
Essex hold out for draw against Yorkshire
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford (day four)Yorkshire 216 & 426-6 dec: Lyth 185, Bairstow 79, Wharton 61; Thain 3-96Essex 123 & 273-9: Critchley 75, Pepper 68; White 4-32, Hill 3-31 Essex (11 pts) drew with Yorkshire (11 pts) Match scorecard
Matt Critchley and Michael Pepper knuckled down for a monumental fifth-wicket stand of 154 in 77 overs to help steer Essex to the unlikeliest of County Championship draws against Yorkshire at Chelmsford.The pair came together in the depths of despair at 45-4 on the third evening and batted for four-and-a-half hours together, spanning 458 balls, and looked to have made it through two complete sessions on the final day. Pepper, though, fell to the last ball before tea after a 229-ball 68 that included five fours and two sixes.Critchley followed after the interval for 75 from 246 balls as Yorkshire scented their second win of the season with three wickets in 21 balls. However, last-wicket pair Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter saw out the final 38 minutes and 82 balls to prevent a second successive defeat.George Hill returned career-best match figures of 9-82, supported by Jack White's season's best 4-43, but to no avail as Yorkshire toiled in vain for one more wicket.The target of 520, with 456 still nominally required at the start of day four, was always going to be beyond Essex's compass and it became more a case of settling in to save face.The plans for survival, however, were set out from the start as Pepper and Critchley blocked and blocked with little alarm. It was not until the 20th ball of the day that they moved off their overnight 64-4 when Critchley angled a Ben Coad delivery wide of the slips for a boundary. It was only the introduction of Hill after 35 minutes that saw the usually flamboyant Pepper opened his morning's account, turning the ball down to fine leg for a single.The first sign of serious aggression came when Critchley hooked Matty Revis so firmly that the square-leg umpire had to take evasive action as it sped to the boundary. Revis then attempted a short-ball barrage at Pepper which and it nearly came off when the Essex batsman gloved one up and over Jonny Bairstow's head behind the stumps.Pepper broke out of his self-imposed shackles by sweeping Dom Bess for one six and adding a second over long leg. In between, he survived a difficult chance off an uppish drive past mid-on.Reprieved, Pepper scampered the single soon after lunch that took him to a 155-ball 50 followed quickly by the century stand that ate up 51 overs. Critchley's 50 was more circumspect, reached with another four guided down to third man from his 190th ball faced.Yorkshire's hopes seemed to hinge on the second new-ball, but they failed to make it count immediately and Bess was recalled to the attack after nine fruitless overs. However, to the final ball of the 13th over with it, on the cusp of tea, Pepper was caught leaning into a Hill delivery and departed lbw.Noah Thain lasted 15 balls before he was bowled through the gate by Bess and Critchley's marathon innings ended when he got the faintest of tickles to Hill and was caught behind.Shane Snater held out for 32 balls without scoring before he fell lbw to White and Kasun Rajitha's 21 came off 40 balls before he played down the wrong line and was bowled by Dan Moriarty. But then Porter came in to join Harmer and thwart Yorkshire despite being ringed by close fielders.ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Jude Bellingham's team-mates reveal what it's REALLY like playing with England star after Thomas Tuchel described his behaviour as 'repulsive'
Jude Bellingham has been cast into the fire once again after England boss Thomas Tuchel labelled the midfielder's on-field demeanour as 'repulsive'. Bellingham was unable to contain his emotions after England 's 3-1 defeat by Senegal on Tuesday, chasing down the fourth official before taking a swipe at a water cooler. Less than 24 hours on from England's 3-1 defeat, it was put to Tuchel that England could be better off without Bellingham in the starting line-up. 'I struggle to see that,' the German told talkSPORT. 'I think he brings an edge, which we welcome and which is needed if we want to achieve big things'. After initially defending the Real Madrid 's stars action, Tuchel did go on to suggest that Bellingham's fire needs to 'channeled' and admitted it causes 'mixed emotions'. He explained: '(But) the edge needs to be chanelled toward the opponent, towards our goal and not to intimidate team-mates, or to be over aggressive to team-mates or referees. 