Essex sign off in style with Yorkshire left embarrassed
Essex, the very worthiest of champions, did as Essex have all summer. By inflicting on Yorkshire their lowest score this century, 74, they secured their first unbeaten season. Division One is supposed to be impenetrable for the little sides, but Essex have swept it away in their first season back after six away – this was their 10th win (and seventh inside three days), and the 10th time they have bowled a side out for 150 or under. This was the fourth time Yorkshire have been the victims; their twin titles seem moons ago.
As his team mingled with fans – the crowd was more than 2,500, including the unrequired Alastair Cook, who donned his full kit (like another sport’s rather more controversial former England captain) for the bottle-popping – in riotous celebration, Ryan ten Doeschate, the captain, said: “This couldn’t be more perfect, here with all these people. Ten wins is mind-blowing, and I can’t believe we have rolled another team. The desire to go unbeaten really impressed me. It would have been easy to coast home after we had won it [against Warwickshire a fortnight ago], but that was never happening.”
The day’s only dampener for Essex – the exclusion from England’s Ashes party of Tom Westley, who, to his credit, celebrated as if he had not yet been told – came before play. From 10.30, everything went to plan. They cruised their way to 334 for seven in their second innings, thanks to 83s from Nick Browne and Dan Lawrence, and punchy half-centuries from Ten Doeschate and Simon Harmer.
With Yorkshire chasing a notional 451, the other Cook, 20-year-old Sam, was immediately into his work, having Adam Lyth caught behind, while Jamie Porter trapped Kraigg Brathwaite lbw. Their batting totem, Gary Ballance, who admitted he was a touch surprised to make the Ashes party, was lbw to Cook for five, taking his season’s tally to 951. Yorkshire soon slipped to 35 for six at tea with Andy Hodd falling to a witless reverse sweep to Harmer, who finishes his first summer in county cricket with 72 wickets. First ball back (and with a fresh contract announced) Porter picked up Steve Patterson, his 75th wicket of a very special season, then Cook – who will return to his course at Loughborough University – completed his second five-wicket haul in two matches, with Jack Brooks caught at slip. Only Matt Fisher, last man out to a brute from Neil Wagner, delayed the humiliation, registering just Yorkshire’s fourth double-figure score of the match.
After Yorkshire’s heaviest defeat by runs ever, the coach, Andrew Gale, was not for mincing his words. “Quite frankly that’s embarrassing for a Yorkshire team,” he said. “It’s one of the worst performances I’ve ever been involved in. That was soft cricket, and Yorkshire at their worst. We’ve got to count ourselves lucky that we are not in Division Two next year.”
Now attention turns to which sides will be joining Essex and Yorkshire in Division One next year. Worcestershire will, having picked up enough bonus points against Durham, while Nottinghamshire look set to escape Hove with the draw they require against Sussex to secure their long-awaited promotion.Northamptonshire need 180 more to beat Leicestershire with all 10 wickets in hand, but look likely to be disappointed, even if they secure their ninth win in 14 games.
Batsmen old, new, and unlikely helped Nottinghamshire recover from 65 for five to make 477, trailing by 88, against Sussex. The retiring Chris Read made a century in his final first-class match, and Billy Root, brother of Joe, made his first in Championship cricket, with the pair sharing 242 for the sixth wicket, before Harry Gurney made the highest score of his decade-long first-class career (eclipsing 27 not out), but was left
agonisingly stranded 58 short of his maiden century. Alas. Eyes will be on Taunton and Edgbaston, where rain hindered progress in both games, as the relegation tussle makes it into the final day.
Somerset, after James Hildreth’s 41st first-class century, asked Middlesex (for whom left-arm spinner Ravi Patel finished with a career-best 12 wickets), to chase 345 to win. By the time the forecast rain came, Middlesex – who survive by avoiding defeat – were 40 for three, with two wickets for Jack Leach. Somerset stay up if they win. But whether they survive or not, the club confirmed that their director of cricket, Matthew Maynard, will leave the club as part of a backroom reshuffle.
