Seventeen wickets fell on a dramatic first day in Chelmsford, while Sussex’s Ollie Robinson gave the
England selectors another nudge 7.51pm BST
Seventeen wickets fell on a wild first day at Chelmsford. The green, green grass of home was no comfort to the champions Essex while they were being skittled for 96 by Durham. The visitors attacked with scalpel and sledgehammer: Chris Rushworth bowled with surgical precision to take three for 13, while Bryson Carse (three for 37) put the wind up the Essex batsmen in a couple of ferocious spells.
Durham were only one wicket down when they went into the lead – but then, on a pitch that looked custom-made for the seamers, Essex’s spinners took a shortcut through the middle order. Durham finished on a precarious 144 for seven. Almost 70% of those runs by Scott Borthwick, who scored his first century for Durham, and an extraordinary innings on such a low-scoring day. 7.23pm BST
Group 1