Foster heroics save Essex

James Foster shepherded Essex through to a draw with Leicestershire

Last-wicket pair James Foster and Danish Kaneria survived the final 21 deliveries to earn Essex and unexpected draw against Leicestershire in their LV County Championship Division Two clash at Chelmsford.

They saw their side to the safety of 320 for nine to deny the visitors a victory that had looked an odds-on certainty for most of the day.

Foster, displaying superb fighting qualities and concentration, was the real Essex hero.
He resisted for just over four hours while gathering an unbeaten 88 after arriving to do battle following the fall of the fourth wicket just before lunch.

When Essex, who had been left a target off 445, lost their seventh wicket with the total on 222, a further 50 overs still remained.

But Foster was to find a resolute partner in David Masters. They defied all attempts to remove them for nearly two hours while putting together a half-century partnership.

Master's share was just five compiled from 87 deliveries and when he finally became fell lbw to Garnett Kruger, Foster was to find another obdurate partner in Tony Palladino.

He joined the action with 18 overs remaining and presented a broad defensive bat while gathering just two singles from 53 balls before becoming another scalp of Claude Henderson.

But Foster and Kaneria were to survive the final tense moments as both counties claimed seven points each from their labours.

Foster, who had gone into the game with only 46 runs from his four previous Championship innings this season, scored his runs from 212 deliveries and struck 14 boundaries.

Essex had started on 69 for one and needing to score their highest fourth innings total to pull off a famous victory.

But it was not long before avoiding defeat became the summit of their ambition. Left-arm spinner Henderson saw to that by capturing three for 27 in a nine-over spell before lunch.

Jason Gallian and Mark Pettini both prodded into the hands of HD Ackerman in the slips, while Ravi Bopara, when seeming set for his third championship century of the campaign, departed for 87.

Bopara, whose inning 10 fours and a six, was caught behind cutting at Henderson, who finished with four for 68, led to the arrival of Foster to produce his heroics.

Ryan ten Doeschate (21), James Middlebrook (21) and Alex Tudor (11) all departed within 14 overs to leave Leicestershire poised for victory - but Foster and the tail-enders had other ideas.