Essex 404 for 8 (Cox 141, Elgar 136, Westley 64) vs Hampshire
Jordan Cox reminded Brendon McCullum and the England set-up of his dizzying batting skills with his fourth Vitality County Championship century of the season.
Cox was released by England to play for Essex against Hampshire in the Vitality County Championship clash after not selecting him for the First Rothesay Test against Sri Lanka this week.
After a washed-out day one and more rain on Saturday, this is likely to be a draw – but Essex collected three bonus points to reach the close on 404 for eight .
For everyone present at Utilita Bowl at 10:30 BST, bowling first wasn’t just a choice but the only option.
The pitch was a green colour which suggested that the ball would seam around, and had been under cover for over 24 hours after a washed out day one.
Hampshire captain James Vince could barely conceal his glee when his Essex counterpart Tom Westley picked the wrong side of the coin and he stuck the visitors in.
He gave a shocked look when Westley then told stadium announcer Robbie James he would have chosen to bat first.
It turned out it would have been the correct choice with blue skies above and a pitch which hadn’t sweated up under the covers due to strong winds.
When Kyle Abbott and Mo Abbas were jagging the new ball around, Vince would have felt vindicated, especially when Abbas nicked a ball back into Robin Das’ pads.
Das, opening for the first time in the County Championship having earned his position over Nick Browne and Feroze Khushi following a strong Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign, could hardly have done anything else.
Elgar and Westley simply occupied the crease for the rest of the morning session as the new ball pressure subsided.
Westley, who had soaked up 18 balls before scoring, was dropped at second slip on 27 but otherwise, the captain and opener looked unbreakable.
Elgar said after reaching his 50th red-ball ton, against Durham in June, that all centuries “mean the world” to him. This showed little of that wonder, but did demonstrate a workmanlike efficiency; ticking off runs as if they were on a spreadsheet.
His fifty came in 122 balls, his century came in 170 as he began to open up for his third Championship century since replacing Alastair Cook as Essex opener.
Westley, having put on 144 with Elgar, fell for 64 when he leathered a caught and bowled back at Liam Dawson.
Cox was effervescent from almost the moment he arrived at the crease against an ageing ball. His sixes off James Fuller and Nick Gubbins were the headlines of his aggressive streak and suggested he was making up for lost time following his Appendix operation during the last round of matches.
Having been dropped on 92, he reached three figures in 92 balls, with a straight drive that summed up his endeavours
But at the other end, Hampshire’s grind was rewarded.
Abbott found former international team-mate Elgar chipping to mid off – which ended a 154 alliance with Cox – and removed Matt Critchley’s off stump bail.
Abbas picked up Paul Walter, loose to midwicket, and Michael Pepper, caught at first slip first ball. Simon Harmer was leg before to Dawson as the shadows grew longer.
