Jefferson's early taste of summer

Cambridge UCCE v Esse

The first-class cricket season gently slipped into the consciousness yesterday and was immeasurably more enjoyable for being played in pleasant sunshine. That, however, was the only difference to recent years, as the students chased leather and the professionals tinkered and fine-tuned their games in preparation for the serious stuff next week.

In truth these games are first-class in name only. The batters take advantage of a benign pitch and toothless bowling attack for an extended net session and the confidence boost of runs and the students benefit from the experience and kudos. Yet, they do become a bit of a shambles when the spirit of the game is abused, however inadvertently.

Will Jefferson, Essex's young 6ft 10in opener, was dropped on nought in the fourth over and retired hurt at lunch for 125. If the catch had been held it would have been a greatly disappointing innings but a proper one with both an end and a beginning. This is not to detract from the quality of his innings or his strokeplay, which were excellent, but having caressed, bludgeoned and worked the hapless bowlers for a run–a-ball century before lunch, he could have smacked one up in the air to be dismissed if his management wanted others to get to the crease. Of course he could have been given dismissed, retired out, but the umpires declined that option, leaving the crowd to guess how injured or ill he was. His subsequent hour-long stroll in shorts around the ground and general carousing with friends suggested not very.

Jefferson is a fine player, though, and particularly strong straight down the ground and off his hips through midwicket, areas where the very best excel, so this season, his first full one after leaving Durham University last June, could mark him out. Equally impressive is his athleticism. Some exceedingly tall men are ungainly, almost puppet-like in their actions, but Jefferson is not and scampers between the wickets willingly.

His partner, Darren Robinson, was less robust in style until Simon Marshall bowled leg-spin without a deep mid-wicket. Squat and powerful at the crease, Robinson sat low and slog-swept to accelerate his scoring.

The best of the rest of the batting, though, came from Andy Flower. Hugely popular and influential in the dressing room, he is the pivot of Essex's batting and with Aftab Habib, Ronnie Irani and the improving James Foster to follow, should ensure that the Second Division champions have enough runs in the top flight this summer. His unfussy style belies the beauty of some of his shots and even when the bowler is accurate, he manages to work the ball into gaps.

The Cambridge bowlers tried gallantly throughout the day. Despite conceding 400 runs by tea, they never visibly wilted, even when the run scoring was more onslaught than accumulative, and the fielding saved a few more as well. Both Paul Grayson and Aftab Habib went to relatively simple chances to backward point, but Flower was brilliantly held one-handed by Duncan Heath running backwards.

Still, apart from the sunshine it was the usual opening day story, runs aplenty and energetic students. An appetiser to the main course of the next four months.