Essex Women's duo Grace Scrivens and Jodi Grewcock have been included in a 13-player England Women Performance Programme for the 2025/26 winter period.
The Performance Programme will be led by England Women National Lead coaches Jon Lewis (Batting), Gareth Breese (Spin Bowling), Matt Mason (Pace Bowling) and Nick Wilton (Wicket-keeping/Fielding).
Scrivens and Grewcock were included in the England Women Cricket Pathway (EWCP) back in February when a 15-player squad travelled to Abu Dhabi for a warm weather training camp.
Kira Chathli (Surrey)
Tilly Corteen-Coleman (Surrey)
Jodi Grewcock (Essex)
Cassidy McCarthy (The Blaze)
Ella McCaughan (Hampshire)
Davina Perrin (Warwickshire)
Grace Potts (Lancashire)
Grace Scrivens (Essex)
Seren Smale (Lancashire)
Rhianna Southby (Hampshire)
Alexa Stonehouse (Warwickshire – loan)
Grace Thompson (Durham)
Phoebe Turner (Durham)
In addition to Scrivens and Grewcock's inclusion into the EWCP, we are delighted to share the news that Essex Women's Academy prospect Clara Thaker has been named in the 20-player England Women Under 19s training squad for the 2025/26 winter period.
The England Women Under 19 squad will be headed up by England Women Under 19 Performance Lead, Chris Guest.
Mollie Adams (Hampshire)
Maria Andrews (The Blaze)
Diya Badge (The Blaze)
Sophie Beech (Warwickshire)
Phoebe Brett (Warwickshire)
Olivia Cunliffe (Lancashire)
Flora Davies (The Blaze)
Bryony Gillgrass (Warwickshire)
Gen Jeer (Surrey)
Trudy Johnson (Durham)
Amelia Love (Yorkshire)
Laila Moledina (Somerset)
Amelia Oliver (Yorkshire)
Eve O'Neill (Hampshire)
Shristi Patil (Hampshire)
Prarthana Reddy (Glamorgan)
Clara Thaker (Essex)
Grace Thompson (Durham)
Venus Weerappuli (Lancashire)
Bea Willis (Somerset)
England Women’s Head of Performance Pathways Richard Bedbrook said: “The purpose of the Performance Programme is to provide development opportunities to players across various skill-sets, on the back of the successful Pace Programme last winter.
“This programme will provide individualised support, designed to accelerate each player’s development, working in collaboration with their county staff. The ultimate ambition is to provide each player with an opportunity to push their case for future England selection through continued performances within the domestic game and any England Women pathway activity.
“There are three overseas training camps for England Women across January, February and March 2026 that players from this Performance Programme could well be a part of. Such opportunities will provide further experiences and exposure for these players on top of the training camps that will place at the National Cricket Performance Centre.
“For the Under 19s, there are eight camps at the National Cricket Performance Centre across the winter as this programme builds towards a tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka in March/April 2026. The final England Women Under 19 touring party for the tri-series will be determined in the New Year.”
The T20 game will be the opening game of the series between the two sides and will also be the first game of India Women’s tour of England.
After an unforgettable summer of international cricket for the England teams, tickets for the fixture next summer have already proved extremely popular in the priority windows so secure your seat today!
Tickets can be bought online or through our Ticket Office on 01245 254010 (phone lines open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Essex County Cricket Club are pleased to announce a new partnership with Electech Installations, a solar solutions and renewable energy company.
Electech Installations has signed a partnership with Essex Cricket, becoming the Club’s Sustainability Partner.
The local company which is based in Grays, Essex are one of the UK's leading suppliers and installers of Solar PV systems, both residential and commercial.
The installation company undertake the complete installation, from the initial design to the final commissioning, priding themselves on first-class workmanship in the installation of over three megawatts of solar power to date.
Before the start of the 2025 season, they fitted 160 modules (71.2KW) to the roof of the Price Forbes Graham Gooch Cricket Centre, to help drive Essex Cricket's ambition of becoming a more sustainable and energy efficient Club.
