The Wright Stuff.

Day four of the LVCC Div2 game between Essex and Middlesex at Chelmsford.

A really good journey to Chelmers after negotiating the bridge works and the Denham boot sale which had traffic stacked back onto the A40. Memo to self, check boot sale dates don’t clash with when we play at Uxbridge or don't drive there. Parking as ever was easy, in the car park next to the ground for £3.50 all day, now that’s what I call reasonable. Overcast early on with a nice light breeze but already very warm.

Pre lunch.

Middlesex took the field for day four Knocker less, he was at the ground hobbling around on his injury and looking quite chipper about life as ever.  Joycie with the gloves for the rest of the game. The first ball seemed to set the tone for the day, a dodgy single by Pettini run to Ed Smith was just tossed back wide of the keeper when a valiant attempt may have resulted in a run out.  Phillander was not over pleased with the effort.

Over two saw a sharp chance to Straussie by Chopra off Udal missed which raced to the fence for four. A Vernon maiden followed and with the game settling down it was time to investigate the ales in the pavilion. Spitfire at £2.80 a pint, that will do nicely.

Lots of encouraging noises among the field with young Danny Evans being one of the more vocal in his geeing up of team mates. Lots of edges off the bat flying past fielders but with so many to get and so few wickets in hand the thought has to be that it will only take a couple to stick to get the result we require.

150 up at the end of 48 overs of the innings.  Phillander then trapped Pettini plumb LBW for 16 with 140 required to win.  Vanburn Holder thought long and hard before giving it out.  (151-6).  Danny Evans replaced Shaggy from the river end and straight away looked hostile, rapping batsmen’s fingers before clean bowling Chopra for 38 (167-7). Phillander bowled for an hour unchanged without any luck but seemed to be really going for it. Dial M replaced him at the Hayes Close end and second ball had Foster checking he still had all his fingers.  Udal replaced Evans and the runs required dropped below the hundred with 72 overs remaining.

With twenty mins till lunch the ball was finally thrown to Steven Finn, his first ball was sent hurtling off the square by Foster only to be well taken by the sub fielder Gareth Berg. Foster gone for 16. (202-8).

Enter Chris Wright, underused with the ball throughout the match could he do anything with the bat. The lunch break saw Essex 216 for 8 with Middlebrook 19 and Wright 5. Three wickets for not many runs, Session to Middlesex.

Post lunch.

A good few folk during lunch headed for the shade under the upper tier of the stand, it was really hot by this time, a few others had headed home with the idea it was a lost Essex cause. The Essex fans I spoke too reckoned Middlesex had it I the bag, I said don’t be so sure. Wright soon passed his highest County Championship score and was making batting look easy. The target for Essex was soon below 50 runs, for Middlesex a matter of two balls doing the business. Wright reached his maiden Championship 50 off 74 balls with 9 fours. Having realised that the batting lark wasn’t as hard as most of the batsmen had made it look in this game he proceeded to launch Shaggy into the upper tier of the stand for a very big six. As a final throw of the dice while the fat lady was warming up the Captain threw the ball again to Finn. A big Middlebrook six off Shaggy (not to be outdone by Wright) straight into the sightscreen reduced the runs required to seven.  With Phillander switched to the river end the winning runs are hit by Wright, an edge straight past Straussie to the fence for four.  How apt they should be scored in this way. (301-8 . Middlebrook 33 n.o , Wright 71 n.o.).

Post Mortem.

A good days cricket to watch at a nice ground in great weather. Middlesex problem appears to be they are often unable to finish a side off.  Essex were down and all but out last evening. The loss of Knocker didn’t help, Joyce is ok behind the sticks but he will probably be the first to admit he isn’t really capable of the levels needed by a gloveman in the four day game. Failures with the bat on both sides made this a funny old game but at the end of day four Essex won because of a young man with the Wright stuff.  Add him to the ever-increasing list of ex players who have shoved it to us in games for their later Counties.

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