Essex 262 for 5 (Westley 108*, Walter 72) vs Nottinghamshire
Westley’s unbeaten 108 from 214 balls, his highest score of the season so far, held together an Essex innings that was in danger of imminent collapse at 86 for 4 when the pair came together. Westley had himself arrived in the sixth over and was still there 68 overs later with Essex 262 for 5 at the close of a day when the players trudged on and off the field at irregular intervals.
Walter’s big hitting under the Chelmsford floodlights bought him 10 fours and a six in his 72 from 106 balls, his third half-century in his last six innings and only eclipsed by a century against Durham in June.
It became a day of toil for Nottinghamshire, but pace bowler Rob Lord, 23, in only his second Championship game, looked lively and claimed two of the first four Essex wickets to fall. He finished the day with figures of 2 for 53 from 15 overs.
On a predominantly overcast and damp day, foreshortened by 22 overs, Nottinghamshire elected to put Essex in as they sought only their second victory of a relegation-threatened season, though they were considerably buoyed by a battling draw against Surrey last week.
When play started 70 minutes late because of light drizzle that fell immediately after the 10.30am toss, Essex lost Dean Elgar cheaply when he dragged Lord to mid-on where Haseeb Hameed ran round to take the catch sliding on his knees. Fellow opener Robin Das had just been reprieved by a drop in the slips straight after lunch when he got a thicker edge to one from Lyndon James and was snaffled at second slip for 20.
The giant figure of Luke Fletcher bowled unchanged for 13 overs either side of lunch, having Westley in some discomfort – notably with one that smacked into the Essex captain’s box – on a green-tinged wicket initially helping the seamers. He was finally rewarded when Matt Critchley left alone a delivery that jagged back.
Debutant Luc Benkenstein’s maiden scoring shot in first-class cricket was a delightful pull for four, but next ball he nicked Lord thinly through to the wicketkeeper.
The scoring improved as the conditions eased and the Kookaburra ball softened in the afternoon and Westley and Walter put on the first fifty of their partnership in just six overs. Westley’s own half-century took 79 balls and included five fours, one a particularly satisfying, flowing off-drive against his erstwhile nemesis Fletcher.
Walter also played his way in carefully before whipping James off his legs for a first boundary and then twice elegantly lofting Farhan Ahmed to the rope behind the bowler.
When Westley pulled Lord to fine leg it marked the pair’s century partnership in 26 overs. Next ball, Walter pulled the bowler through square leg for his eighth boundary to bring up a 65-ball fifty. He then welcomed the introduction of Liam Patterson-White’s spin with a four and a six to long-off.
The pair were finally parted after 42 overs when Walter went to sweep Ahmed but got a leading edge as the ball looped up to gully. However, soon afterwards some careless fielding by the visitors handed Westley five runs courtesy of overthrows which took him to three figures from 193 balls.
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