Unsung hero Sam Cook revelling in being Essex's forgotten man

NICK HOWSON: The seamer doesn't get the attention of messieurs Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter but he is a vital cog in the Chelmsford machine, who are eyeing another piece of silverware

• For Tom Westley, history repeating itself will do just fine
• Ryan ten Doeschate: Essex's man for all eras

"Having four or five days of Lord's food, that's something everyone is looking forward to."

It is proof of the success of cricket's return in the COVID era that the famous nourishment and sustenance on offer at the home of cricket can even be a factor for players ahead of the finale of the red-ball season. They're no longer just happy to be out there.

A summer that began with so much uncertainty will end with a degree of optimism over the future, against the backdrop of obvious concerns away from the middle. Cricket has prevailed in England amid an incredibly difficult environment. And in the form of T20 Blast Finals Day and the preceding Bob Willis Trophy final, a campaign full of discontent will sign off with a flourish.

If one team have proven themselves capable of dealing with the big occasion, it is Essex. Two County Championship titles and a Blast triumph have been secured in the last three completed seasons. They head to Lord's this week as the favourites to add another piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet, against rivals Somerset.

A glance down a typical matchday team sheet and it's easy to understand why success has become second nature. The batting line-up, from Sir Alastair Cook to Tom Westley, is laden with internationals and the bowling attack includes two of the best at this level, in Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter.

Few of the heroes of those three trophy wins are perhaps more overlooked than Sam Cook. The probing right-arm seamer is the third wheel of the bowling battery, playing second fiddle to messieurs Harmer and Porter but not caring one jot.

"I couldn't be luckier to have those two guys at the other end," Cook told The Cricketer. "Ports has been amazing for me since I was very young. He's taken me under his wing and I've learned my craft with him. We complement each other quite well. When I'm having good days he keeps it really tight and when he's being aggressive I can keep it tight. 

"Harmy with his unbelievable wicket-taking abilities is just a genius. He probably doesn't get enough credit for how fit he is and how long he bowls. You can bring Harmy on and let him weave away his magic for 35 overs from an end and rotate the seamers from the other. He's not just a genius wicket-taker but how accurate he is and how good his economy rate allows us to be more aggressive from the other end. 

^{Sam Cook is bidding to add to his medal collection this week}

"It is important to bowl in partnerships and we probably complement each other as a unit as well as any other side. We bounce off each other and it allows us to do our individual jobs to the best of our ability."

As ever with serial winners, there is something deeper at play than just talent. Close finishes has brought a sense of unity. Deflated egos mean everyone from England legends to aspiring youngsters are on a level playing field. This is a group that will run through the proverbial brick wall for each other.

"We're quite unusual that we're close on and off the field," said the 23-year-old. "In our dressing room we can spend four, five days on the road, and on our two days off we'll be playing golf or going for food. 

"The dressing room from the point of view of a young player is an amazing place to be. It can be quite daunting walking into a place of ex-internationals but the way the senior players and management have created an environment where young players can walk in and the most junior player in the team can take the mick out of Sir Alastair Cook. That's pretty special. 

"We've won so many games from impossible positions. It goes back to the Middlesex game (Essex won by an innings and 34 runs with eight balls remaining) in 2017 when Harmey took nine wickets and one with pretty much the last ball to win, from a position that we looked dead and buried. 

"From that game, it spiraled. We've been in tough positions with our backs against the wall and managed to come out of it time and time again. It is a confidence builder. When you've done it once when you've done it twice when you've done it three times it just continues. Whatever position we find ourselves in, however far behind the game we are we have complete confidence that we can win. 

"This is all some of the young lads have known since coming into the first team. A lot of it is mindset but it helps to have a blend of youth and experience in our team. We're very fortunate to have players such as Cook, Tendo (Ryan ten Doeschate), and those who have done it under the highest pressure. So when you look at the guys around you it lifts the weight off and you can express yourself and play your own game."

^{Essex's bowling attack is among the most formidable around}

That comfort under pressure will be tested this week as Essex and Somerset aim to end their campaigns with success. It is a rematch of the County Championship title decider from 12 months ago when rain and some dogged batting ensured the trophy once again evaded the southwest club.

"Us and Somerset proved we're two of the strongest red-ball teams in the country and it is a shame that there won't be a crowd in, because the fans will tell you that is the game a lot of people want to see," explained Cook.

"In terms of the emotion I don't think we'll take too much from that game but we've been in that position before and we know under high pressure we have performed in these sorts of games before. We've had a number of these over the last two or three seasons while pushing to win championships. We've had big games and massive pressure and we've come through that. 

"We'll definitely be remembering that and it gives you extra confidence as a group to know we've pulled big results out of the bag when we've really needed it. We'll take confidence from that Taunton game but in terms of emotion we'll be cool, calm, and clinical like we normally are."

Whatever conditions welcome both sets of players - Lord's has seen minimal cricket for obvious reasons - you can guarantee that Cook will be in the game one way or another. The right-arm quick prides himself on putting the ball in an area, rather than relying on lateral movement. It makes him deceptively difficult to judge and has delivered him 99 first-class wickets in 33 matches, which given the competition around him is a fine return.

"(Line and length) is something I pride myself on," he added. "If you're not going for many runs and taking wickets you're probably putting it in the right area. This year I worked a lot on my short ball and I find I can pick up wickets that way as well. It is about adding things to your arsenal. I never want to go away from my skills and being a tight bowler. That's not the style of bowler I am. I take that as a compliment more than a hindrance that's for sure.

^{Aside from two university finals, Sam Cook has only played at Lord's once before}

"Whatever pitch we've played on over the last couple of years we've managed to find success. You have to assess pitches and it is about adapting. If it is a day when it is not swinging or nipping around then you've got to be smart with your fields and try and draw batters into making mistakes. Whether that is by dotting them up and not going for any runs or if it is bowling a couple of short balls. You've got to find a way. 

"Myself, Beardy (Aaron Beard) and Ports feel like whatever pitch we're going to bowl on we can extract something from that. You've got to adapt. As I get older and more experienced you learn how to bowl on different pitches. I feel more confident now on flatter pitches now and I would have done earlier."

A third County Championship in four years might not be on the line at Lord's but the Essex approach won't change. Cook describes the occasion as a "once-in-a-career" match. Somehow, it might make the Eagles even more dangerous.

"That trophy driven mentality has resulted in a lot of our success. It would be a massive achievement in a season that has been so disjointed and alien to us.

"Whether it is a temperature testing on the way in or whatever, it would be a testament to our character as a team. Whatever we've had thrown at us if we can come through and win in those circumstances then we can win in the easier circumstances. 

"The County Championship you can't replicate the feeling of 14 first-class games and the slog of a season and how fulfilling at the end it is to have that trophy. The idea of playing in a once-in-a-career five-day final you have to enjoy it. It'll rank up there and be a very special week."

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