Middlesex v Essex Hawks
D40 Quest South
William Perkins School
Middlesex: Umesh Valjee, Craig Fowler, Aryan Janjale, James Nordin, J Batten, Connor Flaunty, Fraser Church, Mohammed Farooq, Mark Rochester, Sam Kumar, Matthew Jones.
Essex Hawks: Ronnie Jackson, Benny Fryatt, Joe Moss, Ben Aust, James Ward, Joel Barker, Alfie Jeeves, Jack Flowers, Billy Law, Matt Norman, Jack Gair, Amara Law.
Umpires: Stephen Greaves & A Lakhlani
Scorers: Richard Jones and Mike Stephenson
Essex Hawks: 187 (34 overs)
Middlesex: 188/1 (26.1 overs)
Toss: Middlesex won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Middlesex won by nine wickets
Ronnie Jackson's superb century was the highlight for Essex Hawks during their D40 Quest South encounter with Middlesex at the William Perkins School.
Jackson, who recently featured for England during their series win over India, hit 123 off 93 balls during his 119-minute stint at the crease. His innings included fifteen 4s and three 6s. However, his efforts proved insufficient in guiding Essex to their first victory of the season.
Matthew Jones returned bowling figures of 8-1-28-4, and Craig Fowler 8-0-48-3 as Middlesex dismissed the visitors to 187.
Middlesex chased down their target inside 27 overs and for the loss of one wicket. Jackson broke through with the ball on what proved to be a tough day for Essex.
Umesh Valjee followed Jackson's earlier heroics with a century of his own for the hosts. His 108 from 94 balls carried Middlesex home with some to spare and concluded a frustrating season for the Hawks.
Hampshire v Essex Hawks
D40 Quest South
Utilita Bowl Nursery Ground
Essex Hawks: James Ward, Joe Moss, Conor Berry, Matthew Edwards, Alfie Jeeves, Benny Fryatt, Jack Flowers, Ben Aust, Martin Henderson, Matthew Thomas, Amara Law, Billy Law
Hampshire: Henry Schooling, Thomas Millward, Kevin Cooper, Ben Williams, Samuel Godfrey, James Boorah, William Hausen, Alex Macadam, Freddie Leamon, Henri Abel, Bailey Loveless
Umpires: Andy Burgess and Andy White
Scorers: Andrew Leamon and Mike Stephenson
Surrey: 334/5 (40 overs)
Essex Hawks: 181 (35.4 overs)
Toss: Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat
Result: Hampshire won by 153 runs
Essex Hawks were once again left to pick out the positives after suffering a 153-run D40 Quest South defeat at the hands of a powerful Hampshire side in a match staged on the Utilita Bowl Nursery Ground.
With Hampshire facing Worcestershire in close proximity, spectators drifted between the two fixtures, particularly during the lunch and tea intervals, providing their support, encouragement and enthusiasm. Although at first glance, this was another sizable defeat for Essex, there were notable areas of improvement.
Hampshire posted a formidable 334 for five, with Samuel Godfrey hitting an unbeaten 101* off just 44 balls during a stay at the crease that lasted just over an hour. Kevin Cooper contributed 79 before becoming one of three victims for Alfie Jeeves. The leg-break bowler finished with figures of 8-1-48-3, while Matt Thomas and Martin Henderson also broke through with the ball.
Essex lost wickets regularly, with Alex MacAdam (6-1-28-5) doing the bulk of the damage. However, Joe Moss scored 90 off 85. His innings included thirteen 4s and three 6s. Seventeen-year-old Amara Law deserves huge credit for rebuffing some fearsome Hampshire bowling. Despite not troubling the scorers, she faced 34 deliveries during 33 minutes in the middle, supporting Moss ably.
Indeed, their tenth-wicket stand gleaned 55 runs. Both players' efforts were appreciated by their teammates at the conclusion.
Jack Flowers returned to the team, offering a vibrant energy. Essex Hawks return to D40 Quest South action on Sunday, July 6, when they face Sussex at Ansty Cricket Club, Heywards Heath (1 pm).
Following the tragic event that took place at Chalkwell Park, Southend this weekend, everyone at Essex Cricket sends our thoughts and condolences to the families, friends and communities that have been impacted.
