The One-Day Cup started on August 1 with five simultaneous games in the opening round of fixtures. Lancashire took on Essex in one of these at the Sedbergh School Ground, which was eventually washed out due to rain.

The match was reduced to a 36-over context as Essex won the toss and elected to field first. Except Keaton Jennings (19), each of the eight Lancashire batters who batted scored 20 or more.

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Dane Vilas top-scored with a 44-ball 65 to propel Lancashire to 270-7 in 36 overs. In response, Essex were 23-2 off six overs when the match was called off due to rain. While the action on the field was of high quality, it was a period of off-field activity that stole the limelight.

After a wide on the first ball of the fourth over during the Lancashire innings, Jennings struck Essex bowler Aaron Beard for three consecutive boundaries. The last of these resulted in the ball getting lost in the dense undergrowth beyond the boundary lines.

What followed was a desperate search operation by the players and the ground staff, which lasted more than a minute before they eventually found the ball. The hilarious clip of the players and staff frantically searching for the ball went viral on social media, generating laughs all around.

Lancashire’s next match is on August 3 against Yorkshire, while Essex face Nottinghamshire on the same day.

Watch County cricketers and staff search desperately for ball in undergrowth beyond the boundary:

Ahahahahaha this is county cricket livestream heritage pic.twitter.com/ybSrGRjXZo

— Sam (@SamY4t35) August 1, 2023