LANCASHIRE were facing a daunting task to avoid the follow-on at Chelmsford today after Graham Gooch and Stuart Law led an Essex run-feast.

Essex resumed on 448-6 looking to make Lancashire suffer even more in the punishing heat before letting their batsmen loose on a bowler's graveyard of a pitch.

Gooch did the early damage yesterday, hammering 92 before lunch and reaching his century in the first over after the break with consecutive fours off Glen Chapple.

But if anything Law was even more impressive. The Australian World Cup star, a former professional at Milnrow, hit 144 off 164 balls to take his tally of first class runs for Essex to 745 in 10 innings.

With former Yorkshire off-spinner Paul Grayson playing the anchor role to reach the second century of his career, Essex reached 383 for two against some wayward Lancashire bowling.

But Gary Keedy led a fightback in the evening session to earn two for 75 off 34 overs and Ian Austin also came back well after some fierce early stick from Gooch. But perhaps the luckiest Lancashire bowler was Peter Martin, who escaped the carnage when he was left out of the side and told to go home and take a break in Manchester.

Lancashire have sold all their reserved seats for the Benson and Hedges Cup semi with Yorkshire at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Unreserved seats are still available and the club's ticket office will be open tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday.

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