No frustration this time for Yorkshire CCC as Essex are swept aside

It was not lightning but rain that had threatened to put the only spanner in the works, but although 16 overs were lost on day four in three separate delays, conditions relented enough to allow Yorkshire to complete their second victory of the County Championship season, one that took them three points above Essex and out of the bottom two in Division One.

No assessment of this match – for long periods ponderous on a sluggish pitch with the Kookaburra ball – could fail to conclude that it was the ninth-wicket stand between Matty Revis and Ben Coad in the Yorkshire first innings that was the turning point and decisive factor.

Their partnership of 169, a record for the ninth-wicket against Essex in first-class cricket, either side of tea on day three, elevated Yorkshire from 273-8 in reply to the visitors’ first innings 368 and on towards a closing total of 459, a lead of 91.

Having been 33-3 heading into day four, still trailing by 58 after losing Paul Walter, Tom Westley and, crucially, the rock of Dean Elgar, a potentially key obstacle, Essex were bowled out for 131 on the stroke of tea, leaving Yorkshire to knock off 41 in a minimum of 36 overs.

There was about as much chance of them not doing that as of an alien spaceship suddenly landing on the field and abducting the 367 spectators present.

Sure enough, Adam Lyth and Fin Bean completed formalities as Yorkshire eased home with 27 overs left.

There had been rain in the air and a bite to the breeze when those spectators arrived in the murky morning.

The furnace-like heat of earlier in the match was now but a memory with coats and layers the order of the day – an unthinkable prospect on day two, especially.

Overnight rain had freshened the surrounds, and a further burst delayed the start of play by 25 minutes.

When matters finally got going it did not take Yorkshire long to strike, Ben Coad having Simon Harmer, the nightwatchman, well caught low down at backward-point by Abdullah Shafique from the final ball of the day’s fifth over.

After Jordan Cox punched Ben Coad through the covers for the first boundary of the morning after half an hour, Essex lost their fifth wicket to the next delivery when Matt Critchley was trapped lbw by Jack White for a fifth-ball duck.

By that stage, light rain had started to fall but it was not until the sixth wicket fell in White’s next over that the umpires decided that it had become sufficiently heavy to take the players from the field, Charlie Allison having had his off stump sent cartwheeling, a great sight for any pace bowler as Essex deteriorated to 48-6.

After an early lunch came an aborted effort to restart proceedings at 1.25pm, further rain falling just as the Yorkshire players settled into their fielding positions.

Ten minutes later, though, we were back under way, the weather set fair for the rest of the day as the sun finally made a welcome appearance to give Yorkshire a clear window of opportunity to seal the spoils.

They were frustrated, however, for the next hour or so, Cox – who had started the day with 14 to his name – and Michael Pepper adding 59 for the seventh wicket in 94 balls.

Eventually, Cox aimed a drive at Revis and was adjudged caught behind, much to his apparent disgruntlement as he walked off with the air of a man who did not believe that he had hit the ball, looking hard towards the umpires as he slowly left the scene.

It was impossible to tell with the naked eye from some 100 yards away whether bat had made contact with ball – especially after a heavy lunch and five bottles of claret; even a fully-clothed eye might have had some difficulty.

But Cox was gone for 55 from 108 balls with seven fours and with him, one sensed, went Essex’s hopes, already faint.

Pepper – who had played a key role in thwarting Yorkshire at Chelmsford – resisted for 66 deliveries and 93 minutes but was another caught behind victim, this time off White.

He played a poor stroke, in fairness, aiming a cut of which he appeared to have little control, leaving Essex 114-8, just 23 ahead.

A curious shot followed when Noah Thain was bowled through his legs trying to pull a ball from Dom Bess which did not bounce sufficiently for that to be realistic, and the innings ended when White had Khaleel Ahmed caught at second slip by Lyth to finish with the best figures of 4-37.

Tea was taken at that point and a game which, some 24 hours earlier, had been going nowhere in particular prior to Revis and Coad’s great partnership was now in Yorkshire’s back pocket.