The return of cricket for the Second XI is here with the release of the fixtures and opening fixture against Middlesex this week. Essex will be fighting on both fronts for the four day Second XI Championship and Second XI T20 Trophy this season.
Starting the season with trips away to Cobden Hill, Foxgrove Road and the London School of Economics for three four-day games against Middlesex, Kent and Surrey, respectively. The later against Surrey was an immense game for the Essex batsman last year with both openers in Varun Chopra (109) and Will Buttleman (112) scoring hundreds, resulting in an outstanding opening partnership of over 200, this backed up with 50s by Aaron Beard (78), Michael Pepper (77) and Josh Rymell (64) all combined to ending in a devastating victory of an innings and 150 runs for Essex.
After this, Essex move their focus onto the Second XI T20 Cup across May, during which they will play ten games against our five rivals in the Southeast: Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, Kent and Hampshire, who were the recipients of two of Essex’s four wins in the competition last year. This being due to a remarkable hundred by Will Buttleman (102*) off just 64 balls in the home game.
The winners and best second placed side from across the three groups attending a Finals Day at Arundel on 9th June.
The second XI four-day championship then recommences for five games on June 20th with a home tie at Billericay against Sussex, who managed to avoid defeat last year after Essex declared for 477/6, thanks to a double hundred by Varun Chopra (211) backed up by Josh Rymell with 103. This was before Essex managed to enforce the follow-on but narrowly miss out on the win with Sussex managing to bat out the remainder of play.
Following a six week break while both The Hundred and Royal London One-Day Cup are played simultaneously; the Second XI Championship concludes with two games against Warwickshire at the Edgbaston Foundation Sports Ground (5th September) and Middlesex in Billericay (13th September).
