Down to the last over at Castle Park

posted by John Winn

By the summer of 1991 I had got the bit well between my teeth in pursuit of membership of the 153 club and towards the end of August in that summer I took in three matches in three days starting on the 20th with my first trip to Edgbaston where Warwickshire entertained Glamorgan. Solid batting all the way down the order saw the hosts reach 358 for 8, skipper Andy Lloyd top scorer with 86, before declaring in time to see the back of Glamorgan opener Steve James by the close. Warwickshire with an attack including Alan Donald finished runners up to Essex that year. A slow pitch ensured this game ended in a draw.

Next day it was over to the East Midlands and a trip to  Derby where Derbyshire faced Leicestershire. Just in time as it happened for by close of play on what was the second day it was all over with the visitors winning by an innings and 131. To quote Wisden 'Leicestershire, and Millns in particular took control on a green pitch....Millns, bowling fast to an excellent length made marvellously effective use of the conditions to take 9 for 37 the best return in England since D.L. Underwood's 9 for 32 at The Oval v Surrey in 1978.'

On the day I was there The Foxes built on their overnight 160 for 5 to make 392, a lead of 275. Top scorer  was Peter Whitticase with 93. Derbyshire were soon in trouble again with Millns picking up another three and he received good support from Australian Craig Wilkinson. Derbyshire who included Barnett, Adams, Azharuddin and Cork in their team fared only marginally better than in their first innings and were all out for 144.  Given that result it is perhaps surprising that at the end of the season Derbyshire finished third and Leicestershire second bottom. Lots of runs for Azharuddin, Morris, Barnett and Bowler and wickets for Mortensen, Cork and Malcolm helped The Peakites to their best position since 1954. Some of our Yorkshire readers (and Derbyshire) may recall their victory over Yorkshire at Chesterfield in the last match of the season. Whilst perhaps not too happy to be reminded of the result an unbeaten century by Simon Kellett may bring back a warm glow.

And so next morning an early start from my in-laws' home in Tideswell and a long drive to Colchester for my first appearance at Castle Park for the third day of three. What a day, lovely sunshine and one of those rare occasions when all four results were possible when Phil Carrick, for Yorkshire were the visitors, started the last over. Those there on the first day had seen another double hundred for Moxon, 200 not out at stumps when Yorkshire were 363 for4, support from Kellett and Blakey, and Moxon's score eclipsed the previous highest by a Yorkshire man at Castle Park, 156 by Sir Leonard in 1950.

Yorkshire added another 70 or so on the second morning but Stephenson and Prichard each got centuries in reply before skipper Neil Foster declared and I was lucky enough on the third morning to see another lovely innings by Moxon before a third declaration left Essex to get 319 from 68 overs, a more formidable target then than it would seem now. At 293 for 5, Stephenson falling just 3 short of his second hundred, it looked like Essex's game and I thought about leaving to make the tortuous journey back to my then home in East Sussex. What convinced me to stay, I remember not, but to this day I am glad I did not for the champions elect lost their last five for 22 and fell four short of their target. The wickets were shared equally, four apiece, between Carrick and Batty (J), but it was Carrick who took the last wicket with four balls to spare and make my journey home seemed much less tortuous.

I did return to Castle Park for in 1999 Peter Sixsmith and I based ourselves in accommodation at The University of Essex in anticipation of seeing a couple of days action with Durham the visitors. Alas the two days we had set aside were washed out and our very scant consolation was watching Colchester FC reserves take on their Brighton counterparts at Layer Road. Essex continued to play regularly at Castle park until 2016 but have not played championship cricket there for the last two seasons.