Vitality Blast Passes for the 2025 summer are now on sale.
This year, the Blast is bigger than ever before, with Essex Men and Women set to play a combined 14 matches in CM2, and purchasing your Blast Pass will secure your seat to every single one.
That includes two double-headers where both Essex sides will play at home on the same day, in addition to four ever-popular Friday night fixtures.
Over 500 Blast Passes have already been sold, so with availability now extremely limited, make sure to purchase yours now to avoid disappointment.
The group stages of this year’s Vitality Blast will be played between 30 May and 18 July, with both Essex sides’ first home games coming in the form of a double-header on Sunday 01 June against Somerset.
What’s more, by becoming an Essex Member, you will be able to access individual match tickets today, a week ahead of anyone else and almost a month before general sale.
You will also receive a discount of up to £85 on a Blast Pass and £15 on individual match tickets, as well as free entry to all Rothesay County Championship and Men's and Women's Metro Bank One Day Cup fixtures with your Membership card.
Click here for Membership prices and a full list of benefits.
This year's International in Chelmsford sees England Women take on West Indies Women in a Vitality IT20 on Spring Bank Holiday Monday 26 May.
Tickets for the game have been in extremely high demand and only 1,000 remain.
Buy now from £25 for Adults and £7 for Juniors.
Sam Cook took four wickets and hit the second-highest score in England Lions’ second innings but the tourists slid to defeat against a Cricket Australia XI in the first match of their tour of Australia.
Cook, for so long inexplicably overlooked for higher international honours, showed his supreme mastery of the Kookaburra ball on the second day at Shaw Park in Brisbane with figures of 4/15.
His showing, that included all four of the first Australian wickets to fall with just 18 runs on the board, helped the Lions bowl out their hosts for 176, giving them a first-innings advantage of 47.
The game did, however, remain evenly contested when the Lions were dismissed in their second dig for 213.
That was in spite of Cook’s 23 off 19 balls at the end of the English innings, that included two sixes hit from the off-spin of Raf MacMillan.
Allied with his four wickets, that made Cook one of only two visiting batters to pass 20 in that innings, but the Lions’ total gave the Australian XI an achievable 261 to chase for victory.
Despite another tight showing from Cook, who conceded just 35 runs from 15 second-innings overs, Tim Ward’s 115 guided the hosts to a six-wicket win.
As a Member of Essex, you’ll gain access to a host of exclusive benefits.
From priority ticketing for matches at our iconic HQ in Chelmsford to special events, and opportunities to engage with players and coaching staff, your Membership offers a unique opportunity to join the Club throughout the 2025 season.
Purchase your 2025 Membership now by clicking the link below, or by calling the Ticket and Membership Office on 01245 254010 between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Friday.
Men’s Bowling Coach Mick Lewis is to leave Essex after three seasons to take up a role at Yorkshire.
Lewis, 50, joined the Eagles ahead of the 2022 campaign and formed a part of a coaching team that oversaw three top-four finishes in the County Championship and a run to Vitality Blast Finals Day.
He oversaw the continued development of established first-team players Jamie Porter and Sam Cook, among others, alongside helping to bring through new prospects such as Jamal Richards.
Former Australian international Lewis will officially depart for Headingley, once again linking up with former Essex Director of Cricket, Anthony McGrath, at the end of February.
“It was a tough decision to leave Essex, given the three great years that I spent on the coaching staff here,” said Lewis.
“Although I’m moving on, I really feel that the bowlers will continue to go from strength to strength, and the unit as a whole has been left in a good place.
“I really enjoyed my time in Chelmsford, and I wish everyone associated with the Club all the best for the future.”
As a Member of Essex, you’ll gain access to a host of exclusive benefits.
From priority ticketing for matches at our iconic HQ in Chelmsford to special events, and opportunities to engage with players and coaching staff, your Membership offers a unique opportunity to join the Club throughout the 2025 season.
Purchase your 2025 Membership now by clicking the link below, or by calling the Ticket and Membership Office on 01245 254010 between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Friday.
Six Essex Women players and three members of team management have landed in South Africa for a 12-day pre-season tour.
