County Championship 2023. Division 1. Essex v Somerset. 11^th,12^th, 14^th and 15^th June. Chelmsford.

Essex. N.L.J. Browne, Sir A.N. Cook, T. Westley (c), P.I. Walter, M.J.J. Critchley, B.M.J. Allison, F.I.N. Khushi, S.R. Harmer, W.E.L. Buttleman (w), S.J. Cook, J.A. Porter.

Somerset. S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, J.H. Davey, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Essex 360 for 4.

Second day 12th June – Essex consolidate their advantage

There was a spectacular start for Somerset, and it was a much more even day between the sides than the first, but those 360 first day runs hung over Somerset all day. As I made my way towards the Felsted Stand, Craig Overton ran in from the Hayes Close End to bowl the third ball of the morning to the nightwatch, Ben Allison. Allison, cramped by the ball, tried to push forward, but the ball uprooted the off stump. Is there a greater sight on a cricket ground than a stump being uprooted by a quick bowler with fire in his stride? Essex 361 for 5. Allison 4.

Two overs later, Overton bowled to Feroze Khushi. Khushi opened the face and drove through backward point towards the long boundary in front of the dressing rooms marquee with Sean Dickson in hot pursuit. It seemed a forlorn chase, and Overton began to walk slowly back towards his mark, but Dickson did not give up. Even when the ball slowed there seemed little prospect of him chasing it down. And then, at the last, the gap suddenly close, Dickson dived headlong, knocked the ball back, picked it and himself up, and threw to the bowler’s end. Overton seemed uninterested, until Khushi and Matthew Critchley, on 121, turned for a fourth run. Now Overton swivelled as a weathervane might if caught in a tornado and sprinted to the stumps. What had looked a somewhat desultory throw was in fact a missile destined to fall in the close vicinity of the stumps at Overton’s end. Now Critchley was the one sprinting, desperately. As the bat slid towards the crease, Overton took the incoming missile six inches from the stumps and broke the wicket with Critchley’s bat still a third of that from the crease. It was a small margin. It was enough. It was an astonishing throw too from Dickson, a lighting take from Overton and a furious glare from Critchley as he walked off. “I thought when Overton hobbled off yesterday, we had seen the back of him,” said a woeful Essex supporter as Critchley raised his bat to extended applause. Essex 366 for 6.

It was a day of high cloud and humidity, the humidity a worry if it remained when Somerset batted. One end of the Felsted Stand was uncommonly underpopulated. The reason apparent at the other end. A hundred or so schoolchildren had been shoehorned into it and were doing a very good impression of an aviary troubled by a marauding cat. There was an immediate four off a thick edge from the new batter, Simon Harmer, but then, as Overton and Matt Henry, and then Kasey Aldridge probed away, Essex defended, scoring ten runs in seven overs. Thern a stunning off drive for four from Harmer off Aldridge and a cut for two suggested a change of pace before Harmer, attempting a smooth straight drive off Aldridge, edged the ball straight into Rew’s gloves.  “Essex seem to have lost their way” said a disappointed Essex supporter. Essex 389 for 7. Harmer 17.

William Buttleman tried to pick up the pace with a cover drive for four off Josh Davey, a slog sweep through midwicket to the Pavilion boundary off Shoaib Bashir followed by a late cut past the slips which rattled along the ground to the Felsted Stand to the shrieking delight of the aviary. A top edge from a drive off Davey though was soon caught by Tom Lammonby at cover and, an over later, Sam Cook was well caught by Lammonby running to his right at long on off Shoab Bashir to give the 19-year-old his first first-class wicket. Essex 430 for 9. Buttleman 17. Cook 2.

Essex had lost five wickets for 70 runs, but when those 360 runs from the first day were added, the pressure which Somerset would face when they batted against a strong Essex pace attack and the spin of Harmer, would be immense. Feroze Khushi had come in at the fall of the first wicket of the day, and, while wickets fell at the other end, he had kept the Essex score moving. From the fall of Buttleman’s wicket, Feroze’s innings unleashed enough noise from the schoolchildren to drown out the sound of a battalion of Valkyries. In five overs he scored 35 runs including a flashing straight drive for four to the River End sightscreen and a six to its left, both off Bashir. In the final over of the innings, from Aldridge, there were two sixes; one driven over long on, the second caught on the boundary by Davey who fell over the rope, threw the ball into play as he went, picked it up, threw it back in and then signalled six, his foot having touched the rope as he fell.

That was enough for the Essex captain, Tom Westley, who called the players in, Essex having declared on 462 for 9 with Khushi on 56. On debut, Shoaib Bashir had bowled 35 overs for 124 runs and just one wicket. Not impressive on the face of it, but what impressed was the way in which he went about his bowling. Occasionally he was attacked, but he just kept coming, holding firm to his line and length, and making the batters work for every run. He was particularly impressive against Alistair Cook who was demonstratively wary of him and spent whole passages of play just pushing him back down the pitch. At 19-years-old he had a lot of learning time ahead of him, but he gave every indication that he would make the most of it.

