Essex Men v Durham Men
Rothesay County Championship
Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford
Monday 08 September – Thursday 11 September 2025 | 10:30am start
Essex Men are back in Rothesay County Championship action starting on Monday as they host Durham in the first of the final three matches of the 2025 season.
As September begins and the season nears its end, Chris Silverwood’s side have three matches left to secure Division One status for next season.
After narrowly missing out on the quarter-finals of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, the group will be looking to carry over the momentum and confidence from that competition into the red-ball format.
Last time out, Essex hosted Warwickshire at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground in a match that began on July 29.The two sides played out a draw at Chelmsford after rain cut short the final day. Tom Westley was once again the standout for Essex, following his first-innings 148 with an unbeaten 51, marking his fifth score over fifty in eight innings.
He had earlier shared in partnerships with Paul Walter, Charlie Allison and Michael Pepper, who all made significant contributions as Essex declared on 602 for six, with Allison hitting 133 and Pepper an unbeaten 107.
Warwickshire’s reply was built around a remarkable maiden century from Ethan Bamber, the nightwatchman and normally a bowler, who batted nearly four hours for 107.
Ed Barnard also underlined his fine season with 108 not out, while Dan Mousley (75 and later 54*) and debutant Vansh Jani (41) offered valuable support as Warwickshire reached 485 to avoid the follow-on.
Essex’s main bowling threat came from Matt Critchley, who bowled 40 overs and finished with five for 171 in Harmer’s absence.
Although Essex built a lead of more than 200 in their second innings, the contest had effectively ended once Warwickshire passed the follow-on target, and the rain merely confirmed the inevitable. Essex took 14 points to strengthen their position above the relegation zone, while Warwickshire’s 12 points left them secure in mid-table.
Squad
Chris Silverwood has named a 13-player squad for the clash with Durham at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
Sam Cook misses out after sustaining a broken thumb on his non-bowling hand during The Hundred, while Jordan Cox is ruled out with a fractured rib.
New overseas signing Doug Bracewell is included in the squad on his return to Chelmsford, and there’s a warm welcome back for Dean Elgar following his August break.
The Opposition
Durham find themselves in ninth place in the table, one spot below Essex, with just twelve points separating the two sides.
In the last round of fixtures, they suffered a five-wicket defeat to Surrey at Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street.
Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Durham struggled in their first innings, dismissed for just 153 in 55.1 overs, with Colin Ackermann top-scoring with 51 from 104 balls.
Surrey replied strongly, posting 322 in 68.1 overs with Ben Raine as the standout bowler for the hosts, claiming 5-72.
Durham’s second innings showed significant improvement, as they battled to 344 from 113.4 overs, Emilio Gay agonisingly falling one short of a century with 99 from 108 balls.
Set a modest target, Surrey completed the chase with relative ease, despite Durham picking up five wickets. Callum Parkinson returned figures of 3-58, while Matthew Potts chipped in with 2-69.
Durham squad: TBC.
Division One Table
Last Time We Met
The previous time these two sides faced each other was back in June 2024 when the two shared a draw, with Durham taking 16 points and Essex taking 12.
2024 Lineups
Essex: Dean Elgar, Nick Browne, Tom Westley (C), Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley, Paul Walter, Michael Pepper (WK), Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Eathan Bosch, Jamie Porter.
Durham: Alex Lees, Michael Jones, Colin Ackerman, David Bedingham, Scott Borthwick (C), Ollie Robinson (WK), Bas de Leede, Ben Raine, Matthew Potts, Callum Parkinson, Peter Siddle.
Durham dominated the first day after winning the toss, with Alex Lees scoring 113 and Ollie Robinson 146 not out as the visitors closed on 444-4. Debutant Eathan Bosch was the pick of the Essex bowlers with figures of 2-72. On the second day, Robinson pushed on to 198 as Durham amassed 587 all out, while Essex struggled at 120-4 before Paul Walter, unbeaten on 80, and Matt Critchley, 51 not out, put together a 129-run partnership to steady the innings, leaving Essex on 249-4.
On the third day, Walter went on to score 134, with Critchley contributing 53, but Essex were eventually dismissed for 339, still trailing by 248 runs. Durham declined to enforce the follow-on and instead declared their second innings at 184-8, with Scott Borthwick scoring 71. Essex ended the day on 28-1, needing either 433 to win or to bat out the final day to secure a draw.
On the fourth day, Dean Elgar scored an unbeaten 120 and was well supported by Tom Westley, who made 63, as the pair shared an unbroken 165-run partnership for the third wicket. Their resolute batting allowed Essex to bat out the day, finishing on 208-2 from 96 overs and securing a hard-fought draw. The match ended in a stalemate, with Durham taking 16 points and Essex 12.
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 for all four days at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground are still available and are available to purchase here or by calling 01245 254010.
Play is due to start at 10:30am with the gates opening at 9:30am.
Adult tickets start from £16 whilst young adults/students can enter at a reduced price of £12 and junior’s for just £6.
You can also choose to upgrade your ticket to a ‘Members Upgrade’ which gives you access to all members areas including the Doug Insole Pavilion, for an extra cost.
We do offer family tickets, providing groups of families a discount to come and watch the cricket at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
