CricInfo Championship: Yorkshire v Essex at Scarborough, 12-15 Sep 2001 CricInfo Live Report

CricInfo Championship: Yorkshire v Essex at Scarborough, 12-15 Sep 2001
Lunch - Day 1

Essex 2nd innings: Stumps - Day 3,
Essex 1st innings: Essex make up for lost time,
Yorkshire 1st innings: Champions Yorkshire struggle,
Live Reports from previous days

YORKSHIRE DECLARATION SETS UP EXCITING FINISH

Yorkshire paved the way for an exciting climax to the season by making a surprise declaration against Essex at Scarborough when trailing by 146 runs on the first innings.

As soon as Yorkshire had reached 104 for five and avoided the follow-on, skipper David Byas injected much-needed life into the rain-hit game by making his declaration and by the close of the third day Essex were 48 for three and leading by 194.

Essex, who resumed their first innings in the morning on 99 for three, collapsed after lunch to 250 all out, the last four wickets going down for 19 runs in six overs.

Star of the show for Yorkshire was Matthew Hoggard who warmed up for his winter tours with England by capturing career-best figures of six for 51.

He was far more accurate than his new ball partner, Steven Kirby, who went for 81 runs in 15 overs, sending down 15 no-balls and failing to claim a wicket. In one over, Graham Napier smashed him for 18 off three consecutive deliveries with a four and two sixes, one of which was hit off a no-ball.

Ashley Cowan and Justin Bishop both picked up a couple of early wickets as a number of poor strokes reduced Yorkshire to 37 for four but Anthony McGrath helped stage a recovery with a solid 29 before being trapped lbw by Napier.

The brightest of Yorkshire's batting came from Byas who middled the ball well and he had advanced to 41 when he hit the boundary which brought the declaration.

Hoggard struck a further blow with his second ball which dismissed Darren Robinson lbw and it became nine for two when Richard Clinton was caught at point off Kirby.

Former Yorkshire all-rounder Paul Grayson batted well but after making 33 he mistimed a pull at Kirby and was caught by Vic Craven but soon afterwards the last four overs of the day were lost to bad light.

ESSEX MAKE CHAMPIONS STRUGGLE

CricInfo County Champions Yorkshire struggled at Scarborough today after bowling out bottom club Essex for 250, Matthew Hoggard capturing career-best figures of six for 51.

Essex's new-ball pair of Ashley Cowan and Justin Bishop then reduced Yorkshire to 37 for four and by tea they were still in plenty of trouble on 90 for five.

Graham Napier in the morning struck 18 off three consecutive balls from Steven Kirby with a four and two sixes, one of the big hits coming off a no-ball. He made 42 from 61 balls with six fours and two sixes before falling lbw to McGrath but it was Hoggard who did most of the damage, taking five for 36 today with Essex losing their last four wickets for 19 runs in six overs after lunch.

Yorkshire were soon in difficulties as Matthew Wood drove Bishop to mid-off and Chris Taylor edged the same bowler to third slip.

Cowan, bowling just as effectively from the pavilion end, had Michael Vaughan edging a poor off-side shot into his middle stump before Vic Craven played him off bat and pad into Zoheb Sharif's waiting hands at short leg.

Just when captain David Byas and Anthony McGrath were beginning to pull things round, Yorkshire lost another wicket with McGrath falling lbw to Napier and in the last over before the interval Byas, on 33, was put down by Joe Grant at mid-off.

ESSEX MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME AT SCARBOROUGH

Essex made rapid progress when they resumed their innings on 99 for three against Yorkshire at Scarborough today after yesterday's complete wash-out, and by lunch they had hurried on to 230 for six.

Ronnie Irani soon boosted his score with four fiercely struck boundaries off Matthew Hoggard, and Essex were 126 for three when play was halted at 11 o'clock while three minutes silence was observed as a mark of respect for the atrocities in America.

Soon after the resumption Richard Clinton was caught behind hooking at Hoggard and in his next over the paceman dismissed Irani lbw for 33.

Essex recovered from 135 for five through a 75 stand in 15 overs between James Foster and Graham Napier.

Steven Kirby, who sent down several no-balls, was severely punished by Napier who thrashed a four and two sixes off consecutive deliveries, one of the big hits being off a no-ball. Kirby bowled two further no-balls in the over which cost 22 runs.

Anthony McGrath intervened with his medium-pacers to pin Napier lbw for 42 from 64 balls with six fours and two sixes, new batsman Zoheb Sharif then helping Foster add 20 up to the lunch interval.