'He has the fire. I don't want to dim this down. He should play with this kind of fire, that's his strength. 'But I see that it can create mixed emotions. I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see. If he smiles, he wins everyone. 'But sometimes you see the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother, when she sits in front of the TV'. The outburst against Senegal was not the first time that fans have seen the frustrated side to Bellingham - both for Real Madrid and for the Three Lions. In recent years, there have been a number of outbursts from the midfielder but, as revealed by former team-mate Kade Craig, Bellingham has always been passionate on the pitch. The ex-Birmingham City academy player insisted that, while Bellingham might 'get into' it with others and express his frustrations often, it's all part of his 'self-belief'. Speaking to The Athletic, Craig revealed: 'We got on but at the same time, it was a love-hate relationship. Everyone else looked up to him, but because I hadn't been there from an early age, he was someone I didn't really know. 'We would get into each other during games but then we started to go on tours together as we got older, and stayed in the same room. 'Yes, he knew he was good and every top player has to have that self-confidence, but he is a humble lad too. That is probably why he has got so far: that self-belief'. So, that's two for two. Both Craig and Tuchel insist that, while Bellingham's tantrums can be startling to some, it's an energy and attitude that breeds success on the pitch. In July last year, reports emerged claiming that Bellingham had modelled his character on Michael Jordan, one of basketball's greatest-ever players. According to the Independent, through England's Euro 2024 campaign, Bellingham would cut a figure 'more akin to an American sport star'. The report said he was vocal about demanding the best of himself and his teammates – and found it hard to hide his frustrations if either didn't meet the grade. Michael Jordan famously was ruthless on and off the court, and was known for his unbreakable mentality and willingness to share his mind, regardless of who was in the room. Jordan would lead the Chicago Bulls to six championships between 1991 and 1998 – and a legacy that would recognise him as one of the greatest sport stars of all time. Bellingham has, similarly, attempted to elevate his team-mates with his passionate outbursts but, at times, it has not paid off. At the Euros last summer, Bellingham's attitude was on full show during England's stalemate with Slovenia, when an attack fizzled out and he failed to receive the ball. Expert lip reader Jeremy Freeman told Mail Sport that Bellingham yelled: 'Hey, genuinely put in a f***ing pass' and then: 'It's a bit late to control, f***ing pass.' It appeared to be in the wake of a corner following a Harry Kane shot from range when Bellingham was in the box, though it was unclear whether his ire was targeted at the striker or Kieran Trippier for his delivery from the set-piece. Then, after the ill-fated final against Spain, footage emerged of him appearing to shout at then-manager Gareth Southgate. ESPN's Mark Ogden claimed that Bellingham 'lost it' and got 'frustrated' at the gaffer before lacking kicking a drinks cooler to vent his frustration. Meanwhile, he was handed a red card after Real Madrid's Copa del Rey final defeat by Barcelona in April, where he 'approached the referee aggressively' and needed 'to be restrained by team-mates'. In February he launched a foul-mouthed tirade against a linesman during a tense 1-1 draw with capital city rivals Atletico. The midfielder was dumbfounded by an early decision from the assistant referee and vented his frustration next to one of the pitchside microphones at the Bernabeu. 'F*** you, man!' he was heard shouting. 'F*** off!' In September, he was heard calling a referee a 'piece of s***' after he was booked during a 4-1 victory over Espanyol. Meanwhile, back in 2022, reports in Germany claimed that Bellingham was at the centre of a dressing room rift at Borussia Dortmund. According to Bild, the midfielder's 'derogatory body language' on the pitch had been annoying his team-mates. But for now, Tuchel has opened a wound in a very public manner. It remains to be seen what impact this has on Bellingham, and a struggling England team, as the World Cup draws closer.


Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
England Under 21s make perfect start to Euros title defence, with Harvey Elliott on target in 3-1 victory over Czech Republic
If Lee Carsley cares to indulge in omens then here under the lights in Slovakia, England produced a good one with a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic on Thursday night. Two years ago England started the Under 21 Euros with a 2-0 win as the designated 'away' team against the Czechs. Five games later they were lifting the trophy for the first time in almost 40 years, Here there was to be no perfect shutout, that was ruined by Czech striker Daniel Fila heading in early in the second half, but for all of Carsley's angst at a 'clunky' and 'unorganised' start to this Euros title defence, what was served up was thrills and spills from a new group ready to go back-to-back. The absence of Liam Delap from this tournament after the striker joined Chelsea in time to play at the Club World Cup always felt a bigger deal to everyone other than Carsley since England arrived here in Slovakia. Carsley again leaned on his innovation and his penchant for false nines in deploying a 4-2-2-2 system. It was Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke two years ago in Georgia and this time the responsibility had been passed on to Jonathan Rowe and James McAtee, wearing the captain's armband after turning his back on the Club World Cup with Manchester City. With Omari Hutchinson operating as an inverted No 10 off the left and Harvey Elliott off the right, fluidity was king for Carsley and England. And while Elliot Anderson found himself booked after just 16 seconds for a rash challenge, this was a cool and composed start to England's title defence. With only two survivors from the 2023 winners, no sign of being weighed down by the pressure here. Hutchinson forced the first big save from Czech Republic goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek nine minutes in with a fizzing strike before Elliott was left to rue a fluffed three-on-two after an error from Stepan Chaloupek. But Elliott, who was cut adrift in the first half before a positional tweak from Carsley 20 minutes in, made up for his earlier indecision by drilling England into the lead just before the break. Brilliant work again by Tino Livramento, who was a real standout, saw his cross deflected to the back post and a cushioned pass back into Elliott's path was drilled home with confidence by the Liverpool man. The Czech Republic, again facing England to start successive tournaments and arriving without an opening win since beating Ukraine in 2011, did cause some moments of panic, though. A VAR check for a penalty in the closing moments of the half gave this partisan crowd a brief glimmer of hope before that was waved away, while James Beadle had earlier made a decent save to deny Chaloupek. The Czechs gave England pause for thought when they answered Rowe making it 2-0 from close range soon after the restart with Fila's clinical header. Ethan Nwaneri and Jay Stansfield sparked life back into England when changes were made and from there they regained their stranglehold on a game that only went awry through their own self-inflicted mistakes. And any lingering nerves, for there some on the England bench, were eased when Charlie Cresswell nodded in with 15 minutes to go from Alex Scott's corner. So, as it was, another win over the Czechs as the 'away team' by a two-goal margin. We've seen that before…


BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Dramatic wins for Somerset and Surrey in T20 Blast
Somerset chased down 230 in the final over to maintain their 100% record in the T20 Blast on an astonishing night of South Group action when more than 1,200 runs were scored in three year's runners-up made it four wins from four as Sean Dickson's 76 and Lewis Gregory's unbeaten 58 from 23 deliveries helped them past Middlesex, for whom Max Holden and Ben Geddes had shared 131 from 63 balls in the biggest T20 total by an away side at Taunton of the Oval, Chris Jordan produced a vintage display for Surrey, taking 4-10, his best figures in more than 300 club matches, and then hitting the final ball for four to earn a thrilling four-wicket win over Will Smale's career-best 65 in Glamorgan's 220-6 helped them to a thumping win at Essex, who remain pointless at the foot of the table after five games. Hosts edge Taunton thriller After being asked to bat first at Taunton, Stephen Eskinazi (17 from 12) and Kane Williamson (28 from 17) gave Middlesex a solid platform, reaching 52-2 from 34 balls, a platform which Holden and Geddes built pair added 100 for the third wicket from the next 47 deliveries, with Geddes smashing five sixes in a 25-ball half-century and Holden following suit a little later from 30 balls, with five fours and one eventually departed for a career-best 69 from 32 balls, trying for his eighth six, only to miscue Riley Meredith to Matt Henry at du Plooy followed from the next ball, caught in the deep but Ryan Higgins cracked the hat-trick ball to the deep square got his revenge at the end of the 19th over, having Higgins caught behind for 11, to finish with finished unbeaten on 87 from 47 balls, with a dozen fours and a six, while Jack Davies hit a six off Ben Green in the final over - Middlesex's 12th of the innings - as the visitors posted began positively but lost Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Banton and it was 88-4 in the ninth over when Tom Abell slog-swept a boundary catch off Luke Hollman to depart for Dickson, back from a broken finger, moved to a 24-ball half-century with a reverse-sweep for six off Zafar Gohar. Gregory was then caught off a Hollman no-ball as 18 came off the 13th over and the home side still had smashed Noah Cornwell for a straight six and Gregory rode his luck further when dropped on the boundary by Du Plooy off Gohar, hitting three sixes in the same over. After Dickson holed out to long-off for 76 from 38 balls to end a 104-run stand in nine overs, the Somerset skipper hit his fifth maximum to bring up a 21-ball Green was dropped by Du Plooy again off Tom Helm in the penultimate over before another Gregory six completed a remarkable victory. More to follow.