Maturity of Lyndon James safeguards Nottinghamshire position in battle of attrition

NICK FRIEND AT CHELMSFORD: Essex bowled well and might have claimed a couple more wickets, but the maturity of James, the resolve of Steven Mullaney and the stroke-play of Joe Clarke ensured this will become a fascinating game in the coming days

Chelmsford (first day of four): Essex, Nottinghamshire 248-6

Scorecard

Lyndon James has impressed a lot of people so far in his short professional career. In only his tenth first-class appearance, this was his fourth half century – the third in his last four games and his second of the season against Essex.

Like earlier this year when these teams met at Trent Bridge, James – a 22-year-old academy graduate from Worksop – came to the crease with his side in some strife. And as per that previous meeting, by the time his wicket fell for 54, Nottinghamshire were in a far better position than when he had strolled in.

It has become an early calling card of James, the batsman – he bowls too: the ability to soak up pressure and navigate choppy waters with a stoicism perhaps beyond his years. On this occasion, that vigil lasted 163 deliveries with 10 boundaries and a strike rate of just 33.13.

From 48 for 3 – and Joe Clarke left the field injured shortly afterwards – he and Steven Mullaney added a stand that began to vindicate the visitors’ decision to bat first on a warm, sunny day at Chelmsford, where 600 spectators were allowed in, with the River Gate entrance open for the first time this season.

Against Worcestershire last month, Nottinghamshire’s innings victory was initially founded on a similar effort from James: after Ben Slater, Haseeb Hameed and Clarke fell cheaply, he and Ben Duckett combined for a partnership worth 205. And in the reverse fixture against Essex, James and Mullaney were once again the architects of a match-winning recovery from 84 for 4.

On the first day of this encounter – the last round of fixtures before the LV= Insurance County Championship breaks for its shorter, younger cousin – the same pair were able to frustrate their hosts, who were forced to toil in the Essex heat for a decent stretch of the afternoon.

Even more so once Paul Walter, the allrounder, was removed from the attack after sending down one beamer too many. It forced Tom Westley, who was right at the close to be proud of his bowlers’ efforts but frustrated not to have claimed a couple more wickets, to call upon Ryan ten Doeschate for his eight and ninth overs of the summer; the 40-year-old still has the same whippy action as in times gone by, even if the speed gun on Essex’s live stream clocked their title-winning skipper at 70mph.

^{Lyndon James batted with plenty of maturity to help Nottinghamshire end the first day satisfied with their work}

But as champions do, the home side fought back to regain an advantage that had earlier been theirs at the end of the game’s first hour, when Ben Compton, in for England-recalled Hameed, Duckett and Slater had all fallen cheaply to Peter Siddle and Shane Snater. Later, James became Siddle’s third victim – a quintessentially Siddlian effort, full of energy and an unwavering bustle.

Snater, too, was metronomic: his 20 overs came at a cost of just 35 runs, with the early-evening scalp of Mullaney his second reward, having previously trapped Slater in front – that’s nine wickets now for the Dutch international against Peter Moores’ men this season. Simon Harmer, too, was typically frugal; it meant that Nottinghamshire were never able to quite break free of the shackles – after 80 overs, they had been restricted to 190 for 5.

Arguably, then, the most enthralling passage of play came thereafter: Sam Cook bowled a high-class first over with the new ball, ending it by flicking Tom Moores’ off-bail, before Clarke – who was fine to continue his innings at the fall of the fifth wicket – managed to counter-attack and cut loose of the attrition.

In a single over from Siddle, he punched him through cover, drove past mid-off and beat midwicket for three of the sweeter boundaries struck anywhere today on the county circuit. Belatedly, given the earlier pain he incurred when a ball from Cook struck his forearm, he passed fifty for the 38th time in first-class cricket, with 17 of those later converted into hundreds.

An 18th century some time on Friday morning would hardly be a surprise; either side of his injury scare – and especially afterwards, with Essex’s bowlers tiring and the second new ball flying off his bat – his timing was imperious and, on an otherwise even day’s play where the pendulum swung this way and that, he ensured that Nottinghamshire – reborn in this format after a dismal couple of years – could be satisfied with their work. In James once again, they had one of their own to thanks for that.

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