LIVE BLOG: Lancashire v Essex, Day Two
The latest news from the second day of our LV= County Championship match against Essex at Stanley Park, Blackpool.
6.50pm, CLOSE Day 2
Lancashire 1st innings 37-1 (5 overs) Jennings 13 Bohannon 20 trail by 245 runs.
That's the end of a closely-fought day with the two Toms, Westley 135 and Bailey 6-59, taking the headlines.
6.15pm
Lancashire 1st innings 13-1 (5 overs) Jennings 3 Bohannon 6 trail by 269 runs.
No further alarms as far as Lancashire are concerned as Jennings and Bohannon resist the Essex bowlers.
There are still 9 overs to be bowled today.
5.55pm
Lancashire 1st innings 4-1 (0.3 overs) Jennings 0 Bohannon 0 trail by 278 runs
Four leg byes from the first delivery is followed by the wicket of Luke Wells, playing on to Jamie Porter.
5.33pm
Essex 1st innings 282 all out (92.2 overs)
Tom Bailey finishes with an excellent 6-59 after trapping Will Buttleman lbw for 2.
That represents a great fightback with the new ball.
5.17pm
Essex 1st innings 275-8 (86.5 overs) Buttleman 0 S. Cook 0
Tom Bailey has his 15th five-wicket haul after trapping Sam Cook lbw for 5.
5.17pm
Essex 1st innings 275-8 (86.5 overs) Buttleman 0 S. Cook 0
Two wickets in the over for Tom Bailey as Doug Bracewell skies a catch to Dane Vilas at midwicket.
5.14pm
Essex 1st innings 275-7 (86.1 overs) Buttleman 0 Bracewell 0
Another wicket goes!
Simon Harmer is bowled by Tom Bailey for 24 with a ball that looked to have kept a little low - but they all count!
5.10pm
Essex 1st innings 275-6 (85.3 overs) Harmer 24 Buttleman 0
And Lancashire have their breakthrough!
Tom Westley's fine innings comes to an end on 135 when he edges Will Williams to Rob Jones at second slip.
4.50pm
Essex 1st innings 265-5 (81 overs) Westley 129 Harmer 20
Lancashire take the new ball as they hunt a breakthrough after tea.
4.00pm, TEA Day 2
Essex 1st innings 247-5 (74 overs) Westley 124 Harmer 8
Tom Westley has played a great innings for his side and the Essex skipper is still there at tea having made his 27th first-class century this afternoon.
3.25pm
Essex 1st innings 210-5 (62 overs) Westley 104 Harmer 0
It was probably going to take something special to break this partnership and we've just seen it.
Paul Walter has been spectacularly caught one-handed for 76 by Jack Blatherwick at midwicket diving to his right after Walter had driven Colin de Grandhomme firmly to leg.
3.15pm
Essex 1st innings 206-4 (58 overs) Westley 101 Walter 75
Tom Westley drives off the back foot for the four that takes the Essex captain to his century off 166 balls (15 fours) and that shot also breaks the Essex record partnership for the 5th wicket against Lancashire, now worth 151 runs.
3.00pm
Essex 1st innings 185-4 (54 overs) Westley 87 Walter 68
Westley and Walter march on, batting with some ease in the afternoon sunshine at Blackpool although Westley survived a sharp chance to midwicket off Colin de Grandhomme when on 78.
2.35pm
Essex 1st innings 158-4 (48 overs) Westley 77 Walter 51
Paul Walter reaches his fifty off 80 balls in style, pulling Jack Blatherwick over midwicket for his third six.
That has also brought up the century partnership from 163 balls as the Essex recovery continues.
2.10pm
Essex 1st innings 129-4 (43 overs) Westley 64 Walter 35
Tom Westley has reached his half century with a sweetly timed on drive off Will Williams and then hammers another four off the back foot when Jack Blatherwick drops short.
The Essex skipper is one of the visitors in-form batters - and leading run scorer - averaging 55 this season and on this showing you can see why.
1.10pm, LUNCH Day 2
Essex 1st innings 100-4 (38 overs) Westley 46 Walter 28
Tom Hartley gets the spinner's traditional over before lunch but is thumped for two sixes over long-on by Paul Walter.
Essex skipper Tom Westley has held the innings together with an unbeaten 46 following the early clatter of wickets, and this partnership has added 45 runs.
12.43pm
Essex 1st innings 74-4 (30 overs) Westley 40 Walter 9
A rare boundary as Tom Westley drives Colin de Grandhomme through cover.
A reminder as we head towards the last 30 minutes of this session that lunch will be at 1.10pm, tea at 4pm and close of play is 6.30pm or when 104 overs have been bowled.
12.20pm
Essex 1st innings 57-4 (23 overs) Westley 31 Walter 1
Just two singles scored in the last 20 minutes or so as Westley and Walter defend resolutely against accurate spells from Will Williams and Colin de Grandhomme.
11.55am
Essex 1st innings 55-4 (21 overs) Westley 30 Walter 0
Will Williams produces a beautiful delivery that leaves Matt Critchley off the pitch but finds the edge and is gobbled up by wicketkeeper Phil Salt.
He's gone for 13 and that's a big wicket of an in form batter.
11.55am
Essex 1st innings 45-3 (18 overs) Westley 29 Critchley 8
Lancashire continue to attack with four slips in place and Tom Westley takes advantage with a couple of crisply struck boundaries though mid-on and square leg.
11.32am
Essex 1st innings 23-3 (13 overs) Westley 9 Critchley 1
The ball after being dropped at second slip Dan Lawrence departs to a bizarre dismal for 1.
Lawrence drove Bailey fiercely back up the wicket with the bowler getting a hand to the ball and deflecting it across to Josh Bohannon at mid-off!
Bailey needed treatment to his hand, but has now completed the over.
11.25am
Essex 1st innings 20-2 (11.2 overs) Westley 9 Lawrence 0
Alastair Cook rather fences at a ball out off stump from Will Williams and edges to Keaton Jennings at first slip.
11.15am
Essex 1st innings 18-1 (9 overs) A. Cook 9 Westley 9
A big shout for lbw after Tom Westley shoulders arms against Will Williams has been the closest to a wicket so far this morning for Lancashire.
After yesterday's miserable 28-ball experience it's great to be watching some cricket in warm and mainly sunny conditions.
11.00am
Essex 1st innings 12-1 (5 overs) A. Cook 4 Westley 8
A mere 23 hours and 40 minutes after he started it, Tom Bailey finally completes his third over!
10.30am
Warm, sunny conditions now at Blackpool ahead of the start of play.
9.30am
Brighter conditions at Stanley Park this morning means, as things stand, we will be starting on time at 11am.
Essex will resume their first innings on 12-1 with Alastair Cook on 4 and Tom Westley on 8.
The report from a somewhat unusual first day can be found by clicking on the button below.