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Essex Eagles v Yorkshire Vikings

Royal London Cup
The Cloudfm County Ground
Saturday 14 August
11am start

Essex Eagles face Yorkshire Vikings in the Quarter-Finals of the Royal London Cup on Saturday, following yesterday’s dramatic tie with Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Chasing a target of 251 for victory, Alastair Cook scored a sublime 110 but the fireworks were provided by in the final over by Simon Harmer.

With the Eagles requiring 21 runs to win from the final 4 deliveries with 2 wickets intact, the South African thumped 3 enormous sixes before having to settle for 2 runs from the last ball to secure a point for his side.

Now 48 hours later, the Eagles are in action again, this time at The Cloudfm County Ground where they battle to overcome Head Coach Anthony McGrath’s former County, Yorkshire, with the winners progressing to Tuesday’s Semi-Final against Glamorgan.

Yorkshire finished third on run-rate in their group behind Glamorgan and Surrey, although all 3 teams completed their qualifying round of matches with 10 points.

Squad:

McGrath’s View:

Anthony McGrath is relishing the opportunity to meet up with his former County once again as the Eagles and Vikings lock horns looking for a place in the Semi-Finals.

Now Essex Head Coach, he represented Yorkshire from 1995 until 2012 and was twice Club Captain, but now all his loyalties lie with the Eagles.

He said: “I still know a few people from there but all my focus is now with Essex and I’m looking forward to what should be a really good game.”

Commenting on the tied match with Lancashire which ensured the home Quarter-Final tie, he continued: “Cooky was magnificent and the way he was playing with Ryan (ten Doeschate), we were cruising along. But we started to lose wickets and in the end, it was left to Harmy to get us the point.

“I have to be honest and say I thought the game had gone at that point but Harmy normally writes his own scripts. He hit 3 sixes to the longest part of the ground which was incredible really and he was actually disappointed he didn’t hit the last ball for six.

“But once again, we witnessed an excellent game of cricket as we have done so often in this tournament and yet again, there was another tight finish.

“What has been really satisfying for me is the way so many of our younger players have taken their opportunities to show what they can do and for us to qualify with so many disruptions like any other County is superb to see.

“Now we need three wins to pick up another trophy starting on Saturday which we know will be a tough game but it’s one that we are eagerly anticipating.“

The Opposition:

The Vikings booked their place on the knockout stages thanks to a fine victory over table-toppers Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens on Thursday.

Yorkshire successfully defended a target of 231 having been 132-7 at one stage. In the 28th over, Glamorgan were coasting along at 121-0 and soon after, needed 108 off the last 20 overs with 9 wickets in hand.

But the Vikings attack applied pressure to the home batsman before Matthew Waite defended 11 off the last over as the Welsh County ended on 226-8.

Yorkshire have won 4 matches in the Royal London Cup claiming victories against Glamorgan, Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

Essex and Yorkshire have met on 47 occasions in List A cricket with the Eagles narrowly shading bragging rights with 24 wins and 23 defeats.

The Vikings have won the last 2 Royal London Cup Quarter-Final matches at Chelmsford securing victory by 25 runs in 2018 and 20 runs 3 years earlier.

However, back in 2008 when the teams clashed at Chelmsford in the 50 over Friends’ Provident Trophy, it was the home side who prevailed by 87 runs. Alastair Cook stroked his way to 95 out of 285-8 and then Danish Kaneria and Ryan ten Doeschate shared 6 wickets (Kaneria 3/32 and ten Doeschate 3/30) as the visitors were dismissed for 198 despite 53 from a certain Anthony McGrath.

Essex went on to lift the trophy that year beating Kent Spitfires in the Final and that proved to be the last occasion that they have won a List A competition. Now Tom Westley and co are looking for repeat success as they strive to secure their 6th major trophy in 6 years.

How to Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Cloudfm County Ground. This will be available via the Essex Cricket Matchzone from 11am.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

The Eagles have booked a place in the Royal London Cup Play-Off stages and will face Yorkshire Vikings at The Cloudfm County Ground, with play starting at 11am.

The ground will be operating a fully seated capacity for the knockout match with a split of Unallocated Members and Public seating.

Members are welcome to use Doug Insole Pavilion with a section of the benches also available.

