MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire vs Essex
Lancashire are on a roll in the Championship as they head to Blackpool for the venue’s first four-day game since beating Worcestershire there in 2011. We all know what happened that year!
Lancashire v Essex
LV= Insurance County Championship, Division One
Monday July 10 - Thursday July 13, 2023 (11am)
Blackpool Cricket Club, Stanley Park
After a run of five draws to start this season didn’t yield the rewards which perhaps the Red Rose’s cricket deserved, they have finally been able to get themselves in the winner’s circle.
In their last two matches last month, they beat Hampshire at Southport and then champions Surrey at the Kia Oval, setting Keaton Jennings and co up for a title charge.
This game represents the first of the second half of the season for the county, with them currently sat sixth in the table with 87 points. Surrey are top on 129 points, but they have played once more.
It doesn’t get any easier, though, for Lancashire given they follow playing the leaders with a clash against an Essex side who currently sit second in the table. They have won three of their eight games so far.
Two of those wins have come in their last two games, against Somerset at Chelmsford and then against Warwickshire at the same venue - both last month.
Lancashire are aiming to bounce back from Friday’s Vitality Blast quarter-final defeat against Surrey at Emirates Old Trafford when they face an Essex side who have qualified for Saturday’s Finals Day at Edgbaston.
Opposition:
Essex have been county champions in three of the last six seasons from and including 2017. They won the County Championship in 2017 and 2019 and claimed the Bob Willis Trophy when the Championship wasn’t played in the shortened Covid summer of 2020.
Coached by Anthony McGrath, who won the latter two titles mentioned, they’re captained by former England Test batter Tom Westley, who is the leading run-scorer in Division One this term with 751, including a pair of centuries.
In overseas off-spinner Simon Harmer, they also have the second leading wicket-taker in the division with 36. The South African is only one wicket behind Warwickshire seamer Chris Rushworth.
It is unclear whether England Ashes squad man Dan Lawrence will feature ahead of the Emirates Old Trafford Test Match next week. Lawrence is in his final season at Chelmsford before a winter to move to Surrey, something which was announced recently.
England legend Sir Alastair Cook will open the batting, while Lancashire will be tested by prolific new ball duo Jamie Porter and Sam Cook, who have taken 32 and 25 wickets respectively this season.
Alongside Harmer, Essex also have New Zealand all-rounder Doug Bracewell at their disposal as the other overseas player.
Opposing player to watch:
Sam Cook, the 25-year-old seamer from Chelmsford, has quite a remarkable first-class record of 242 wickets in 68 matches at an average of 20.04.
Last summer, he became the first English bowler to reach 200 first-class wickets whilst averaging less than 20 since Derbyshire’s Alan Ward did it in 1971.
Cook, nicknamed Little Chef as opposed to Alastair Cook’s Chef, is on England’s radar. He has played Lions cricket and is seen by many as the natural replacement for Jimmy Anderson when he decides to hang up his boots.
Cook has claimed 12 five-wicket hauls or better in his career, including a best of 7-23.
Previous meeting:
Lancashire and Essex drew at Chelmsford in mid-April, the second round of the season, with the visitors having the better of the clash after an even first innings.
Sam Cook claimed 5-42 as Lancashire, who elected to bat, were bowled out for 207. George Bell top-scored with a career best 60 in the middle order.
Jimmy Anderson then claimed four wickets, but Essex recovered from 25-3 to post 217 thanks to Lancashire-born Matt Critchley’s 78 in the middle order.
After a rain-affected first two days, Lancashire then pressed ahead with 351-7 declared, Keaton Jennings making 96 at the top of the order and Bell 56 more. They were the 20-year-old’s first two first-class fifties of a fledgling and promising career.
Unfortunately, the time taken out of the game meant Lancashire’s pursuit of victory was always going to be an unlikely one, and they could only set a target of 340 in the final 68 overs of the fixture.
Essex fell to 61-3 in the 30th over to give the Red Rose hope. However, Tom Westley dropped anchor for 43 and Critchley again contributed with 35 not out to ensure a total of 128-4 and stalemate.
How’s Stat:
Lancashire are unbeaten in the Championship in 15 matches since they played and lost to Essex at Emirates Old Trafford last May.