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CC2: Whirlwind Ealham lifts Notts

Friday, May 14 2004

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Essex
Habib keeps Essex in touch

Glamorgan, resuming on their overnight 346-8, added a further 89 runs in the morning session thanks largely to a sparkling 78 by Alex Wharf which included 8 boundaries and 2 sixes. When he was last out, bowled by Middlebrook, Glamorgan were relatively secure on 435.

The Essex reply started shakily with David Harrison in fine form, bagging former England skipper Nasser Hussain for a duck and following that up with the scalps of Alastair Cook and William Jefferson before the ink of their names had time to dry in the scorer's book.

Andy Flower dug in and was joined at the wicket by the even more dogged Aftab Habib and the pair set about undoing some of the early damage. Flower (38) went leg before to Wharf, followed shortly by James Foster to the bowling of Croft as half the Essex side perished for barely 115.

In James Middlebrook, Habib had finally found a partner who could hang around and the pair, slowly at first but with increasing assurance, got the Essex reply going in no uncertain terms. Middlebrook's 80 contained no fewer than 13 boundaries and came in the midst of a sixth wicket partnership which added 170 runs in under two hours.

At the close, Essex were past 300 and Habib was still there on 131, having batted for over four hours in his innings which included 16 boundaries and 2 sixes. With the new ball available first thing this morning and the game very much in the balance thus far, the first few overs will be vital.

Glamorgan 435
Elliott 114, Wharf 78, Maynard 64, Hemp 55, Napier 4-91, Kaneria 3-111
Essex 301-6
Habib 131*, Middlebrook 80, Harrison 3-53

Leicester: Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire
Ealham puts Leicestershire to the sword

Resuming on 84-3, Nottinghamshire soon lost night-watchman Ryan Sidebottom for a duck as he became the third of Ottis Gibson's five victims, and when David Hussey followed shortly after, Nottinghamshire could be forgiven for thinking that it was not going to be their day.

Charity is supposed to begin at home, but on this occasion it began at Grace Road - in the slips, to be precise. With Mark Ealham on just 4, Maddy found the outside edge and Darren Robinson spurned the far from difficult chance. He had plenty of opportunity to regret his profligacy.

With the fall of Chris Read's wicket on 172, Ealham was left with just the tail to work with, but in Jamie Oliver style he concocted a dish fit for a king, although every mouthful would have caused Robinson to choke. Ealham and Paul Franks (45) added 109 for the eighth wicket in a two hour partnership which only gave a hint of what was to follow.

When Gibson accounted for Stuart MacGill to leave the visitors just 63 ahead and with the last man at the crease, one could be forgiven for thinking that the end was nigh. Charlie Shreck was by and large a spectator at the non-striker's end, content to block as and when required.

Ealham was simply devastating, swatting all and sundry all around Grace Road. He went to his century with a pull high over long leg off Ottis Gibson, and then the fun really started as he smashed the hitherto economical John Dakin to all parts, one over in particular being plundered for no less than four maximums.

When he was finally out, holing out to Henderson off the bowling of Darren Maddy for a magnificent 139 which included 17 fours and 8 sixes, Nottinghamshire's lead had been extended to 143.

The Leicestershire second innings commenced in unfortunate fashion - at least as far as John Maunders was concerned as he was trapped leg before wicket by Ryan Sidebottom to duly complete his pair. Brad Hodge took the Ealham approach in a bright and breezy run-a-ball 36 which included two sixes but when he was bowled by Sidebottom, Maddy (12*) and Robinson (36*) shut up shop for the night.

By my reckoning, Robinson still requires another 99 to get back into credit.

Leicestershire 223
Sadler 62, Gibson 57*, Sidebottom 4-52, Shreck 4-73)
and 94-2
Robinson 36*, Maddy 12*
Nottinghamshire 366
Ealham 139, Warren 72, Gibson 5-98

Taunton: Somerset v Durham
Johnson gives selectors timely reminder

With the England v New Zealand test series just around the corner, Richard Johnson gave selectors not so much a nudge as a belt in the ribs with an excellent seven wicket haul to leave Durham in tatters.

The day started quietly with Durham openers Lewis and North progressing quite nicely in the opening three quarters of an hour before Johnson struck with a devastating three wicket burst, sending North, Muchall and Collingwood back to the pavilion post-haste. Another England hopeful, Andrew Caddick, threw his hat into the ring when he trapped Nicky Peng for a duck, but by and large it was a one-man show.

Lewis and the hard-hitting Gareth Breese (41) glued things back together for a while adding 65 for the sixth wicket, but when Lewis (65) departed shortly afterward, Durham were up the River Tone without the proverbial paddle on 145-7.

Shoaib Akhtar (25) and Andrew Pratt (46*) helped the visitors limp to 235, a deficit on first innings of 140.

When Somerset batted again, Peter Bowler and Neil Edwards gave them a steady start with a half-century partnership before Mark Davies chipped in, removing both before stumps, but it was Johnson's day.

Somerset 375
Hildreth 101, Dutch 72, Cox 66, Parsons 55, Davies 3-55, Shoaib Akhtar 3-63)
and 68-2
Davies 2-18
Durham 235
Lewis 65, Johnson 7-69

Leeds: Yorkshire v Hampshire
Silverwood strikes give Yorkshire the edge

A solid if largely unspectacular performance by Yorkshire's batsmen kept them in touch with Hampshire at Headingley. Several got starts but only Michael Lumb with a dour 83 went on to register a half-century.

For Hampshire, Tremlett and Taylor kept matters tight but it was left to Shaun Udal to enhance his bowling figures with a nice little spell of 3-8 at the death.

With Hampshire enjoying a first innings lead of just 6, it was essential that they took advantage of possibly the best of the batting conditions, but Headingley if nothing else always seems to help the new ball bowlers a little.

So it was that Chris Silverwood was able to make early inroads, picking up the wickets of Kenway, Kendall and Clarke at a personal cost of 18. John Blain chipped in with a couple as Hampshire struggled to 114-5 at the close, although with first innings centurion Nic Pothas undefeated on 25, Yorkshire have good cause to be wary.

Hampshire 322
Pothas 100, Kendall 50, Silverwood 3-61, Blain 3-63
and 114-5
Pothas 25*, Mascarenhas 5*, Silverwood 3-18
Yorkshire 316
Lumb 83, Udal 3-8, Tremlett 3-77


Posted by Eddie