Essex Cricket would also like to extend our thoughts and thanks to those members of the local cricketing family who rushed to the scene to help those impacted whilst their matches were taking place.
If you have been affected by this weekend's tragic incident, there is support out there.
NHS Support
1. GP Referral
2. Crisis Mental Health Teams
Charities and Helplines
1. Samaritans
2. Mind
3. Cruse Bereavement Support
4. Victim Support
Use the NHS Service Finder: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search
Surrey v Essex Hawks
D40 Quest South
Kia Oval, London
Essex Hawks: James Ward, Joe Moss, Andrew Mowatt, Ben Aust, Matthew Edwards, Benny Fryatt, Alfie Jeeves, Martin Henderson, Matthew Thomas, Matt Norman, Joel Barker, Dan Thomas, Martyn Doe
Surrey: Michael O'Mahony, Umar Khan, Jonathan Gale, Ben Carter Martina, Jason Talmer, J Green, Joe Fisher, Luke Saunders, Toby Carter Martina, Matt Harris, Aditya Patwardhan
Umpires: Mike Stephenson and P Windsor
Surrey: 327/5 (40 overs)
Essex Hawks: 167/6 (40 overs)
Toss: Essex Hawks won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Surrey won by 160 runs
Essex Hawks found themselves on the wrong end of a heavy D40 Quest South defeat against a powerful Surrey team in a match staged in humid conditions at the Kia Oval.
Essex battled gamely in grand surroundings. Nevertheless, chasing down Surrey's mammoth 327 for five total was always going to be a tall order.
Surrey's Michael O'Mahony scored 72, while Jason Talmer contributed 70 to the hosts' cause before both were dismissed by Essex's captain, Joe Moss.
Benny Fryatt also took two wickets, including the scalp of wicketkeeper/batter Jonathan Gale, aided by an outrageous one-handed catch on the boundary from Alfie Jeeves which drew a collective gasp from the small, but enthusiastic Oval audience. On what was a tough day, Jeeves was Essex's most economical bowler, returning figures of 8-0-35-1.
Faced with a hugely difficult task, Essex doggedly batted out their forty overs. Despite falling some way short, skipper Moss hit a half-century. His 56 came off 89 balls and included nine 4s.
Matthew Edwards hit 44 off 68 during a 79-minute stint at the crease, while Fryatt followed up his performance with the ball by scoring an unbeaten 30*.
Surrey utilised no less than nine bowlers, with Aditya Patwardhan returning 6-2-22-3 and Jason Talmer 2-1-5-2.
Although soundly beaten, it was a memorable occasion for the Essex players and their supporters, who were able to sample a matchday experience first-hand at one of the world's iconic cricketing venues.
Essex Hawks v Hampshire
D40 Quest South
Harlow Town CC
Essex Hawks: Ronnie Jackson, Matthew Edwards, Joe Moss (c), Ben Aust, Alfie Jeeves, Benny Fryatt, Issac Elles, Matthew Thomas, Laila Robinson, Andrew Mowatt, Martin Henderson, James Ward (wk).
Hampshire: James Boorah, Thomas Millward, Kevin Cooper, Ben Williams (c), Samuel Godfrey, William Hausen (w), Freddie Leamon, Alex Macadam, Sam Marks, Henri Abel, James Humphries
Hampshire: 246-8 (40 overs)
Essex Hawks: 110 (29.2 overs)
Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Hampshire won by 136 runs.
Essex Hawks were on the wrong end of the result as visitors Hampshire recorded a 136-run D40 Quest South victory in a match staged at Harlow Town Cricket Club.
On a warm afternoon, Hampshire posted 246 for eight, with skipper Ben Williams leading the way, scoring a quickfire 70 off 45 deliveries, before he was dismissed by a honey of a ball from Matthew Thomas.
Samuel Godfrey contributed 52, and Freddie Leamon 33. Essex utilised seven bowlers. Ronnie Jackson did his utmost, returning 8-0-56-3, while skipper Joe Moss, 8-0-46-2, and Alfie Jeeves, 8-0-50-2, doggedly stuck to the task.