Four hundred and sixty-two runs is a huge weight for a side to carry on its shoulders as it begins its innings against a bowling side of the quality that Essex possess. The weight must have borne down all the more heavily with the pitch expected to take spin and Simon Harmer in the Essex side. If Essex had tried to arrange an eventful first over for the schoolchildren, they could had hardly have improved on the real thing. Jamie Porter opened with a no ball, and there was a leg before wicket appeal against Lammonby to his second legitimate ball. The next, Lammonby attempted to pull through midwicket, connected with edge and the ball steepled beyond a fielderless point. Allison, from backward point, set off at a sprint, adjusted his run and took the catch. Cue the aviary. Enter Abell, who so often arrives at the crease with Somerset in crisis. He attempted to defend the last ball of the over but edged it towards Harmer’s right ankle at second slip, Harmer bent, and Somerset were 2 for 2 with Lammonby and Abell both out without scoring. From there they hobbled to 10 for 2 when enough rain began to fall to send the players to an early lunch and the weight of those 462 runs, and particularly the 360 scored on the first day, seemed vast.

I spent the end of the lunch interval, part way through a circumnavigation, behind the Tom Pearce Stand, which provides some respite from the heat of the day, chatting to an Essex supporter who was sharing my refuge. He asked about George Bartlett who had joined Sean Dickson, who had opened, at the fall of Abell’s wicket. “He has a lot of potential,” I said, “he plays some beautiful strokes and is liable to score runs when Somerset need them most, if he gets past 20, but he plays too much across the line early in his innings and gets out leg before wicket.” As we chatted, the players emerged and Bartlett attempted to turn Porter’s first ball towards long leg. The ball struck the pads and the umpire’s finger was raised. “Exactly as you predicted,” said the Essex supporter. Somerset 10 for 3. Bartlett 4. Oh, what a weight those 360 first-day runs were now, and I was glad I was some distance from the explosion of noise in the Felsted Stand.

Chat completed, I ambled my way around the ground, stopping to watch a few overs from the Hayes Close End. On such walks, my view of the cricket is impressionistic rather than detailed as I stop to chat. The impression gained of the partnership between Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Dickson was of assertive batting played mainly straight. Kohler-Cadmore was his usual self, attacking the ball at every opportunity, and Dickson did not lag far behind. I arrived at my seat in time to hear the announcement, “Coming on to bowl from the River End, Simon Harmer.” Kohler-Cadmore swept him to the boundary twice in his first over while Dickson pulled Porter for four and drove him for two to register the fifty partnership. Somerset were 60 for 3 which felt better than 10 for 3 but was put into perspective when the Essex lead was calculated to be still 402.

It was put further into perspective when Kohler-Cadmore attempted to clear the straight deep midwicket boundary off Harmer, but was well caught on it by Allison running in and diving forward. Somerset 70 for 4. Kohler-Cadmore 32 from 39 balls. Essex lead 392. Dickson continued to attack, driving Allison, who had replaced Cook at the Hayes Close End, through extra cover for four and then to mid-on, calling, “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” as the ball left the bat and he and Rew, who had replaced Kohler-Cadmore, ran a tight single. Rew was more circumspect, but soon edged Allison to Buttleman behind the stumps. Somerset 85 for 5. Rew 6. Essex lead 377.

Still Dickson attacked, late cutting Allison for four and then, attempting a square cut, edging perilously low over the slips for four more before beating a diving mid-off with a drive which brought three more. It was risky batting and against Harmer he miscued an on drive just out of reach of a deep-set mid-on, running three. It had been a pulsating 20 minutes and Somerset had reached 101 for 5, but had barely dented the Essex lead. Aldridge had been playing a defensive role at the other end, which at least bought Dickson some time, but, still on one after nearly half an hour, he drove Harmer low to his left and Harmer fell on the ball, catching it just above the ground. Somerset 102 for 6. Aldridge one. And for all Dickson’s risk taking, Essex still led by that first day 360.

The crowd was exultant as their team squeezed the life out of Somerset’s game with still seven and a half sessions remaining. It is impossible to know what goes on in a batter’s head from the spectator’s side of the boundary, but the impression Dickson left was one of him hermetically cocooned in a bubble unaware of the Somerset chaos around him. He seemed to make no attempt to control it, nor did he seem affected by it. He just ploughed on, in his own bubble, building his own innings, which was now past fifty, among the Somerset ruins.

