Robin Reid
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CricInfo Championship: Northamptonshire v Essex at Northampton, 27-30 Jul 2001 Robin Reid |
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Northamptonshire 1st innings: |
The 26-year-old from Western Australia, signed by Northants last winter to replace fellow Aussie Matthew Hayden, hit a sparkling career-best 200 not out - his third three-figure score in four Championship matches – to boost Northants to 378-3 from 104 overs at the close.
It was an important toss to win and Ronnie Irani would have been bitterly disappointed to call incorrectly and concede first use of a pitch looking full of runs.
Hussey and Adrian Rollins (39) shared an opening stand of 135 in 39 overs before the Essex attack enoyed its first success in the second over after lunch when Rollins played on to Peter Such.
Mal Loye weighed in with a typically entertaining 52 off 74 balls, including two sixes and seven fours, and Russell Warren (38) kept Hussey company for another 25 overs before edging left-arm spinner Tim Phillips to wicket-keeper James Foster.
But the day belonged emphatically to Hussey, who moved past the 1,000 mark when his score reached 89. His knock featured a six and 34 fours and he becomes the first player since the former England batsman Roger Prideaux in 1962 to achieve a four-figure tally in the season of his Northants debut.
Despite the visitors’ efforts to slow the game down in the final session, Hussey was still able to complete his maiden double-hundred with a boundary through the covers off Ashley Cowan in the penultimate over of the evening.
The 26-year-old from Western Australia reached the landmark with his score on 89, and had progressed to 153 not out at tea with the hosts well-placed on 280-2 from 72 overs.
Hussey and Adrian Rollins (39) led off with a solid opening stand of 135 to deny the Essex attack any success before lunch. Peter Such eventually broke through in the second over of the afternoon session when Rollins played on, but Mal Loye made his intentions clear by hitting two fours and a six to open his account.
Hussey’s century – his third in four Championship matches and his 16th in first-class cricket – came off 141 balls with 19 boundaries, but he lost Loye (52) to Ronnie Irani with their second-wicket partnership worth 102.
There was still time before the break for Hussey to reach 150 with a powerful on-drive for six on to the sponsors’ balcony.
The in-form Australian passed fifty for the ninth time in the Championship this season, and with Rollins cutting loose after a cautious start the hosts reached 134 without loss from 37 overs after David Ripley won an important toss in perfect batting conditions.
Hussey enjoyed an early escape when an inside-edge off Ashley Cowan just eluded his stumps, but he took a fresh guard and duly completed a 77-ball half-century with a boundary off Graham Napier.
And Rollins pulled both Napier and Cowan for six as the Essex attack struggled to make any impression on a pitch looking full of runs.
Hussey was unbeaten on 81 at the break – just 8 short of completing his 1,000 runs for the season – with Rollins 38 not out.
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Date-stamped : 27 Jul2001 - 23:01