After a week’s break from fixtures, the Essex Men return to action on Friday as they host Hampshire Men at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
Rothesay County Championship action resumes in Chelmsford with Hampshire visiting for round five of Division One.
The meeting follows a draw at The Oval against second-placed Surrey, where three Essex batters, Dean Elgar, Paul Walter and Tom Westley, scored centuries. Chris Silverwood’s side will now look to build on that strong all-round performance as they target victory over bottom-side Hampshire before hosting Leicestershire a week later at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
Hampshire sit in tenth place on 26 points after winning one match from their opening four, separated from eighth place Essex by 14 points.
Chris Silverwood has named a 13-player squad for the clash against Hampshire, with South African overseas Wiaan Mulder returning to the squad.
Zaman Akther is again ruled out with the side strain he sustained against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Captain: Ben Brown
Head Coach: Russell Domingo
2025 finish: 8th
2025 leading run-scorer: Ben Brown (758)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Kyle Abbott (56)
Championship titles: 2 (most recent in 1973)
Key winter moves: The biggest shake-up at Utilita Bowl has come off the field with Adi Birrell leaving after seven years, to be replaced as head coach by his protégé, Russell Domingo. Bowling coach Shane Burger has arrived from Somerset to take over from Graeme Welch. On the pitch, Keith Barker is the only major departure, with highly experienced batter Australian Jake Lehmann arriving as a domestic player.
What we're looking forward to seeing: Players stepping up. The likes of Fletcha Middleton, Toby Albert, Ali Orr, and Scott Currie have been given opportunities and now they need to come of age and support the experienced core of Ben Brown, Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Nick Gubbins. The recruitment of Jake Lehmann should ease some of the batting pressure, while Ben Mayes’ emergence is one to keep a close eye on – especially after a run-filled winter at the Under 19 World Cup.
Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: Sonny Baker. His international debuts last summer might have been ones to forget but his first injury-free Rothesay County Championship season should be deemed a success. His pace speaks for itself, but he is picking up skills and smarts all the time. He is a knowledge sponge, and having Kyle Abbott nearby will only fast-track his development.
Final thoughts: From early-season overseas chaos to points deductions, and double white ball final heartache to almost relegation – but for Durham’s catastrophic final day Hampshire would be in Division Two. 2025 was a year to forget. Simply, 2026 has to be better. The talent is in the squad, but they lack the experience and reliability to be considered title challengers. Improving home form, where they won once last year on largely lifeless pitches, must be a priority.
Hampshire squad: Click Here
Essex began their Rothesay County Championship campaign with a dominant three-day innings victory over Hampshire, inspired by an outstanding all-round performance from Matt Critchley. The match initially appeared finely balanced after Hampshire seamer Kyle Abbott reduced Essex to 67 for three on the opening morning. However, Critchley and Charlie Allison transformed the innings with a crucial 152-run partnership. Critchley narrowly missed a century on day one before eventually scoring a superb 173, continuing his excellent record in season openers, while Allison contributed a valuable 80.
The match also featured a historic moment for county cricket when Essex captain Tom Westley became the first player replaced under the ECB’s new injury substitution trial after fracturing his finger. Noah Thain came into the side as a like-for-like replacement, although he was not permitted to bowl.
Essex’s innings gathered momentum as partnerships involving Critchley, Simon Harmer and others lifted the visitors to 461 for seven declared. Hampshire’s bowlers, including promising youngster Sonny Baker, showed flashes of quality but struggled on a flattening pitch.
In reply, Hampshire collapsed under relentless pressure from Essex’s seam attack. Stand-in captain Sam Cook, alongside Jamie Porter and Shane Snater, dismantled the top order as Hampshire were bowled out for 156 and forced to follow on. Although Nick Gubbins and Tom Prest briefly resisted in the second innings, Critchley completed a remarkable match by taking five for nine, helping dismiss Hampshire for 168 and sealing victory by an innings and 136 runs. Essex claimed 22 points and became the first winners of the 2026 County Championship season.
Click here for Part One.
Click here for Part Two.
If you are unable to attend any of the matchdays, the game will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket YouTube livestream. Alternatively, you can keep up to date with the game via our social media channels as we provide live updates.
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Daily highlights will be available after each day's play via the Club website and social media.
Tickets for all four days at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground are still available to purchase here or by calling 01245 254010.
Play is due to start at 11am with the gates opening at 10am.
Adult tickets start from £18 whilst young adults/students can enter at a reduced price of £12 and junior’s for £10 - purchase a Junior ticket and you can apply for a FREE Junior Membership Upgrade for the 2026 season! Junior Membership includes free entrance to all home Rothesay County Championship and Metro Bank One Day Cup matches.
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.
To purchase tickets, simply click here or call our Ticketing Office at 01245 254010.
