Essex v Middlesex | Essex v Yorkshire Vikings
Metro Bank One Day Cup
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Friday 11 August, 2:00pm | Sunday 13 August, 11:00am
Following a clash away to Hampshire on Tuesday, Essex return home for two matches in three days as they look to record a first win of this season’s One Day Cup.
Beau Webster and Simon Harmer put on a partnership of 121 for the fifth wicket in Southampton, which included the latter’s maiden List A fifty, but the Eagles found their total of 236 overhauled by the hosts.
Tom Westley’s side will hope a pair of home fixtures over the weekend can provide the perfect catalyst to kick-start a winning run as the group stage ticks towards its halfway point.
Squad:
The Opposition – Middlesex:
Middlesex squad: Mark Stoneman (c), Martin Andersson, Ethan Bamber, Joe Cracknell, Jack Davies, Josh de Caires, Nathan Fernandes, Ryan Higgins, Luke Hollman, Ishaan Kaushal, Sam Robson, John Simpson, Thilan Walallawita, Robbie White.
Middlesex have only had one opportunity to actually play a match in this season’s One Day Cup after seeing their scheduled clash with London rivals Surrey washed out on Saturday.
Having also lost that match in which play was possible, away to Hampshire last week, they are currently seventh in Group A of the competition.
Elsewhere, the Seaxes are battling to avoid relegation in the LV= County Championship, sitting eighth and just three points above the Division One drop zone, while their Vitality Blast campaign ended in the group stage.
Key Battle – Ryan Higgins v Beau Webster:
Last Time We Met:
It was a comfortable win for Essex the last time Middlesex visited Chelmsford, in 2021, when the Eagles secured a nine-wicket win with 11 overs to spare.
Having opted to insert the Seaxes after winning the toss, Shane Snater did the brunt of the damage with 3/45 as Ryan ten Doeschate and Simon Harmer shared four more wickets.
Despite debutant Jack Davies’ 70, Middlesex fell to 212 all out, and it was a target that the hosts cantered to, as Alastair Cook top scored with 92 and shared an unbroken stand of 159 with Tom Westley, who made 87.
The Opposition – Yorkshire:
Yorkshire squad: TBC
Yorkshire are also awaiting their first win in this season’s competition, though have been a little unluckier than the rest, even with the recent conditions, with two of their three matches washed out.
Even their sole completed match was also rain affected, with the Vikings falling to a narrow two-run defeat to defending champions Kent in Scarborough via the DLS method.
They are also off the pace in the County Championship, with just one win this season in Division Two, and like Middlesex, saw their Vitality Blast campaign end in the group stage.
Last Time We Met:
Appropriately for how their campaign has panned out this season, the last time Yorkshire visited the Cloud County Ground, in last season’s competition, saw rain interrupt play.
That did not, however, prevent Essex securing an 88-run win via the DLS method, as the Eagles’ total of 240, underpinned by 90 from Grant Roelofsen and Tom Westley’s 52, turned out to be more than enough.
The weather Yorkshire’s innings after only 19 overs, but Shane Snater’s 3/29 already had the White Rose reeling on 76-6, far short of the DLS par score they would have needed and thus handing Essex victory.
Remaining Metro Bank One Day Cup Fixtures:
Tickets:
As ever, Essex Members can enter both games simply by showing their valid card at the gate, and are then free to sit in any vacant seat anywhere in the ground.
The Doug Insole Pavilion benches and seating blocks 1-14 and 27-31 are reserved for Members, with a reciprocal arrangement meaning that Yorkshire Members are allowed to join their Essex counterparts in these areas.
General admission seats are located in blocks 15 to 26 and are unreserved, with the Family Area able to be found in block 23, which is part of the Felsted School Stand.
These are priced at £16 for adults if bought in advance or £22 at the gate on the day, while young adults aged between 18 and 25 can buy at any time for £11 and under-18 tickets cost just £5.
Tickets for both matches can be purchased by visiting the link below:
How To Watch:
If you are unable to make it to The Cloud County Ground in person, both matches will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone and Essex Cricket TV YouTube channel, with accompanying commentary from BBC Essex.
Clips, statistics, and an interactive scorecard will be available for both games alongside the live coverage in the Matchzone, and full live coverage of both will be available on the Club’s social media channels.
