Essex are set to host the reigning Division One champions at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground in the next round of Rothesay County Championship fixtures.
Tom Westley's side will be aiming to extend their lead at the top of Division One when they welcome Nottinghamshire to Chelmsford this weekend, having reached the halfway stage of the season at the summit of the table.
Following an important and hard-fought six-wicket victory over Leicestershire last week, Essex will be targeting another positive result against the reigning champions in the final red-ball fixture of the current block before attention turns to white-ball cricket.
After slipping to 8 for 2 on day one against the Foxes, Essex recovered superbly thanks to Jordan Cox and Matt Critchley. Cox celebrated his England call-up with a magnificent 204 from just 201 balls, while Critchley added 97 as Essex posted a first-innings total of 401.
Chris Silverwood's bowlers then took control, with Simon Harmer and Charlie Bennett claiming three wickets apiece to help dismiss Leicestershire for 187, prompting Westley to enforce the follow-on.
Lewis Hill denied Essex a three-day victory with a defiant 127 from 320 balls, helping the hosts reach 428 in their second innings. Harmer and Shane Snater each claimed three wickets, leaving Essex a target of 215 for victory.
Paul Walter's 110 from 125 balls helped Essex secure the win comfortably, earning 23 points and a third consecutive Championship victory to move to the top of the table.
Looking ahead to the next fixture, Nottinghamshire sit fifth in Division One on 94 points, having won two matches and drawn four, while Essex lead the way on 103 points, winning four and drawing one.
Chris Silverwood has named a 13-player squad for the clash against Nottinghamshire.
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 and is expected to return soon.
Noah Thain suffered a side strain in the previous match against Leicestershire and will be unavailable for Notts. An update on his return will be released in due course.
Zaman Akhter is still recovering from a slight side strain.
Captain: Haseeb Hameed
Head Coach: Peter Moores
2025 finish: 1st
2025 leading run-scorer: Haseeb Hameed (1,258)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Brett Hutton (38)
Championship titles: 7 (most recent in 2025)
Key winter moves: The loss of Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas to Derbyshire was an unexpected blow. ln his place, Mohammad Ali, another experienced Pakistan quick, is set to play in the last six Rothesay County Championship rounds; Australian seamer Fergus O’Neill, who took 21 wickets in four appearances at the start of 2025, could play in the first eight. The impressive South African wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne returns and the early availability of England's Ben Duckett after cancelling his IPL deal is a real boost.
What we're looking forward to seeing: The battle to be the county’s No 1 spinner. After his sensational end to the 2024 season, teenage off-spinner Farhan Ahmed was in pole position last April before Liam Patterson-White, the left-armer whose career had lost direction a little, was handed a recall and subsequently made himself impossible to leave out. Leg-spinner Calvin Harrison has moved to Northamptonshire but another left-armer, Joe Pocklington, who impressed in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, adds to the competition.
Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: Haseeb Hameed has had a fragmented international career so far but after 2,349 first-class runs at 58.72 over the last two seasons, including seven centuries, three of them doubles, two carrying his bat, he's surely worth another look. A pretty good player when last selected, he remains technically sound but scores at a markedly quicker tempo.
Final thoughts: After two seasons nearer the bottom of the Division One table than the top, Nottinghamshire’s dethroning of Surrey still seemed a slightly fanciful notion until it happened, thanks to Josh Tongue spearheading a brilliant win at the Kia Oval in the penultimate round. Tongue may not be around often this year and it would be a good moment for Dillon Pennington to realise his full potential. Defending their title will not be easy, but confidence is high.
Nottinghamshire squad: Click Here
Essex were frustrated in their pursuit of victory at Trent Bridge last season as Nottinghamshire’s lower-order resilience and a career-best century from Jack Haynes secured a draw in this Rothesay County Championship Division One clash.
Inserted on day one, Essex’s seamers struck early. Jamie Porter and Sam Cook reduced Nottinghamshire to 78-5 with disciplined, probing spells. However, Kyle Verreynne countered superbly, compiling an unbeaten 111 to guide the hosts to 328-8. Cook was outstanding, claiming 4-44 for his sustained accuracy and control.
Essex replied positively. Jordan Cox’s 82 and Paul Walter’s 76 provided a solid platform, and further contributions throughout the order lifted Essex to 367, earning a slender 20-run lead and six batting points. Nottinghamshire’s second innings began steadily, but late breakthroughs from Simon Harmer and Porter on day three left the hosts 213 ahead with five wickets down, keeping Essex firmly in contention.
Day four initially swung Essex’s way as three quick wickets fell inside 30 minutes. Yet Haynes mounted a decisive rearguard, anchoring a crucial ninth-wicket stand before accelerating to a superb 142, stretching the lead beyond realistic pursuit. Set 366 late on, Essex prioritised security. Tom Westley and Walter batted calmly to close on one down, sealing a hard-earned draw and taking positives from another disciplined, competitive display away from home.
Previous Team Lineups
Nottinghamshire: Haseeb Hameed (C), Ben Slater, Freddie McCann, Joe Clarke (WK), Jack Haynes, Kyle Verreynne, Lyndon James, Brett Hutton, Fergus O'Neill, Farhan Ahmed, Dillon Pennington.
Essex: Paul Walter, Charlie Allison, Tom Westley (C), Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley, Michael Pepper (WK), Noah Thain, Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.
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 are available at the gate for £24 or at a discounted price of £18 if purchased in advance (available until one hour before the start of play). Young adults/students can enter at a price of £12 and juniors 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.
