Legends of Essex watch on as 2020 class push towards Lord's finale

HUW TURBERVILL AT CHELMSFORD: Essex's form continues to delight fans watching on YouTube. Let’s pray they can return soon and be tucking into the fare at one of the three Anne’s Pantry kiosks around the ground

Confirmation that civilisation has survived the pandemic is being able to enter the press box at Chelmsford and see Nigel Fuller, now in his 51st season, reporting on Essex. Listening to him phoning his story over to a copytaker is comforting evidence that not all great traditions disappear.

Despite the pessimism, Essex did manage to put on a show after all this summer. This is their fifth and final group match in the hastily convened Bob Willis Trophy.

The 2017 and 2019 county champions still look likely to make the Lord’s final, after setting the pace in the South Group, possibly/probably against Somerset of the Central, although Derbyshire – from t’North – have given them a run for their money.

Essex have controlled this match against Middlesex, securing a first-innings lead of 98 on day two, then whittling away the wickets second time around. Of course there were no paying spectators here, although there was the odd ripple of applause from ‘Legends Corner’ at the Hayes Close End.

Presiding over their young successors were Keith Fletcher (59 Test caps); his fellow former Essex and England captain Graham Gooch (118), about 200 yards away from his statue in County Place; and his best mate John Emburey (64, who of course played for the visitors).

The fourth old pro there, David Acfield, didn’t play for England, but he was a fine off-spinner for the county and he did run English cricket for 12 years, as chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board’s cricket committee from the mid-1990s… and he fenced for Great Britain at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics! I was lucky enough to have an audience with them, a real privilege.

Also in the press box was Essex chief executive Derek Bowden, a genial fellow, refusing to panic yet, despite the uncertainty hanging over county cricket.

^{Alastair Cook is still a focal point of Essex's red-ball cricket}

Essex would normally have expected to make about £1.4m from match receipts this year if the pandemic hadn’t struck; they could also have made another £1m from conferencing and banqueting.

They could just about survive another summer like this one, thanks to their cash reserves, so are better fixed than some counties. If crowds do not return even by 2022, however, they could be in trouble.

Chelmsford can hold 4,200, but current social distancing measures would only allow 300. To make it worthwhile you would need a crowd of about 1,250, although about 500 would pay for the cost of stewarding and suchlike. They are used to getting about 3,000 in here if they are up for the title, and sell-outs in the Blast.

So Essex and their 17 comrades in the first-class game face a winter of waiting to see if crowds can be eased back in at football and rugby matches.

Ryan ten Doeschate: Essex's man for all eras

Even the pavilion is closed at the moment. Players sit in tents, and the journos have a job catching them for quotes at close of play as they all rush off to have a shower back at their hotels.

All, some or no spectators could play a part in what format the counties adopt next year.

There could be some news filtering out this week. As I reported last Friday, a return to normality could see a return to the 10/eight two-division format that would have been used in 2020, pre-Covid. If the pandemic is still a concern a similar conference system could again be used, on a regional basis to minimise travel.

Essex are believed to be keen on a return to one division of 18, however, albeit with 14 matches (so they would not play three teams). Not a proper league if that’s the case, many bemoan, and with good reason, but it would address the problem of some counties being marooned in the second tier.

^{Jamie Porter continues to take wickets for his county, even without international recognition}

There would also be a Lord’s final, so I guess you could argue it would actually represent an increase in red-ball cricket – however small.

Mr Acfield is one of many who would love to see 17 four-day matches, but it is well chronicled how difficult that would be, once you factor in The Hundred, seven Blast home matches for each county, and 50-over cricket (even if the latter took the form of an FA Cup-style knockout).

So what happened in the cricket?

Despite the ECB’s ostracisation of East Anglia with The Hundred (you just wait for cricket fans in Norwich and Ipswich to rush to The Oval), it is pleasing to report that Essex cricket remains strong.

Adam Wheater and Harmer extended their stand to 72. The former is having a good season with bat and gloves, really moving out of the long and imposing shadow of his predecessor James Foster.

He finished unbeaten on 83, but once Harmer was trapped lbw by bustling seamer Martin Andersson, the end came relatively swiftly. Ryan ten Doeschate came off the physio’s table, where he was being treated for back spasms, to crack a few fours bravely, but Andersson got him too, on his way to 4 for 38.

Jamie Porter and Sam Cook then gave Max Holden and Sam Robson the usual roughing up that visiting openers come to expect here. Holden did manage one extraordinary hook for six off Porter, though, that landed in the Tom Pearce Stand on his way to a breezy 37.

The star of the show was Aaron Beard, who bowled a lively spell that accounted for Holden, captain Steve Eskinazi and Andersson. Facing him was hairy indeed. Simon Harmer, their off-break overlord, was his usual parsimonious self. Middlesex are missing the batting of Dawid Malan.

So a Lord’s final beginning on September 23 looks likely for Essex, their form continuing to delight the several thousand fans watching on YouTube. Let’s pray they can return soon and be tucking into the fare at one of the three Anne’s Pantry kiosks around the ground.

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