Dan Lawrence’s Blackpool pleasure leaves Lancashire beached

Essex 282 and 292 for 8 (Lawrence 135, Bracewell 61*) lead Lancashire 145 (S Cook 4-42) by 429 runs

Just earlier than play was as a result of start at Stanley Park yesterday it was seen that the stumps had been lacking.

There had been in all probability moments over the subsequent eight hours or so when Lancashire supporters wished that no person had bothered to seek out the bloody issues. Even extra usefully, maybe, the locals may need hoped that the rain which delayed the beginning of our day’s cricket for 45 minutes after which interrupted it briefly in mid-afternoon would dampen for one thing like 36 hours. Anything to forestall them having to observe their facet collapse like a detonated block of flats after which provide as dangerous a session of outcricket as they’ve produced all season.

Capitalising gleefully on the house facet’s weak point, Lawrence hit 9 sixes, dropping at the very least three balls within the adjoining park, reaching his third century along with his fifth most and hitting 4 extra of the rascals earlier than perishing within the remaining over of the day when Jennings caught him at long-on for 135, clubbed off 125 balls.

Cricket, nonetheless, is never so accommodating and the locals’ slumber shall be tortured by Essex assault’s cruel demolition of Lancashire’s first innings. Hindered by the Kookaburra ball, which seems to be disliked all through the county sport, however aided by cloudy skies, Tom Westley’s faster bowlers went to their work with a uncommon will.

Lancashire’s coaches shouldn’t be so forgiving. Essex’s seamers bowled with the ruthlessness of males who sensed a possibility to ascertain a match-winning benefit and a number of the Lancashire’s prime order needed to be labored out by their opponents. Jennings, for instance, pushed at a supply from Cook which nipped away and went by way of the sting to Matt Critchley at second slip.

Other dismissals had been nearly totally the batter’s personal work. Among the latter group was Dane Vilas, who pushed his second ball into the off facet and known as Josh Bohannon for a dangerous single however was properly overwhelmed by Bracewell’s direct hit from the covers. Both Rob Jones and Tom Hartley nicked catches when feeling for balls properly outdoors the off stump. And the innings ended on a word of farce as Tom Bailey ducked away from what he believed to be a beamer from Cook, solely to see the ball lollop into his stumps.

Dismissed for 145 and already properly behind within the sport, Lancashire’s bowlers then loved their solely respectable half-hour of the day. Having been caught at slip for a four-ball duck within the first innings, Nick Browne padded as much as Bailey’s third ball of the second dig was despatched on his approach for a pair. It is uncertain whether or not the opener will nurture fond reminiscences of Blackpool or, certainly, of Bailey’s bowling.

Next over, Alastair Cook perished, additionally for nought, when he lower Will Williams straight to Vilas at level and the identical bowler accounted for Westley ten overs later. But 27 for 3 and a deficit of 164 was pretty much as good as at the present time acquired for Lancashire.

Sure, they took 5 extra wickets however these successes had been nothing however a backcloth to Essex’s speedy accumulation and there have been instances when the house facet’s disciplines gave the impression to be disintegrating. The solely comfort residence supporters can take – and it’s a fragment – is that Essex didn’t declare half an hour earlier than the shut and that their openers didn’t must threat additional indignity on their facet’s worst day of the season.

All that Lancashire must do now’s bat out the ultimate day with the intention to accumulate 5 factors for the draw. It will take a look at their professionalism slightly greater than a run-chase would. But on the finish of a day when the gulf between two sides has been so plain, a dark statistic involves thoughts. In the final 40 years Essex have gained seven County Championships; Lancashire have managed simply the one.