The Royal London Cup is part of the 2021 Membership and the capacity for Members’ entry into the ground will remain unrestricted for these fixtures.

Members are not required to purchase a ticket in advance and can enter the ground using their 2021 Membership card.

General Public tickets are on sale now and selling fast – find out more.

Scheduled Hours of Play:

• Timings:

Ahead of your visit:

We want to make sure supporters are all set ahead of visiting the ground. We continue to work closely with the Chelmsford City Council Safety Advisory Group, Chelmsford Trading Standards, and the ECB to ensure that games can operate safely whilst continuing to mitigate against the risk of COVID-19 within the new guidelines.

We must stress that COVID-19 numbers are continuing to rise and please do not travel to the ground if you have any symptoms and follow the Government guidelines.

In the event of adverse weather conditions on the day of the match, please keep up to date with the prospects of play via the Club’s Twitter and Facebook channels or from our automated phone line on 01245 254049.

The Cloudfm County Ground is now a cashless ground for 2021, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit. Find out more – here

Parking:

• Spectators travelling by car will need to locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloudfm County Ground.

• The High Chelmer multi-storey will be operating extended opening hours to supporters and closes at 10pm on Saturday.

• Meteor Way will be open for Members and open three hours before the start of play and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ground Entry:

Spectators are able to enter the ground via the Main Gate located on New Writtle Street or through the Tees River Gate.

• Members: The Doug Insole Pavilion is open for Members upon the presentation of a valid Membership card and accessible by entering the ground through the Main Gate.

• Members are not required to pre-book a match ticket and can enter by scanning their Membership card on the gate. If you require a replacement card, please get in contact with the Membership & Ticketing Office before the fixture to arrange a replacement or this may cause delays on entry for you and other spectators.

• Entry to this fixture are included in 2021 Membership and encourage Members to arrive in plenty of time to secure your seat. All seating for these games is Unallocated and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Renewing Members from the 2020 season are not entitled to bring one complimentary guest for this match.

• The Members’ seated areas are located in the Doug Insole Pavilion Benches, Tom Pearce Stand and Areas 11-14 in the River End of the ground. Members are also welcome to sit in the Aon Stand which is accessible via the Hayes Close Gate.

• In the event of rain forecast on the day of the match, spectators can bring a small umbrella into the ground but metal spiked umbrellas are not permitted.

• General Public Seating:

• Supporters who have purchased tickets can enter the ground by scanning the QR on your tickets that has been sent to you via email following your purchase. If you choose to print out your ticket, please ensure that the match details (including name and seat details) are included as per the image below. Make sure you have your match ticket available on your phone or printed out so it is easily accessible for ticket scanning on arrival. Please do not take a ‘screen grab’ of your QR code as that will not be read by the scanners.

• Ticket holders for this game are welcome to sit in the Unallocated Areas numbered 15-26, which includes covered seating in Areas 22-24.

• Wheelchair-accessible seating is located in Areas 1 and 30 and can be allocated by contacting the Membership and Ticketing Office in advance (01245 254010).

Moving Around the Ground:

• We kindly request that masks continue to be worn when moving around The Cloudfm County Ground. You will not be required to wear a mask when seated.

• We also ask that spectators try and keep to social distancing where possible although The Club recognise that this is not always practical nor possible.

• Additional hand sanitisation stations and toilet facilities will continue to be in place for the remainder of the season.

• Whilst restrictions continue to be lifted, the threat of COVID-19 has not yet disappeared. We ask all spectators to take a common-sense approach when moving around The Cloudfm County Ground.

• Spectators are permitted to move behind the Doug Insole Pavilion but please respect the players’ area and walkway. We also ask that spectators do not request autographs or photos with players who are required to remain socially distant.

• Toilets are located across The Cloudfm County Ground with wheelchair accessible by the main scoreboard, River End and rear of the Doug Insole Pavilion.

• The Club Store and Membership & Ticketing Office will be open for spectators for the duration of your visit.

If you experience any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour during your visit to The Cloudfm County Ground then, please contact your nearest steward. Alternatively, you can text ‘CROWD’ including your stand and issue to 60070.

Food & Drink:

• The Doug Insole Pavilion will be welcoming Members back through its doors and there will be a wide range of hot and cold drinks available from the bar. A choice of snacks will also be on sale.

