Essex v Middlesex | Surrey v Essex
Vitality Blast
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford | Kia Oval, London
Friday 30 June, 7:00pm | Sunday 02 July, 2:30pm
Essex go into a final pair of Vitality Blast group fixtures that sees the Eagles host Middlesex on Friday night before heading to the Oval to face Surrey on Sunday afternoon.
Simon Harmer’s side are engaged in a tense battle for a top-four place, currently sitting fifth but level on 14 points with Hampshire and Kent directly above them, while Surrey are only two points ahead in second.
While the Brown Caps are also firmly in the hunt for short-format success, their London neighbours have endured a very different Blast campaign, having lost all but one of their games to occupy the basement position.
The home match in Chelmsford on Friday night is within 20 tickets of selling out completely, so with a quarter-final spot still very much up for grabs, snap up your chance to see the Eagles’ final home group match now.
Squad v Middlesex
The Opposition: Middlesex
Stephen Eskinazi (c), Martin Andersson, Ethan Bamber, Joe Cracknell, Jack Davies, Josh De Caires, Nathan Fernandes, Ryan Higgins, Max Holden, Luke Hollman, Toby Roland-Jones, John Simpson, Thilan Walallawita.
Captain: Stephen Eskinazi
Overseas players: Pieter Malan (South Africa)
Finals Day appearances: 1 (2008)
Titles: 1 (2008)
2022 finish: 8th in South Group
2023 leading run-scorer: Stephen Eskinazi (415)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Martin Andersson & Tom Helm (both 10)
Last Time Out:
The Eagles will be looking to do the double over Middlesex after seeing them off by 22 runs in a rain affected clash at Lord’s just under a fortnight ago.
After being put in, Essex posted a mammoth 237/6, driven by a trio of half-centuries from Daniel Sams, Michael Pepper, and Dan Lawrence, before the hosts had reached 116/2 in the 13th over when the rain arrived.
With no further play possible, the result was called the way of the Eagles, with Middlesex comfortably behind the Duckworth-Lewis par score.
It was a comfortable win in the last clash at Chelmsford as well, when Feroze Khushi and Paul Walter struck fifties to see Essex post 186/6 before three wickets each for Sam Cook and Matt Critchley sealed a 61-run win.
Squad v Surrey
The Opposition: Surrey
Captain: Chris Jordan
Overseas players: Sean Abbott (Australia), Sunil Narine (West Indies)
Finals Day appearances: 7 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2020)
Titles: 1 (2003)
2022 finish: Quarter-finals
2023 leading run-scorer: Laurie Evans (481)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Sunil Narine (16)
Last Time Out:
Surrey fell to Essex by 43 runs the last time the sides met, at Chelmsford a year ago, when the Eagles successfully defended a total of 198/7.
That had been underpinned by 49 from Paul Walter and Michael Pepper’s 48, but in reply, the Brown Caps could only muster 155/9, as Aaron Beard claimed 4-29 to secure a comfortable home victory.
The last time the two clashed at the Oval was a further year back, but that match also ended in an Essex victory as Sam Cook ripped through Surrey with 4-15 to dismiss them for 118.
Will Buttleman then hit an unbeaten 56 to lead the way in a chase that saw Essex overhaul their modest target with eight wickets in hand.
South Group Table
Rainbow Laces 2023
The Surrey fixture will mark the annual Pride celebration in cricket, where the players of both teams will don rainbow laces and the stumps will be adorned with rainbow colours.
It is the sixth occasion that the celebration has taken place in cricket, and is the second time since Pride in Cricket, a nationwide LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, was created.
The ECB and all counties remain committed to the aim of making cricket the most inclusive sport in the country, through the overall platform of Raising The Game.
Tickets
A small handful of tickets, at opposite ends of The Cloud County Ground, remain for Friday’s clash in one block of the Greene King IPA Stand and in the unallocated Hayes Close Area.
Don’t miss out on your chance to see the Eagles’ final home group match in person, with plenty still on the line for Simon Harmer’s side!
How to watch
Watch the action on Friday night on Essex Cricket TV’s YouTube channel, where the coverage will be led by Simon Ward. Sunday’s clash will be streamed by Surrey, but both games will be available in the Essex Cricket Matchzone.
Clips, statistics and an interactive scorecard will also be available, alongside full match coverage on the Club’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.
