Date-stamped : 05 Jul97 - 14:19 Cowan swings to help Essex out of bunker By Doug Ibbotson at Chelmsford First day of four: Somerset (42-2) trail Essex (280) by 238 A BRISK half century by Paul Prichard, a dogged 78 from Darren Robinson and a delightful last-wicket stand of 66 led by Ash- ley Cowan commanded most of the attention at Chelmsford until Mark Ilott claimed the first two Somerset wickets with his first two deliveries. It was a day from which Essex, second in the championship and with a game in hand over Middlesex, emerged with much satisfac- tion after being put in on an erratically paced pitch. Both Prichard and Robinson fell to simple catches thrusting at balls that appeared to die on pitching. However, by the time Cowan arrived at the crease all seemed to have settled down. Cowan plays rugby well, golf very well and must soon be re- garded by Essex as a genuine all-rounder. Certainly promotion from No 10 in the batting order is long overdue. He enlivened an otherwise routine Essex innings as prime mover in that last-wicket partnership with Peter Such (14), whose value as a batsman has seldom been fully appreciated. Such`s chief claim to fame in the batting stakes is a collec- tion of six not-outs this season. Cowan, on the other hand, has reaped 280 runs from 12 innings (four not out). The golf connection is evident in the crispness of his uncom- plicated stroke play. The centre of the ball is located almost instinc- tively and it is frequently clipped away, well clear of bunkers, to- wards the boundary. Already this summer he has almost trebled last season`s aver- age which, after yesterday`s career-best 46 not out, now stands at 35. This is undoubtedly a source of some embarrassment to Graham Gooch, whose run of wretched form continued when he departed after making a single scoring shot, albeit a superb straight drive for four, to further reduce his first-class average to less than 25. The Essex maestro is phlegmatic about the likelihood of ap- pearing in next week`s NatWest match against Worcestershire."I shall be available if selected," he said. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Lathwell picks up the gauntlet By Doug Ibbotson at Chelmsford Second day of four: Somerset (249-6) trail Essex (280) by 31 runs IN the early `90s Mark Lathwell and Marcus Trescothick, two ea- ger West Country youngsters, were welcomed at Taunton and vari- ously ac- claimed as outstanding prospects. They came in the wake of a rebuilding that followed the up- heaval of 1986 and the departure of world-class mercenaries Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner. Lathwell was subsequently selected by England in 1993 and played in two Tests without fulfilling the anticipated poten- tial. A re- tiring personality, he has not challenged again at international lev- el. Nevertheless, in recent seasons he has served Somerset well. Last summer, for example, he followed the prolific Shane Lee in the batting averages with 44. Trescothick, too, prospered at county level until form inex- plicably deserted him. Last season he managed 628 championship runs at 28.5 but this summer has struggled in all but club cricket - for Keyn- sham - and has made only four first-class ap- pearances. Lathwell also has had a disappointing season, raising only one half-century in scoring 271 from 17 innings. Yesterday, however, he completed a splendid 87 with 15 fours to steer Somerset from disastrous beginnings - two for nought in the first over - towards a position of respectability. The buoyancy engendered was epitomised too, by the performance of Helston-born Piran Holloway, Millfield and Loughborough, who since joining the county from Warwickshire has produced several match-saving/winning innings. He started the rain-interrupted day in company with Lathwell and having shared a third-wicket partnership of 147, went on to raise what might best be described as a painstaking 90 off 204 balls with nine fours. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Somerset wipe out 49-year blemish By Doug Ibbotson at Chelmsford Somerset (389 & 22-0) bt Essex (280 & 129) by 10 wkts PAUL PRICHARD, the Essex captain, might well refer to the fa- ble of the hare and the tortoise as he rallies his stricken side from hu- miliating defeat against Somerset. Here was a match in which, with few exceptions, they posed and pirouetted while a determined armoured creature of no great pre- tentions ushered them off the park. Somerset, bolstered by a solid 80 from Robert Turner, support- ed by Graham Rose and Jason Kerr, then worked through a batting or- der embellished by a Stuart Law half-century. Kevin Shine claimed five for 41, Rose three for 22, Essex es- tablished an advantage of only 20 runs and Somerset duly cruised to vic- tory. Essex, who began the match technically on top of the table, with a game in hand and only two points behind Middlesex, let the contest slip or, rather, had it taken away from them in the first in- nings by solid rather than spectacular performances. Indeed, having lost wickets to the first two balls, it was a matter of character and pride to seek parity through Piran Hol- loway (90) and Mark Lathwell (87). To establish a lead of 109 looked little more than a well-de- served bonus until the Essex response began to fall apart. Prichard fell in the first over and heartfelt hopes that Gra- ham Gooch, approaching his 44th birthday this month, would re- cover his legendary ablilities were dashed when he fell lbw for 23. Thus, apart from Law, the sickly die was cast and Somerset completed their first championship victory at Chelmsford for 49 years. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)