Pepper & Westley save game for Essex against Hants

Michael Pepper surpassed his previous first-class best of 115

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford (day four)

Essex 296 & 358-6 dec: Pepper 140, Westley 130*; Dawson 4-82

Hampshire 453: Dawson 139, Tilak 100; Critchley 4-102

Essex (10 pts) drew with Hampshire (14 pts)

Match scorecard

Tom Westley and Michael Pepper combined for a 215-run sixth-wicket partnership that frustrated Hampshire and ultimately saved Essex from suffering their third County Championship defeat of the season.

The pair came together at 131-5, still 26 runs short of making Hampshire bat again, and were not parted for nearly three-and-a-half hours.

Slowly but surely they took the game out of the visitors' grip that had looked strong after gaining a first-innings lead of 157. Pepper was the hare to Westley's tortoise, but both batsmen clocked up contrasting centuries, Westley his 30th in red-ball cricket and Pepper his highest first-class score.

When handskakes were exchanged to signal the draw at 16:50 BST, the Essex captain had batted for all but 12 overs of the 119 Essex faced in their second innings. He had struggled for runs this summer but his unbeaten 322-ball 130, with 12 boundaries, showed a high level of self-discipline and application.

While Westley had dug in doggedly, Pepper changed the tempo of the innings with some big-hitting before he was eventually dismissed for 140 from 154 balls, including 20 fours and a six. Pepper had also played a similar key role in partnership with Matt Critchley to help Essex secure an equally unlikely draw against Yorkshire last month.

Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson added two early wickets in the morning to the pair he had in the bag overnight, but while whirling away for a marathon stint of 41 overs could not improve on figures of 4-82.

Essex had started the day requiring 49 more runs to make Hampshire bat again – or remain all day at the crease to hang on for the draw with seven wickets in hand.

Hampshire hopes were high when overnight batsman Critchley was undone by a delivery from Dawson that turned and caught him on the instep of his front leg. He had dug in for an hour and a half for his 19, and had earlier set the tone for the opening exchanges by finally claiming the first run of the day from the 29th ball.

Westley was particularly watchful, adding just a single to his overnight 50 in the opening 51 minutes and 35 balls before he went on the backfoot and drive Eddie Jack for a boundary. His concentrations was such that he added just 20 runs from 65 balls in the morning session.

First-innings centurion Charlie Allison was slightly more expansive with two fours in 31 balls before he pulled Dawson to short midwicket. That wicket fell at 11:59 - the next came at 16:30.

A sweep off Dawson for four by Pepper eased the Essex total into the black. It was at that point Pepper put his foot on the gas. He took 15 from an over by James Fuller, including a big yahoo for six.

Pepper then cut Jack for another boundary that brought up the fifty partnership with Westley in 11 overs, of which the wicketkeeper-batsman contributed 42. Pepper's own half-century, reached with his eighth four, driven to long leg, took just 43 balls. The pair took another 13 overs to pass three-figures together.

Westley's strike-rate increased in the hour after lunch when he added the 30 runs he required to reach his century, realised with a lofted drive off Dawson for his 11th boundary.

Pepper was not long in following suit, a thick edge off Jack racing away to the third-man boundary took him to second century of the season. It also brought up 150 runs scored between the pair in 40 overs.

A contrast in the pace at which the two batsmen had scored was shown starkly when Pepper caught up with Westley when both had 108; Pepper had got there in 152 balls fewer.

However, Pepper's knock came to an end when he attempted to launch Tom Prest out of the ground but only found Kyle Abbott on the long-leg boundary.

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