Amara Carr, Kelly Castle, Kate Coppack, Eva Gray, Flo Miller, and Sophia Smale will all spend a little under two weeks in Pretoria, in the north-east of the country.
They have been accompanied on the journey by Team Director Andy Tennant, Performance Director Danni Warren, and Assistant Coach Darren Stevens.
Castle, Coppack, and Gray will focus primarily on training and building skills, while Carr, Miller, and Smale will also earn match practice in the three-team Global Cricket Tournament.
Carr will represent DP World Lions, Miller will turn out for Eastern Storm, and Smale will play for Fidelity Titans, the latter of whom are working in partnership with the Eagles during the tour.
There will be multiple joint training sessions with Fidelity Titans, as well as several warm-up matches involving players from both teams in both 50- and 20-over formats.
The GCT runs over the weekend of Friday 17, Saturday 18, and Sunday 19 January, with two matches per day, and will take place entirely at Irene Country Club, in southern Pretoria.
From priority ticketing for matches at our iconic HQ in Chelmsford to special events, and opportunities to engage with players and coaching staff, your Membership offers a unique opportunity to join the Club throughout the 2025 season.
Purchase your 2025 Membership now by clicking the link below, or by calling the Ticket and Membership Office on 01245 254010 between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Friday.
All-rounder Lissy Macleod has agreed a deal to join Essex Women ahead of the newly-professional squad’s first season.
Macleod, 30, hails from Ascot in Berkshire, and spent the first decade of her cricket career playing for her home county, having made her debut in 2008 at the age of 14.
In 2020, she joined Sunrisers for their maiden campaign following the restructure of domestic women’s cricket under the regional model, and went on to play a total of 46 matches in both formats.
Within that time, Macleod, who has to date combined playing with her role as Head of Girls’ Cricket at Felsted School, hit 836 runs with a top score of 79, and claimed six List A wickets with her off-spin.
She was selected by Welsh Fire in 2021 for the inaugural season of The Hundred, and also represented Southern Vipers and Western Storm in the now-defunct Kia Super League between 2016 and 2018.
"It’s a brilliant moment personally and professionally to join Essex, and after the perfect way we were able to cap off the Sunrisers era, I’m excited to contribute to a new team,” said Macleod.
"The similarity in squads from the winning team last year fills me with every confidence in the Club and our aspirations for 2025 and beyond."
Team Director, Andy Tennant, added: "We’re thrilled to add Lissy to the squad ahead of our debut season in Essex colours.
"Her ability with the bat will be vital, and her off-spin has the potential to change games, but her experience and what she can pass on to the younger members of the squad will be just as invaluable."
From priority ticketing for matches at our iconic HQ in Chelmsford to special events, and opportunities to engage with players and coaching staff, your Membership offers a unique opportunity to join the Club throughout the 2025 season.
Purchase your 2025 Membership now by clicking the link below, or by calling the Ticket and Membership Office on 01245 254010 between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Friday.
2025 may only be a few days old, but excitement is already building for the height of summer as Vitality Blast action returns to Chelmsford.
Essex Members and supporters will have the chance to buy Blast Passes and matchday tickets as they go on sale this month, with Essex Members' priority window opening next Wednesday 15 January. See below for a full list of on sale dates or click here to view on sale dates and ticket prices.
Two double-headers, which will see both Essex Men and Essex Women in action on the same day, will crown a summer of cricket in CM2, with Adult tickets starting from £26 and Juniors from £10.
After selling out before January was through in 2024, the Blast Pass is back and bigger than ever for 2025, with purchasers able to gain entry to all 14 home Men’s and Women’s fixtures, including the double-headers.
Individual tickets to watch the first-ever season of the professional Essex Women’s team represent even better value, starting at just £8 for Adults and £5 for Juniors.
Essex Members will be able to buy Blast Passes and individual tickets from Wednesday 15 January, with an additional Blast Pass priority window following for 2024 buyers before General Sale on Wednesday 22 January.
