Essex v Surrey
Rothesay County Championship
Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford
Friday 04- Monday 07 April | 11am start
After a sixth month hiatus, the Rothesay County Championship finally returns tomorrow as Essex host reigning champions Surrey at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
The off-season saw the return of Chris Silverwood, who took over as Director of Cricket from Anthony McGrath. Silverwood will be hoping for the same success he enjoyed in his last season at the Club when Essex lifted the Division One title in 2017.
With a renewed sense of anticipation for the upcoming season, Silverwood’s team will be determined to secure a statement victory against reigning champions, Surrey and set the tone for the season to come.
Squad
Chris Silverwood has named a 12-man squad for the first game of the season at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, with new rookie-contract signing Mackenzie Jones included.
Dean Elgar has been given an extended period of time with his family since the birth of his twin children. An update on his return will be confirmed and shared at the earliest.
The Start: Interview with Chris Silverwood
The Opposition
Surrey finished last season with a rain-affected draw against Essex, which saw them lift the Division One trophy at Chelmsford. Their 2024 title secured back-to-back-to-back championships, and they will be aiming to make it four titles in a row.
Under the leadership of Head Coach Gareth Batty and captain Rory Burns, the Brown Caps boast a host of England international stars, as well as former Eagle Daniel Lawrence. Surrey have reinforced their squad with New Zealand all-rounder Nathan Smith while also retaining West Indian pace bowler Kemar Roach as their overseas options.
Surrey squad: Rory Burns (c), Jordan Clark, Matt Fisher, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Ryan Patel, Ollie Pope, Kemar Roach, Dom Sibley, Jamie Smith, James Taylor, Dan Worrall, Yousef Majid.
Last Time We Met
As mentioned briefly above, the last time we faced Surrey was in the final game of the 2024 season, also at Chelmsford. Unfortunately, though not unsurprisingly given the time of the year, the match was heavily affected by rain on Day One, with an early close to the day and a completely washed-out Day Two.
As a result, the match effectively turned into a two-day shootout, with Essex at 116/1 after 28 overs going into Day Three.
When Day Three arrived, the September skies cleared, offering a stark contrast to the first two days. The sun was shining, but ultimately, there was little time left for a result to materialise.
At 4:10pm, both sides shook hands, and Surrey’s title ceremony soon followed.
Division One Previews
Click here for Part One of a team-by-team preview of each of this year’s Division One contenders, and click here for Part Two.
How To Watch
If you are unable to attend any of the match days, the game will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone, through the YouTube livestream.
Daily highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website and social media. Live updates will also be provided through the Club’s various social platforms and channels.
Tickets
Members of both counties are free to sit in any available and vacant seat, though the Doug Insole Pavilion benches and blocks 1-14 and 27-31 are reserved specifically for member’s use only.
Should you want have access to Member’s areas during a matchday, we have the ‘Adult Member Area Upgrade’ available at an extra cost to general admission.
Meanwhile, general admission tickets are priced at £16.00 for adults, while young adults aged between 18 and 25 can buy at any time for £12.00 and under-18 tickets cost just £6.00.
Please note that individual adult tickets will rise in price to £20.00 if bought on the day.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 01245 254010.
