All posts by h716a5.icu

If good leadership is about setting an example, Chris Read might have to be considered a masterful captain

George Dobell at Trent Bridge20-Apr-2012
ScorecardChris Read dominated Nottinghamshire’s first innings•Getty ImagesIf good leadership is about setting an example, Chris Read might have to be considered a masterful captain. While his colleagues poked and prodded like blind men, Read compiled an outstanding century that made it appear, as Peter Trego put it “as if he was playing on a different pitch.”The simple facts are these: while Read made a chanceless, unbeaten 104, none of his team-mates managed more than ten. While Read made 72 of his runs in boundaries – 15 fours and two sixes – his ten colleagues could muster only three fours between them. None of the top five managed any. And while Read recorded the 21st century of his first-class career, the next highest contribution was extras with 17. Read scored 64% of Nottinghamshire’s runs and looked a class above a top-order containing four other men whose batting has won them international caps for England. Three games into the season, Nottinghamshire have yet to pick up a batting bonus point.Not until Harry Gurney joined Read did he find any meaningful support. When Gurney, making his Nottinghamshire debut, came to the crease with the ninth wicket down, Read was on 58 and there were no thoughts of a century. Yet Gurney, showing fortitude that some of his top-order colleagues would do well to emulate, resisted for 36 balls to allow his captain to take the attack to the bowling. The pair added 56 for the tenth wicket – the highest partnership of the innings – with Read feasting on Somerset’s support bowlers and showing excellent shot selection against the impressive Trego and Steve Kirby.Read’s heroics were somewhat overshadowed by an injury to Marcus Trescothick. The 36-year-old fell to the floor in pain when running after a ball in the field and was diagnosed with a recurrence of the ankle ligament injury that troubled him towards the end of the 2011 season. He was subsequently taken to hospital for scans, the results of which will be known on Saturday. While Trego thought Tresocthick would bat – “he’s a tough old goat” was Trego’s assessment – Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket, was more cautious in his assessment. It would be a major surprise if Trescothick was available next week.Trescothick’s injury also took some of the gloss off an excellent performance from Trego, the 30-year-old all-rounder, who had previously only taken one five-wicket haul in his first-class career – 6 for 59 on this same ground when playing for Middlesex in 2005 – but fully deserved his second with an excellent display of swing bowling. After left-hander Paul Franks was beaten by a fine one that swung back and trapped him prodding half forward, Ben Phillips was unfortunate enough to receive a beauty that pitched middle and leg and swung away to take the outside edge. It would have dismissed most batsmen.Trego has had a busy winter. He not only played domestic cricket in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, but also in the BPL, the Champions League and the Hong King Sixes.But he is not the type to complain at a heavy workload. After a couple of years, 2003 and 2004, when his form and his reputation – possibly an unfair reputation – as something of a waster forced him out of the professional game, he is relishing every moment of his return. With bat, ball and in the field, he has finally developed into the cricketer his talent always suggested he could be.”I was signed by Somerset when I was 15 and straight out of school,” Trego said. “They give you your kit and your bats and you feel fantastic.”But that was all taken away from me when I was 23. After that I had to scrap for a job and it made me realise how much the game meant to me. Once you have had to fight to get something back, you are much less likely to let it slip away again and I think the whole experience made me a better cricketer and a better person.”Playing a lot of cricket suits my body. I’m physically stronger and, having bowled on docile pitches all winter, I am in the habit of putting the ball in the right place. I have a huge desire to play for England; it would make me the happiest man in the world. But I can’t make that my focus. I am very happy helping Somerset win games of cricket.”Somerset’s greatest foe in this game could yet be the weather. The rain that had so curtailed play on the first day returned to steal 40 overs on the second. While Somerset’s batsmen demonstrated the patience and application that their hosts could not to set up a solid foundation, they will need more luck with the weather to take press home their dominance.Arul Suppiah, timing the ball elegantly through the covers off front and back foot, was particularly impressive. He experienced only one nervous moment when, on 21, he edged the deserving Gurney just short of third slip. Samit Patel claimed the catch but, after the umpires conferred, Suppiah was given not out.”Somerset’s batsmen applied themselves well and some of ours were responsible for their own downfall,” Read said. “It’s always dangerous to play away from your body at Trent Bridge and our batsmen will have to ask themselves if they applied themselves correctly. Samit Patel may have to rein himself in a bit.”

