Although rain has already taken 122 overs out of this game, two full days remain and the 2015 season has already provided many examples of games being completed inside three days’ playing time.
Paul Edwards at Old Trafford07-Jul-2015
ScorecardSteven Croft made an unbeaten half-century on another rain-affected day•Getty Images
This was the sort of day when cricketers do well to remember that they are not clairvoyants. Although rain has already taken 122 overs out of this game, two full days remain and the 2015 season has already provided many examples of games being completed inside three days’ playing time.There was also the long view to consider: no one can know what value the points gained in this game might have by the end of September. Lancashire’s batsmen therefore had every reason to do a professional job, collect their bonus points and pile up the runs in the hope of putting some pressure on Essex’s batsmen in the second half of the game.In such a situation, the scattering of home supporters who waited stoically while heavy showers allowed a mere 8.5 overs to be bowled before four o’clock were well rewarded for patience by the batting of Steven Croft, who made a typically robust 85 not out, Alex Davies and James Faulkner.In contrast to the first day when a couple of the wickets to fall were in the shrewd words of the Lancashire coach Ashley Giles, “softies”, this trio dug in, even on a day when the bowlers were perpetually fresh while the batsmen were constantly having to play themselves in. A mere two deliveries were possible in the morning session and only 8.3 overs could be bowled in the afternoon. All Croft and Davies could do was avoid getting out in the hope of finding some broad sunlit uplands later in the day. Come to think of it, “broad uplands” would have done perfectly well. No one is expecting much sunshine in Lancashire this week.As matters turned out, Croft and Davies were well rewarded for their professionalism. Essex’s seamers, Jamie Porter and Reece Topley, bowled indifferently in the evening session and the fifth-wicket pair helped themselves to an easy harvest of boundaries. Davies’ easeful pull off Porter and his crisp clip to midwicket off Topley were particularly memorable on a day when the brevity of the entertainment encourages spectators to recall each fine shot and squirrel it away.Indeed the pair had put on 79 runs in nearly 24 overs before Ravi Bopara, perhaps called into the attack by James Foster because he simply bowls straight, nipped one back a little off the seam and had Davies leg before for a most valuable 38. Nuggety, defiant and perpetually ready for a sporting scrap, Davies is Lancashire’s third-highest scorer in Championship cricket this season behind Ashwell Prince and Paul Horton. Old pro’s tap their hearts meaningfully when they refer to him. Davies clearly has “ticker” and people want him on their side.But coaches and colleagues also want Steven Croft on their side, too. With Tom Smith now ruled out until next season, Croft will captain Lancashire for the remainder of the campaign and his sense of responsibility as he helped Faulkner add an unbroken 86 for the sixth wicket was quite admirable. Foster’s bowlers allowed the batsmen few free gifts in the last hour or so before bad light brought the players off five overs prior to the scheduled close. Croft defended the good balls and pushed the singles. His unbeaten 85 has contained just a dozen boundaries. Few of his shots were memorable; all of them were important. Faulkner followed his skipper’s lead and hit just one four in his 37 not out.”Crofty’s handled the captaincy well and he’s a good man,” Giles said. “I said to him this morning that we needed to identify the importance of someone getting a score today and he’s done that. He’s one of our solid citizens and you know what you are going to get from him.”
