Coventry Telegraph

Bears don’t have leg to stand on as the leaders take charge

- By BRIAN HALFORD mail.sport@birmingham­mail.co.uk

ESSEX’S leading wicket-takers, Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer, plundered four more apiece as the Division One leaders dominated bottom-of-thetable Warwickshi­re on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championsh­ip match at Edgbaston.

Porter took four for 62 and Harmer four for 47, taking their season’s haul to 61 and 59 respective­ly, as the home side was bowled out for 201.

Only opener Dom Sibley, last out for 76 (183 balls, nine fours), showed the necessary resolve and technique against aggressive, accurate bowling, which was rewarded by seven lbw dismissals.

Essex reached 69 without loss at the close of the first day of a match which could conclude with them crowned champions and their opponents consigned to relegation. Last time Essex visited Edgbaston in the championsh­ip, in August 2010, a seven-wicket defeat condemned them to the drop. This time a much happier outcome for them is in prospect.

Essex took up the option to bowl at a brittle Bears batting unit and Porter soon inflicted damage in a superb opening spell of 7-3-15-2. The 24-yearold trapped Sam Hain and Jonathan Trott lbw to leave the home side tottering on 12 for two. He would also have had Sibley, on just two, but Harmer grassed the chance at second slip.

Sibley enjoyed good fortune early on but applied himself diligently to the anchor role while partners came and went. The opener added 46 in 16 overs with Ian Bell, 52 in 19 with Matt Lamb and 43 in 15 with Chris Woakes. Bell (37, 52 balls), averaging just 22.89 in the championsh­ip this season, batted with returning fluency but fell lbw to Neil Wagner. Not for the first time this season, Lamb (32, 64 balls) got out just as he had got in, this time edging Samuel Cook to the wicketkeep­er. Woakes (22, 52) was pinned lbw on the back foot by Harmer. Essex then truly took control with three wickets in the last 15 balls before tea – all lbw. Alex Mellor inexplicab­ly left a straight one from Harmer, Porter returned to oust Keith Barker for a duck and Harmer defeated fellow spinner Jeetan Patel. From 187 for eight at tea, Warwickshi­re soon lost debutant Henry Brookes, bowled by Harmer, before the gallant Sibley at least took them to a batting point before edging a big drive at Porter.

Sibley said: “It was nice to spend some time at the crease and take advantage of a dropped catch early on and get some runs. It was a tough day but hopefully we can bring it back a bit tomorrow.

“Batting was hard work, especially at the start. Porter is a top bowler, who has been taking stacks of wickets doing what he does. He hits the seam and was peppering my thigh-guard and bowled really well.

“Harmer bowled well as well. Normally if it seams around, it spins as well and he is a top bowler as well. But it’s the sort of wicket which is difficult for new batsmen coming in so if we can come out firing tomorrow and get a couple of early wickets then we can get right back in the game, 100 per cent.”

Essex completed pretty much the perfect day as openers Varun Chopra and Nick Browne made largely untroubled progress to the close.

It was nice to spend some time at the crease and get some runs... It was a tough day but hopefully we can bring it back a bit. Dom Sibley

 ??  ?? Opener Dom Sibley picks up runs on his way to 76 for the Bears
Opener Dom Sibley picks up runs on his way to 76 for the Bears

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom