Essex v Hampshire Hawks | Kent Spitfires v Essex
Vitality Blast
Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford | The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury
Thursday 17 July, 7pm | Friday 18 July, 6:30pm
Essex Men finish their 2025 Vitality Blast campaign this week with a home tie against Hampshire Hawks and a Friday night clash with Kent Spitfires.
Chris Silverwood’s squad will be looking to give the fans back-to-back Blast wins on Thursday when they welcome Hampshire Hawks to the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, following a brilliant 6 wicket victory against Sussex Sharks on Sunday.
Michael Pepper’s pyrotechnical 87 off 47 balls led Essex to their first home Men’s Vitality Blast victory in exactly a year as Sussex Sharks’ quarter-final hopes to a new battering.
The Eagles hadn’t won at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground in a T20 since downing Kent Spitfires on July 11 2024, after a dismal beginning to this season.
Mohammad Amir’s three tight for 16, backed by two-fours for Simon Harmer, Sam Cook, and Shane Snater rolled the visitors for 145 – with a lively 52 from John Simpson the only bright spark for the Sharks.
Essex would have almost certainly won the reverse fixture had rain not intervened, and Pepper’s season-best made sure they weren’t thwarted again to give them just their second win in the competition.
Sussex have lost three of their last four Blast matches to slip into mid-table, with Sunday’s clash with Hampshire Hawks crucial to their hopes of a quarter-final spot.
Catching up with Sam Cook
Squad
Chris Silverwood has named a 14-player squad for the visit of Hampshire at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground. A new squad will be published ahead of the away trip to Canterbury on Friday.
Sam Cook is being rested after a busy period with the England Men’s Test squad.
Dean Elgar is being rested and rotated at this stage of the Vitality Blast competition to manage his workload ahead of the two upcoming Rothesay County Championship matches at the back end of this month.
The Opposition: Hampshire Hawks
Captain: James Vince
Overseas Players: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (South Africa, 10 matches from June 13), Dewald Brevis (South Africa, full competition)
Finals Day Appearances: Ten (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Titles: Three (2010, 2012, 2022)
2024 Finish: Seventh (South Group)
2024 Leading Run-Scorer: Joe Weatherley (324)
2024 Leading Wicket-Taker: John Turner (15)
Hampshire squad: To be confirmed…
Last Time We Met: Hampshire Hawks
Dewald Brevis introduced himself to Hampshire Hawks fans with a dazzling 68 as Hawks pumped up their highest-ever score at Utilita Bowl to beat Essex by 106 runs.
South African Brevis hammered his 68 in 32 balls to go along with James Vince’s returning 62 off 31 and Toby Albert’s 54 off 34 – as Hampshire posted 230.
Michael Pepper’s 51 was the high point of Essex’s innings as they fell very runs short, with Liam Dawson picking up four for 26, and Scott Currie three for 20 – Hampshire recording the largest T20 win on the ground.
The 8,139 fans was the highest for an opening day of the Vitality Blast at the Bowl since 2017, and were treated to 759 runs across a sun-kissed double header on a stunning batting track.
The Opposition: Kent
Captain: Sam Billings
Overseas Players: Wes Agar (Australia, all group matches) Tom Rogers (Australia, all group matches)
Finals Day Appearances: Four (2007, 2008, 2009, 2021)
Titles: Two (2007, 2021)
2024 Finish: Ninth (South Group)
2024 Leading Run-Scorer: Sam Billings (411)
2024 Leading Wicket-Taker: Matt Parkinson (16)
Kent squad: To be confirmed…
Last Time We Met: Kent
Tawanda Muyeye cemented himself as the leading run scorer in the Men’s Vitality Blast 2025 with a jaw-dropping maiden T20 century – as Kent Spitfires tore rivals Essex apart.
Muyeye became Kent’s eighth T20 hundred-maker, with the club’s joint-most sixes in an innings as he hoisted his bat on a stunning 100.
He and opening partner Daniel Bell-Drummond are the only two players to reach three figures in this year’s competition, with Muyeye’s 362 runs leading the charts.
Matt Parkinson’s first T20 five-wicket haul pulled the rug out under Essex doomed chase of 214 as they were bowled out for 172, despite Dean Elgar’s patient 50 and Simon Harmer’s late pyrotechnic 55.
South Group Preview
Click here for Part 1 of the team-by-team preview of each of this year’s South Group contenders.
Click here for Part 2 of the team-by-team preview of each of this year’s South Group contenders.
How To Watch
If you are not accompanying the Eagles at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground on Thursday, or at Canterbury for the clash against Kent Spitfires on Sunday, both matches will be live-streamed on the hosts’ YouTube channel and will be available to watch through the Essex Cricket Matchzone.
A report will be published on the Club website at the conclusion of the game, while live updates and highlights will be provided on the Essex Cricket social media channels.
Purchase your England v India tickets!
The England Men under 19s are playing in a four day Test match at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground this summer!
They will face India Men under 19s, including 14-year old IPL superstar Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest player bought in an IPL auction after being selected by Rajasthan Royals. He is also the youngest player to score a century in IPL history!
Day one will begin on July 20 with the final day concluding on July 23.
Tickets are still available via our Ticket Site, so have a browse and get yourself down to CM2 to watch the next generation of international cricketers.