By saving around 26,700 kg of carbon emissions each year, this installation makes the same environmental impact as planting 1,200 trees annually.
You can watch the installation video here:
Electech Installations Director, Lee Harvey said: “This was a great project to be a part of. With the cricket season just getting underway at the time, it was essential to minimise downtime and ensure the Club’s operations were not disrupted.
"The existing infrastructure added some challenges, requiring careful planning and coordination to deliver the system safely and efficiently.
"We managed every stage of the process from the initial designs, planning and arranging finance to final commissioning and certification.
"We’re delighted with the result and excited to support Essex County Cricket Club on their sustainability journey. We look forward to building a strong partnership and helping them achieve their environmental goals in the years ahead.”
Partnership Manager at Essex Cricket, Sheikh Hassan said: “We are delighted to welcome Electech Installations as our first official sustainability partner.
"The installation of solar panels at the Price Forbes Graham Gooch Indoor Cricket Centre marks an exciting step in our journey towards a more sustainable future.
"At Essex Cricket, we are committed to building a forward-thinking club that not only serves our members but also contributes positively to our local community and environment.
"This partnership is a vital part of our long-term ambition to make the Club stronger, greener, and better for generations to come.”
If you require solar panel installation then look no further and check out Electech Installations here.
Essex Cricket can reveal the shortlist for July's Player of the Month, for both the Men's and Women's teams.
Across both our Men's and Women's teams, we witnessed over 100 wickets taken and more than 2000 runs made. The Vitality Blast T20 competition has since ended and our attentions now turn to the Metro Bank One Day Cup and the Rothesay County Championship for the rest of the season.
July has some incredible contenders for the Players of the Month. Who impressed you? Who do you think deserves these awards? Let us know by scrolling down and choosing your favourites for the wefinanceanycar.com Men's award and the Tiptree Women's award.
The winning Men's and Women's player will be announced at the upcoming Metro Bank One Day Cup match against Surrey on Friday 15 August with voting closing at midday on Thursday 14 August 2025.
What a month Amir has had! The left-arm pace bowler helped take crucial wickets in the Vitality Blast T20 campaign. With 13 wickets to his name this month, he's shown he is a force to be reckoned with. Mo set up his teammates with 11 catches this month, and has bowled two opposition players out.
Unsurprisingly, Cox has made this list. It seems that even after his 139* against Hampshire, Jordan decided he had another century in his belt for July, making 132 in the first innings against Sussex in the championship match. His wicket keeping skills have also been on show this month, taking key catches and stopping runs being made.
Walter has impressed again with his batting this month. Hitting two half-centuries against Surrey and Kent (55 and 52 respectively). Not only that, he has been on the end of some brilliant catches to help the team finish the opposition's innings earlier.
Gray has been on fire with her wicket taking this month! There hasn't been a game where Gray hasn't taken a wicket. Her best figures came from the home game against The Blaze where she went 4-18 bowling out three of her opponents and setting up a catch for Griffith.
Although missing the first two matches of the month due to international duty, Grewcock has impressed in all aspects of the game. Jodi has hit one of the biggest run totals this month with 45 runs against Somerset. Grewcock has also taken catches in multiple matches on top of her own wickets against The Blaze.
A consistent batter, Penna has been a key batter in the squad. With well over 100 runs this month, Maddie is one of our top run scorers this month, contributing massively to our top order batting. In addition to this, Maddie has taken key wickets such as setting up two stumpings.
The full terms and conditions for the competition can be found here.
Essex Cricket is delighted to announce the signing of Gloucestershire seam bowling all-rounder Zaman Akhter.
Akhter, 26, has agreed a three-year deal with Essex which will bring him to the Club at the end of the 2025 season upon the conclusion of his contract with Gloucestershire.
The right-arm seam bowler played first-class cricket for Oxford UCCE in 2019 and featured in minor counties cricket for Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire before moving to the South Asian Cricket Academy, where he became the sixth graduate to turn professional.
Akhter made his first-class debut for Gloucestershire against Durham in May 2023 and hit the ground running, taking figures of 4-33 in 17 overs in his third County Championship match, against Leicestershire. Later that year, he made his List A debut in August.
A year on, the seam bowler claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in April 2024, taking 5-89 against Yorkshire.
In August 2024, after a series of impressive performances, Zaman was selected for the England Lions squad for a four-day match at Worcester's New Road against Sri Lanka. He took 5-32 in just 11.5 overs and was called up again that December for the Lions tour of South Africa.
Having achieved multi-format five-wicket hauls and England Lions recognition before turning 26, Zaman Akhter now joins Essex as the latest addition to strengthen what is widely regarded as one of the county circuit's best seam attacks.
Upon signing for the Club, Zaman said: "I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Essex. It’s a great club with a rich history and a strong winning culture, and I can’t wait to get started.
"I’m really looking forward to contributing on and off the field, learning from some outstanding players and coaches.
"Speaking to Chris (Silverwood), it’s a really exciting time and hopefully I can thrive at Essex to help contribute to their future success."
Director of Cricket Chris Silverwood, said: “We are really excited to bring 'Zum' into the group.
“He is a player we’ve had our eye on for a while and we really believe his quality will add and strengthen our bowling group.
“I look forward to working closely with Zaman over the winter period when we prepare for the 2026 season, integrating him into the squad and our plans for the season ahead.”
Drop him a follow on Instagram: @zum.__
Essex Cricket is set for an exciting summer as the Metro Bank One Day Cup returns this August, bringing four home fixtures at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground. All home games will be played during the school holidays at Chelmsford, with discounted tickets available when purchased in advance.
Tickets are still available via our Ticket Site, so visit now to to take advantage of your discount and support the Eagles this summer in the 50-over competition.
Essex Men's wicket-keeper batter Michael Pepper has been awarded his Essex County Cap.
Pepper, 27, is the 171st Essex player to receive this prestigious honour and was presented with the cap during the lunch break on Day One of the home Rothesay County Championship fixture against Warwickshire.
Michael Pepper joined the Club in 2017 following strong performances for the Second XI, before making his First XI debut a year later in the County Championship against Somerset.
The 27-year-old was Essex’s leading run-scorer in the 2024 Vitality Blast and has found himself a predominant member of the red-ball squad too, taking the responsibility as the designated wicket-keeper.
Following his stellar 2024 campaign with the bat in the Blast, Pepper was rewarded with an England ODI call-up for their tour of the West Indies during that winter.
In 55 first-class innings, Pepper has scored 1687 runs at an average of 33 with a high-score of 140. The right-handed batter has shone throughout the Blast campaigns over the years for the Eagles and boasts a record of 2109 runs at an average of 32 in 76 innings, with a high-score of 120* in an incredible match winning knock at Sussex in 2024.
Pepper joins a distinguished group of county-capped players and follows the recently capped Dean Elgar and Jordan Cox who were both awarded with their caps on Day One of this season's home fixture against Hampshire.
Essex Women face Lancashire Women in round ten of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, following a wash-out against Somerset at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground last week.
Grace Scrivens' team head up the M1 to face Lancashire at Sedbergh School, one of their many outgrounds, looking for victory against a strong red roses side who sit in the top three of the table.
Head Coach Andy Tennant has named a 13-player squad for the visit up north to Sedbergh School.
Seam bowler Esmae MacGregor is named as she returns from her precautionary rest period.
Sophie Munro and Flo Miller are continuing their rehab ahead of recovering from their long term injuries.
We caught up with Andy Tennant ahead of the last fixture against Somerset.
Jodi Grewcock struck her first half-century of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition as Essex overcame Lancashire at Chelmsford to break their duck in the tournament.
The left-hander finished unbeaten on 73 from 91 balls, accumulating singles and hitting only six boundaries as she shared a decisive fourth-wicket partnership of 89 from 88 with Flo Miller (41 from 48) and steered Essex over the line with 16 balls to spare.
