With the Specsavers County Champions match against Yorkshire due to start tomorrow morning, get all your matchday information below to make your day as enjoyable as possible!
Dates of match and hours of play
The Championship match against the White Rose will begin on Friday 4 May, and is scheduled to finish on Monday 7 May, should play go for the full four days.
Play is due to commence at 11am every day, with gates opening at 10am.
Tickets
Tickets will be available to purchase on each day of the match. On the day these can now only be purchased at either at the Hayes Close End via the main driveway, or at the River Gate.
Adults can gain entry to Championship games for £13 if purchased in advance of the matchday by purchasing online, in person or by phone – 01245 254010. Alternatively, tickets can be bought from the Ticket Huts on the gates for £15 or just £10 after Lunch.
Student/Young Adult tickets can be purchased for £10, while Juniors can gain entry to The Cloudfm County Ground for £5 (£3 after Lunch).
Ticket holders have access to sit in Blocks 15-26 with their Unallocated ticket.
Memberships
Memberships can be renewed or purchased at the Membership & Ticketing Office on any day of the Yorkshire game, but we are encouraging people to purchase them in advance as there will be high demand on matchdays.
Join the County Champions for a season of high-quality cricket, with Memberships available from £63 for Students/Young Adults, £142 for Senior Citizens, and £179 for Adults.
If you wish to purchase a Membership in advance of Friday, please call the Membership & Ticketing Office on 01245 254010 or visit here.
Supporters who have not renewed by the matchday will need to attend the Membership & Ticketing Office. There will be no access without a ticket or valid Membership card at the River Gate. This also applies to Premier Members who have not yet renewed and they will not be admitted to the Scrutton Bland Premier Suite until a Membership fee is paid.
Members can sit in the Members areas of the ground which are located in Blocks 1-14 and 27-31, which includes the Doug Insole Pavilion and benches. Please note that half of the Foundation Stand will be open for this fixture.
Access System
A new Access Control system has been introduced for the 2018 season to help improve matchday experience for all spectators.
We are pleased to announce a new gate layout will be in place for the Yorkshire County Championship game. Using data from the first home game of the season alongside Member and ticket holder feedback the new layout will see entry points relocated on to the driveway opposite the Killick Gate meaning there will be no need to scan in/out when moving around the ground.
The River Gate will see an additional scanning point for entry and an additional two for exit during the busy lunch break. An additional entry point for those using the onsite Car Park (including blue badge holders and Premier Members) will be situated next to the Essex Cricket Store.
The Club have worked hard to overcome numerous obstacles to make this change possible and we hope that it helps to improve the spectator experience at the ground.
Scorecards
Scorecards will once again be available to purchase on all four days of the Yorkshire game. These will be priced at £1 each for the 2018 season, and will give people the opportunity to keep track of all the matches key moments.
Food and Drink
There have been a number of changes to the Food and Drink selection at The Cloudfm County Ground, with a range of new options introduced to refresh and renew our catering offering.
Hot food will still be served in the Doug Insole Pavilion, with Bangers and Mash available on Friday, a Roast Dinner available on Saturday and Sunday, and an all-day breakfast on offer on Monday.
There is also a new Members’ Restaurant offering for our Yorkshire clash with the opportunity to enjoy the relaxed Woodland Group Premier Marquee matchday experience.
Take advantage of Lunch and Pint (or any drink of your choice) for just £10 on each of the first three days available on a first come first served basis. A choice of meals will be available each day, such as Cumberland Sausage & Mash, Jacket Potato with your choice of filling and sandwiches being just a few dishes on offer.
Full details on this offer can be found >>> HERE.
Spinners Bar will now just be serving drinks and snacks for all matches across the course of the season, while Anne’s Pantry will be available near Spinners Bar and in County Corner. Anne’s Pantry will be offering a selection of burgers, an array of street food, cakes, and hot and cold drinks. Feedback on the offering during the 2017 was excellent, and will now be available across the ground for all Essex fixtures.
There are also vegan and vegetarian options available for all matchdays, as well as children portions.
An extra bar has also been installed for ease, which will be situated in the County Corner section of The Cloudfm County Ground.
Essex Cricket Store
An array of items are available for purchase in the Essex Cricket Store, with a Champions range introduced for supporters after last year’s success.
Three new kits were also released for the 2018 season, with new County Championship, Vitality Blast and One-Day Cup shirts available to purchase.
The 2018 Yearbook is also now available, priced at £3 for Members and £13 for non-Members, and reflects on a truly memorable 2017 campaign.
There also copies of the highly acclaimed ’25 Years On’ Commemorative Book available still, providing a pictorial journey for fans to reflect on a first County Championship title for a quarter of a century.
The Essex Cricket Store will be open on all four days of the Yorkshire match, and make sure you get all the latest merchandise before it goes!
Parking
Parking is extremely limited at The Cloudfm County Ground on matchdays, with Members encouraged to park at our Meteor Way Car Park for just £1.
There are also a number of Public Car Parks in the vicinity of the ground, with High Chelmer multi-storey Car Park just a 5-minute walk to the Ground. Moulsham Street (George Street) Car Park can be accessed via New London Road and again, is a 5 minute walk via New Writtle Street. The postcode for this car park is CM2 0LG.
Wheelchair accessible car park spaces are available at The Cloudfm County Ground on a first come, first served basis.