Evan Gulbis bowled Tasmania to victory in his first match for the state as the Tigers crushed Western Australia by 67 runs at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2011
ScorecardEvan Gulbis picked up 4 for 8 from five overs•Getty ImagesEvan Gulbis bowled Tasmania to victory in his first match for the state as the Tigers crushed Western Australia by 67 runs at the WACA. Gulbis, an allrounder who moved from Victoria during the off-season, finished the remarkable figures of 4 for 8 from five overs, and it was a terrific way for him to end the match after he ran out his captain George Bailey trying to get off the mark earlier in the day.Tasmania’s 231 looked below par on a pitch with plenty of bounce and carry but the Warriors never looked totally comfortable in their chase, as James Faulkner ran through the top order and Gulbis destroyed the middle order. Faulkner picked up 4 for 48, including the top scorer Liam Davis for 38, but it was Gulbis who all but confirmed the result.Perhaps bowling with more speed than the batsmen expected from an allrounder, Gulbis began with Travis Birt caught for 25 when he was surprised by extra bounce and was caught at gully off a leading edge. Tom Beaton followed soon afterwards, caught by Jason Krejza at fine leg when he tried to swivel a pull over the boundary.Luke Ronchi was out for a duck when he muscled a ball straight back at Gulbis, who took a smart return catch, and he had 4 for 4 when Nathan Rimmington edged behind for another duck. There was some late resistance fro Nathan Coulter-Nile and Michael Beer, but the Warriors were dismissed for 164 in the 35th over, well short of their target.The Tigers had also been bowled out, in the 50th over, as Coulter-Nile finished up with 4 for 66 from 12 overs. Tasmania had contributions from Mark Cosgrove (43) and Ed Cowan (40), but their effort having been sent in had appeared sub-standard.Bailey had made a brisk 21 when he was caught short diving at the striker’s end, having responded to a call from Gulbis, who was trying to get off the mark. By the end of the day Gulbis, who made 24, was the toast of the Tasmanian team.

Western Australian cricket officials have sought permission from Cricket New South Wales to speak to Simon Katich about ending his first-class career in his home state

Daniel Brettig22-Feb-2012Western Australian cricket officials have sought permission from Cricket New South Wales to speak to Simon Katich, the former Australia opener, about ending his first-class career in his home state.Following his stint with the Perth Scorchers in the Twenty20 Big Bash League, 36-year-old Katich reportedly told teammates he counted the experience among the most enjoyable of his career. ESPNcricinfo understands the Western Australian Cricket Association have now made a formal request to negotiate a possible deal with Katich.Katich’s ties with NSW remain close, but his links to the state were weakened by his loss of the state captaincy at the start of the summer after the state chose to hand the position to allrounder Steve O’Keefe. After learning of that decision, Katich elected to sign with the Scorchers for the BBL, and warmed to the comforts of the state that he started his career in.In the meantime, the NSW Blues have endured a most unhappy season, failing to contend for either the Sheffield Shield or the domestic limited-overs title. Their last Shield match, which Katich missed due to a concussion, ended in an innings and 323-run hiding by the Western Australia Warriors.Lachlan Stevens, the Warriors coach, said a direct approach had not yet been made, but said he would be keen for Katich to return home and be part of a Warriors squad that has struggled for consistency in recent summers.”I don’t know where Kat’s at,” Stevens told reporters in Perth. “We spoke to him during the Big Bash about Big Bash situations. If Simon Katich comes to us and says that he wants to come back to Western Australia and play a season here, you’d be silly not to use a man of his experience and his calibre. If that happens, that happens, but we’re not sure where that sits at the moment. We’ll wait and see post-season.”The Warriors are already on the lookout for a gloveman to replace Luke Ronchi, after he announced his intention to move to New Zealand to push for an international place in the country of his birth. Tom Triffit from Tasmania and Ben Dunk from Queensland were two names raised by Stevens.”We’re going to look through all our options there. We’ll open the floor and see what we can get and see who is available,” Stevens said. “Triffitt is a very good young player, he’s won a Shield down in Tasmania. Benny Dunk has been a good ball-striker. I’m not sure about his wicketkeeping all up. But we’re not going to say ‘no’ to any of them. We’re going to open the floor and see what happens.”And that’s not to discount our two young fellas as well in [Sam] Whiteman and [Cameron] Bancroft … and Michael Johnson, the door is not shut on him here.”

