Jordan Cox’s sensational double hundred at the home of his old employers Kent saw him crowned Player of the Match for the second week in a row.
Cox’s stunning innings of 207 from 255 balls, that contained 21 fours and five sixes, led Essex to a crushing victory by an innings and 96 runs over their arch-rivals in Canterbury.
His performance saw him take 70.1% of votes in a poll on Essex Cricket’s X page, with Matt Critchley finishing in second with 14.1%, and Shane Snater and Simon Harmer taking 11.2% and 4.6%, respectively.
Having hit his first century in 178 balls and 226 minutes, Cox accelerated through the gears to post his next 100 runs off just 68 deliveries in less than an hour and a half.
His knock, the second double-century of his career, underpinned a mammoth first-innings Eagles total of 591-7 declared.
Essex then produced an outstanding effort over the course of the following two-and-a-half days to bowl the hosts out twice.
Kent were first made to follow on as they were dismissed in their first innings for 394, still almost 200 in arrears, before then capitulating to 101 all out on the last day.
With Surrey falling to a big defeat at the hands of Hampshire, the 21 points garnered from this contest sees the Vitality County Championship title race on a knife-edge.
Following the conclusion of the first block of seven red-ball fixtures, Essex sit just two points behind the champions, with a mouthwatering clash between the two at the Kia Oval set for the end of June.
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex return to shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.
Demand remains exceptionally high, and there are now only 15% of tickets remaining across all seven home fixtures, with two already sold out.
With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.
Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