• Anne’s Pantry returns for this fixture and the Royal London Cup campaign offering a choice of home-cooked meals, cakes/snacks, and drinks from their refreshment kiosks located in the Hayes Close End and River End.

Anne Pantry Menu for Sunday:

Bacon Rolls, Gourmet Burgers (vegan burger option available), Bratwurst (vegan wurst option available), Chips, Pies, Chinese Chicken Curry, Chicken & Chorizo Paella (Vegan Paella option available), Crisps, Cake. We welcome supporters with varied diets and can offer gluten-free & dairy-free options.

• Other refreshment kiosks include bars area located at either end of the ground in County Corner and Spinner’s Bar.

• Spectators can bring food and drink into the ground for this fixture. A limit of four cans of beer/lager or one bottle of wine per person but there’s strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted into the ground.

• Please note that The Cloudfm County Ground is now a cashless ground for 2021, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit.

Leaving the Ground:

At the conclusion of the day’s play, we ask spectators leave the ground in a safe and patient manner. Stewards will be on hand to help direct you safely out of the ground.

We hope you have an enjoyable visit to The Cloudfm County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be available on essexcricket.org.uk ahead of the match.

Get in touch with us by email if you have any further questions at [email protected] or via the Club’s official Twitter and Facebook channels.

Lancashire v Essex Eagles

Royal London Cup

Thursday 12 August, 11am

Emirates Old Trafford

Team News:

Lancashire: Josh Bohannon, Luke Wells, Rob Jones, Steven Croft, George Balderson, George Lavelle (wk), Danny Lamb, Taylor Cornall, Tom Bailey (c), Liam Hurt, Jack Morley.

Essex Eagles: Alastair Cook, Josh Rymell, Tom Westley (c), Feroze Khushi, Paul Walter, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater (wk) Simon Harmer, Aron Nijjar, Jack Plom, Ben Allison.

Match Details:

Umpires: Paul Baldwin & Neil Pratt
Toss: Essex Eagles, who elected to field
Result: Match Tied

Scorecard: View Here

Match Highlights:

Match Reaction: Anthony McGrath

Match Report:

Alastair Cook struck a magnificent century as Essex Eagles and Lancashire produced a thrilling tie in the Royal London Cup clash at Emirates Old Trafford.

It was Cook’s 13th List A century and 8th for the County and it was a sublime innings from the opener that ensured his side would gain a home draw in the Play-Offs of the Royal London Cup.

When the Eagles commenced their reply to the Red Rose innings, they knew that they only required a score of 214 to ensure a home tie on Saturday because of points secured and run-rate calculations. Cook and Ryan ten Doeschate took the Eagles to within 2 runs of the target before their 89 run partnership ended when the latter holed out for 45, his highest score in this summer’s competition.

At this stage, with Cook in imperious form, the Eagles looked set for their 6th win in Group A but 3 wickets then fell in 5 balls for 2 runs to raise Lancashire’s hopes of also making the knockout stages in third place in the table.

Cook, timing the ball superbly, drove and cut impressively reaching his half-century from 64 balls before taking a further 49 to reach three figures. He had scored 110 with 11 boundaries when he skied to cover and opened the door for Lancashire.

Those hopes proved in vain but when the last over started, the Eagles required 22 runs. Jack Plom took a single off the second ball leaving Simon Harmer with the strike. Past deeds have shown that the South African relishes a challenge and he rose to the occasion magnificently thumping 3 successive sixes off Steven Croft before having to settle for a couple of runs from the final delivery to leave the match tied to reach an unbeaten 23 from 8 balls.

The Eagles fielded an unchanged line-up after Tuesday’s comprehensive success over Sussex Sharks and won the toss and chose to field.

The Lancashire openers had put on 49 before Simon Harmer bowled Luke Wells for 26 and when ten Doeschate (who finished with 2/33 from 8 overs) saw off Josh Bohannon for 34 and Rob Jones, thanks to a magnificent one-handed catch by Josh Rymell for 6, the Eagles were holding sway.

Croft and Lavelle steadily warmed to the task after striking a six apiece in the space of 3 Aron Nijjar deliveries as they showed commendable shot-selection to eschew possible demise whilst improving the run-rate.