If Somerset win and Warwickshire beat Hampshire, they will go down, and the efforts of Ian Bell mean this is possible. He ended a sorry season by making 77 not out, including a 10th-wicket stand of 59 with Ryan Sidebottom, to set Hampshire 259, the highest score of the game by some distance, to win. A draw keeps Hampshire up, and they are 20 for one at stumps.
Kumar Sangakkara signed off his first-class career with 35 not out to take his season’s tally to 1,491 runs at 106.5 in 16 innings, with eight centuries, but he looks likely to end up on the losing side. Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone’s six for 52 (his maiden five-wicket haul) saw Surrey collapse from 154 without loss, with Mark Stoneman making 98, to 242 all out. Livingstone is 51 not out with Lancashire 132 for three, requiring just 44 for victory, and second place. Will Macpherson
Updated
at 8.40pm BST
That’s all folks!
Time to wrap up the penultimate day of the season on the blog. Thanks for joining me. I’m going to go to Edgbaston tomorrow, for what looks a corker.
Division One:
- Essex beat Yorkshire by 376 runs
- Middlesex 142 & 40-3 v Somerset 236 & 250-9d
- Lancashire 268 & 132-3 v Surrey 201-8d & 242
- Hampshire 116 & 20-1 v Warwickshire 188 & 186
Division Two:
- Northants 202 & 17-0 v Leicestershire 128 & 270
- Nottinghamshire 477 v Sussex 565
- Worcestershire 335 & 157-3 v Durham 208
- Glamorgan beat Kent by 5 wickets
- Gloucestershire 224-2 v Derbyshire 460
Speak in the morning! Thanks, as ever, for the support. One more time!
Matthew Maynard will leave Somerset after this match. Not a surprise, although the timing is a touch awry.
Well I’ve returned from a very enjoyable presentation – quite literally last orders at the bar – and it appears that there’s no more cricket happening!
Courtesy of Paul Frame, here’s the Essex groundsman’s latest masterpiece.
Stumps called at Old Trafford. Lancashire need 44 to win in the morning.
Northants are chasing 197 to beat Leicestershire and keep the heat up on Notts.
Close at Edgbaston! Warwickshire need nine wickets tomorrow, Hampshire 239 runs (or a draw). I’ll be there.
We think this is Yorkshire’s lowest score since 1999. Since securing their survival on day one, they’ve been humiliated here.
Essex win by 376 runs and go unbeaten!
Brilliant bouncer from Wagner ends it and Fisher, the only man to reach double figures, could do nothing but glove behind. Essex win by 376 runs. What an effort. Cook the pick of the bowlers, with 5 for 20.
Livingstone’s very fine day continues. He has 42 and with three wickets in hand, Lancashire need 57 to win.
Glamorgan have beaten Kent by five wickets! Sorry end to the season for Kent. Point worth making: look at the difference in their season when they had Jason Gillespie in the camp, and when they didn’t.
Wicket! Harmer has his second, and Carver is gone lbw. Yorkshire are 72 for nine. Stand with Fisher (25*, the only man in double figures) was worth 34.
Notts 477 all out! Bad news … Gurney unbeaten on 42!
They trail by 88. Should get the draw they need.
Stumps at Taunton! Back they will come tomorrow. Somerset need seven wickets for survival…
Cosgrove is gone, and Leicestershire are seven down. Lead of 171. Work for Northants still to do.
Notts trail by 98 with Gurney on 36 at tea. What an effort.
Tell you what, rain at Edgbaston and Taunton leaves tomorrow tantalisingly poised in the relegation stakes.
Lancashire 92 for three as first innings centurion Steven Croft goes for duck to Rikki Clarke…
Harry Gurney has 35. Oh my. Notts should surely save this game from here. They are 100 behind.
Lancashire are 88 for two as Batty gets Jones. One last Lancs up incoming?