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CC1: Going Down to the Wire

Monday, September 15 2003

Lancashire kept their title dream alive as they hammered Sussex by an innings at Old Trafford to cut the gap to sixteen points, whilst Essex's capitulation to Warwickshire saw them join Leicestershire and Nottingamshire in being relegated from the top flight.

The South Coast team now need to take seven points from their final fixture - hosting Leicestershire at Hove - and they will be Champions. Should basement team Nottinghamshire restrict Lancashire to 15 points or less, then Sussex will also win the title.

The last-day finish has come about due to an unlikely result at Old Trafford as Lancashire took maximum 22 points and kept Sussex down to 4, despite rain and bad light only allowing 110.5 overs over the first two days.

Yet Sussex were hardly able to break through the Lancashire top order that has grown from strength to strength throughout the season. Despite cutting the hosts back to 66/2, Stuart Law (163*) recorded yet another big century and the 251 runs he put on with Mal Loye (144) but Lancashire firmly in the driving seat. Skipper Warren Hegg hit a breezy 26* at the end as the Red Rose county declared at 450/6.

It all seemed to be on its way to petering out into one of those tame September draws (read on for a classic example) when Tony Cottey and Murray Goodwin were in at 122/1, but then the Sussex wheels not so much fell off as vanished. Once Cottey (40) fell to John Wood, there began a remarkable trail of single figure scores. Chris Adams 1, Tim Ambrose first ball, Robin Martin-Jenkins 2, Matt Prior 2, Mark Davis 2. Suddenly it was 157/7

A rapid 54 from Mushtaq Ahmed restored some degree of respectability but once the tail deserted Goodwin on 118*, Sussex had mustered 251 - just enough for an extra batting point that could prove exceptionally crucial come next week. Gary Keedy ended with 5/106 off 29 overs and John Wood, who took the first three wickets in that collapse, took 3/17 off 9.

Second time round it seemed to be much the same story as Montgomerie and nightwatchman Taylor departed late on day 3 as Sussex closed at 21/2, still 178 behind. A stand of forty between Adams (35) and Cottey (32) for the third wicket looked like it might signal an upturn but once again Wood made the breakthrough and Keedy finished the task.

Goodwin, batting at six due to an eye injury sustained facing Peter Martin first time around, again fought hard with 57, but he received little real support. When Keedy completed his second five-for whenf Mark Davis, who held out for 74 minutes and 89 balls for 11 runs, was caught by Iain Sutcliffe with the score on 180 just before tea, it was all over.

Lancashire recorded a highly impressive innings-and-20-run victory and set nerves jangling on the South Coast. Goodwin's performance with 175 runs in the game was surpassed by one man, veteran left-arm spinner Keedy, who - with match figures of 60-11-167-10 - was a crucial cog in the Lancashire machine.

Essex (5pts) capitulated pitifully on the final morning at Chelmsford to grant Warwickshire maximum points and keep them up at the hosts' expense.

From being 73/7 on another weather-affected first day, Essex were indebted to ECB Academy all-rounder Graham Napier (48), Andrew Clarke (41) and veteran John Stephenson (75*) for their final 256.

However, Warwickshire's follow-up display further showed the failings of the Essex top order as, led by Mark Wagh's 116 - with 19 boundaries - they cantered their way to 503 in just over 111 overs, Waqar Younis adding 45 off just 49 balls including four fours and two sixes. Off-spinner James Middlebrook took 5/154 and Napier 3/80 in the lower order.

Essex, second time around, looked on much firmer footing as they reached stumps on day 3 at 257/4, ten runs ahead - and three of the wickets had fallen the occasional off-spin of Wagh - who returned impressive figures of 41-9-111-4. Yet the fireworks were still to come on the fourth morning...

Essex reached 279/4 without too much difficulty before Waqar showed everyone a glimpse of his prime, as the hosts' tail turned it a succession of excellent rabbit-in-headlights impressions to see the last six wickets fall for just 24 runs - Waqar taking five, Wagh the other.

Yet if Essex thought they had seen the end of Wagh, they hadn't, and it was he who finished the job with a huge six off Middlebrook as Warwickshire chased 56 for the loss of only one wicket.

Relegated Nottinghamshire (11pts) and mid-table Middlesex (10) - made safe by the Essex defeat - batted out a turgid and rain-affected (27 overs were possible on the second day) draw.

Russell Warren made 123 in Notts' first innings 361 and England discard Owais Shah 87 in the Middlesex reply. By this time, it was almost close on day three, and day four added little further excitement.

Warren made a further 113* for an aggregate of 236 and skipper Jason Gallian a season's best 116 while Middlesex used all ten bowlers available - Tim Bloomfield was injured - including 'keeper David Nash. Kevin Pietersen became fellow South African-born English batting prospect Andrew Strauss' only first-class wicket to date when he was bowled by the Middlesex skipper after an 57-ball 68 that included 11 fours - a bright spark on an otherwise dreary final day.

CricketWeb Players of the Round - Gary Keedy and Mark Wagh

Posted by Neil