KD Smith digs in

When Warwickshire visited Southend in 1980, they had a future chief executive of Warwickshire and a future chief executive of Leicestershire opening the batting with a pair of future Warwickshire cricket committee chairmen going in at three and four.

Essex spinners David Acfield and Ray East inflicted damage with a combined eight for 140 but David Smith stood firm to bat through the innings for 120 out of 230. Smith batted for five and a quarter hours and struck one six. It was the second time he had carried his bat through an innings, having achieved the feat against Sussex at Edgbaston in 1978, and he was to do it again against Middlesex at Lord's in 1981.

That Essex side in 1980 was pretty tasty. Gooch, Denness, McEwan, Fletcher, Hardie, Pont, Phillip, East, Smith, Lever, Acfield.

Rain ended the match before lunch on the final day, allowing Warwickshire to make an early start on the yomp across the country to Cardiff where their game with Glamorgan began next day.