Essex Cricket can reveal the shortlist for April’s Player of the Month for the Men’s and Women's teams.
What a month April has been! With many half centuries, a few centuries and too many wickets to count, county cricket is officially back and we're just getting started!
We’ve narrowed these performances down to four outstanding players from each team. We have left the final decision up to you, who do you think should take the title of Player of the Month? Vote below for your wefinanceanycar.com Men’s player of the month and your Tiptree Women's player of the month.
SAM COOK
Sam has begun the season with a bang! The right-arm medium bowler is the top wicket taker for Essex Men in April with 15 wickets. Cook knocked the bails off the stumps four times, pitched it perfectly to allow Pepper to catch six opposition players out and his other five came from catches from the rest of the squad. On top of his own wickets, he caught out ex-Essex player Lawrence from Thain's bowling.
MATT CRITCHLEY
We couldn't miss putting Matt into the mix this month! Opening day of the season and he hits 173. He then decides that's not enough for him and takes a fifer in Hampshire's second innings with incredible bowling figures of 5-9 off 4.3 overs. Critchley also impressed in the next three matches getting a half century against Somerset at home (59) and taking more wickets against Surrey.
SIMON HARMER
Simon has been consistent with the bat and ball this month! The South African began the season with a half century (71*) against Hampshire and went onto score a further 141 runs in the next matches. Harmer has taken 9 wickets across the month with at least one a match. The off-spinner has been able to take the wickets of his opponents through
PAUL WALTER
Paul has shown his batting skills over the month with an impressive century (101) against Surrey and a half century (70) versus Warwickshire in the first home match of the season. The batter hit 32 boundaries across the four games, 14 of these came against Surrey. When he wasn't batting, Walter was taking five catches from the slips. Four of these catches were in the match against Warwickshire.
AMARA CARR
Amara has dominated with both the bat and in the field in April. Carr had four wicket involvements in the month. Her involvements included two run outs, a stumping and catching Tammy Beaumont out. In her first match of the season, Amara hit a comfortable 33 against Hants. She got her first half century of the season against The Blaze off 45 deliveries.
JODI GREWCOCK
Jodi has had a brilliant start to the season. Grewcock hit two half centuries in her first two games (80 and 77, respectively) and was close to her third in three. She then went onto smash a huge 120* against Somerset, getting her maiden professional century. The leg-spinner has also taken three wickets across the matches, with the opposition being bowled, caught and trapped with a LBW.
FLO MILLER
Flo has had a great start to the season! Miller had two wicket involvements, contributing to the run out of Hampshire's Rhianna Southby and dismissing Somerset's Chloe Skelton by catching her out. Flo has had some incredible innings with a 54* against Somerset and smashing a 49* up in Durham. The right hand batter has found the boundary 12 times with some powerful 4s.
SOPHIA SMALE
Sophia has taken her fair share of wickets over the month with five wickets in five matches. Her first came as a caught and bowled, then pitching it perfectly to bowl out against Warwickshire and The Blaze. She also trapped two of the Somerset players in LBWs. Smale has hit a total of 108 runs in four innings, averaging 27 a game.
Vote for your players of the month and be in with a chance to win one of two pairs of tickets to our double header on 31 May as Essex Men take on Derbyshire Falcons and Essex Women face Lancashire Thunder. The vote closes on Friday 15 May
