da dobrowin： Muttiah Muralitharan earned match figures of ten for 123 as Lancashirecrushed Essex by nine wickets to claim their third consecutive Championshipwin despite a century in each innings from Stuart Law
Andy Wilson22-Jun-2001Muttiah Muralitharan earned match figures of ten for 123 as Lancashirecrushed Essex by nine wickets to claim their third consecutive Championshipwin despite a century in each innings from Stuart Law.The overseas players continued to dominate on the last day at Old Traffordwith Murali taking three of the last six wickets as Essex were all out for257, with Law left high and dry for the second time in the match, this timeon 120.Lancashire were left needing only 53 to win, and took 19 points to climb tosecond in the First Division table, leaving Essex in the relegation zone.But that was so tough on Law, who has now scored 305 runs in threeChampionship innings without being dismissed following his unbeaten 116 inthe first innings, and 66 not out in Essex’s last game against Surrey.This was the second time he has scored two centuries in a match for Essex,the other coming against Yorkshire at Chelmsford in 1999, and took his tontally for the county to 29 in less than six seasons.And although both Michael Bevan and Mark Ramprakash scored two centuries ina Championship match last season, Ramprakash also ending on the losing side,Law became the first player to record a pair of unbeaten hundreds in theChampionship since Hugh Morris for Glamorgan against Notts in 1995.But Muralitharan was not to be outdone.The Sri Lankan had Stephen Peters caught at silly point, Ricky Anderson lbwand bowled Barry Hyam with a ball which turned prodigiously from welloutside off stump to complete second innings figures of four for 70 from 39overs.That gave him match figures of 87-36-123-10, the sixth time he has takenten wickets in a match for Lancashire in only 11 appearances, and he did notbowl in one of those.Muralitharan has now taken a total of 94 Championship wickets forLancashire, and six more against Surrey at The Oval next week would take himinto three figures in only 12 matches – probably the fastest century ofwickets in Lancashire history.