Grewcock had earlier made a key contribution with the ball after Eve Jones (57 from 75) and Emma Lamb (43 from 53) gave Lancashire a strong platform with an opening stand of 106 from 117 – their third consecutive three-figure partnership.
But Grewcock (two for 36) and fellow leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood (three for 42) triggered a middle-order collapse to restrict the visitors to 230 for eight after seven wickets went down for 76.
Lancashire squad: TBC.
Coach: Chris Chambers
Captain: Ellie Threlkeld
The big questions: Will this be Lancashire’s year? They only progressed beyond the group stages of both 50-over and T20 cricket once combined in five years of regional cricket. But confidence is high that, following a winter’s work and some key signings, they can make their mark immediately on English domestic cricket’s new era.
Player to watch: Linchpin top order batter. The seasoned left-hander has been in impressive domestic form, and if she keeps it up, Ellie Threlkeld’s side will be strong contenders in the competition.
Young gun: Fast bowler Grace Potts is on the verge of senior England honours, having toured South Africa with them before Christmas. A sparkling summer will give the 22-year-old a great chance of debuting under new national coach, Charlotte Edwards.
Final thought: Lancashire’s squad looks stronger on paper than recent results might indicate. A solid run of appearances from England stars Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone would provide a major lift. Strong performances from fringe internationals Mahika Gaur, Emma Lamb, and Seren Smale could also prove decisive. Australian duo Katie Mack and leg-spinner Alana King are set to share overseas duties in the first half of the 2025 season
If you are unable to attend any of the match days, the game will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone, through the YouTube livestream.
Daily highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website and social media. Live updates will also be provided through the Club’s various social platforms and channels.
Tickets are on sale at just £8 an adult, £6 for over 65s and £5 for under 17s.
Tickets are sold on an unreserved seating basis, with loose seating available at the venue on the day.
Sedburgh School, once home to England Men's Harry Brook, is located on Station Road, Sedbergh LA10 5HG.
To secure your seats for Wednesday, visit the link below:
Essex produced a dominant display on the south coast last week to claim a well deserved victory against Sussex in the last round of the Rothesay County Championship.
Essex delivered a commanding performance to defeat Sussex by an innings and 39 runs at Hove, securing the second win of the season in the Rothesay County Championship. The Eagles were in control from the outset, dismissing Sussex for just 204 on the opening day thanks to a relentless new-ball display from Jamie Porter, who took 4 for 30, and Sam Cook.
Both bowlers exploited helpful conditions expertly, with Sussex’s batters showing poor shot selection and little resistance, despite a fluent half-century from the in-form James Coles.
In reply, Essex stamped their authority on the match with a mammoth first-innings total of 504. Jordan Cox (132) and Matt Critchley (123) were the standout performers, sharing a 184-run partnership that took the game away from Sussex. Critchley’s innings was particularly destructive, featuring five sixes, while Cox continued his fine form from the Vitality Blast.
With the Kookaburra ball offering little assistance and Sussex missing Ollie Robinson, Essex’s batters capitalised, building a huge 300-run lead.
Sussex showed some fight in their second innings, led once again by Coles, who compiled his third consecutive Championship century. His partnership of 141 with Tom Alsop briefly stalled Essex’s progress, but the visitors maintained pressure throughout.
Critchley returned to dismantle the middle and lower order, taking key wickets as Sussex lost 4 for 26 after tea on day three. Coles remained unbeaten on 99 when rain stopped play late in the day, but the writing was on the wall.
The final day lasted just 25 minutes. Coles reached his century but was eventually dismissed for 108, falling to Harmer. Critchley wrapped up the innings with figures of 4 for 41, sealing an emphatic innings victory for Essex. With their full-strength bowling attack finally available, Essex controlled the match from the first session to the last and now look well-placed to climb the Division One table in the remaining rounds.
The result also ended Sussex’s two-year unbeaten run at home in the Championship.
