BEDFORDSHIRE V ESSEX
NATIONAL COUNTIES 50-OVER SHOWCASE MATCH
DUNSTABLE TOWN CRICKET CLUB, DUNSTABLE
SUNDAY 30 JULY | 12PM START
For the next month, attention returns to the white-ball game for Essex as the Metro Bank One Day Cup takes centre stage.
The Eagles will kick off the 50-over tournament against Lancashire next week, but before that, they will warm up for the competition with a showcase match against Bedfordshire at Dunstable Town CC on Sunday.
For the hosts, members of the National Counties Cricket Association (NCAA), it will be a third opportunity in the past three years to test themselves against first-class opposition, having faced Northamptonshire in 2021 and 2022.
Essex will be equally keen to use the fixture as preparation ahead of the One Day Cup, which, after the Lancashire clash, takes in games against Nottinghamshire, Hampshire, Middlesex, Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Kent, and Surrey.
Squad
Head Coach Anthony McGrath has named a 12-player squad to travel to Dunstable with youngsters Noah Thain and Mackenzie Jones potentially in line to make their first-team debuts.
Fellow prospect Charlie Allison, who played in the 2022 NCAA showcase match away to Cambridgeshire, is also in contention following the announcement of his rookie contract covering the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, the likes of Nick Browne and Jamie Porter represent the more established senior players within the group.
The Opposition
Bedfordshire squad: George Thurstance (c), Sam Bates, Matt Coles, Jack Fuller, Archie Houghton, Joe Lowe, Alex Evans, Matt Taylor (wk), Harry Gouldstone, Oli Soames, Fayaz Homyoon, Danyaal Khalid.
As members of the NCCA, Bedfordshire have participated in three competitions this summer following the same formats seen in the first-class game.
In the Three-Day Championship, they currently occupy top spot in the Eastern Division Two table after winning their first two games against Cumbria, by seven wickets, and Northumberland, by four wickets.
Following their meeting with the Eagles, they will take on Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire with the aim of maintaining their table-topping position and returning to Division One at the first time of asking.
Meanwhile, they finished third in the five-team Group 4 of the NCCA T20 competition with four wins and four defeats, and fourth in Group 2 of the 50-over NCCA Trophy with their sole victory coming against Devon.
Metro Bank One-Day Cup Fixtures
Last Time We Met
A trip all the way back to 1971 is required to find the last time Essex and Bedfordshire faced each other at the first-team level, in the then-named Gillette Cup.
Subsequently named the NatWest Trophy, the C&G Trophy, and then the Friends Provident Trophy before it was replaced following the 2009 season, the tournament at that time took the format of a knockout competition.
It was in the first round 52 years ago when Bedfordshire visited Chelmsford, and thanks to a Brian Ward century, the hosts ran out winners by 97 runs on that occasion in a 60-overs-per-side match.
An opening stand of 149 between Ward and Bruce Francis, who made 87, teed up the Essex total of 301-9 as Gordon Barker and Keith Fletcher also contributed with scores of 46 and 45, respectively.
In reply, Bedfordshire could muster only 204-8 as, despite 80 from William Bushby and Patrick Briggs’ 69, two wickets for Ray East saw Essex successfully defend their total.
Keith Boyce, Robin Hobbs, John Lever, and David Acfield all chipped in with a scalp apiece as the hosts progressed to the second round, and they would go on to reach the quarter-finals that year before falling to Lancashire.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale for this fixture, priced at £5 for Essex Members and £10 for public, while under 16 will be admitted free of charge.
In addition, tickets are also on sale for Essex’s four home games in this season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, with McGrath’s squad set to welcome Notts Outlaws, Middlesex, Yorkshire Vikings, and Surrey to Chelmsford.
All tickets can be purchased by visiting the link below:
How To Watch
Live updates of the match will be provided on the Essex social channels, alongside a report of the action on the Club website following the conclusion of play.