Mithali Raj struck an unbeaten 51 to lead India to 128, a score they comfortably defended thanks to legspinner Priyanka Roy and seamer Soniya Dabir who shared 5 for 27 in seven stifling overs

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2011
ScorecardMithali Raj struck an unbeaten 51 to lead India to 128, a score they comfortably defended thanks to legspinner Priyanka Roy and seamer Soniya Dabir who shared 5 for 27 in seven stifling overs.India were powered to a strong start by openers Poonam Raut and Amita Sharma who added 21 in 2.4 overs. Thereafter Mithali took control of the situation, pacing the innings perfectly in Harmanpreet Kaur’s company. The pair added 43 to take India to 85 for 3 in 13.2 overs, and the lower order landed enough blows to sustain the momentum to the end, despite Shemaine Campbelle’s spell of 3 for 20. Reema Malhotra finished the innings in style, reverse-sweeping and lapping the last two deliveries for boundaries.West Indies’ chase began disastrously when Juliana Nero was run out without a run on the board. Deandra Dottin attacked from one end, but India kept striking at the other to cripple the chase. Stacy-Ann King and Shanel Daley tried to revive things with a 40-run stand after the score had limped to 46 for 5, but could not break free, and wickets again began to tumble from the 15th over. Pearl Etienne launched a six towards the end, but barring that, India guarded the boundaries well, and sealed the Twenty20 series to go with their 3-2 ODI triumph.

Cricket Scotland has announced the squad for the upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka and Ireland, making a couple of changes to the group that swept past Netherlands to complete a 2-0 series win last week

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2011Cricket Scotland has announced the squad for the upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka and Ireland, making a couple of changes to the group that swept past Netherlands to complete a 2-0 series win last week. Scotland’s first fixture of the tri-series is against Ireland on July 12, followed by a match against Sri Lanka the next day.Alasdair Evans, who bowled 11 wicketless overs in the rain-ruined Intercontinental Cup match against Netherlands and didn’t take part in the limited-overs games, is replaced by Ryan Flannigan, who has recently been in good domestic form, while wicketkeeper Simon Smith also sits out.After an impressive debut in the second ODI against Netherlands, in which he took 4 for 27 to help set up a five-wicket win, 20-year-old seamer Safyaan Sharif retains his place in the squad.”As a squad we are all looking forward to the challenges that Ireland and Sri Lanka will bring,” Scotland coach Pete Steindl said. “We will be looking to improve on our performances from last week and show similar fighting spirits. I feel we have selected a well balanced squad and all the players have been working extremely hard and rightfully earned their place to represent their country”.Scotland squad: Gordon Drummond (captain), Fraser Watts, Ryan Flannigan, Josh Davey, Kyle Coetzer, Neil McCallum, Majid Haq, Gregor Maiden (wk), Richard Berrington, Gordon Goudie, Safyaan Sharif, Preston Mommsen, Calum MacLeod.

Junaid Khan came good for the Pakistanis, claiming four wickets, as the two-day tour game in Bulawayo ended in a draw

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Junaid Khan came good for the Pakistanis, claiming four wickets, as the two-day tour game in Bulawayo ended in a draw. The Zimbabwe XI managed only a three-run first innings lead after a lower-order collapse, following which the Pakistanis put on 72 for 1 in 24 overs before the match ended.Resuming on 30 for no loss, the Zimbabwe XI were jolted early by left-armer Junaid who trapped both Tino Mawoyo and Regis Chakabva lbw, the latter for a duck. Greg Lamb managed to provide overnight batsman Chamu Chibhabha – who top scored with 70 – with a bit of support and the pair put on 71. But legspinner Yasir Shah dismissed both in quick succession, Zimbabwe XI faltering at 132 for 4. Another period of brief resistance was followed by a slide, as the hosts lost their last six wickets for 43 runs. Offspinner Saeed Ajmal also picked up two wickets for the Pakistanis in a tidy spell.Mohammad Hafeez was positive when his side came out to bat, stroking 39 off 48 balls before succumbing to the left-arm spin of Cephas Zhuwao. Taufeeq Umar and Misbah-ul-Haq then safely negotiated till the end of play.Pakistan take on Zimbabwe in a lone Test from September 1 in Bulawayo.