A flurry of wickets ensured it was always going to be a tall order for Essex to reach their target. Matthew Edwards top-scored, reaching 29 before he was trapped lbw by Alex Macadam. Indeed, Macadam did the bulk of the damage with the ball for the visitors, with 4-0-17-3, while Williams had 5.2-2-20-2, on what proved to be a tough day at the office for the home side.
Essex Kestrels v Kent
S9 Regional South East
Harlow Town CC
Essex Kestrels: Bradley Donovan, Alex Roper, Alex Myles, Al Maxin, James Cole, Bradley Barker, Harry Willis, Charlie Stack, Ollie Kennedy, Jack Flower, Steve Denham.
Essex Kestrels: 244-5 (30 overs)
Kent: 136-7 (30 overs)
Essex Kestrels won the toss and elected to bat.
Essex Kestrels won by 108 runs.
All-conquering Essex Kestrels proved to be too strong for visitors Kent, winning their S9 Regional South East match at Harlow Town Cricket Club by 108 runs.
Unbeaten duo, Jack Flowers (50*) and Charlie Stack (53*) were once again amongst the runs for the home side, while James Cole (38) and Al Maxin (37) were also in decent nick with the bat, helping the home side to a sizable 244 for five.
And despite a decent effort from the visitors, Essex won with some to spare. Harry Willis returned bowling figures of 5-0-13-2, and Alex Myles 6-226-2. Ollie Kennedy, Bradley Donovan and Barker also got in on he act as the Essex attack turned the screw.
Sussex v Essex & Herts Stags
S9 Regional South East
Harlow Town CC
Essex & Herts Stags: 117
Sussex: 119-6
Sussex won the toss and elected to bowl.
Sussex won by four wickets.
Essex & Herts Stags suffered a four-wicket defeat on their trip to face Sussex.
The visitors scored 117. Monty McShane led the way with 25, while Reece Nicholls contributed 15.
However, the home side reached their target for the loss of six wickets. McShane and Nicholls performed equally well with the ball, each claiming two wickets.
Essex Falcons v Middlesex 2nd
D40 Pursuit South East
Harlow Town CC
Essex Hawks: Benny Fryatt, Matthew Hazel, Andy Catherell, Issac Elles, Andrew Mowett, Martyn Doe, Jack Flowers, Matt Thomas, Billy Gibbons, Amara Law, Laila Robinson, Daniel Thomas, Alex Roper.
Middlesex 2nd: S Lycett, N Magdani, Connor Flaunty, F Church, Moazzam Rashid, Naseer Butt, S Sagar, H Rashid, T Wilson, J Charan, R Vegad.
Essex Falcons: 139-9 (40 overs)
Middlesex 2nd: 140-4 (25.2 overs)
Essex Falcons won the toss and elected to bat
Middlesex 2nd won by six wickets.
Essex Falcons slipped to a six-wicket D40 Pursuit South East defeat at the hands of a strong Middlesex second string on a cold day at Harlow Town Cricket Club.
Despite the setback, the Essex side produced a battling performance with several notable contributions.
Benny Fryatt was in good form with the bat, hitting 41 off 56 balls during an 88-minute stint at the crease, and helping his side towards their modest total of 139/9.
A good opening partnership of 54 between Fryett and captain Matty Hazel got Essex off to a positive start, but once Fryett fell, wickets tumbled at regular intervals. S Sagar impressed with the ball for the visitors, returning 5-2-12-4.
Middlesex chased down their target within twenty-six overs, with Neil Magdani finishing unbeaten on 45*. Isaac Elles was the pick of six bowlers utilised by the home side, with figures of 7-0-45-3.
Nevertheless, the home side had plenty of positives against a strong Middlesex side to carry forward as the 2025 season unfolds.
Essex Hawks v Middlesex
D40 Quest South
Harlow Town CC
Essex Hawks: Joe Moss, Ronnie Jackson, Benny Fryatt, James Ward, Ben Aust, Alfie Jeeves, Martyn Doe, Laila Robinson, Issac Elles, Alex Roper, Martin Henderson, Amara Law.
