Essex v Glamorgan
Metro Bank One Day Cup
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am
Having been edged out by three wickets against last season’s champions Leicestershire Foxes in midweek, Essex are back in action for another tricky test on Sunday as Glamorgan visit Chelmsford.
Sol Budinger’s century helped the visitors overhaul the target of 291 that the Eagles had set them, despite a late wobble caused by the hosts’ young attack that took the Foxes from 239-3 to 287-7.
Matt Critchley, on a one-game return from The Hundred, had top-scored in that target with 55, while young pair Charlie Allison and Noah Thain joined him in making half-centuries.
On Sunday, The Cloud County Ground will host a repeat of the 2021 semi-final at Sophia Gardens that saw Glamorgan emerge victorious on their way to winning the competition that year.
Anthony McGrath’s men will aim to seek revenge for that defeat, and in doing so, record a second win of the group stage in this year’s competition.
Squad
Head Coach McGrath has named a 12-player squad for the visit of the Welsh side, with the only change seeing Matt Critchley drop out.
The Opposition
Glamorgan winning this competition in 2021 was only the fourth List A trophy in their history, and indeed only the seventh piece of silverware they have lifted in any format since their 1888 founding.
Their win over Durham in the Trent Bridge final three seasons ago was their first trophy since a brief period in the early 2000s, when the county won the 45-over National League twice in three years.
The Welsh side’s other white-ball trophy, their first ever, had been in the same competition in 1993, when, with the legendary Viv Richards as part of their team, they finished four points clear of Kent.
However, this year could prove to be the difference, as they currently sit atop Group B, having won all four of their matches so far, including two back-to-back successful chases at their Neath outground.
Dan Douthwaite’s 12 wickets mark him out as not just the team’s top wicket-taker, but also the best bowler in the entire competition, while Eddie Byrom leads the Welsh side’s run-scoring charts with 207.
Glamorgan squad: TBC
Last Time We Met
It is almost two years to the day that the sides last met in List A cricket, with Essex recording a thumping 103-run victory at The Cloud County Ground in August 2022.
Having opted to bat first on a gloriously sunny day, identical centuries from Tom Westley and Feroze Khushi, both of whom made 104, underpinned the Eagles’ total of 341 all out.
Luc Benkenstein, aged just 17 at the time, then shone with the ball in Glamorgan’s chase, claiming figures of 6/42 with his mesmerising leg-spin as the visitors were dismissed for 238 in 43.5 overs.
Only James Weighell and Prem Sisodiya had economy rates below 7.00 for the visitors, who, having conceded 254 in a T20 earlier that year, compounded a miserable season with the ball at Chelmsford.
Much like that Vitality Blast match, Glamorgan were simply unable to get going in their response, as although Sam Northeast fought hard with 70, Benkenstein’s wizardry spun the hosts to a big victory.
Group B Table
How To Watch
If you are not able to make it to The Cloud County Ground in person, the match will be live-streamed on the EssexCricketTV 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.
Tickets
As ever, Essex Members are able to access this fixture on presentation of a valid card, and blocks 1-11, as well as the Doug Insole Pavilion benches, are reserved for their use only.
Spectators with general admission tickets, which are still available for this game and when bought in advance are priced at just £18 for adults, £12 for 18-25-year-olds, and £6 for under-18s, are free to sit anywhere in the remainder of the ground.
To secure your seats, visit the link below:
School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer
The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.
With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here