A lack of consistency cost England the right to push for victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka, according their captain Andrew Strauss

Andrew Miller at Lord's07-Jun-2011A lack of consistency cost England the right to push for victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka, according their captain Andrew Strauss, after five hard-fought days petered out into a draw on a docile wicket at Lord’s.Given England’s recent run of form in Test cricket – which includes four innings victories in their last six matches, including a remarkable last-session triumph in Cardiff last week – Strauss admitted to a certain amount of frustration that they were unable to close out the Sri Lanka series with a game to spare. However, he conceded that at critical moments, his team lacked the spark and penetration of previous contests, adding that by the final afternoon of the match, they had “run their race”.”We didn’t expect them to fold quite as they did at Cardiff, and they didn’t on a flat wicket,” said Strauss. “Over the last 18 months we’ve prided ourselves on just how consistent we have been as a bowling line-up. But the guys are not machines, and sometimes the rhythm’s not there – and it’s hard work.”England’s realistic hopes of a result were thwarted on the second afternoon, when Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana responded to their team’s 82 all out capitulation in Cardiff with an opening stand of 207. In that period, and again on the third morning, England’s seamers were as off-colour as at any stage in the past 18 months, with the bowling coach, David Saker, describing the number of balls down the leg-side as “inexcusable”.”We’re not going to play the perfect Test match every time – we’ve got to be realistic about that – but the most important thing is we don’t make the same mistake twice,” said Strauss. “I was very happy with the way the guys came back and improved as the game went on, although it is always frustrating when a Test match ends in a draw, because you’ve put in a lot of hard work for five days.”The pick of England’s attack, in terms of wickets, was the 22-year-old Steven Finn, who fought back from a wayward start to claim 4 for 108, and in the process became the youngest England bowler to 50 Test wickets. Despite that acclaim, however, his career economy-rate is close to 4 an over, and with James Anderson on the mend following a side strain in Cardiff, he could find himself back on the sidelines at the Rose Bowl.”I think Steven Finn got a lot better as the game went on,” said Strauss. “He’d been out of the side a little bit, so I suppose he had every right to feel a bit anxious at the start. But all our bowlers bring something different, and certainly Jimmy does with his consistent lines and swinging it a bit more than the others. We are very hopeful he’ll be fit.”It would certainly be a surprise if the man to make way was Stuart Broad, whose recent appointment as England Twenty20 captain was an acknowledgement of his senior status within the England squad. Nevertheless, his record in red-ball cricket is becoming something of a concern, with his two wickets at Lord’s costing 154 and coming at 3.75 an over. After 36 Tests, he still averages an unworthy 35.97.Though Strauss defended his team-mate, he didn’t deny there were concerns. “I don’t think he’s quite getting the rub of the green at the moment,” he said. “He’s bowled some very good balls that are passing the edge, and has probably bowled better than the statistics say. But all of us have to keep trying to improve, and make sure our performances get better.”That goes for the batsmen as well, not least Strauss himself, who made scores of 4 and 0 in his two innings and was nailed on both occasions by the left-arm seam of Chanaka Welegedara. He has now fallen to that style of bowling 22 times in his career, and nine in the past 12 months. With the excellent Zaheer Khan set to lead the attack for India later in the summer, Strauss knows he can’t afford to let the problem spread.”I was obviously frustrated to miss out twice on a good batting surface,” he said. “But I think to some extent that’s the nature of the beast as an opening batsman … sometimes you get a couple of good ones early. But I obviously need to keep working and make sure it doesn’t happen again at the Rose Bowl.”The final-day positives for England included the form of Ian Bell, whose 40-ball half-century on the final afternoon was the most fluent innings of the match, and an impressive display from Kevin Pietersen, who fell once again to a left-arm spinner, but not before he’d racked up a dominant 72. Given that he had started his innings in a no-win situation late on the fourth day, it was a satisfactory upshot in his quest for his former glories.”It wasn’t an easy situation when he went in yesterday, with dark cloud cover and the lights on,” said Strauss. “Lord’s does a lot more in those conditions, so he did have to graft pretty hard then. But he did that outstandingly well and then obviously came out the other side and played some lovely shots today. We always knew he was going to score runs at some stage, and we hope this is the catalyst to go and have a purple patch like Alastair Cook’s having.”There was some criticism of England’s intent as they built towards their eventual declaration total of 335 for 7, and by the end of the innings, the on-field events had been overshadowed by Matt Prior’s run-in with the dressing-room window. Nevertheless, Strauss felt they could not have done much more to force the game.”It was a bit tricky prior to lunch when the left-armer was bowling over the wicket into the rough – it was a bit hard to keep the momentum going, and we lost a little bit there,” he said. “But we still scored at more than four an over, but I think it was always going to be a little bit hard to force a result on the final day here – because we know the Lord’s wicket doesn’t deteriorate.”I just told them what I wanted us to get, and how many overs we had to get it – and we needed to bat pretty quickly. But there are always things in a Test match we could have done better. We hope we do that at the Rose Bowl.”

