Jacob Duffy dismantles Essex on 14-wicket day

At Chelmsford in the Rothesay County Championship, Jacob Duffy and Matthew Waite exploited a seam-friendly ground to skittle Essex for 179.

With stats of 4 for 39, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy led the way with a brilliant display of quick, accurate bowling, while Waite claimed three middle-order wickets to help Essex be out of the game in 59 overs.

No one was able to grasp a hybrid pitch with lots of grass that offered more lift, carry, and lateral movement, and only Simon Harmer’s innings lasted more than 47 balls and 68 minutes. His obdurate 77-ball 28 covered nearly two hours. The vital toss was won by Worcestershire’s Brett D’Oliveira.

When it was their turn to bat, the visitors didn’t do much better. Despite the absence of England speed hopeful Sam Cook due to ECB orders, Essex was still able to cut Worcestershire to 22 for 4, and when bad light interrupted play with nine overs left, they rallied to 98 for 4.

Jordan Cox had to grab the wicketkeeping gloves earlier in the season than he had intended because Michael Pepper suffered a knee injury that required a runner when he returned to bat.

Essex had a bad start and never bounced back. It took Duffy eight balls to take his second wicket. Before playing around one to fall lbw, Charlie Allison had already driven Tom Taylor beautifully straight three times.

When Jacob Duffy played across the line with only his leg-stump left standing, Paul Walter was the first to go.

With an inadvertent edge that slipped through the slips for four, Cox may have gone in his first over against Tom Taylor. Then, unfazed, Cox came down the wicket and hit Ben Allison for six by lofting him over his head.

After a 60-run partnership with Cox, the bowler returned to have the Essex captain caught behind, exacting revenge on Tom Westley, who had previously dismissed Taylor from the attack with three boundaries in an over. However, Duffy’s delivery that nipped off the seam and got a leading edge through to the wicketkeeper beat Cox ten balls later.

Before lunch, Pepper was hurt. After the break, he came out to resume his innings, but he only lasted one ball before he erupted in pain and had to retire. Shortly after, Matt Critchley strolled down the wicket to Waite, only to divert the delivery that followed him, leaving the score at 106 for 5. When a straight one struck Noah Thain’s back pad and trapped him, Waite collected a second.

Waite was hit by Shane Snater for 14 runs from an over, including a six in a row. Despite his determination to duplicate the feat, he was trapped at deep third after a reckless top-edge against Duffy.

Allison was his runner when Pepper returned, but his dismissal marked the start of Essex’s innings’ demise as the final three wickets fell for two runs. Allison arrived at the celebration with two wickets in three balls as Pepper was trapped leg before wicket. After Harmer eventually left due to Roderick’s fourth catch at the wicket, Porter lost his off-stump against his old teammate.

When Worcestershire batted, the wickets kept clattering. Roderick fell to the identical combination, but this time the catch was taken low down, after Jake Libby shoved a delivery from Snater into Critchley’s right hand at third slip.

With his second ball, Kasun Rajitha, the first overseas bowler for Essex, made an immediate impression by removing Roderick’s bat from his grasp. Rob Jones was caught behind the stumps by Cox shortly after, giving the Sri Lankan his first wicket.

After Porter had Thain dive forward at fourth slip to capture Kashif Ali, Adam Hose and D’Oliveira put up the match’s greatest partnership to date with an undefeated 76 added for the fifth wicket.