With another round of County Championship 2022 Division I starting tomorrow, Lancashire and Essex will be at loggerheads when they collide in match 30 of the ongoing tournament, scheduled on May 19 at Emirates Old Trafford Manchester.
The two teams are currently positioned at the two different ends of the points table. While Lancashire is placed at the second spot with 85 points with two wins and three draws in five games, Essex is at the seventh place with 54 points with one win, one defeat and three draws in five matches.
Dane Vilas and Co will head to the match after a stalemate against Yorkshire. While Keaton Jennings has been running the batting line-up in the last two games, their skipper Vilas has contributed significantly throughout the season.
Although Steven Croft will be coming to the upcoming game on the back of a ton, an issue resides in his consistency. Josh Bohannon is another prominent figure in their batting contingent, but he has looked off-colour since scoring a double-hundred against Gloucestershire.
For Lancashire, their bowlers are the main asset. Hasan Ali and Matthew Parkinson are the top two wicket-takers in the competition, with 24 and 23 wickets, respectively. In addition, Lancashire's veteran pacer James Anderson has hit form and can continue to inflict damage if he plays tomorrow.
Ali did not feature in the last fixture but is expected to be in the playing XI for tomorrow's encounter. Saqib Mahmood has suffered a back stress fracture and is ruled out from the remainder of the season.
Speaking of Essex, they drew their last match against Yorkshire. Alastair Cook's twin tons helped the Tom Westley-led unit in accomplishing a draw.
Essex so far only have one win in their account, that too by a margin of one wicket.
Their batting struggles are hidden from no one. Although Simon Harmer has underperformed with the ball, Shane Snater and Samuel Cook have made up for their teammate's poor form, claiming 15 wickets apiece so far in the season.
Match Details
Match: Lancashire vs Essex, County Championship 2022 Division I
Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Date & Time: May 19-22; 11:00 AM (UK), 3:30 PM (IST)
Live Streaming: YouTube channels of the First-Class Counties/Official websites of the teams