Scotland’s Matthew Parker and Afghanistan’s Samilullah Shenwari have both been reprimanded and warned of their future conduct by the ICC

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2010Scotland’s Matthew Parker and Afghanistan’s Samiullah Shenwari have both been reprimanded and warned of their future conduct for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during Saturday’s Intercontinental Cup final, which Afghanistan won by seven wickets. A reprimand and a warning is the minimum penalty for a Level 1 violation.The two players admitted to the charges and accepted match referee David Jukes’ sanctions, thereby eliminating the need for a disciplinary hearing. Parker was guilty of violating Section 12, Article 2.1.6 of the code, which covers pointing or gesturing towards the pavilion by a bowler or a fielder during an international match.”It is very unfortunate that Mr Parker acted in this way,” Jukes said in a statement, “and whilst I am certain that he was highly elated – following the fall of such an important wicket – he must take responsibility for his actions, and learn that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in international cricket.”Shenwari admitted to violating Article 2.1.5 of the same section, which deals with excessive appealing. “Excitement and occasion aside, it is unfortunate that Mr Shenwari failed to follow the advice he was offered by both the on-field umpires and his captain,” Jukes said. “He has since been warned and reprimanded, and I sincerely hope that he has learned that this type of behaviour is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.” Shenwari took 3 for 15 in Scotland’s second innings, helping to bowl them out for 82, and set-up Afghanistan’s victory.Parker was reported to the match referee by on-field umpires Kumara Dharmasena and Buddhi Pradhanm, who both also reported Shenwari, along with third umpire Fidel Ja’ary. The match referee’s decision is final and binding.

Police in Pakistan said that they have arrested a number of bookmakers they believe to be behind the death threats made to Zulqarnain Haider

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2011Police in Pakistan said that they have arrested a number of bookmakers they believe to be behind the death threats made to Zulqarnain Haider, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper.According to local reports, police arrested up to eight men in Sialkot. “We have arrested eight bookies and some of them have revealed they were behind threats to Haider,” police official Nasir Qureshi told . “We have confiscated their data which has a number of international contacts and the investigation is still on. We have found a number of satellite telephones and diaries which have international contacts and we hope to get further details in the next 24 hours,” he added.Four of the arrested were produced before a local judge, according to the , who has placed them in three-day remand with the officers.Haider returned to Pakistan earlier this week from London, where he had fled last November after claiming to have been threatened by bookies in Dubai during Pakistan’s ODI series with South Africa. Haider left the team on the morning of the final ODI, without informing the team or board officials, and landed in London, where he immediately claimed asylum.But he revoked his asylum application and returned to Islamabad on Monday after being given security assurances by the Pakistan government. Days before his return, Haider said he had received more calls from people who threatened him should he return. At least one call was recorded and broadcast on local TV channels.Haider announced his retirement from the game in London and said on his return that he was still undecided over his playing future. He will first have to resume contact with the PCB and answer the questions a fact-finding committee set up by the board to look into his case had asked of him. A board official told ESPNcricinfo that numerous efforts had been made to get in touch with the player while he was in London, but that he hadn’t responded to them. In the last communication, Haider is understood to have told the PCB that he doesn’t want to speak to them about the matter, but when he arrived in Islamabad he said he would contact Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman.

