Essex Men v Derbyshire Men
Metro Bank One Day Cup
The Central Co-op County Ground, Derby
Tuesday 26 August, 11am start
Essex Men could secure a quarter-final place in this year’s Metro Bank One Day Cup as the group stage concludes on Tuesday with an away trip to The Central Co-op County Ground to face Derbyshire Men.
A place in the knockout stages is still up for grabs, with a potential away quarter-final on Thursday if the Eagles defeat Derbyshire and results elsewhere go their way. A quarter-final spot would belong to Essex should Gloucestershire beat Hampshire, with Essex having a far better net run rate compared to Hampshire.
Tom Huggins’ group started the campaign slowly with three opening defeats but have since hit the ground running and taken the momentum under their stride to deliver four successive victories going into the final group stage match.
Essex Men boosted their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages with an emphatic victory over table-toppers Gloucestershire at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground in Sunday’s special HelpForHeroes fixture.
Gloucestershire arrived in Chelmsford unbeaten in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, but Essex ended their run with a dominant all-round display.
Captain Tom Westley continued his prolific form with a fluent 92 from 103 balls, sharing key stands with Matt Critchley (64) and Charlie Allison (40) to guide Essex to 289 all out. A late collapse against Gloucestershire’s spinners, led by Jack Taylor’s career-best 5-61, prevented a bigger total.
In reply, Gloucestershire faltered after losing James Bracey (37) and were bowled out for 159, with Critchley taking 3-27. The 130-run win marked Essex’s fourth straight victory. While Gloucestershire are already assured of a knockout place, Essex’s qualification hopes have been strengthened.
Next up, Essex face Derbyshire, who sit eighth with just one win from seven matches. In their latest outing, Derbyshire fell to a three-wicket defeat against Hampshire despite Caleb Jewell’s 98 and captain Brooke Guest’s 76. With the ball, wickets were shared between Ben Aitchison (3-50), Joe Hawkins (2-59) and Nick Potts (2-77).
Derbyshire’s key players so far include Caleb Jewell, the competition’s standout for them with 422 runs at an average of 70.33, and leading wicket-taker Ben Aitchison, who has 11 wickets in five matches with best figures of 4-34.
Squad
Tom Huggins has named a 13-player squad for the trip to Derbyshire which includes batting all-rounder Paul Walter after his release from the Welsh Fire for this game.
Curtis Campher has returned to Ireland upon the expiry of his deal and everyone at Essex Cricket would like to thank him for his contributions and wish him the very best for the future.
Dean Elgar is not available to play in the One Day Cup whilst Sam Cook, Michael Pepper and Jordan Cox are all participating in the Hundred.
Current Standings
ICYMI: Gloucestershire Highlights
Watch the dominant display from the Essex Men as they dismantled Gloucestershire Men at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground in the special limited edition HelpForHeroes shirt!
Last Time We Met: Derbyshire
The last time to two sides faced each other was back in 2022 when Derbyshire defeated Essex by 92 runs in Chelmsford.
2024 Lineups
Essex: Feroze Khushi, Josh Rymell, Tom Westley (C), Grant Roelofsen, Robin Das, Will Buttleman (WK), Aaron Beard, Shane Snater, Aron Nijjar, Jamal Richards, Jamie Porter.
Derbyshire: Luis Reece, Billy Godleman (C), Harry Came, Tom Wood, Brooke Guest (WK), Anuj Dal, Mattie McKiernan, Alex Thomson, Mark Watt, Ben Aitchison, Sam Conners.
Derbyshire set 318-6, led by Brooke Guest’s 88 and a crucial 125-run sixth-wicket stand with Mattie McKiernan (72*), after recovering from a mini-collapse. Luis Reece (52) also contributed, while Essex debutant Jamal Richards claimed his first senior wicket.
In reply, Essex were bowled out for 226 in 45 overs. Grant Roelofsen (43) and Richards (46) impressed on debut, but lacked lasting partnerships. Early wickets left Essex 99-5, and despite a late 51-run stand between Nijjar and Richards, Derbyshire’s bowlers—backed by Guest’s four catches—ensured victory.
Current Derbyshire squad: Brooke Guest (C), Ben Aitchison, Martin Andersson, Amrit Basra, Yousef Bin Naeem, Pat Brown, Harry Came, Zak Chappell, Anuj Dal, Joe Hawkins, Rory Haydon, Caleb Jewell, Matt Montgomery, Jack Morley, Nick Potts, Ross Whiteley.
Derbyshire
Captain: Brooke Guest
2024 finish: Fourth (Group A)
2024 leading run-scorer: Harry Came (281)
2024 leading wicket-taker: Zak Chappell (17)
Why they can win the competition: Although Wayne Madsen, Aneurin Donald and Pat Brown are playing in The Hundred, Derbyshire could go deep into the competition if players like Chappell and Australian opener Caleb Jewell fire. The return from injury of all-rounder Luis Reece adds quality and experience while Ben Aitchison brings a cutting edge to the seam attack.
Player to watch: Martin Andersson has played some significant innings in the Rothesay County Championship since he made the switch from Middlesex and with Madsen and Donald missing, this is a chance for him to play a leading role with the bat in the white-ball game. An outstanding fielder, his seam bowling will provide Guest with another option.
Young gun: Joe Hawkins impressed on his step up to the first team in the County Championship at Northampton and the 18-year-old off-spinning all-rounder is expected to get further chances to show his potential in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. A recent call-up to the England Under-19 squad is a measure of his progress and this competition provides a platform for him to build on that.
Final thought: The Falcons were expected to be a contender in the Vitality Blast but after a disappointing tournament, they now have another opportunity to show they are a better one-day side than those results suggest. On their day, they have the players to mount a strong challenge and the disappointment in the T20 format could be a motivating factor over the next few weeks.
Group A Preview
Click here for a team-by-team preview of each of this year’s Group A contenders.
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
Tickets are on sale at £10.00 for spectators aged 22 and over, whilst ages 16-21 are able to attend for £5.00 and juniors aged between 5-15 can enter for free.
The Central Co-op County Ground is located in Derby on Nottingham Road, Chaddesden, DE21 6DA.
To secure your seats for Tuesday, visit the link below:
