Castle Park - Day 2

This time it was Dad's turn to walk through Castle Park and put a potential hex on the proceedings, by saying we were going to have a prompt start to the day's play. This happily did not turn out to be the case, for the whole day in fact.

One thing though: I'd planned for the rain, but not the sun. Keeping in the shade wherever possible, and trying not to face the direct glare of the sunlight (although at a ground like Castle Park such a thing is unavoidable at some point), we sat and watched Ryan T-d-S and Essex carve out another 13 runs, before he unwisely exposed Danish Kaneria to the strike, and Essex were bowled out for 282, with T-d-S just 6 away from a century.

More bad news was to come for Danish (and Pakistan). Just before lunch things couldn't be better, taking a wicket with his first ball, but after the interval he dropped a sharp return catch and broke a finger on his left (non-spinning) hand. An attempt to return to the field and bowl again yielded only one delivery before he realised he couldn't continue, so both sides are now hampered in the bowling department. But Essex, with the slightly stronger starting line-up, bowled Worcestershire out for 258, a lead of 24. Things are pretty even steven at the moment, and it could go either way. If Worcester win this, they have a chance of clinching the County Championship Division Two title.

One other exciting prospect today was the announcement that the Olympic flag together with the Friends Provident trophy (that Essex won last Saturday against Kent at Lord's) is being paraded around the ground for this Sunday's one-day match against Glamorgan. A shame that the UK hasn't lobbied for an Olympic Cricket event at London in 2012. A new cricket ground in nearby Stratford would have been just the thing Essex CCC needed for a new stadium to deal with the growing influx of Twenty20 cricket. As it is, the County Ground at Chelmsford is being closed for redevelopment in two years time, with that season's fixtures being shared around at other grounds like Southend and Colchester - not that I'm complaining on that score.

The view from the bar at lunchtime.

What I did complain of today however, was a headache from my glass of Oranjeboom shandy just after lunch, of which the lager may have been a little too close to the end of the barrel. That together with my sunburn from the unexpected clear weather, which had me going to rehearsal for Murder in the Cathedral for Colchester Theatre Group later this evening resembling some sort of vestige of the French Tricolour, in my blue shirt, red burned skin and white unburned skin.



Young Essex bowler Chris Wright fields at deep fine leg, in view of the pavilion, Colchester Town Hall, and the guest marquees arranged like the Battle of Agincourt.