Best yet for Wessels as Essex toil in the field (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Best yet for Wessels as Essex toil in the field

8:16pm Thursday 7th May 2009

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RIKI Wessels smashed his best score of the season as Northamptonshire moved closer to their first LV County Championship Division Two win on day two of the match against Essex at Wantage Road.

Wessels bludgeoned 84 off 122 balls including 14 fours while Rob White (70) and South African all-rounder Andrew Hall (58) also chipped in as the hosts amassed 354 after resuming the day on 63 for one.

England Twenty20 hopeful Graham Napier was the pick of a lacklustre visiting attack, claiming four wickets for 107 runs from 23.5 overs as Essex toiled in the field.

Northamptonshire ended the day firmly on top with Steven Crook and David Lucas removing openers Varun Chopra and Jaik Mickleburgh to leave Essex reeling on 41 for two and trailing by 92.

After a cagey start to the day White set his stall out in the seventh over of the day, smashing three boundaries on the way to a 74-ball half-century.

However that was to be it for White who fell on 70 for the second time this season after extra bounce from seamer Chris Wright saw wicketkeeper James Foster take a routine catch in the 33rd over.

Wright was back at it four balls later sending skipper Nicky Boje back to the pavilion for a first-ball duck, courtesy of James Middlebrook's superb diving catch at gully.

However Mark Nelson steadied the ship and Wessels completed his half-century from 78 balls as Northamptonshire went in at lunch on 193 for three.

Essex hit the ground running after the break with Napier immediately removing Nelson and Wessels surviving a lucky escape after being cleaned bowled by a no-ball.

But the visitors did not build on their early dominance with Wessels and Hall adding 50 for the fifth wicket before Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria finally struck with the score at 245.

Hall and incoming batsmen David Willey made sure of the hosts' third batting point in style with the 19-year-old left-hander smashing Ryan ten Doeschate off leg-stump for six as they raced past 300.

However when veteran spinner James Middlebrook dismissed Hall and Willey fell to Napier for 30 as Northamptonshire slumped from 311 for five to 354 all out.

With seven bonus points in the bank the hosts quickly set about dismissing Essex cheaply and succeeded with the last ball of the first over when Chopra edged Steven Crook to keeper Niall O'Brien for a duck.

Essex's cause hit further disruption when Lucas cleaned up Mickleburgh for 16 to leave Matt Walker and skipper Mark Pettini with the hard task of seeing out the day.

Both succeeded, finishing unbeaten on 15 and six respectively - but with it all to do if they are to avoid a day three defeat.

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