Wickets tumble on opening day

GRAHAM Onions says Lancashire must put pressure on Essex after a dramatic opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash at Chelmsford.

Eighteen wickets fell on day one of the clash between last season’s top two, with the Red Rose resuming this morning on 141-8 having bowled out the defending champions for 150.

Australian Joe Mennie claimed 3-52 to rip the heart out of the Essex batting line-up after Lancashire had taken the option to put the home side into bat.

Onions, the accurate Tom Bailey and Jordan Clark all also chipped in with two wickets apiece.

But Lancashire, who lost their opening match of the campaign after being bowled out for 158 and 73 by Nottinghamshire at Emirates Old Trafford, struggled with the bat again and at one point looked likely to give up a first innings lead as they slumped to 109-7, despite 33 from captain Liam Livingstone.

But 24 not out from Clark and a 32-run stand with Mennie - who fell for 12 - have taken Lancashire to withing shouting distance of the Essex first innings total.

But Onions knows Lancashire, who have selected spinner Matthew Parkinson ahead of Steven Croft in the only change from last week’s defeat, must continue to put the squeeze on the home side.

“We need to try and get as many runs as possible and then try and put them under pressure,” said the former Durham seamer.

“If we can bowl well second innings and try and keep them down to a similar score, we feel we can chase that down. But if we don’t turn up tomorrow and try and score runs or put the ball in the right area we’re going to be in a position where we’re going to be chasing a rather big total. So we’ll try and put them under pressure.”