He was joined by Overton, who makes his own impression. His walk to the wicket left no doubt that he meant business. When does he not? A straight, defiant bat was shown to Harmer and Cook, who had replaced Allsion at the Hayes Close End. Dickson, meanwhile, continued his own game and sent a Harmer delivery beautifully to the main scoreboard with a flowing off drive. No method was risk free against Harmer though. In more restrained mode, Dickson quietly turned Harmer to leg for two and drove to deep midwicket for a single while Overton took a single to get off the mark. When Dickson came forward in defence, the ball popped to Browne at short leg. There was a huge appeal but no response from the umpire and Harmer stood looking at the batting crease, fingers stroking his chin, as if it were the scene of a crime. Overton did once show the other side of his game by pulling Cook for four, but in the main the two shepherded Somerset quietly to tea with the score on 123 for 6. Essex lead 349.

The evening session began with the other Overton game on display. Harmer was driven straight and high, the ball clearing the River End sightscreen. “Great shot!” someone said. In Harmer’s next over, the stroke was repeated, although this time the ball landed just to the right of the foot of the sightscreen. In the great scheme of the match though, those sixes were mere pinpricks in the Essex lead. And then controversy. Overton edged Harmer towards short leg. Browne took the ball, not on the full, but as it popped up, perhaps off his boot I thought, although it was impossible to tell from a distance, and Essex appealed for a catch. Overton and the umpire were unmoved. And then the umpire at the bowler’s end walked slowly to the square leg umpire. After a few seconds deliberation, he raised his finger. Essex celebrated, Overton looked dumfounded and stood, fixed to the spot before walking off looking long and hard at the umpire. It was impossible to know what had happened from beyond the boundary, but a replay suggests, it is impossible to be surer than that from watching a fast-moving ball on film, that the ball bounced before hitting Browne low on the leg or boot before popping back towards Overton, Browne diving after it to catch it. The scoreboard though was not to be disputed. Somerset 142 for 7. Overton 23. Essex lead 320.

From there, Davey, Henry and Bashir soon followed Overton back to the Pavilion. Davey caught by Browne at short leg off Harmer for seven, this time without controversy. “I heard that one,” someone said. I think we all did and there was no questioning the cleanness of the catch, the ball looping a dozen feet into the air before falling into Browne’s hands. Henry attempted to drive his first ball, only to see it steeple into the sky directly above the pitch before it dropped, eventually, into the waiting Harmer’s hands. Somerset 154 for 9 with the Essex lead still so large it did not seem worth counting. Into this impossible situation Bashir walked  for his debut first-class innings. He batted a dozen overs and 40 minutes for four runs, leaving as many balls as he played, before he was caught at slip trying to defend against Cook.

Dickson, meanwhile, had continued to plough his defiant furrow. While Bashir defended at the other end, he picked up such runs as he could. There were two more boundaries, a reverse sweep and a sharp back foot cut off Harmer and he ended on 82 not out from Somerset’s final total of 167. The last wicket partnership had been played out in an oddly quiet ground given Essex’s total dominance of the game and the usual propensity of the Essex crowd to endless chatter. Perhaps Essex’s dominance had taken the tension out of the match, or perhaps the crowd had realised what only sank into me as the players walked off. By surviving that long last wicket partnership, Dickson had carried his bat. Perhaps the understated nature of the innings had masked a rare achievement in the making. I had been watching Somerset play cricket since 1958 and had only seen one batter carry his bat in all that time, Matthew Renshaw for Somerset in 2018 at Taunton, and that was an innings of a totally different stamp. Spectacular, dominant and unforgettable. Carrying the bat is such a rare event that many less frequent cricket watchers than I never witness it.

With a lead of 295, and only half an hour to the close, it would have come as no surprise if Essex had enforced the follow-on, but, to the surprise of some, their openers emerged from the player marquee under a now warm rather than hot sun. I chatted with an Essex supporter near the scoreboard at the River End as Overton and Henry opened the bowling for Somerset. They bowled as if it was Somerset with a huge lead. Overton flowed to the wicket while Henry’s approach suggested the pistons of a steam engine pumping away with enormous energy. “Your bowlers are testing our batters,” said the Essex supporter as Overton beat Alistair Cook and then struck him on the pads to a huge appeal, but the umpire indicated the ball was going down the leg side. Then another appeal, this time against Browne. This time the umpire raised his finger, Overton let forth a shriek of delight which would have shaken those Valkyries more than an entire stand of schoolchildren ever could have done.

Essex ended on 15 for 1. In the day, Somerset had lost ten wickets for 167. Essex seven for 117. A hard-fought, even day seen in isolation. Seen in the context of the first day, Essex had consolidated an unassailable position from which it seemed impossible that they could do other than win the match by a distance.

Close. Essex 462 (A.N. Cook 128, M.J.J. Critchley 121, F.I.N. Khushi 56*, J.H. Davey 3-88) and 15 for 1. Somerset 167 (S.R. Dickson 82*, S.R. Harmer 5-64, J.A. Porter 3-38). Essex lead by 310 runs with nine second innings wickets standing.