Essex bowlers verify large victory over Somerset
Essex 462 for 9 dec (Critchley 121, Khushi 56*) and 170 for 7 dec (Critchley 52, Aldridge 4-36) beat Somerset 167 (Harmer 5-64) and 269 (Abell 83, Lammonby 59, Porter 3-31) by 196 runss
Sam Cook, Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter confirmed Essex’s 196-run victory over Somerset – their first LV=Insurance County Championship win on the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford for 11 months.
Fast bowler Cook grabbed two in two with the brand new ball earlier than Simon Harmer took two extra wickets to assert match figures of 8 for 178 and Porter rounded off the tail.
Somerset had batted stoically within the hope of batting out 151 overs, or attain 466 to win, however they had been ultimately bowled out for 269 with two periods to spare.
Essex solely gained two Championship matches at house final season, have gone unbeaten at Chelmsford between September 2018 and September 2022.
The day’s play was preceded by a minute’s silence for the victims of the Nottingham assaults, whereas gamers from each groups and the umpires wore black armbands and the flags had been at half-mast. The two college students who died had hyperlinks to Essex and Somerset cricket. Barnaby Webber, 19, performed for Bishops Hull Cricket Club in Taunton. Grace O’Malley Kumar, 19, performed and captained Essex Women from Under-11 to Under-15.
Somerset had proven nice battle and grit on the third night to provide themselves of saving a draw, having been bowled out for 167 with a first-innings lead of 295. But Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s dismissal to the ultimate ball of the day swung issues strongly in Essex’s favour.
Tom Abell and James Rew did bat out the primary 137 balls of the morning, placing on 56 with nice talent. The second new ball was coming although and that may show damaging for the guests.
Sam Cook wanted simply two deliveries to extract a skinny edge behind to see off Abell for 83 earlier than a wobble-seamed supply nipped off the seam and into Kasey Aldridge’s off stump subsequent ball.
Craig Overton navigated a hat-trick ball that teased the surface edge however Rew quickly fell to Harmer – who had shared the recent nut. Left-handed Rew drove on the off-spinner with the sting brilliantly taken at first slip by a totally stretched Alastair Cook.
Matt Critchley took an equally nice catch at leg slip when Craig Overton turned Harmer across the nook.
Essex’s second victory of the marketing campaign was confirmed with Matt Henry tickling behind and Josh Davey was sensationally caught behind by Will Buttleman, each off Porter.
Essex take 22 factors, to Somerset’s two, to maintain their nostril within the Championship race.