| LV= County Championship Division One, Cloud County Floor, Chelmsford (day 4) |
| Essex 447-9 dec & 153-8 dec: Lawrence 53, Westley 45; Abbott 4-63 |
| Hampshire 334 & 267-7: Dawson 119, Vince 89; Critchley 3-48, Harmer 3-102 |
| Hampshire (20pts) beat Essex (6pts) by three wickets |
| Match scorecard |
Liam Dawson dealt Essex’s County Championship title hopes an enormous blow as his magnificent 119 gave Hampshire a four-wicket win at Chelmsford.
Surrey will take a 20-point benefit into the ultimate spherical of video games – once they face Hampshire on the Ageas Bowl – after Dawson’s third century of an impressive season.
Dawson arrived on the crease at 32-4, with the guests having been set 267 in 59 overs, and with James Vince placed on 184 for the fifth wicket.
Vince totted up 89 as Hampshire received on the Cloud County Floor for simply the fourth time since 1974.
Tom Westley’s Essex had received their final six matches, having solely received considered one of their first six of the season, however couldn’t stop Dawson giving them an uphill climb within the ultimate week.
Essex knocked off the final two Hampshire first-innings wickets inside 5 overs as additionally they picked up a 3rd bowling level.
Kyle Abbott chopped Sam Cook dinner onto his personal stumps and Tom Prest fell for 108 when he was stumped – Simon Harmer claiming 6-149.
Essex had a 113-run first-innings however the determination to advertise Adam Rossington to open backfired as he lasted simply three balls.
Alastair Cook dinner tried to attain shortly however struggled for timing and was caught behind for 16.
Dan Lawrence, in his final house recreation as an Essex participant earlier than he joins Surrey, received issues transferring with Westley because the duo shortly placed on 83.
Westley fell to the ultimate earlier than lunch, choosing out lengthy on for 45, whereas Lawrence moved previous his thirty eighth half-century for his boyhood county.
The spell after the interval was a blur of swinging bats and gamers alternating again and ahead from the pavilion. In a 21-ball spell, Essex solely managed 20 runs however misplaced 5 wickets.
Paul Walter was bowled by Liam Dawson the ball after smacking an enormous six, Lawrence slogged straight up and was brilliantly held by wicketkeeper Ben Brown and Matt Critchley perished at lengthy on.
Umesh Yadav and Harmer additionally departed earlier than the declaration which meant Hampshire have been set 267 runs to win in a minimal of 59 overs.
An Essex fourth-innings rampage appeared in retailer when Toby Albert was sensationally caught behind down the leg-side by Rossington.
Harmer entered the assault within the fifth over and had three wickets by the top of the eleventh as Fletcha Middleton top-edged a sweep, Nick Gubbins noticed a modern loop to short-extra cowl, and, having survived a dropped catch the ball earlier than, Prest poked to quick leg.
Vince and Dawson initially steered the run-rate in the direction of what was required – typified by Vince reaching his 50 in 45 balls.
There have been possibilities although with Vince put down on 16 by Critchley and Dawson edged one by Cook dinner’s fingers at slip.
The 2 skilled heads picked the dangerous balls to place away and manipulated the sector, the stand reaching 184 earlier than Vince lastly misjudged a giant shot and was caught at cowl off Critchley.
That hardly deterred Dawson, who had a catch not carry to sq. leg on 97 earlier than reaching his third ton of the season with a information to the third-man boundary.
Dawson chipped Critchley to quick cowl with 20 nonetheless required from 22 balls, however Brown and Keith Barker maintained the momentum to offer Hampshire a memorable victory with 5 balls to spare.
Report provided by ECB Reporters’ Community.