Essex Men travel to the Midlands this weekend to face Leicestershire Men as the Rothesay County Championship resumes following a break for the Vitality Blast.
Chris Silverwood's side will be looking to carry their excellent white-ball form into the red-ball game after winning four consecutive Blast matches.
Having defeated Leicestershire in the previous round of County Championship action at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, captain Tom Westley will lead his side at Grace Road hoping to inflict another defeat on the Foxes.
Leicestershire sit bottom of Division One in 10th place on 46 points, having lost four matches and drawn two. They are still searching for their first top-flight victory since winning Division Two last season.
Essex occupy fifth place with 80 points, 11 behind leaders Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.
Chris Silverwood has named a 13-player squad for the clash against Leicestershire, which includes wicket-keeper batter Jordan Cox.
Sam Cook is still unavailable due to suffering a fracture on his wrist. He is working closely with our medical team as he goes through rehabilitation and recovery.
Captain: Peter Handscomb
Head Coach: Alfonso Thomas
2025 finish: 1st (Division Two - winners)
2025 leading run-scorer: Lewis Hill (917)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Ian Holland (38)
Championship titles: 3 (most recent in 1998)
Key winter moves: Skipper Peter Handscomb returns for a fourth season, working around his Victoria commitments while Stephen Ezkinazi (Middlesex) and Jonny Tattersall (Yorkshire) were added to the batting resources last season. Somerset all-rounder Ben Green moves permanently after several loan spells, to be joined by Taunton colleague Josh Davey. Restrictions imposed by Cricket South Africa scuppered the signing of left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, although the loss is softened by the recruitment of New Zealand left-armer Ajaz Patel.
What we're looking forward to seeing: Pace bowling prospect Alex Green was a sensation in last season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, when his 18 wickets included three five-fors. Genuinely quick, and 6ft 7ins tall, the 19-year-old academy graduate impressed again in the winter, taking wickets during England's run to the Under-19 World Cup final. He will be pushing for inclusion in the red-ball side.
Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: After an exceptional county summer that brought five hundreds in 16 Rothesay County Championship innings, not to mention 13 wickets in a match against Derbyshire, it baffled many judges that leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed was not part of England’s Ashes squad. If he can maintain that form against Division One opponents, the 21-year-old’s case will surely be irresistible.
Final thoughts: Leicestershire, who finished bottom of Division Two as recently as 2022, romped to the 2025 title to end a 22-year exile from Division One. Staying there will be tough, given that historically one in three promoted teams are relegated after just one season, and almost half within two. With Chris Wright retired and Logan Van Beek joining Yorkshire, the pace attack needs Josh Hull to mature into a consistent spearhead but the Foxes will fight for every point.
Leicestershire squad: Click Here
After being asked to bowl first, Essex faced an early challenge as Leicestershire posted 333 in their first innings. Sol Budinger (89) and Jake Weatherald (61) shared a free-scoring 125-run partnership for the second wicket, while Stephen Eskinazi added a half-century. Wiaan Mulder was the pick of the Essex attack with 3-70, supported by Shane Snater and Sam Cook as the visitors were eventually dismissed.
Essex's reply got off to a difficult start, slipping to 39-4 before an outstanding contribution from nightwatchman Jamie Porter helped swing momentum back towards the hosts. Porter recorded a career-best 52, sharing a vital 96-run stand with Charlie Allison, who compiled an impressive 72. Mulder continued his excellent all-round display with an unbeaten 70, although Leicestershire maintained a slender advantage as Essex were bowled out for 293, trailing by 40 runs.
The match was turned on its head on the third morning. After Leicestershire extended their lead, Essex's seam attack produced a devastating spell on a lively surface. Snater claimed 4-12 and Cook 4-19 as the visitors were skittled for just 60, leaving Essex with a target of 101 for victory.
There were a few early nerves as Essex slipped to 27-3 in the chase, but Allison and Matt Critchley combined superbly in a match-winning partnership of 77. Their composure guided Essex to a seven-wicket victory, completing a remarkable turnaround and securing a valuable Championship win at Chelmsford.
Previous Team Lineups
Essex: Paul Walter, Dean Elgar, Tom Westley (C), Charlie Allison, Matt Critchley, Wiaan Mulder, Michael Pepper (WK), Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.
Leicestershire: Rishi Patel, Jake Weatherald, Sol Budinger, Ian Holland (C), Jonny Tattersall, Stephen Eskinazi, Ben Cox (WK), Ben Green, Ben Mike, Ajaz Patel, Josh Hull. (Jake Weatherald was replaced by Nick Kelly for the second innings due to injury).
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 Leicestershire 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 Grace Road are still available to purchase here or by calling 0116 283 2128.
