Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Uptonsteel Grace Road, Leicester (day one)

Essex 342-5: Cox 184*, Critchley 97

Leicestershire: Yet to bat

Essex 2pts, Leics 1pt

Match scorecard

Jordan Cox celebrated his call-up to the England squad for the second Test against New Zealand next week with an unbeaten 184 as Essex overcame a rocky start to dominate a rain-affected day one in their visit to Leicestershire.

The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who was named in a 15-strong England party after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were omitted for disciplinary reasons, hammered his first hundred runs off just 73 balls, hitting 14 fours before reaching the milestone with his second six.

Matt Critchley made 97 as Essex, who had been put in on a green pitch at Uptonsteel Grace Road, recovered from 8-2 to finish on 342-5 from 75 overs after the first session had been lost to early drizzle and a wet outfield.

Cox recorded his 12th century in 63 first-class matches and passed 4,000 career runs at the same time.

He was the major partner in a stand of 147 for the Essex third wicket with skipper Tom Westley, which looked like it had some more mileage in it before Westley pulled the second ball after tea from Rehan straight into the hands of short mid-wicket to go for 41.

That was a rare moment of encouragement for Leicestershire, whose only previous successes had come in the first eight overs after the delayed start, as seamer Ben Green straightened one enough to trap Paul Walter leg before and then uprooted Dean Elgar’s off stump.

At that point, Essex supporters might have feared a bad day for their side but on a pitch that seemed to have fewer demons than might have been anticipated, particularly once the dampness of the early part of the day had given way to sunshine, Cox and Westley soon took charge.

Once they had been parted, Cox and Critchley added another 183 before the latter, who hit 12 fours and a six before, was bowled by Joey Evison – at Grace Road on a two-match loan from Kent – just short of a second hundred of the season.

Leicestershire picked up another late scalp when Rehan Ahmed dismissed nightwatch Jamie Porter but for the most part their bowlers had been punished ruthlessly for their inaccuracy, having compounded their problems by failing to take key chances.

Critchley had an escape after scoring only a single, albeit only when Rehan failed to hold what would have been a stunning caught-and-bowled. The leg-spinning all-rounder later saw Cox put down on 146 at short extra cover.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.