CHELMSFORD

(Day one of four, Warwickshire won toss)

Essex 333 for 8

Lunch

Play began an hour late because of bad light, and some drizzle, with Warwickshire opting to bowl first on a pitch tinged with green. Chris Martin and Chris Woakes, the new ball bowlers, both got the ball through to the keeper at a lively pace but initially Jason Gallian and John Maunders played with good sense to give Essex a solid start.

At 22, however, Maunders pulled a short ball from Martin straight to a deep square leg fielder positioned specifically for the shot. Navdeep Poonia took the catch and Maunders, the former Leicestershire batsman who is on a month-to-month contract and hoping for a full-time contract next summer, was out for seven.

Ravi Bopara, the newly-crowned Young Cricketer of the Year, joined Gallian and was fortunate to be dropped on nought when he carved Boyd Rankin’s first ball, at the start of the 13th over, straight at Jim Troughton in the gully. Troughton, though, could only parry the fast-travelling ball up in the air and failed to hold the rebound.

Later in the over Bopara played an extraordinary back foot force high over mid-off for a boundary to get off the mark and at lunch Essex were 37 for 1 with Gallian, who had played several classy strokes, on 21.

Tea

A long afternoon session produced 180 runs in 39 overs for Essex and four wickets for Warwickshire, but it was the home side who would have been happiest – especially in the performance of the 18-year old Jaik Mickleburgh.

Coming in at 59 for three, after Gallian had edged to second slip and Rikki Clarke’s first ball for Warwickshire had produced the wicket of Mark Pettini, who edged a short and wide ball to the keeper, the youngster from Norfolk completely overshadowed Bopara in a fourth wicket stand of 111 in just 18 overs.

In his second first-class appearance, and after hitting 60 on debut against Leicestershire three weeks ago, Mickleburgh made a delightful 72 from 79 balls, with 12 fours. He scored all round the wicket, with several eye-catching on-drives, and Warwickshire’s attack could not contain him.

Mickleburgh was initially severe on Ian Salisbury, going to his half-century with two boundaries in the leg spinner’s opening over, but in Salisbury’s third over a quicker googly pinned him in front on the back foot.

Two balls later it was 170 for five, with Bopara cutting Clarke straight to backward point for 42, but Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster rallied Essex again in the remaining half-hour before tea – with Foster in particular playing some sparkling shots.

Close

Foster’s attractive innings of 42, in a partnership of 71 with Ten Doeschate, ended when he attempted to pull a short ball from Rankin and skied a comfortable catch to Tim Ambrose, running towards long leg.

James Middlebrook, however, proved an adhesive new partner for Ten Doeschate, who should have been caught at mid-on by Martin when 18 but now began to accelerate with an array of powerful strokes.

Ten Doeschate reached his fifty in the 74th over, from 94 balls and with six fours, but three overs later he saw Middlebrook run out for a useful 21 as he looked for a non-existent single to Troughton at short third man and was sent back.

Warwickshire took the new ball immediately, at 311 for 7 after 80 overs, and Ten Doeschate’s resistance ended on 72 five overs later when he gloved a pull at Martin and looped up a simple catch to Clarke at second slip.

Some fine late blows from Chris Wright, who ended unbeaten on 18, took Essex to within sight of a valuable fourth batting point – but bad light ruled out the last two overs of the day.