With 37% of the vote, Paul Walter is your DeVines Player of the Month for July. He had a fantastic month, playing an integral role in the Vitality Blast T20 campaign, taking 3 wickets in the final against Somerset. He also played a key role on Day Four as Essex faced Lancashire in Blackpool, taking 5 wickets in 13 overs.
July saw the Eagles secure a place in the quarter-finals after a nail-biting performance against Surrey at the start of July concluded the group stage of the T20 campaign. Essex faced Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston in a match that came down to the wire with Essex requiring 3 from 2 balls. Shane Snater socked the first ball for a straight six, soaring the Eagles to Finals Day on Saturday 15 July. After a successful win against Hampshire Hawks to start off the day, Essex went head-to-head with Somerset in an epic battle that unfortunately did not end as the Eagles hoped with Somerset winning by 14 runs.
After our Finals Day journey came to an end, the team’s focus returned to red-ball cricket as Essex faced Kent on their home turf here at The Cloud County Ground.
Simon Harmer
The T20 captain, Simon Harmer, started the month by guiding the Eagle’s to their second Vitality Blast Final, hitting the final ball of the Semi-Final into the stands for six before falling just short in the Final.
He followed this up in the County Championship against Kent starring with both bat and ball scoring 83* (91) as well as bowling an incredible 65 overs against Kent, rewarded with figures of 5-145.
Bowling Figures:
121.3 Overs, 36 Maidens, 12 Wicket @ 27.5
Batting Figures:
8 Innings, 164 Runs @ 32.8
Dan Lawrence
Dan Lawrence shone towards the back end of the Vitality Blast at the start of July. This included two marquee innings in the final Group Stage game against Surrey and in the Quarter-Final against Warwickshire, sharing a record second-wicket partnership in the former with Michael Pepper on his way to a half-century.
The Englishmen also brought up three-figures for the third time this season against Lancashire as he hit 135 (125) in an important second innings to set up the win at Blackpool.
Bowling Figures:
7 Overs, 2 Maidens, 1 Wicket @ 33
Batting Figures:
8 Innings, 323 Runs @ 40.4
Jamie Porter
Jamie Porter has been in fine form since the continuation of the County Championship after the Vitality Blast. The main highlight being a pair of 5-wicket hauls in both innings of the win at The Ageas Bowl.
Porter passed 10 wickets in the match for the third in his career and the first time since facing Worcestershire at The Cloud County Ground in 2018.
Bowling Figures:
81 Overs, 18 Maidens, 15 Wickets @ 16.4
Paul Walter
The allrounder started the month playing a vital role in the T20 campaign, where he would take a wicket in every match, including 3 in the Final, as well as providing valuable runs in the low-scoring Final.
At Blackpool, with Essex batting first, Paul Walter formed a match defining partnership of 155 with Dan Lawrence, scoring 76 (119) of them. The left-armer also played a decisive enforcer role with the ball taking 5 wickets in his 13 overs as Essex won late on Day 4.
Bowling Figures:
40.1 Overs, 4 Maidens, 14 Wickets @ 11.8
Batting Figures:
10 Innings, 236 Runs @ 26.2
