Date-stamped : 11 Jun96 - 02:16 AXA Equity & Law Sunday League 1996 Essex v Lancashire County Ground, Chelmsford 9 June 1996 ====> REPORT Gooch on assault course By D. J. Rutnagur at Chelmsford Essex (249-6) bt Lancashire (232) by 17 runs A TYPICALLY robust 87 off 69 balls by Graham Gooch and his partnership of 122 with Paul Prichard (50) during the last 16 overs of Essex`s innings proved decisive. The platform for their assault was erected by Darren Robin- son, Stuart Law and Robert Rollins. Lancashire`s challenge petered out with the dismissal for 88 of Mike Watkinson, who has thrived in the role of pinch- hitting opener, passing the 50-mark in all his last three Sunday innings. Watkinson, who hit four fours and five sixes before succumbing to Paul Grayson, Essex`s main wicket-taker, was fifth out, with 12 overs remaining and 89 runs needed. Lancashire`s next three wickets went down for only 20 runs, putting them out of the race. Neil Fairbrother`s calf injury had mended well enough for him to return to the side and is certain to play in the Benson and Hedges semi-final against Yorkshire on Tuesday. But John Crawley took his place on the injury list, pulling a hamstring while sprinting for a second run during a promising partnership of 62 in 11 overs with Wat- kinson. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)