Lancashire promoted to Division One

Lancashire 340 (Symonds 98) and 155-2 (Sutcliffe 80*) beat Essex 267 (Cook 64, Kartik 5-93) and 227 (Kartik 5-75) by 8 wickets
Scorecard
Points Table

Murali Kartik, the Indian left-arm spinner, took ten wickets on his debut for Lancashire who became the first team to be promoted to Division One of the Championship this season.

Lancashire were set just 155 to win, which they managed with little difficulty after dismissing Essex for 227. Kartik matched his first innings efforts by taking another five, to give him a match-winning haul of ten wickets in the match.

On an overcast day at Chelmsford, Essex began on 134 for 6 with Ravinder Bopara on 24. He could only add a further 18 runs, before edging a simple catch to Gareth Cross, the substitute fielder, giving James Anderson his second wicket of the innings. James Middlebrook and James Foster added 38, but Sajid Mahmood dismissed them both within the space of four balls.

Andre Adams took the attack to Lancashire, but Kartik had the final say by having him caught at midwicket to give the Indian his fifth wicket of the innings. Chasing 155, Iain Sutcliffe and Mark Chilton eased the visitors to victory with an opening stand of 106. Chilton fell to Danesh Kaneria, who also dismissed Mal Loye, but Sutcliffe reached his second fifty of the match to take Lancashire through to an 8-wicket win.

Lancashire's coach, Mike Watkinson, was understandably elated at the victory and promotion. Speaking to reporters after the game, he said: "Obviously we are all delighted. Our goal at the start of the season was to get into the first division and we have succeeded."

"The lads in this match have done a magnificent job with both bat and ball - particularly Kartik. When we arrived here we had some idea of what sort of surface we would face and we needed someone of his ability, particularly as we were without Gary Keedy."

"He bowled magnificently. He's a lovely lad. He arrived in the dressing room without knowing anyone but now he is bosom buddies with all the players."

"After coming here following the defeat against Northants it was important that we bounced back straight away and I have nothing but praise for the way all the players did their job. It is a magnificent achievement."