Chris Silverwood has named a 12-player squad for the clash against Warwickshire at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
Warwickshire find themselves in 4th position following their win against rivals Worcestershire at Edgbaston last week.
The Bears sit 24 points above Essex going into the match at Chelmsford, which is set to be a highly fought contest between the two sides who are aiming for back-to-back County Championship wins.
Warwickshire lost the toss and were forced to bowl first with wickets being shared around their bowling group in the first innings, which included mainstay's Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Ed Barnard.
When their time came to bat, they fell 149 runs short of Worcestershire's 333 total as two half-centurions, Beau Webster and Kai Smith top scored with 57 and 68 respectively.
Second time round with the ball, former Eagle Beau Webster took three wickets alongside Autralian off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, backed up by two-a-piece from both Ed Barnard and Ethan Bamber.
Chasing a score of 392 in the final innings of the match, Bears' Dan Mousley scored 69 before Zen Malik hit 149 and Webster an undefeated 100.
All-rounder Ed Barnard is Warwickshire's top-scorer this season amassing 707 runs in 18 innings at an average of 50.50 with a high-score 177*.
Whilst Ethan Bamber is the Birmingham outfit's leading wicket-taker with 32 wickets at an average of 32.75 in the first ten rounds of Championship matches.
Warwickshire squad: TBC.
Essex dominated last time out against Warwickshire, completing an emphatic innings-and-40-run victory within just two days at Edgbaston.
Jamie Porter reached a historic personal milestone, becoming only the 26th player to take 500 first-class wickets for Essex, achieving the feat with figures of 6 for 36 in Warwickshire’s second innings. His performance, backed by a relentless bowling unit, underpinned Essex’s second consecutive innings win in 2024.
The match began with Essex’s seamers dismantling Warwickshire for just 78 in their first innings. Shane Snater led the charge with 5 for 13, while Porter and Sam Cook shared the rest.
In reply, Essex found themselves in early trouble at 50 for 5, but a resilient lower-order effort turned the tide. Contributions from Michael Pepper (37), Matt Critchley (32), Simon Harmer (31), and Snater (33* on Day 1 and 69 overall) pushed the Eagles to 232, establishing a commanding lead of 154 runs.
Essex’s bowlers immediately struck again in the second innings. Porter and Cook obliterated Warwickshire’s top order, reducing them to 3 for 4 in a matter of overs. Porter picked up key wickets en route to his milestone, while Cook continued his excellent form with 3 for 36. Snater chipped in again, including a crucial lbw dismissal of Alex Davies. Despite a defiant 51 from Danny Briggs, Warwickshire folded for 114.
Porter fittingly sealed both the win and his 500th wicket by bowling Craig Miles for a duck, later rounding off the innings with his sixth scalp. The result reflects Essex’s ruthless efficiency with both ball and bat, showcasing a deep bowling attack, strong lower-order batting.
If you are unable to attend any of the match days, the game will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone, through the YouTube livestream.
Daily highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website and social media. Live updates will also be provided through the Club’s various social platforms and channels.
Tickets for all four days at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground are still available and are available to purchase here or by calling 01245 254010.
Play is due to start at 11am with the gates opening at 10am.
Adult tickets start from £16 whilst young adults/students can enter at a reduced price of £12 and junior's for just £6.
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.
We do offer family tickets, providing groups of families a discount to come and watch the cricket at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
Essex Cricket are happy to announce that seam bowler Shane Snater has signed a new contract with the Club.
Snater has agreed terms and put pen to paper on a new deal that will see him in Essex colours until the conclusion of the 2027 season, as he looks to extend his total of 236 wickets for the Club.
Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Shane made his Essex debut in 2018 in the One Day Cup at the Ageas Bowl against Hampshire, starting as a predominant white-ball player before converging his skills into the red-ball format.
A year on from his debut, Snater featured on five occasions in the Vitality Blast, helping the Club to secure the T20 Blast trophy in 2019.
The multi-format right-arm seam bowler pushed into the County Championship side in 2021 and hit the ground running, claiming 31 wickets at an average of 16.48 in his debut first-class season in England.
