The opening home match of the 2023 season welcomes Lancashire to The Cloud County Ground in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
The match is the first of 7 red-ball home games this season and a bumper crowd is expected as Essex go in search of back-to-back wins.
Gates Opening Times:
Gates open from 10am via the Main Entrance on New Writtle Street or alternatively, the Tees River Gate which is the closest entrance from Chelmsford City Centre and Chelmsford Bus/Train Stations.
Scheduled Hours of Play:
Toss (Day One): 10:30am
Morning Session: 11am-1pm
Afternoon Session: 1:40pm-3:40pm
Evening Session: 4pm-6pm
Scheduled Close of Play: 6pm
Members Entry & Matchday Tickets:
The LV= Insurance County Championship is part of the 2023 Membership and Members are required to scan their card on the gate.
Supporters visiting individual matchdays can purchase tickets in advance to save on the price and speed up your entry into the ground. Reduced priced tickets are available at £14 Adults, £11 Students/Young Adults (18-25) and £5 Juniors (U18s).
These can be purchased online via the following link or alternatively by phone (01245 254010) in person at The Cloud County Ground.
Tickets will also be available on the gates from 10am each day and this is strictly card sales only.
Matchday Purchases:
The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, which includes purchasing tickets on the gates, scorecards on the gates, and on food and drink purchases in the Doug Insole Pavilion and concourse areas. Find out more – here
Please note that the Essex Cricket Store is the only location on-site which accepts cash payments.
Scorecards will be available using contactless payment on the entry gates priced at £1, however cash sales will be accepted in the Essex Cricket Store if required.
Accessibility:
Accessible parking:
Spaces are located at The Cloud County Ground and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Accessible Seating:
Accessible seating can be found in the Hayes Close End of the ground with a wheelchair-accessible platform located in Block One of the Tom Pearce Stand.
Carers can enter the ground on a companion ticket which is free of charge. This is upon the presentation in the Membership & Ticketing Office or on the gate with proof of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people under 16 years old.
We can also accept a Blue Badge and Access card.
Accessible Toilets:
Wheelchair-accessible toilets are located behind the main scorecard (Red Area), rear of the Doug Insole Pavilion (Blue Area) and adjacent to Block 25 at County Corner (Green Area).
Ahead of Your Visit:
In the event of adverse weather conditions on the day of the match, please keep up to date with the prospects of play via the Club’s Twitter and Facebook channels.
Travel:
Parking:
• Spectators travelling by car will need to locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloud County Ground.
• The High Chelmer multi-storey will be open across all four days and closes at 7pm on Saturday and Sunday.
• Meteor Way will be open for Members and opens before the start of play at 8am on a first-come, first-served basis.
Public Transport:
• Chelmsford Bus Station is situated on Duke Street, next to Chelmsford Train Station, with connections to all over the County. Alternatively, bus numbers 13, 46 and C1 shuttles, stop on New London Road, which is approximately a two-minute walk to the Ground, via New Writtle Street.
• Chelmsford Railway Station is operated by Greater Anglia and is an approximate 10-minute walk from The Cloud County Ground. Regular direct train services depart from Chelmsford to London, Stratford, Shenfield, Romford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich. Chelmsford is situated on the Liverpool Street to Norwich mainline.
Ground Entry:
Spectators are able to enter the ground via the Main Gate located on New Writtle Street or through the Tees River Gate.
Members:
• The Doug Insole Pavilion is open for Members upon the presentation of a valid Membership card and accessible by entering the ground through the Main Gate.
• Members are not required to pre-book a match ticket and can enter by scanning their Membership card on the gate. If you require a replacement card, please get in contact with the Membership & Ticketing Office before the fixture to arrange a replacement or this may cause delays on entry for you and other spectators.
• Entry to this fixture are included in 2023 Membership and encourage Members to arrive in plenty of time to secure your seat. All seating for Championship games is Unallocated and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The Members’ seated areas are located in the Doug Insole Pavilion Benches, Tom Pearce Stand, and Areas 1-14 in the River End of the ground. Members are also welcome to sit in Block 30 & 31, which is accessible via the Hayes Close Gate.
General Public Seating:
• Supporters who have purchased tickets can enter the ground by scanning the QR on your tickets that has been sent to you via email following your purchase. If you choose to print out your ticket, please ensure that the match details (including name and seat details) are included as per the image below. Make sure you have your match ticket available on your phone or printed out so it is easily accessible for ticket scanning on arrival. Please do not take a ‘screen grab’ of your QR code as that will not be read by the scanners.
• Ticket holders for this game are welcome to sit in the Unallocated Areas numbered 15-26, which includes covered seating in Areas 22-24.
• In the event of rain forecast on the day of the match, spectators can bring a small umbrella into the ground but metal spiked umbrellas are not permitted.
Around the Ground:
• Spectators are welcome to enter the pitch during the lunch & tea breaks when instructed over PA or by a member of the Club’s stewarding team. Please follow the guidance to the specific areas permitted to enter and please respect the playing surface. We encourage spectators to play on the outfield but please use softballs.
• Spectators are permitted to move behind the Doug Insole Pavilion but please respect the players’ area and walkway.
• The Club have installed a new faith and reflection room. This is available to spectators throughout the duration of the match and is located within the Allen Ford Graham Gooch Cricket Centre.
• The Club Store and Membership & Ticketing Office will be open for spectators for the duration of your visit.
• The Peter Edwards Museum & Library is located on-site adjacent to the Essex Cricket Store and will be open for the duration of the game.
• If you experience any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour during your visit to The Cloud County Ground then, please contact your nearest steward. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or text ‘CROWD’ including your stand and issue to 60066.
Food & Drink:
• The Doug Insole Pavilion will be serving a wide range of hot and cold drinks from the bar. A choice of snacks will also be available to purchase.
• Anne’s Pantry will be offering a choice of home-cooked meals, cakes/snacks, and drinks from their refreshment kiosks located in the Hayes Close End and River End.
They will be serving a range of meals suitable for all dietary requirements including vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free, as well as children’s portions.
• Other refreshment kiosks include bar areas located at either end of the ground in County Corner and Spinners Bar.
• Spectators can bring food and drink into the ground for this fixture. A limit of four cans of beer/lager or one bottle of wine per person but there’s strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted into the ground.
• Please note that The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit.
Leaving the Ground:
At the conclusion of the day’s play, we ask spectators to leave the ground in a safe and patient manner. Stewards will be on hand to help direct you safely out of the ground.
We hope you have an enjoyable visit to The Cloud County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be available on essexcricket.org.uk ahead of the match.
Get in touch with us by email if you have any further questions at [email protected] or via the Club’s official Twitter and Facebook channels.
Watch The Action On the Move
Our Live Stream will be available for spectators with multi-angled ball tracking, replays and commentary over the three days. Head to the Essex Cricket Matchzone to watch the action live ahead of the toss on Day One, plus view an interactive scorecard, stats and individual match clips.
