Essex 253 (Cox 84, Elgar 80, Paterson 5-49) and 374 for 9 dec (Walter 79, Critchley 68) beat Nottinghamshire 293 (Clarke 104, Haynes 77) and 80 (Cook 6-14) by 254 runs
“I’m fairly happy with the best way the ball has come out this week, notably with it being a Kookaburra,” Cook mentioned. “There have been some questions on what I may do with a Kookaburra ball… I am determined to play for England and hopefully that efficiency is one thing in direction of that.
“However I am attempting to focus on taking part in for Essex and having fun with taking wickets for Essex. Previously, I’ve most likely been responsible of chasing it a bit an excessive amount of and getting caught up in that, however within the final six months I’ve tried to return to fundamentals and focus on what I do nicely.”
Cook is a conventional English seamer who bowls at speeds nearer to 80mph than 90mph, however has an outstanding first-class file with 275 wickets at 19.48. Following Stuart Broad’s retirement, he may come into competition to play Check cricket this summer season and Anthony McGrath, Essex’s head coach, believes he may thrive.
“Some individuals have mentioned he could not bowl with a Kookaburra and I believe that efficiency places that argument to mattress,” McGrath mentioned. “England’s greatest bowlers over the past what number of years have been Broad and [James] Anderson. Clearly they’re legends of the sport however within the final couple of years they haven’t had blistering tempo.
“They’ve simply been metronomic in what they do, extremely expert in swing and seam and Sam has that in abundance. I believe he is fast sufficient… You noticed on the market right now that not many different bowlers bought as a lot out of the pitch as he did, notably in that second innings when he was completely relentless and bowled some magic deliveries.”
Nottinghamshire have been bowled out for 80 of their fourth innings, having been set 335 to win in 88 overs after Essex declared early on the ultimate morning. Cook’s strike associate Jamie Porter took 3 for 43 to ship a 20-point victory – although they now face an anxious wait to see if they may endure a factors deduction.
“We do not know but the place we’re with that,” McGrath mentioned. “The match referee and the umpires have been concerned after the incident and now it’ll go to the ECB. We’ll await information on that. They have the bat in query and can go through regardless of the course of is concerned and hopefully we are going to get to know inside the subsequent couple of days.”
On the ultimate morning, Essex declared their second innings closed after including 45 runs in six overs to their in a single day 329 for 8. Shane Snater was the one batter dismissed, caught at lengthy leg for 47 off 46 balls, as Adam Rossington overcame a finger harm to complete unbeaten on 39 off 49.
Ben Duckett was bowled for 5, overwhelmed on the skin edge for the second time within the match as Porter angled one in that straightened off the pitch. Haseeb Hameed adopted within the subsequent over, as Cook despatched his off stump cartwheeling, earlier than Ben Slater edged the identical bowler to second slip.
Joe Clarke and Matt Montgomery held issues collectively for the following 45 minutes, however when Clarke bottom-edged Snater into his stumps simply earlier than lunch, Nottinghamshire have been 39 for 4 at lunch and their hopes of saving the sport unravelled in a short time after the interval.
Montgomery was bowled by Cook, shouldering arms to a supply that jagged again appreciably to take his off stump, Jack Haynes was pinned in entrance by one other nip-backer, this time from Porter, earlier than Cook eliminated Calvin Harrison (leg earlier than) and Brett Hutton (comprehensively cleaned up) within the house of 4 deliveries to finish his thirteenth first-class five-wicket haul.
Cook struck for the sixth time to have Pennington edging to first slip. Dane Paterson then picked up six from one lusty blow at Porter, earlier than shedding his center stump trying one other as Essex wrapped up their victory at 9 minutes to a few. “We have made an announcement as a group in the best way we achieved the win,” Cook mentioned.
“The best way the final day unfolded does not actually mirror the primary three days of the sport, wherein the perimeters have been fairly evenly matched. However the best way we have been so ruthless right now says quite a bit about how we wish to go about our cricket.”