Harmer proved economical with 1/32 from his 10 overs but as Croft and Lavelle took charge, the Eagles bowlers found it difficult to exert the tight control that had enjoyed in the first powerplay overs.

Croft took 75 balls to arrive at his half-century whilst Lavelle was altogether more aggressive reaching a 47-ball fifty and the first of his professional career.

By then, the pair had completed a century partnership spanning 91 balls and when Nijjar finally ended the stand when Lavelle was caught at deep square leg for 52, they had carried the total onto 203-6.

Danny Lamb joined Croft to keep the pressure on the visitors’ attack cutting and driving freely and boosted by the addition of 18 runs from the 47th over. Jack Plom was the unfortunate bowler and was removed from the attack to be replaced by Nijjar who had Croft caught by Paul Walter at deep square leg when the batsman was just 7 short of his century.

In the final over, Ben Allison accounted for Lamb, who had scored 25 from 13 balls, with the assistance of Plom, leaving the Eagles to chase a demanding target that produced a magnificent conclusion.

Josh Rymell plated a loose drive and was caught for 18, Tom Westley made 19 before Feroze Khushi, on 10, dallied before setting off to the striker’s end but was just short of making his ground when wicket-keeper George Lavelle collected Josh Bohannon’s throw and completed the run-out.

Paul Walter departed for 12 to leave the Eagles 123-4 and the match nicely poised. However, the partnership between Cook and ten Doeschate appeared to give the Eagles the advantage before the spin of Croft and Luke Wells intervened to leave both teams sharing the spoils.

The Eagles now head back to The Cloudfm County Ground for a Play-Off match against Yorkshire at The Cloudfm County Ground on Saturday 14 August (11am start). Tickets go on sale from 9am on Friday 13 August online and 10am by phone (01245 254010).

For further information and to purchase tickets, visit here.

Lancashire v Essex Eagles

Royal London Cup
Emirates Old Trafford
Thursday 12 August
11am start

The Essex Eagles booked their place in the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup when they beat Sussex Sharks at The Cloudfm County Ground yesterday, and they now have an important match when they travel to Emirates Old Trafford to face third-placed Lancashire in the last fixture of group matches.

Victory would guarantee a home tie on Saturday in the Quarter-Finals although, should Durham lose their remaining match against Hampshire and the Eagles win in Manchester, then Tom Westley’s side would by-pass the Quarter-Finals and be guaranteed a home Semi-Final on Tuesday.

For the second time in three days, rising young batting stars Feroze Khushi and Josh Rymell captured the attention. On Sunday, the emerging duo figured in a century partnership on their way to individual scores of 109 and 40 respectively although their efforts failed to gain the victory.

But 48 hours later back on home territory, their eye-catching performances delighted the 3,000 strong crowd basking in the sunshine and warming to the emergence of two future prospects. And the pair responded by underpinning a victory with Rymell posting a career-best 78 whilst Khushi contributed 77 supported by 53 from Adam Wheater.

Then all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate returned his best figures with the ball since 2016 claiming 4/34 as the Eagles completed a 97 run success and their fifth victory in 7 matches in the competition.

Squad:

Rymells’s View:

Josh Rymell once again demonstrated his batting talents when he top-scored for the Eagles in their win against Sussex Sharks yesterday with 78, having been promoted in the order to open with Alastair Cook.

The 20-year-old batsman was undaunted, batting beautifully to contribute the highest score in the Eagles win in what was only his third List A innings.

He said: “On the first 2 occasions, I was a bit frustrated that I didn’t get to the 50 mark (he scored 30 and 40) and against Sussex, I was frustrated that I didn’t go on and get a 100.”

He and Feroze Khushi have posted century partnerships in each of the last 2 Eagles matches and the Ipswich-born right-hander admits he believes the pair have an effective understanding.

“Feroze and I have batted together for a few years now and so we know each other’s game and it’s great to see him doing so well. We came through the Academy together and so it’s nice to see a familiar face down the other end.

“But it was a surreal experience to open with Alastair Cook on Tuesday. If you had told me 3 or 4 years ago that I would be opening with him, I wouldn’t have believed you. I’ve actually now got a photo of us together and I’ll be really cherishing that!