Shane's second season in the red-ball side was one which positively surprised many. Batting low down the order at number nine, Snater saved his side from the jaws of defeat on many occasions with useful runs. As a right-handed batter, the Zimbabwe born carried Essex to a one wicket victory against Yorkshire at Headingley thanks to a superb innings which saw him score 65* (51) and carry his bat.
That year saw Snater average just over 23 with the bat and a high score of 79 not out, however his ability to score helpful runs was matched with his skillset with the ball. Best bowling figures of 6/10 came against Lancashire at the end of the 2022 season in which he took 36 wickets at an average of 24.61.
Since making his red-ball debut, Snater has claimed a total of 139 first-class wickets at an average of 25.73 with best figures of 7-98. With the bat, Shane provides a healthy first-class average of 21.13 and a high score of 83*.
The right-arm seam bowler has featured 50 times for the Club in the shortest format, taking 41 wickets at an average of 29.63 with his best bowling figures of 3-8 coming against Sussex Sharks this year in a rain abandoned match.
Snater has represented Essex on 22 occasions in the List A format, since his official Essex debut back in 2018. In total, Shane has taken 43 wickets at an average of 23.11 with best bowling figures of 5-29.
After signing his new deal, Snater said: "I am very pleased to sign this new deal and extend my contract with the Club.
"Since making my debut for Essex in 2018, I feel as though I have grown into a multi-format cricketer, through my own perseverance but also through the help from my coaches and teammates over the years.
"I look forward to wearing the Essex shirt for more games in the future and hopefully help to deliver success to my team."
Chief Executive Officer, Dan Feist added: “We are delighted that Shane has agreed to extend his stay at the Club.
“Not only is he now one of our most experienced members of the dressing room, but Shane has shown his worth across all three formats for the Club on multiple occasions.
“He is an important member of the squad and our bowling attack but he has also contributed vital scores with the bat and we look forward to watching him perform for the seasons to come.”
Essex Cricket can confirm that Khaleel Ahmed has made the decision to return home for personal reasons and will be ending his time with the Club.
While we are disappointed to see him leave, we fully support Khaleel’s decision and are grateful for the contributions he made during his time with us.
Everyone at Essex Cricket wishes Khaleel all the very best for the future.
Sussex: Tom Haines, Daniel Hughes, Tom Alsop, James Coles, Dan Ibrahim, John Simpson (c & wk), Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Jack Carson, Ari Karvelas, Henry Crocombe, Gurinder Sandhu.
Essex: Dean Elgar, Paul Walter, Tom Westley (c), Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley, Michael Pepper (wk), Noah Thain, Simon Harmer, Sam Cook, Khaleel Ahmed, Jamie Porter.
Umpires: Rob Bailey & Mark Newell
Match Referee: Phil Whitticase
Scorers: Graham Irwin & Paul Parkinson
Toss: Essex won the toss and chose to bowl first
Result: Essex won by an innings & 39 runs
Essex needed just 25 minutes to secure only their second victory of the season in the Rothesay County Championship when they beat Sussex by an innings and 39 runs at Hove.
James Coles completed his third successive Championship hundred, but Sussex were bowled out for 261 in their second innings and suffered their first Championship defeat at Hove since May 2022.
Sussex’s cause at the start of the final day was pretty hopeless with 55 still needed to make Essex bat again and only three wickets in hand.
But at least Coles, 99 not out overnight, was able to follow up centuries against Durham and Warwickshire by reaching his seventh first-class hundred, when he cut the fourth ball of the first over of the day from Matt Critchley to the boundary.
Coles was ninth out for 108, when he slog-swept Harmer and top-edged to Jamie Porter at backward square leg. He’d faced 214 balls, hitting 14 fours and a six.
Simon Harmer had made the breakthrough in the second over when Ari Karvelas tickled a ball down the leg side and was well caught by Michael Pepper.
