancashire 11pts.
| Lancashire 319 and 317-3 dec: Davies 140*, Vilas 92 |
| Essex 159 and 316-6: Lawrence 141*, Westley 61, ten Doeschate 41; Jarvis 3-58 |
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