Following defeat at Arundel on Wednesday, Essex Men host two Metro Bank One Day Cup games in three days, starting with Hampshire on Friday, followed by the visit of Worcestershire Rapids on Sunday.
Essex fell to a five-wicket defeat against Sussex Sharks at Arundel despite a maiden senior List A century from Noah Thain.
Thain's excellent 102, alongside 81 from captain Tom Westley and a run-a-ball 64 from Matt Critchley, helped Essex post 316. Thain and Westley shared a superb 151-run partnership for the second wicket after the early loss of Luc Benkenstein.
In reply, Sussex reached their target with four balls to spare. Charlie Tear led the chase with 73 before Critchley struck twice in quick succession to remove Tear and first-team debutant Joe Johnson.
However, an unbroken partnership between Jack Leaning (59*) and Jack Carson swung the game in Sussex's favour, with Leaning steering the hosts to victory.
For Tom Huggins' side, all focus now turns to hosting Hampshire on Friday, followed by a quick turnaround to welcome Worcestershire Rapids on Sunday.
Tom Huggins has named a 14-player squad for the clash against Hampshire on Friday which includes the return of Simon Harmer, Shane Snater and Charlie Allison.
Harmer and Snater return after being granted a period of rest following a heavy workload, while Allison has been released by The Hundred side Sunrisers Leeds for this match.
Robin Das remains unavailable and Jamie Porter is being rested.
Captain: Nick Gubbins
2025 finish: Runners-up
2025 leading run-scorer: Nick Gubbins (707)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Eddie Jack (13)
Why they can win the competition: Hampshire have reached the knockout stage in each of the past four years – losing the final twice. Their XI will be full of dependable know-how, plus an exciting Indian overseas in Ashutosh Sharma.
Player to watch: Nick Gubbins was the competition’s leading run scorer last year and will be targeting a similar return. He and Ali Orr consistently set the tone with the bat in 2025, while his captaincy has matured over the past four campaigns.
Young gun: Experience is the name of the game for Hampshire, but 19-year-old Oliver Williams could get some game time. The right-arm quick is tall, skilful and has shown good promise in the Second XI this season.
Final thought: Will it be the struggling Rothesay County Championship Hampshire or the consistently great Vitality T20 Blast Hampshire that turns up in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup? After two silver medals in three years, expectations are high that it’ll be the latter.
Despite three individual half-centuries from Charlie Allison, Tom Westley and Robin Das, Essex Men slipped to a second straight defeat at the start of the 2025 One Day Cup.
After Hampshire won the toss and elected to bowl first, Essex made a strong start through Das and Westley, who added 99 in fluent fashion, but a slowdown in the middle overs brought regular wickets and stalled momentum.
At 189-6 the innings was in danger of falling away completely, before Allison continued his fine 2025 form with an assured 80 whilst Simon Fernandes added 41 to push Essex up to a respectable 285.
However, hopes of defending the score faded as the hosts paced their chase expertly. Although Westley claimed three wickets to keep his side in the contest, an unbeaten 116 from Joe Weatherley (his first century in two years) proved decisive.
Weatherley shared a crucial 98-run stand with Tilak Varma and guided Hampshire home with composed authority, sealing victory with a late flourish.
Previous Team Lineups
Hampshire Men: Ali Orr, Nick Gubbins (C), Tilak Varma, Joe Weatherley, Tom Prest, Ben Mayes (WK), Felix Organ, Andrew Neal, Kyle Abbott, Eddie Jack, Dominic Kelly.
Essex Men: Robin Das, Matt Critchley, Tom Westley (C), Charlie Allison, Luc Benkenstein, Noah Thain, Nick Browne, Simon Fernandes (WK), Shane Snater, Charlie Bennett, Jamie Porter.
HIGHLIGHTS
Captain: Jake Libby
2025 finish: Winners
2025 leading run-scorer: Jake Libby (479)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Ben Allison (19)
Why they can win the competition: They know how to. They won it last season by playing some excellent cricket to reach the final and then showing the strength and skills to win a very tight final with the pressure on.
Player to watch: Fateh Singh. Left out for most of the Blast due to the Rapids signing overseas spinners Sikandar Raza and Usama Mir, Singh took three for 17 when given his belated chance after Raza departed on international duty. He will be mustard keen to send a message or two to the team-selectors.
Young gun: Dan Lategan. Not yet UK-qualified, the 20-year-old opening batter was omitted from the Blast team as the overseas slots went to the spinners. Will be looking to pile up runs to go into the red-ball resumption with momentum high.
Final thought: Last season’s triumph at Trent Bridge was one of the most emotional in county cricket history, a success in tribute to Josh Baker who tragically passed away in 2024. Josh’s legacy lives on through the JB33 Foundation – retaining the trophy would again be very special.
The third round of the 2025 One Day Cup would leave Essex Men still searching for their first victory in the competition, after falling to a 60-run defeat to Worcestershire Rapids at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
The visitors won the toss and chose to bat first, which proved correct as they posted a total of 340-9. Their innings was powered by a series of big-hitting half-centuries.
17-year-old Isaac Mohammed evoked the spirit of his uncle, former England all-rounder Moeen Ali, to produce a maiden half-century and eventually a classy 63.
Kashif Ali and Jake Libby added 80 and 70 respectively before Ethan Brookes exploded with a rapid 25-balll 56 to help Alan Richardson’s side set a commanding total.
Despite Robin Das continuing his strong start to the 50-over tournament with back-to-back fifties, Essex struggled to build partnerships as batters repeatedly fell short after getting themselves in.
Charlie Allison’s 46 and Tom Westley’s 43 offered some resistance, but late wickets from Ethan Brookes, who finished with 3-52, sealed the hosts’ fate.
Previous Team Lineups
Essex Men: Robin Das, Matt Critchley, Tom Westley (C), Charlie Allison, Luc Benkenstein, Noah Thain, Simon Fernandes (WK), Jamal Richards, Shane Snater, Nick Browne, Charlie Bennett.
Worcestershire Men: Isaac Mohammed, Brett D'Oliveira, Kashif Ali, Jake Libby (C), Ethan Brookes, Henry Cullen (WK), Matthew Waite, Ben Allison, Fateh Singh, Khurram Shahzad, Rob Jones.
HIGHLIGHTS
Click here for the tournament preview. This gives you an in-depth breakdown into each team the Essex Men will face in the 2026 Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Middlesex, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids, and Yorkshire.
Click here for our Spectator Guide, which contains everything you need to know before your visit to the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground. From matchday information and food & drink options to the Essex Cricket Store, a ground map, FAQs and more, you'll find all the essential information in one place.
If you are unable to attend these matches, the games will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket live stream on YouTube. Alternatively, you can keep up to date with the game via our social media channels as we provide live updates.
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Match highlights will be available after each day's play via the Club website and social media.
Tickets for the matches are available by clicking here.
Alternatively, you can purchase a 2026 Metro Bank One Day Cup Season Ticket. This grants you access to all four home Men's One Day Cup fixtures as well as all remaining home Women's fixtures. Click here to purchase yours now!