Middlesex: Umesh Valjee, Naseer Butt, Aryan Janjale, James Nordin, Craig Fowler, Connor Flaunty, Matthew Jones, Mark Rochester, Kester Sainsbury, Jai Charan, Mohammed Farooq.
Middlesex: 245-4 (40 overs)
Essex Hawks: 37 (15 overs)
Essex Hawks won the toss and elected to bowl
Middlesex won by 208 runs.
Essex Hawks suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of a strong Middlesex side in their opening D40 Quest South fixture of the season, staged at Harlow Town Cricket Club.
Having been put into bat, Middlesex posted a competitive 245 for four with Umesh Valjee leading the way with an unbeaten knock of 147* off 142 balls during a 174-minute stint at the crease. His innings included eleven 4s and one 6.
Essex utilised nine bowlers, with Ronnie Jackson returning figures of 5-0-29-2, while Issac Elles had 5-0-19-1.
The Essex scorecard made for a pretty grim read. Only Elles (10*) and Alfie Jeeves (10) made it to double figures, while James Nordin bowled brilliantly for the visitors, finishing with 7-2-9-7.
Essex & Herts Stags v Essex Kestrels
Super 9s Regional South-East
Harlow Town CC
Essex & Herts Stags: 71
Essex Kestrels: 72-3
Essex Kestrels won the toss and elected to bowl
Essex Kestrels won by seven wickets.
Meanwhile, Essex Kestrels got their Super9s Regional South-East campaign off to a winning start following a competitive encounter with Essex & Herts Stags in a match also at Harlow Town Cricket Club.
The game – the first for the Essex & Herts Stags – a joint team featuring players from both counties playing in a jointly run side. Many of the team made their league debut. The whole team have worked hard over the winter, and their efforts were clear to see with a good solid performance on the field.
Essex & Herts Stags posted 71 with Alex Scott finishing unbeaten on 32*. Harry Willis returned figures of 2-1-16-2, while Kennedy, Alex Myles and Bradley Donovan were amongst the wickets.
The Kestrels reached their target for the loss of one wicket. Phil Law (19*) and Alisha Maxin (14*) carried their side over the line. Joshan Patel trapped James Cole lbw for 12, but his efforts with the ball were in vain.
Essex & Herts Stags: Joshan Patel, Jack Williams, Ed Neale, Charlie Smith-Galer, Jamie William Torr, Krish Bhudia, John Watkinson, Alex Scott, Monty McShane, Daniel Edgington, Jack Williams, Oliver Clarke, James Davies, Jake Hulley.
Essex Kestrels: Bradley Donovan, Steve Denham, Al Maxin, James Cole, Bradley Barker, Charlie Stack, Ollie Kennedy, Phillip Law, Beth Law, Jack Flowers, Harry Willis, Alex Myles.
Essex Cricket in the Community has published its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting the diverse range of programmes and initiatives across our club, school, and community networks over the past year.
The report offers an overview of how these initiatives, carried out by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, have supported, expanded, and diversified grassroots cricket across Essex and East London, all while ensuring that cricket is the game for all.
Dan Feist, Chief Executive Officer at Essex Cricket, said: “Last year, the power of community and stakeholder partnership created so many robust examples of people from every corner of our region being provided the opportunity to Fly like an Eagle.
"I hope you enjoy reading more about them in this report."
Click here to view the report.
Rachel Lewis, Chair at Essex Cricket in the Community Board said: "The Essex Cricket in the Community team will continue to adapt to the opportunities and challenges that allow the Excite, Engage, Enhance vision to really take shape, and I am very excited to be a part of the next chapter.
"Please have a read of this brilliant Impact Report."
If you or your organisation are interested in learning more about our efforts and how you can help make a positive impact on the lives of people in Essex and East London through cricket, please reach out to via email at: [email protected]
There is so much cricket on offer in Chelmsford this summer with the Rothesay County Championship getting underway - against Surrey, no less - on Friday 04 April.
England Women are also in CM2 for a blockbuster Spring Bank Holiday T20 against West Indies Women, you can't miss this one!
And the Metro Bank One Day Cup returns, but this time with Men's and Women's competitions throughout the summer.
Tickets for every match are now available via our Ticket Site, so have a browse and get your summer of cricket booked in.
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
