Thu Sep 26 14:15:24 UTC 2024: ## Essex Take Control in Rain-Shortened Match Against Surrey
Chelmsford, England – Essex took control of their final County Championship match of the season against Surrey, despite rain cutting short the first day’s play at Cloud County Ground.
Dean Elgar and Tom Westley put on an unbeaten century stand for the second wicket, reaching 116-1 before the rain intervened. Elgar, who passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season, finished on 54 not out, while Westley reached 52 not out.
The pair dominated an under-strength Surrey attack, hitting the ball to all parts of the ground. Elgar’s milestone made him the sixth Division One player to reach 1,000 runs this summer.
Essex had a shaky start to the day, losing Robin Das for just six runs to Tom Lawes, who made his first-class debut for Surrey alongside Ollie Sykes and Yousef Majid. However, Elgar and Westley quickly steadied the ship and put Essex in a strong position for the remaining days of the match.
The rain arrived just nine minutes before lunch, forcing the players off the field, and with no sign of improvement, play was abandoned for the day. Essex will be hoping to continue their dominance when play resumes.
First Piper 