Old-boy Maunders puts County on the back foot

Date: Wednesday 26 August 2009

Day One Report: Essex 310-3 (Maunders 142*, Westley 71*, Cook 31, Walker 31, White 2-68) v Leicestershire.

An old player often returns to haunt his former side, and that adage again came true as John Maunders made a century for Essex against Leicestershire on the opening day of the Championship game at Chelmsford.

Maunders, who spent five years at Grace Road between 2003 and 2007, made an unbeaten 142 as the hosts made good progress throughout the day before closing on 310-3.

The batsman shared stands of 52 with England man Alastair Cook and 71 with Matt Walker, but his best work came in an unbroken stand of 159 with 20-year-old Tom Westley (71*) as Essex built impressively.

With matchwinning leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in their line-up, the plan was clearly to make substantial runs in the first innings and then apply pressure. By stumps, the first phase of that process was well underway.

Despite an awful forecast, a whole day’s play was possible as Chelmsford – a place that has a canny knack of avoiding the wet stuff when it affects most of the UK – again remained dry.

Essex’s gameplan had the ideal start as they won the toss and elected to bat, with County making one change to the side that beat Gloucestershire last week.

That came at the top of the order, where Matthew Boyce returned from injury to take the place of Greg Smith.

Boyce’s turn with the bat was to come later in the game with Essex having first use of the strip. Ashes hero Cook opened the batting alongside former County man Maunders for the hosts and the pair looked to build.

County opened the bowling with AJ Harris and James Benning but neither could make an early breakthrough on a pitch lacking pace as the left-handed duo bought up a 50-stand shortly after the first hour of play.

Cook slashed a drive through the slips early on; however, he settled in nicely with a number of strokes played through his favoured area of mid-wicket.

Maunders also dug in and found an early boundary down to long leg. He too is strong off his legs and played another flick square of the wicket later in the session.

Wayne White was bought into the attack at the Hayes Close end to good effect by bowling Cook, who had returned to county cricket looking to pile on the runs.

That never materialised and the England opener had made 31 of them when he departed, bottom-edging an attempted pull into his own wicket.

It was a welcome respite to the early flow of runs. Indeed, the rate slowed with the wicket and Jigar Naik entered the attack to see if there were early signs of turn.

After the change of tack, White then reaped the benefits with some extra pace by claiming a second wicket later in the next over. Varun Chopra, who made 13, nicked behind to Tom New.

So, after a tricky start, County were now back in the game at 80-2, with White having an impressive opening burst of 2-27 from eight overs.

Walker entered the fray, and his presence at the crease is never a welcome one for Leics as the former Kent man has often scored runs against County in the past.

Walker made his first ever century for Essex against County in the reverse game and looked in good touch immediately with a cover drive off Naik that raced for four.

Claude Henderson came on to bowl the last over before lunch, which was safely negotiated by Maunders.

He went to the interval unbeaten on 32, and Walker was on seven not out as the home side progressed to 94-2.

Harris and Benning began the afternoon session as they did first thing by opening the bowling.

Maunders and Walker continued to play nicely though, with the former County man moving to 50 from his 105th ball. He had struck eight fours at that point.

He was happy to accumulate patiently, which was a trait of his many innings with Leicestershire when he opened the batting for the club.

Walker was also watchful on the slow track and the pair built an important stand for the third wicket.

The partnership had reached 71 well into the afternoon session, with Walker having made 31 from 78 balls with four boundaries.

Naik had worked away nicely though, and he gained reward and an important breakthrough by trapping the batter leg-before.

England under-19 batsman Westley was more aggressive when he came to the wicket; the first batsman to really break loose amidst some tight bowling.

He struck four fours in the time he was at the crease before tea, including one particularly nice cut off Henderson when the slow left armer entered the attack to partner Naik.

The fourth wicket stand had reached 47 by tea, with Westley contributing most of them as he was unbeaten on 32.

Maunders continued to work quietly and efficiently, moving to an unbeaten 78 off 180 balls by the break with eleven fours in his four-hour stay.

He had one scare when edging Naik just prior to tea, but the ball dropped short of Benning in the gully and Essex went in on 198-3.

Westley continued in good form after the break and he played another nice cut stroke as he moved into the forties.

Maunders also found the boundary again, driving Naik through the covers, and Westley moved towards fifty with a clip through mid-wicket.

A Westley cover drive moved him to that landmark from 74 balls, with the stroke becoming his eighth boundary.

Maunders moved into the 90s with a cut wide of deep backward point, and a pulled four bought him ever-closer to the hundred.

A flick to backward square bought up a well-deserved three figures from 223 balls with fourteen boundaries, with the ton being the second he has made in Essex colours.

The new ball was delayed with Henderson applying the brakes nicely in the evening session. Overall, he conceded just 34 runs in 19 overs and that ensured the home side were never able to break free.

Westley was content to battle through the tough spell, but a drive past mid-off was a welcome respite for the Durham University student.

The new ball was taken with around twenty minutes of play remaining, with Harris paired with White.

Although wickets can fall to the new cherry, there is also the danger of runs flowing more quickly. And that was how it proved, with four boundaries coming from the first two overs of it.

The duo remained undefeated at the close, and although County’s attack was largely economical, a lack of wickets means a tough second day lays in store.

The positives were White’s wickets (2-68) while Naik also bowled impressively in taking 1-49 from eighteen and Henderson was parsimonious as ever. More hard work will be needed tomorrow to keep Essex in check.