“Perhaps there was a little bit of nerves walking out to bat with him but I think I have enough confidence in my own game to back my abilities. I was quite composed now I’ve played a few games.

“I’ve mostly batted in the middle-order in my career so far but I think in white-ball cricket, opening the innings is the best place to bat, so I was really happy to be asked to open against Sussex.

“Everyone in the dressing room is looking forward to Thursday’s game now and hopefully we can keep that momentum going and come out on top again.”

The Opposition:

Lancashire have been weakened by the loss of a significant number of players to The Hundred competition. Liam Livingstone, Matt Parkinson, Tom Hartley, Saqib Mahmood, Alex Davies and Luke Wood are all with teams in domestic cricket’s newest competition and additionally, Jos Buttler is with the England Test squad team for the Test series with India.

The Red Rose have won 3 matches in the Royal London Cup this summer beating Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Sussex although Middlesex and Durham have both inflicted defeats. 2 of Lancashire’s matches were abandoned.

The home side will select from the following 13-man squad:

Tom Bailey (C), Tom Aspinwall, George Balderson, Josh Bohannon, George Burrows, Taylor Cornall, Steven Croft, Liam Hurt, Rob Jones, Danny Lamb, George Lavelle, Jack Morley, Luke Wells.

The Eagles and Lancashire have met on 62 occasions in List A cricket, with Essex winning on 32 occasions, losing 25 whilst 5 matches have been abandoned.

How to Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from Emirates Old Trafford. This will be available via the Essex Cricket Matchzone from 11am.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Essex Eagles v Sussex Sharks

Royal London Cup
The Cloudfm County Ground
Tuesday 10 August
11am start

Essex Eagles face Sussex Sharks at The Cloudfm County Ground on Tuesday as they look to secure their place in the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup.

The Eagles forfeited top spot in Group A on Sunday when they lost to Durham by 2 wickets (DLS method) with the Scott Borthwick’s side taking over at the head of the table.

Despite their defeat, the Eagles turned in a plucky effort where Feroze Khushi starred for the visitors on his List A debut when he posted his maiden senior hundred.

The Eagles, missing several key players, posted 227-6 with 22-year-old Khushi scoring 109 and 20-year-old Josh Rymell 40 with the inexperienced duo putting on 101 for the fourth wicket.

Durham opening batsman Alex Lees then scored an unbeaten 126, his career-best List A figure, to guide his side to victory with 5 balls and 2 wickets to spare.

The Sharks have won just one match in the Royal London Cup this season and that came in their last match when they beat Worcestershire Rapids by 2 wickets when youngsters James Coles and Archie Lenham shared 6 wickets before Ali Orr scored his maiden List A hundred in only his third innings in the competition.

Squad:

Feroze’s View:

Feroze Khushi took the opportunity to showcase his batting talent with his first century for the County on Sunday.

His half-century arrived from 65 balls and the next 50 took only a further 36 balls as he moved into overdrive to reach three figures (1×6, 7×4).

The right-hander admitted that he had been desperate for the chance to shine, and said: “I’ve just had to be patient and make sure that when my opportunity did arrive, I was ready to grab the chance with both hands.

“It was great to score my maiden List A hundred on debut and that is so special. It was a great atmosphere here, but I’m disappointed that we failed to win the game because it would have made it all the sweeter.

“I think I proved that I am capable of playing in the First Team and hopefully, this innings will give me further opportunities.

“I was really happy with the way I played and together with Josh (Rymell) we managed to put together a century stand to give us a chance but it wasn’t to be.

“I tried to stay calm and composed just waiting for the bad ball to come along and make sure I took advantage of it and put it away when it did arrive.

“I did grow in confidence particularly after one over from (Chris) Rushworth when I scored 11 (including a six) and that really helped get me going. I think the wicket did start to get better and as I got more runs, I knew that I had role to play for the guys to get us to a decent total.

“I started to get nervous when I neared my century but when Tendo was batting with me, he kept saying, ‘Just relax, you are going to get your hundred, just carry on playing sensibly.’

“It was obviously disappointing to lose in the end but now we have to put that to the back of our minds and concentrate on winning the remaining games starting with Sussex on Tuesday.”

The Opposition:

Sussex Sharks have opted for a youthful line-up to contest the Royal London Cup and to replace a squad heavily-affected by call-ups to The Hundred, the England Test squad and injuries.