Tickets will go on sale to 2024 T20 Ticket Buyers on Wednesday 29 January before E-news Subscribers receive priority access on Thursday 06 February. General Sale for matchday tickets is on Wednesday 19 February.
To ensure you get the best seats and can secure your group bookings, you will need to be part of a priority window. If you don't currently receive priority access to tickets, make sure to subscribe to our free e-news below.
View the full ticket prices, and sign up to 'Over and Out!' below.
As a Member of Essex, you’ll gain access to a host of exclusive benefits.
From priority ticketing for matches at our iconic HQ in Chelmsford to special events, and opportunities to engage with players and coaching staff, your Membership offers a unique opportunity to join the Club throughout the 2025 season.
Purchase your 2025 Membership now by clicking the link below, or by calling the Ticket and Membership Office on 01245 254010 between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Friday.
Essex Cricket has gone beyond the boundary to raise awareness of the trauma of infertility. It has become one of the first organisations in the county to embrace the Fertility in the Workplace (FiTW) initiative and is keen to start the conversation with its community.
Most people keep their struggle to conceive private for fear that it will affect their career opportunities, increasing the stress at work and impacting their performance.
Creating a more open and supportive culture has benefits for both employers and employees.
Essex is one of only eight clubs in the country awarded Tier One women’s team status from 2025, and Chelmsford will also host England Women against West Indies Women in May.
The club is committed to supporting the physical and emotional wellbeing of its teams and staff, and first became aware of FiTW when an event about the initiative was held in Chelmsford, hosted by Fertility Network UK and Bourn Hall.
Dan Feist, General Manager of Essex Cricket, comments: “The event started a discussion about fertility, and speaking to both male and female players and the staff, it became clear it is something they are very interested in. Some of the England women players are being open about their journeys too. So, we are keen to keep the conversation going.
“Being part of this programme will not only support our staff, but also our wider network across the region. I hope that it will inspire more businesses to get involved.”
Research commissioned by Fertility Network UK revealed that 35% of respondents found fertility treatment impacted their careers, 58% said work affected their treatment, and 18% left their jobs.
Claire Heuclin, Operations Manager for Fertility Network UK (FNUK), advises that a huge difference can be made by even small changes in the workplace, like having a clear fertility policy to enable both partners to attend crucial appointments, raising awareness of the topic of fertility challenges in the workplace through signposting, posters and resources, and awareness that some occupations – the police, child nurseries, teaching – can be particularly challenging.
“As part of FiTW we provide support for creating fertility policies, online learning sessions and free online resources for both employers and employees to increase understanding of the implications of infertility and treatment. We also offer wellbeing and support groups for employees.”
FiTW can assist SMEs free of charge until the end of March 2025, through the support of the VCSE and their partnership with HSBC and Bourn Hall.
Dr Thanos Papathanasiou is CEO and Medical Director at Bourn Hall, the world’s first IVF clinic. It has clinics in Wickford and Colchester, providing a range of fertility care, and has been providing advice and professional input into the FiTW resources.
Dr Papathanasiou says: “Fertility treatment involves a lot of commitment over 3-4 weeks – daily injections, scans, a small procedure to collect eggs and then embryo transfer.
"If the employer doesn’t know, and this is taken as sick leave, it can make a significant impact in the workplace. If it were possible to be open about treatment, then together they can plan – this is better for everyone.
"As a clinic we can help by providing letters and information for patients to give to their employers and offering more flexibility.”
The event ‘The Business Case for Employer Action’ is now available as a webinar and includes employees from HSBC explaining how they encouraged the organisation to become more supportive to those on the fertility journey and benefits it has given to its employer proposition.
View it at youtube.com/watch?v=li31WWRY8q4.
More about Fertility in the Workplace: https://fertilitynetworkuk.org/fertility-in-the-workplace/
Find out more about Bourn Hall at www.bournhall.co.uk
Welsh all-rounder Kate Coppack has become the 14th player to join the ranks of the newly-professional Essex Women.
Coppack, 30, previously represented Sunrisers under the old regional model of women’s domestic cricket between 2021 and 2024.
She originally hails from Cheshire, and until 2018 represented her home county before moving to Middlesex in 2019, where she continued to play in between her Sunrisers commitments.