It is fashionable for those who rarely bother to attend such fixtures to suggest that the quality and entertainment offered by Division Two cricket is of little value

George Dobell at Southend-on-Sea29-Jul-2011
ScorecardRavi Bopara was a class apart on a unforgettable day of cricket•Getty ImagesIt is fashionable for those who rarely bother to attend such fixtures to suggest that the quality and entertainment offered by Division Two cricket is of little value.But, in the unlikely setting of Garon Park in Southend, a hardy bunch of spectators were treated to outstanding performances by two fine cricketers, which underlines the counter-view: that quality and skill continue to run deep into the county game. This was an unforgettable day’s cricket.Perhaps the most eye-catching performance came from David Masters. The 33-year-old seamer, a journeyman pro if ever there was one, returned the exceptional figures of eight wickets for just ten runs as Leicestershire were blown away for only 34 in their second innings.It was the lowest score this season and the lowest Leicestershire total since 1965.But, just as impressive, was the batting of Ravi Bopara. There may be a temptation to overlook his contribution in favour of Masters’excellence but, on a pitch where all other batsmen struggled to even survive, Bopara provided a remarkable demonstration of temperament and technique that should serve as a reminder of his enduring class.The pair combined to sentence Leicestershire to a crushing 280-run defeat in just three days. It’s a result that leaves them rooted to the bottom of Division Two and raises serious questions about the recent management of the club. They finished last season in acreditable fourth position, after all, but after losing theirchairman, chief executive and head coach at the end of the campaign, have clearly lost their way. It is, it should be noted, barely six weeks since they were dismissed for 48 by Northants.For Essex, however, this is a result that revives their promotion hopes. They still have ground to make up but they have the talent – and, it would seem, the spirit – to do so.Leicestershire were never likely to reach their fourth-innings target of 315. The pitch was simply too demanding. But to subside so feebly was testament not just to Masters’ excellent bowling, but to their own spineless batting. Masters, gaining movement in the air and off the pitch, would have troubled any batsman in these conditions, but the tentative prods and the gaps between bat and pad that Leicestershire exhibited made life too easy for him.Still, he took advantage of the helpful conditions and dispirited opposition superbly. Bowling gun-barrel straight, he simply allowed the conditions, and the flimsy batting, to do the rest. He was twice on a hat-trick as he dismissed Matt Boyce, James Taylor and Wayne White in the same over and Nathan Buck four balls later. Then, the over after that, Josh Cobb and Jigar Naik followed to successive balls. That meant he had taken six wicketsin just 16 deliveries; all but one of them a batsman with afirst-class century to his name.But, as a modest Masters admitted afterwards: “Ravi’s batting set it all up, really. It was a good pitch to bowl on – it was seaming andswinging – so his innings was outstanding. It’s an unbelievable dayfor me, too; the sort of thing you dream about as a kid.”With the dramatic fourth innings, it would be easy to overlook the effort from Bopara. Some will point to the modest opposition and the lack of intensity in the fixture and conclude that such a performance bears little relation to the rigours of the Test arena.But that would be wrong. 26-year-old Bopara was forced to utiliseevery ounce of his technique and temperament to survive on thissurface. What is more, he produced this performance on his maiden appearance as a captain in the Championship and with his team’s whole season in danger of fading away.After all, when he came to the crease on the second day, his side were two down and ten in arrears. Even when Adam Wheater, driving loosely to cover, was the sixth Essex man out, his team were only 127 ahead and Bopara was left with just the tail to accompany him.Yet Bopara scarcely played a false stroke. His defence was superbly solid, his concentration utterly unwavering throughout his seven-and-half-hour vigil and, when the opportunity arose, he showed he could still time the ball with a sweetness granted to very few.The successive pulls to the boundary off Nathan Buck were imperious; the on-driven four off Nadeem Malik simply beautiful. Surely Bopara is young enough to come again at Test level?Masters showed some skill with the bat, too. The pair added 111 in 40 overs for Essex’s seventh wicket, with Masters contributing his highest score since April 2010 and Bopara going on to register his highest score since August 2009; the month he was dropped by England.It was, in all, his 20th first-class century and his third of theseason. Tellingly, however, it was his first since he was omitted from the Test squad in May.He did survive one moment of fortune. When he had 80, he played back to a delivery from Wayne White only to see the ball roll back off the face of the bat and on to his off stump. Somehow, however, the bails remained unmoved. He didn’t give another chance until he had 172.Indeed, it was an innings of which Trevor Bailey would have beenproud. Bailey, the Essex legend who was famous for his obduratebatting, lived just down the road until his untimely death inFebruary, and was a regular visitor to this festival. But, much ashe’d have enjoyed Bopara’s batting, he would have been appalled by Leicestershire’s.