Professional or elite sport often turns on very fine marginal decisions which can mean the difference between success and failure.
And playing cricket over four or five days shows this to be true more often than not! An error here, a missed catch there, a marginal decision going for you or against you (in your view) and the match is gone.
What I witnessed today at the Fortress was the last part of a run chase of 330 runs after falling 235 behind on first innings!
Essex wobbled a bit yesterday in the chase and at 112/4 it looked like Warwickshire were in the box seat having folded for 94 shortly before.
But Cox & Critchley held firm yesterday and worked Essex to 224/4 at the close needing just over 100 today but with the new ball due.
Warwickshire’s strategy was to get to the new ball as fast as possible but they leaked runs as they did and gave even more of the initiative to Essex on a pitch that throughout has done nothing obvious to spectators but clearly got into the bat’s heads as wickets fell regularly on the first three days – unless, of course, you got your head down!
We saw Warwickshire do well for the 7th wicket and Essex today/yesterday for the 5th wicket – record partnerships each in all of the clashes these two have ever had!
It was in essence all one way traffic today and whilst Cox got to his century and out soon after and Pepper too was out to a silly shot, Critchley and Harmer saw Essex over the line.
Quite a turnaround/comeback – the best since…(well you decide).
Critchley was stranded on 99 at the end and I’m sure will go back over his innings as to where he could have scored just one more run – but a fine performance nonetheless.
And the one error in the match?
Warwickshire not enforcing the follow on! They were all over Essex like a rash at that time, had got into their heads and had the chance to really turn the screw. But no, once Davies scuttled off at the end of the Essex first innings it was clear he had decided not to enforce the advantage?
Why?
This game is played in the head, he had the mental advantage, his bowlers still relatively fresh and had all to play for!
But give a team like Essex a scintilla of a chance, they take it and taking five wickets late on Saturday afternoon was the proof!
Would Warwickshire have won by enforcing the follow on? History tends to suggest they would have done but on such fine margins are matches won and lost!
Cricket51days 