In all, she played 51 matches across both List A and T20 cricket for Sunrisers, claiming 46 wickets at a combined average of 29.07.
Her best bowling return of 4/27 came in the 2024 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final, claiming the Player of the Match award on the way to helping Sunrisers to a 27-run win that saw them lift that piece of silverware for the very first time.
"I’m incredibly happy to sign a deal with Essex and continue my cricket career at a very exciting time for the women’s game,” said Coppack.
"With so many of us having made the move across from Sunrisers, we already have a really strong bond, and we have experience of winning silverware too!
"I can’t wait for the season, to step out and play cricket again with a really talented squad, and see what we can achieve."
Team Director, Andy Tennant, added: "We're continuing to build a really strong group as we gear up for our first season representing Essex, and signing Kate only further serves to underline our ambition.
"She has all the tools in her armoury that you could want from a seam bowler, and we are incredibly excited to add her considerable skillset to our attack."
As a Member of Essex, you’ll gain access to a host of exclusive benefits.
From priority ticketing for matches at our iconic HQ in Chelmsford to special events, and opportunities to engage with players and coaching staff, your Membership offers a unique opportunity to join the Club throughout the 2025 season.
Purchase your 2025 Membership now by clicking the link below, or by calling the Ticket and Membership Office on 01245 254010 between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Friday.
Essex Cricket's Club Photographers, Gavin Ellis, Ray Lawrence, and Harry Trump, have selected their favourite snaps from 2024.
You were able to see a small selection of them in the latest issue of the Members' Magazine, but the full selection from each of our three snappers can be seen below.
Magnificence from Michael Pepper as his innings of 101 from just 44 deliveries helped the Eagles romp to Vitality Blast victory with 14 balls to spare against Middlesex.
The visitors must have thought their score of 203-7 was a tough act to follow but Pepper had other ideas. The late evening sun made for a nice image as he left the field to a standing ovation.
Jordan Cox certainly hit the ground running after his move to Essex for the 2024 season. I had the pleasure of photographing his remarkable innings at Canterbury in May.
He compiled 207 runs from 255 balls to set up a comprehensive away win by an innings and 96 runs.
A bumper crowd was in attendance for the first day of the Championship match against Warwickshire.
Also I was able to meet and photograph stadium artist Andy Brown as he painted a picture of the ground on a beautiful late spring Friday. Perfect.
The turnaround in the evening session of day 3 against Warwickshire epitomised fighting spirit.
Having batted indifferently in pursuit of the visitors’ first innings total, Sam Cook and Jamie Porter led a sensational session. The passion and intensity was absolutely great to witness.
Jamie Porter’s celebration on taking his 500th wicket when dismissing Jordan Clark of Surrey was reasonably muted, but the achievement was recognised roundly by his playing colleagues.
It was a fantastic achievement, and a great moment to capture.
Amu Surenkumar starred with the bat for Essex Women against Kent in the Battle of Bridge under the lights at The Cloud County Ground.
The innings propelled Essex to a target beyond the visitors’ reach, and the passion displayed was great to see.
This is Aaron Beard at Taunton during a Vitality Blast match. It’s something that happens more or less every ball when fielding, but with the T20 match times being different to most it can look good with a silhouette.
This type of image is always fun to create, because it gives a perspective that 99% of people inside the ground on the day would almost never get to see for themselves.
This was one of my absolute favourites across the entire season! It really shows Jordan’s personality at a spontaneous moment, which is something you’re always trying to illustrate.
Vitality County Championship days are a game of patience, so when a celebration comes your way, it makes it worthwhile – and especially one like this, from Jamie Porter!
As a Member of Essex, you’ll gain access to a host of exclusive benefits.
From priority ticketing for matches at our iconic HQ in Chelmsford to special events, and opportunities to engage with players and coaching staff, your Membership offers a unique opportunity to join the Club throughout the 2025 season.
Purchase your 2025 Membership now by clicking the link below, or by calling the Ticket and Membership Office on 01245 254010 between 10am and 4pm on Monday to Friday.
