SECOND XI: Hurst hits superb century as Lancashire hammer Essex
Lancashire Cricket’s Second XI secured victory over Essex in a 50 over friendly at Billericay Cricket Club, with a superb Matty Hurst century the headline.
The Red Rose fielded a strong side filled with first team players in what was essentially a precursor to the Metro Bank One Day Cup, with Lancs’ first game coming up against Surrey on Tuesday.
Batting first in Thursday’s clash, Hurst got the innings off to a strong start, despite Keaton Jennings getting caught behind off the first ball.
The wicketkeeper took his side to a quick 50, from 11.3 overs, also reaching a half-century partnership with Josh Bohannon at the same time. At that stage, Hurst had 38 of those runs.
He reached his own half-century from 68 balls just 20 minutes later. That included five boundaries and two sixes, over mid-wicket off the bowling of Jamie Porter and back over the head of spinner Aum Patel.
Shortly after, the hundred partnership between Hurst and Bohannon was brought up, and the latter reached his own 50 three overs later, with a superbly timed drive through cover off Patel’s bowling.
Bohannon, though, was run out for a well-made 57 following a mix-up with Hurst. That brought Michael Jones (20) to the middle, who supported the Lancs opener well, with the pair putting on 48 for the third wicket.
Jones fell, caught chipping the ball up to mid-wicket, with Hurst three shy of his ton.
The wicketkeeper reached three figures not long after, though, with a cut through point, reaching the milestone from 120 balls, with nine fours and three sixes. He was out seven balls later for an exceptional 109, LBW off the bowling of Naivedyam Dwivedi.
The Red Rose struggled to recover from the loss of their centurion. Harry Singh (12) had been dismissed four balls before Hurst, with George Bell (9), Paul Coughlin (0) and Arav Shetty (9) all falling within the five overs that followed.
A rapid knock of 37 off just 21 balls from Ollie Sutton, containing three fours and as many sixes, managed to give his side a strong finish. The left-arm bowler helped Lancs post a more than competitive score of 274.
Lancashire made excellent inroads in the first powerplay at the start of the Essex innings. The experience of Tom Bailey, who took 3-17 from five overs, proved invaluable.
Bailey dismissed Robin Das from the fourth ball of the innings, bowling the opening batter with a beauty. In his final over, the ninth of the innings, he had Noah Thain caught behind by Hurst and Ali Zeb caught by Sutton at fine leg to leave the hosts in trouble.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Mitch Killeen was bowled by Paul Coughlin (1-25), before spin came into play.
Shetty (2-30) picked up his first wicket of the day, dismissing Ayaan Malik with a comfortable caught and bowled, and had Ossie Elliott caught by Mitchell Stanley.
In between those two wickets for off-spinner Shetty, Charlie Barnard got in on the act. The left-arm spinner was arguably the pick of the bowlers for Lancs, finishing with 3-35 from 9.5 overs. His first wicket of the day saw him bowl Patel.
Essex fought back, though. Areeb Rashid (38) and Dwivedi (42) put on 81 for the eighth wicket to give the home side a chance of chasing a total that has seemed too far out of their reach.
Sutton broke that partnership by beating the defences of Rashid, and at 188-8, Lancs’ total was too much for Essex to chase down.
Barnard dismissed Leo Davis, caught by Sutton, and removed Dwivedi eight shy of his half-century four balls later, having him caught on the boundary by a combination of Jennings and Singh.
Lancs secured the win by 84 runs, with Hurst’s excellent century ensuring they ran out dominant victors.
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