Lancashire avoided their lowest ever total in first class cricket on a day when a farcical 26 wickets fell against Essex at Chelmsford.
The Red Roses, third in the table, were 25-6 in their second innings on day one of their championship match having been 7-6 just minutes earlier. It came on the back of their first innings total of 131 in which Simon Harmer took 5-41 and No.9 Tom Bailey top scored with 24 before claiming 5-36 as Essex were dismissed for 107.
Inevitably Sir Alastair Cook was the only man to get to grips with conditions with 40 for the home side before his bowlers then revelled in a second new ball under the floodlights. Shane Snater took three wickets in four balls before adding a fourth as Lancashire were in danger of failing to beat their all time low of 25 all out against Derbyshire in 1871.
