Maurice Chambers again played a starring role as Essex handed out a 143-rundefeat to title-chasing Nottinghamshire at Chelmsford to claim only their secondchampionship victory of the summer
07-Jul-2010
ScorecardMaurice Chambers again played a starring role as Essex handed out a 143-rundefeat to title-chasing Nottinghamshire at Chelmsford to claim only their secondchampionship victory of the summer.Following a six-wicket haul in the first innings, he picked up 4 for 55 inthe second to end with match figures of 10 for 123.The 22-year-old fast bowler destroyed the top order before Notts, set a victorytarget of 303, were bowled out for 159. Chambers’ early demolition of the innings paved the way for Pakistanileg-spinner Danish Kaneria to heap more misery on the visitors as he picked upfour of the last five wickets.The only resistance of note was provided by Mark Wagh and Alistair Brown, whoshared in a fifth-wicket partnership of 53.That stand was broken when Chambers knocked out Wagh’s off stump following anopening spell in which he got rid of Alex Hales, Samit Patel and Steven Mullaneyin a 28-ball spell costing 17 runs.Kaneria finished with 4 for 51, all his successes arriving during the courseof 22 deliveries costing 14, as Notts folded. Brown followed up his unbeaten 50 in the first innings with a robust 62, containing eight boundaries, before David Masters had him caught at wide thirdman.Earlier, Essex advanced from an overnight 265 for 4 to 328 all out, Andre Adams and Charlie Shreck doing most of the damage as they picked up 4 for 57 and 4 for 81 respectively.It all added up to a great start for James Foster, who was captaining Essex for the first time in the championship in the wake of Mark Pettini’s resignation.”It was a great way to start and to come back the way we did was an incredibleeffort, especially after we had lost half our side cheaply on the openingmorning,” he said.”After we had been bowled out cheaply in the first innings I told the ladsthey needed to show character if we were to get back into the game and theyresponded magnificently.”To restrict them to a slender lead was a fine effort and then we batted wellto get over 300 in the second innings. I regard Notts as one of the best sides in the Championship and our success will have set down a marker.”