The end came when Critchley bowled Henry Crocombe for two. The leg-spinner finished with four for 41 and played his part in an excellent performance by Essex, who will fancy their chances of climbing the table in the remaining four games now they have a full-strength bowling attack available again, having controlled this match from the first session.
James Coles led Sussex’s resistance with an unbeaten 99 but his efforts seem unlikely to deny Essex victory over Sussex at Hove.
Coles was on the verge of a third successive Rothesay County Championship century when rain arrived at 5.20pm and play was abandoned shortly afterwards with Sussex 245 for seven in their second innings, still trailing by 55 after conceding a first-innings deficit of 300.
Coles is Sussex’s man in form. He made 148 not out at Durham and 150 in Sussex’s last home match against Warwickshire and he top scored in their first innings with 52. Only five batters have scored more Championship runs this season than the 21-year-old, and he didn’t offer a chance here after arriving in the seventh over with Sussex 33 for 2.
While he and Tom Alsop (72) were adding 141 in 72 overs for the third wicket Sussex harboured hopes of stalling Essex’s push for victory.
But Alsop was lbw to Matt Critchley in the leg-spinner’s second over and after tea Sussex lost four wickets for 26 in 40 balls including their leading run scorer John Simpson, calamitously run out going for a second run on an overthrow.
At the start of the day Essex skipper Simon Harmer clubbed three sixes to reach a half-century before he was last out for 53 as Essex’s first innings ended on 504, a lead of 300.
Essex’s new-ball pair Sam Cook and Jamie Porter soon made inroads. Tom Haines nibbled fatally at Cook’s first ball and edged it to third slip beforePorter struck in the seventh over to remove Daniel Hughes, courtesy of a fine low catch at second slip by Harmer.
But from 33 for two Coles and Alsop rebuilt patiently. Alsop’s fourth fifty of the season came off 104 balls and the normally more attacking Coles took 117 deliveries for his, but neither offered a chance as the Kookaburra ball quickly lost its effectiveness and Essex had to settle for containment.
Having had little success himself, Harmer turned to Critchley in the 47th over and with his first ball he nearly won an lbw verdict against Alsop. But the fourth delivery of his next over straightened enough to beat Alsop’s defensive push. He faced 150 balls and hit nine fours.
Essex had a breakthrough and after tea they rammed home their superiority, aided once again by some pretty poor shot selection by the Sussex middle and lower order.
Dan Ibrahim (19), who’d helped Coles add 48 for the fourth wicket, got a leading edge in the first over after the resumption and Khaleel Ahmed took the catch in his follow through, while Simpson was run out by Sam Cook’s throw looking for a second run on an overthrow after a moment’s fatal hesitation between him and Coles.
Critchley then struck in successive overs. Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s mistimed drive was caught well in the covers by Harmer and Jack Carson tamely picked out mid-wicket aiming to hit Critchley over the top.
As the clouds rolled in, Ari Karvelas defied Critchley and Harmer for 33 balls but it would need a lot more resistance from him, Coles and Sussex’s tail to keep Essex at bay on the final day.
Hundreds by Jordan Cox and Matt Critchley strengthened Essex’s position on the second day against Sussex at Hove.
Cox made 132 and Critchley 123 as Essex reached 475 for nine before bad light and rain took 28 overs off the day’s allocation after tea.
Sussex haven’t lost a home game in the Rothesay County Championship since May 2022 but will be hard pressed to maintain that record after Essex stretched their lead to 247.
That was largely down to Cox and Critchley, who put on 184 in 43 overs in the first half of the day.
Cox made 139 not out last week against Hampshire in the Vitality Blast and showed similar form against the red ball here, hitting 23 fours in his tenth first-class century – the second fifty of which came off 53 balls.
Sussex’s seam attack struggled in the absence of the rested Ollie Robinson, and with the Kookaburra ball offering little assistance skipper John Simpson soon adopted a containment strategy by rotating his attack in short spells in search of a breakthrough.
But with a temptingly short boundary on the pavilion side it was hard to contain Cox and Critchley, who offered one half-chance on 27 when Gurinder Sandhu got one hand on the ball at long on but couldn’t cling onto a very difficult opportunity.
Cox reached his century by reverse-sweeping Jack Carson to the boundary as 149 runs came before lunch. Sussex desperately needed to break through with the second new ball and they did so when it was five overs old. Cox launched into a full-blooded drive at Sandhu and second slip James Coles parried the edge into the air and Tom Alsop dived full length at first slip to take the catch.
Critchley also lodged his tenth first-class hundred of his career, which he reached in the 89th over when he ran a delivery from Ari Karvelas down to third man. As well as 12 fours he also hit five leg-side sixes in 175 balls.
He departed after a smart piece of work by Fynn Hudson-Prentice at mid on who ran him out with a direct hit after Critchley had been called through for a quick single by Michael Pepper.
When Noah Thain had his middle stump plucked out of the ground by Sandhu with the next ball there was brief respite for Sussex.
Rain and thunderstorms arrived at tea and when the players returned at 5.50pm Pepper (44) got a thin edge to the fourth ball after the resumption from Hudson-Prentice, who then had Khaleel Ahmed caught on the boundary before bad light forced an early close with Essex in control.
Essex produced an opening day performance against Sussex which belied their disappointing season to date, bottom but one of the championship’s first division, with just one victory. They bundled out Sussex – third in the table – for just 204 in only 52.4 overs and at the close were powerfully placed at 152 for four.
Essex’s inability to pair up their opening attack of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook has been a major factor in their poor campaign. Cook has been involved with the England set-up and Porter, on paternity leave, missed the last championship match against Yorkshire.
Here, though, they were back in tandem, both hitting a length on a relentless line of third or fourth stump and Porter, with four for 30, was the star of the show. Sussex, though, knowing the Kookaburra ball gets softer, and batting easier, showed a lack of application.
Essex won the toss and bowled on a grassy pitch, with a canopy of clouds also promising to assist their seamers.
Sussex, who had dropped Tom Clark for the fit-again Tom Alsop, and brought in Ari Karvelas for the rested Ollie Robinson, struggled to overcome the conditions but were also guilty of some indulgent strokeplay.
Porter broke through in the ninth over when Daniel Hughes, going for a lavish drive, edged to keeper Michael Pepper. And it was 31 for two in the next over when Alsop, playing forward defensively, edged Cook behind.
The relatively inexperienced Khaleel Ahmed replaced Cook at the sea end but there was no let-up for Sussex. Khaleel pitched one up to Tom Haines who went for the drive. But the ball nipped off the pitch and Simon Harmer took the catch at second slip. And it was 64 for 4 in the 18th over when Dan Ibrahim attempted an expansive drive against the same bowler and was caught behind. The players took an early lunch at 69 for four when a second, heavier shower swept over the ground.
The in-form James Coles and John Simpson launched a mini-revival with a stand of 56. Coles showed some of the fluency that had brought him 150 against Warwickshire in his previous championship innings. When he played Cook to backward point for a quick single he had reached his half-century from 62 balls, with seven eye-catching fours. But then he played forward to Porter and edged to first slip, and four balls later Fynn Hudson-Prentice nicked off for a duck.
Yet again Simpson was required to make the most of diminishing resources. He added 49 for the seventh wicket with Jack Carson, whose five fours included a straight drive off Noah Thain that might have been the shot of the day.
The introduction of fourth seamer Thain saw the first drop in the keen accuracy of the Essex attack. But he, too, was good enough to get among the wickets. Carson had made 25 when he edged to Pepper and next ball it was 169 for eight when Simpson prodded only half-forward to Harmer and was caught at slip.
When Karvelas flayed to cover for one Sussex had lost three wickets for two runs but last pair Henry Crocombe and Gurinder Sandhu put on 33.
When Essex batted Dean Elgar was caught at midwicket, Paul Walter, half forward, was lbw to Carson, Tom Westley was yorked by Sandhu and nightwatchman Cook was caught at leg slip. But they could still be in a very strong position by the second afternoon.
