While wickets tumbled at a furious rate elsewhere, it was a more sedate affair at Wantage Road, where the steady accumulation of runs were punctuated only by the occasional fall of a wicket. Northamptonshire finished the day in a strong position thanks to Richard Levi’s first county championship century. Known more for his explosive one-day batting, this was a measured and calm innings. He finished the day unbeaten on 157.
“It was one of my tougher knocks,” Levi said. “It was a bit of work in progress, four-day stuff has not been my forte over the years. I’ve done some work with guys I’ve looked up to in the past and it seems to be coming off.”
In total 91 runs were added for the fifth wicket by Josh Cobb and Levi in a solid partnership that ticked along at around four an over. It was ended in the over before tea when the leg-spinner Adil Malik got one to turn just enough to induce an edge to Nick Browne, the only slip fielder. By then, though, Northamptonshire had reduced the first-innings deficit to 27.
Essex laboured with the ball throughout the afternoon and the runs came steadily on a docile pitch, making their first-day collapse seem all the more inexplicable. Ravi Bopara had dragged them back into the match before lunch with two quick wickets. He removed the captain Alex Wakely, who missed a straight delivery, and then the opener Stephen Peters, who looked very solid for his 44 before getting a thick edge to a leaping Jesse Ryder in the gully.
The new ball was taken 20 minutes after tea with Northamptonshire 14 behind and while David Masters and Reece Topley, in his first championship match of the season, toiled away with it there was very little assistance either through the air or off the pitch.
Masters was the pick of the eight Essex bowlers used, bowling a typically tight line with a bit of movement but without reward. Topley also bowled well and got the wicket of Ben Duckett, leg-before to a ball that jagged ferociously back into him.
By the evening session, runs flowed more easily as Essex tired and Levi opened his shoulders. Northamptonshire are in a very strong position going into day three with a lead of 121 and their score of 397 for six is one that reflects the good batting conditions rather more than Essex’s 276 all out did.
