Lancashire 207 and 82 for 1 (Jennings 45*, Bohannon 28*) lead Essex 219 (Critchley 78, Anderson 4-70) by 70 runs
Critchley was last man out for 78 off 154 balls to follow scores of 55 and 53 in last week’s victory at Lord’s against Middlesex. It allowed Essex to post 219 and gain a 12-point lead that seemed beyond them at one point in the day.
Anderson had been nearly unplayable under slate gray clouds in the first hour as he extracted speed and movement from a pitch that made other batters look like mere mortals. One ball was so full of life and pace that it beat wicketkeeper George Bell’s extravagant dive and ran for four byes.
Adam Rossington – who later gave up the wicket-keeper’s gloves in Lancashire’s second innings to Michael Pepper after damaging a hand – lasted just eight balls before giving a thick edge to another lifter from Anderson and Luke Wells who held on above his right shoulder.
A third Essex wicket fell in the first half hour as Simon Harmer, at nil, fenced Tom Bailey and Wells again snotty at first slip.
Critchley, who had struggled for consistency last season following his move from Derbyshire, held on at the other end, reaching his last fifty off 100 balls. He played first fiddle in a seventh wicket stand of 43 in 12 overs with Doug Bracewell, although he was lucky as he was dropped by Wells on 53. The entrepreneurial partnership ended when Bracewell chased a wide from compatriot Will Williams to take fourth. catch of the morning.
When Anderson was rested after a burst of six over worth 2 for 20, it gave Essex some respite and Critchley took advantage by casually fishing Williams past the slips for one of his nine fours.
When Anderson returned after the first of three rain breaks there wasn’t the same venom or resentment in his deliveries. Indeed, tail-ender Sam Cook played two controlled drives to the border as England’s third leading strike bowler in a pleasant cameo worth 20.
The eighth wicket pair set up 38 valuable runs to take Essex beyond Lancashire’s first innings tally of 209, but it ended when Cook forced Colin de Grandhomme to midwicket. Essex was all out soon after as Critchley hollowed out to deep extra cover to give Williams a third wicket.
Lancashire had leveled as Wells went off for his second single-digit score of the match half ahead of Jamie Porter and was rated lbw.
However, that prompted Bohannon to join Jennings and the pair patiently built a half century stand in 16 overs which was embroidered by some loose bowling from Bracewell, who was taken away after conceding 24 runs in total of his third and fourth. overs.