ten Doeschate hits career-record score for Essex

Ryan ten Doeschate smashed a career-record 173 not out as Essex dominated the second day of the day-night Specsavers County Championship match at Chelmsford.

The Essex captain marked his first game back after serving a two-match suspension for disciplinary issues, by posting the first century by an Essex batsman in the Specsavers County Championship this season. Ravi Bopara, with whom ten Doeschate shared a record fifth-wicket stand of 294, was the second century-maker, finally departing for 118 shortly before the declaration.

Essex kept Somerset in the field for more than four and a half sweltering sessions, before calling a halt to the carnage at 517 for five.

On a flat, batsman-friendly pitch, only three wickets fell in the day, in contrast to the number of milestones that were passed at regular intervals. At the close, Somerset had seen out the final 42 overs in reducing the deficit by 140 for the loss of two wickets.

The ten Doeschate-Bopara run-fest was the highest partnership for any Essex wicket this season and also their best first-innings total. More significantly, it marked a sea-change in Essex’s batting fortunes, which had been nowhere near the standards of last season’s Championship success.

The stand came to an end after 78 overs when Bopara took a mighty swing at Peter Trego and had his middle stump knocked out of the ground.

The milestones started with the fourth ball of the morning when ten Doeschate pushed Lewis Gregory through extra cover for the boundary that took him to his fifty from 95 balls. It also took Essex to 300. A second four into the same area by ten Doeschate brought up the century partnership. It had taken 33 overs.

Bopara required 146 balls to reach his half-century. It came with four overthrows when Somerset captain Tom Abell shied at the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

Ten Doeschate went to his century by lofting Dom Bess for six over long-leg. He had faced 147 balls and hit 12 fours. A four through point took him to 150 from 217 balls, and he launched another six to long-off from the ball that followed.