Ollie Robinson is with the England side for their series with India whilst Ravi Bopara, George Garton, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Phil Salt, Delray Rawlins and Luke Wright are all on duty with their respective teams in The Hundred. Jofra Archer, Jamie Atkins Tom Clark and Mitch Claydon remain unavailable through injury.

Sussex Sharks Squad:

Tom Haines (C), Will Beer, Ben Brown, Oli Carter, James Coles, Henry Crocombe, Travis Head, Sean Hunt, Danial Ibrahim, Archie Lenham, Ali Orr, Joe Sarro, Harrison Ward, David Wiese

On the 63 occasions that the Eagles and Sharks have met in List A cricket, the Eagles have a superb record having prevailed on 41 occasions and losing 19 games. 1 match has been tied and 2 declared as a no result.

How to Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Cloudfm County Ground. This will be available via the Essex Cricket Matchzone from 11am.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Following the next stage of the Government Roadmap, we are pleased to welcome back Members and capacity crowds for the Royal London Cup at The Cloudfm County Ground this season.

The ground will be operating a fully seated capacity for the remaining First XI matches of the 2021 season, with a split of Unallocated Members and Public seating.

Members are welcome to use Doug Insole Pavilion with a section of the benches also available for Members.

The Royal London Cup is part of the 2021 Membership and the capacity for Members’ entry into the ground will remain unrestricted for these fixtures.

Members are not required to purchase a ticket in advance and can enter the ground using their 2021 Membership card.

If you experience any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour during your visit to The Cloudfm County Ground then, please contact your nearest steward. Alternatively, you can text ‘CROWD’ including your stand and issue to 60070.

Scheduled Hours of Play:

• Sussex Sharks

Ahead of your visit:

We want to make sure supporters are all set ahead of visiting the ground. We continue to work closely with the Chelmsford City Council Safety Advisory Group, Chelmsford Trading Standards, and the ECB to ensure that games can operate safely whilst continuing to mitigate against the risk of COVID-19 within the new guidelines.

We must stress that COVID-19 numbers are continuing to rise and please do not travel to the ground if you have any symptoms and follow the Government guidelines.

In the event of adverse weather conditions on the day of the match, please keep up to date with the prospects of play via the Club’s Twitter and Facebook channels or from our automated phone line on 01245 254049.

The Cloudfm County Ground is now a cashless ground for 2021, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit. Find out more – here

Parking:

• Spectators travelling by car will need to locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloudfm County Ground.

• The High Chelmer multi-storey will be operating extended opening hours to supporters and closes at 10pm for the match against Sussex Sharks.

• Meteor Way will be open for Members and open three hours before the start of play and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ground Entry:

Spectators are able to enter the ground via the Main Gate located on New Writtle Street or through the Tees River Gate.

• Members: The Doug Insole Pavilion is open for Members upon the presentation of a valid Membership card and accessible by entering the ground through the Main Gate.

• Members are not required to pre-book a match ticket and can enter by scanning their Membership card on the gate. If you require a replacement card, then please get in contact with the Membership & Ticketing Office before the fixture to arrange a replacement or this may cause delays on entry for you and other spectators.

• Entry to these games are included in 2021 Membership and encourage Members to arrive in plenty of time to secure your seat. All seating for these games is Unallocated and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Renewing Members from the 2020 season are entitled to bring one complimentary guest to each match. Members will be required to double scan their Membership card upon entry and the guest must be accompanied by the Member when entering and departing the ground.

• The Members’ seated areas are located in the Doug Insole Pavilion Benches, Tom Pearce Stand and Areas 11-14 in the River End of the ground. Members are also welcome to sit in the Aon Stand which is accessible via the Hayes Close Gate.

• In the event of rain forecast on the day of the match, spectators can bring a small umbrella into the ground but metal spiked umbrellas are not permitted.

• General Public Seating:

• Supporters who have purchased tickets can enter the ground by scanning the QR on your tickets that has been sent to you via email following your purchase. If you choose to print out your ticket, please ensure that the match details (including name and seat details) are included as per the image below. Make sure you have your match ticket available on your phone or printed out so it is easily accessible for ticket scanning on arrival. Please do not take a ‘screen grab’ of your QR code as that will not be read by the scanners.

