Essex v Middlesex
LV= Insurance County Championship
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Monday 4 – Thursday 7 September | 10:30am start
Essex return to the red-ball arena for perhaps their most crucial three-game run in several seasons as they bid to chase down current leaders, and defending champions, Surrey.
The Brown Caps are currently 17 points ahead at the top of the tree, though with both sides still having up to 72 to play for, the race is set to go right down to the wire.
The Eagles’ first assignment of the blockbuster season finale is a home tie against relegation-threatened Middlesex, who are just three points above the drop zone, in Chelmsford.
Squad:
Essex have named a 14-player squad for the visit of the Seaxes, with four changes to the group that faced Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl in the Eagles’ last red-ball outing.
Dan Lawrence and new overseas signing Umesh Yadav come in, alongside Feroze Khushi – who has recovered from an injury sustained in early July – and Aaron Beard.
Meanwhile, the trio of New Zealander Doug Bracewell – whose stint with the Club has ended – Robin Das, and Shane Snater drop out.
The Opposition:
Middlesex squad: Toby Roland-Jones (c), Ethan Bamber, Joe Cracknell, Jack Davies, Josh de Caires, Stephen Eskinazi, Tom Helm, Ryan Higgins, Max Holden, Luke Hollman, Sam Robson, John Simpson, Mark Stoneman, Jayant Yadav.
Promoted from Division Two as runners-up to Nottinghamshire last season, Middlesex remain in danger of an immediate return, in seventh and just three points ahead of Kent.
Their potential trump card to play is that they have a game in hand over the the Spitfires and will play four times in September, meaning that their fate does still lie in their own hands.
However, with just three wins and six defeats from their ten matches so far, they will have to hope the final month of the season brings about a change in their fortunes if they are to avoid the drop.
Elsewhere, the Seaxes had a tough Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign, finishing seventh in Group A with five points, but their Vitality Blast tournament was even more forgettable, as they occupied the basement position in the South Group with only three wins from their 14 games.
Division One Standings:
Last Time We Met:
The first game of this season back in April saw Essex make the short trip to Lord’s, where they kicked their season off in fine style with a 97-run win.
Dan Lawrence made light of the early-season conditions to hit 105 in the Eagles’ first innings as Matt Critchley also chipped in with 55, before Jamie Porter returned 6/35, his best figures in five years, to skittle the hosts.
Possessing a lead of 96, Essex then put themselves virtually out of sight thanks to a further 53 from Critchley, and once Porter and Sam Cook had shared six wickets between them, a season-opening victory was in the bag.
How To Watch:
If you are unable to make it to The Cloud County Ground in person, the game will be streamed live on the Essex Cricket TV YouTube channel and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.
Daily highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website, while live updates will be provided on the Club’s social media channels.
Tickets:
As ever, Essex Members can enter any and all days of this fixture by showing their valid card at the gate, and are then free to sit in any vacant available seat in the ground, though the Doug Insole Pavilion benches and blocks 1-14 and 27-31 are reserved specifically for Members.
General admission seats are located in blocks 15 to 26 and are unreserved, with the Family Area able to be found in block 23, which is part of the Felsted School Stand.
These tickets are priced at £14 for adults if bought in advance or £17 at the gate on the day, while young adults aged between 18 and 25 can buy at any time for £11 and under-18 tickets cost just £5.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting the link below:
