Alastair Cook will get again within the previous routine earlier than Critchley ton cements Essex benefit
Essex 360 for 4 (Cook 128, Critchley 119*) vs Somerset
Alastair Cook lastly struck his 74th first-class century as Essex took benefit of good batting circumstances of their LV=Insurance County Championship conflict with Somerset.
England legend Cook had been dismissed for 99 for the primary time in his profession towards Nottinghamshire, in his final innings earlier than the beginning of the Vitality Blast. But he made no mistake by changing to a few figures in 210 balls earlier than reaching 128, as Essex racked up 360 for 4 on the opening day – with Matt Critchley offering leisure in a elegant 119 throughout and after a 153-run stand with Cook.
On a grueling day for Somerset’s bowlers, England fast Craig Overton was compelled off the sector in his fifteenth over after showing to injure his left foot whereas bowling, though he did return and bowled an additional three overs.
Tom Westley could not have been happier to win a toss with sizzling temperatures and a dry flat wicket on supply; batting was the one choice, particularly with the sweatless Cook able to mattress in.
Matt Henry and Overton discovered some early play and misses in a testing begin to the day, which noticed Nick Browne put down at second slip on 4. But issues settled down and Browne and Cook placed on their highest opening stand of the season – 66 – earlier than the previous tamely chipped to mid-off.
Somerset handed offspinner Shoaib Bashir a first-class debut, having just lately made his T20 bow and acquired a two-year contract. The 19-year-old performed age-group cricket for Surrey, Middlesex, and Berkshire earlier than impressing Somerset whereas on trial final summer season.
He began out his Championship profession with a maiden to Cook, which included two deliveries that produced important flip – sadly it wasn’t a prophecy of issues to return, though Cook would solely rating 20 runs off him all day. Bashir bowled 29 tidy overs from the River End, and regardless of going wicketless made scoring arduous in his 0 for 89.
Westley is Division One’s main run scorer and took his season tally previous 600 runs as he scored 37 in a 77-run partnership with Cook. He departed to a snorter from Overton which caught the surface edge by way of to the keeper. Paul Walter then placed on 52 with Cook earlier than he was bowled by Kasey Aldridge.
Throughout the day Cook was his basic self. Short on his pads, flicked off them. Short exterior off, bat opened up and angled to ay hole. Overpitched, push by way of the covers. Anything that nervous him, defended or left alone.
Fifty got here and went in a workman-like 97 balls and solely a drop at sq. leg when on 56 advised he was fallible. He received caught on 94 for 26 balls, and round an hour, both facet of tea however reached three figures in 201 balls with a really tremendous clip to the boundary.
Cook is now tied with the likes of former Essex and Australia batter Ken McEwan and ex-Australia captain Greg Chappell on 74 centuries.
While Cook was regimented and steadfast, Critchley largely refused to budge from his aggressive model; if the ball was there to hit, he smashed it. The allrounder’s fifth half-century of the season coming in 45 balls as he scored 78 of the primary 100 runs of his fourth-wicket partnership with Cook.
Critchley had begun the season with three fifties however hadn’t exceeded 20 in his final 5 innings, on this event he transformed his second ton – in 116 balls – for Essex since arriving firstly of final season.
Cook fell lbw to Josh Davey with 5 overs left within the day to provide the guests some uncommon cheer on the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford.