County Championship: Dan Lawrence hits century for Essex after missing out on England call up

Dan Lawrence scored an unbeaten century on day one in Manchester after returning from injury

Dan Lawrence shrugged off the disappointment of his England omission to hit an unbeaten century for Essex on day one of their Championship game with Lancashire.

Playing for the first time in a month after injury and a day after the selection of Ben Stokes' first squad as captain, Lawrence ended on exactly 100 not out as his side finished on 280-7.

Opener Nick Browne earlier made 71 after Essex had decided to bat but Lancashire fought back late on.

Tom Bailey was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 3-36 with the game nicely poised.

Lawrence had played all three Tests in the West Indies in March averaging a little under 33, but he had suffered a disappointing start to the county season.

He managed just 98 runs in five innings for Essex before picking up a hamstring injury. With Yorkshire's Harry Brook scoring heavily in his absence, the new selection panel of captain Ben Stokes, Test coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key opted for Brook over Lawrence.

Coming in after lunch following the fall of Tom Westley (30), Lawrence saw Browne depart to an incredible reflex catch off Lancashire captain Dane Vilas to leave the game evenly poised at 136-3.

But the 24-year-old, who has played 11 Tests, then struck up an excellent partnership either side of tea with Paul Walter, bringing up his half century off 101 balls.

However, the game really came to life in the last hour after Lancashire took the second new ball.

Bailey removed Walter (34) and Matt Critchley for a duck in the same over to leave Essex wobbling at 233-5 before recalled England bowler James Anderson saw three chances of varying difficulties missed off his bowling.

Lawrence moved serenely to 99 before he embarked on a crazy attempt at a single, which left his partner Adam Rossington high and dry and he was run out.

But the England middle order batter regained his composure to bring up his century off the very next ball, coming off 178 balls with ten fours for the 12th first class ton of his career.

Yet when Simon Harmer was out to the very next ball off a lifter from Luke Wood, the Red Rose could rightly feel they had fought their way right back into the contest.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.