• Ticket holders for this game are welcome to sit in the Unallocated Areas numbered 15-26, which includes covered seating in Areas 22-24.

• Wheelchair-accessible seating is located in Areas 1 and 30 and can be allocated by contacting the Membership and Ticketing Office in advance (01245 254010).

Moving Around the Ground:

• We kindly request that masks continue to be worn when moving around The Cloudfm County Ground. You will not be required to wear a mask when seated.

• We also ask that spectators try and keep to social distancing where possible although The Club recognise that this is not always practical nor possible.

• Additional hand sanitisation stations and toilet facilities will continue to be in place for the remainder of the season.

• Whilst restrictions continue to be lifted, the threat of COVID-19 has not yet disappeared. We ask all spectators to take a common-sense approach when moving around The Cloudfm County Ground.

• Spectators are permitted to move behind the Doug Insole Pavilion but please respect the players’ area and walkway. We also ask that spectators do not request autographs or photos with players who are required to remain socially distant.

• Toilets are located across The Cloudfm County Ground with wheelchair accessible by the main scoreboard, River End and rear of the Doug Insole Pavilion.

• The Club Store and Membership & Ticketing Office will be open for spectators for the duration of your visit.

Food & Drink:

• The Doug Insole Pavilion will be welcoming Members back through its doors and there will be a wide range of hot and cold drinks available from the bar. A choice of snacks will also be on sale.

• Anne’s Pantry returns for this fixture and the Royal London Cup campaign offering a choice of home-cooked meals, cakes/snacks, and drinks from their refreshment kiosks located in the Hayes Close End and River End.

Anne Pantry Menu for Sunday:

Bacon Rolls, Gourmet Burgers (vegan burger option available), Bratwurst (vegan wurst option available), Chips, Pies, Chinese Chicken Curry, Chicken & Chorizo Paella (Vegan Paella option available), Crisps, Cake. We welcome supporters with varied diets and can offer gluten-free & dairy-free options.

• Other refreshment kiosks include bars area located at either end of the ground in County Corner and Spinner’s Bar.

• Spectators can bring food and drink into the ground for this fixture. A limit of four cans of beer/lager or one bottle of wine per person but there is strictly no glass or sharps objects permitted into the ground.

• Please note that The Cloudfm County Ground is now a cashless ground for 2021, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit.

Leaving the Ground:

At the conclusion of the day’s play, we ask spectators leave the ground in a safe and patient manner. Stewards will be on hand to help direct you safely out of the ground.

We hope you have an enjoyable visit to The Cloudfm County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be available on essexcricket.org.uk ahead of the match.

Get in touch with us by email if you have any further questions at [email protected] or via the Club’s official Twitter and Facebook channels.

Durham v Essex Eagles

Royal London Cup
Emirates Riverside
Sunday 08 August
11am start

The top two in Group A are set to lock horns when Essex Eagles head north to engage Durham at Emirates Riverside in the Royal London Cup on Sunday.

The Eagles have named a 14-man squad for this fixture, which includes 16-year-old Luc Benkenstein, son of former South African International Dale, who also played for Durham before moving onto a coaching role at Hampshire.

Luc is an all-rounder who bowls leg-spin and earlier this week, played for the Essex Cricket Board Under 18 side against an Under 25 Club Cricket Conference Representative team.

However, Michael Pepper is isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 and therefore unavailable for selection.

Squad:

Aron Nijjar’s View:

The Eagles have their eyes firmly set on reaching the knockout stage of the Royal London Cup after the win at Bristol over Gloucestershire earned them their fourth win in five matches.

The top side in each of the two groups will be guaranteed a home tie in the Semi-Finals, which takes place just two days before the Final is staged at Trent Bridge on Thursday 19th August.

The teams finishing in second will have a home Quarter-Final tie on Saturday 14th August against the third-placed team from the opposite group.

Tom Westley has been in scintillating form in the competition and he posted his fourth half-century in five innings against Gloucestershire. He had reached 71 when he was run out but ninth-wicket pair Aron Nijjar and Shane Snater saw the Eagles complete an exciting victory from the final delivery of the match.

Nijjar acknowledged his skipper’s impressive form with the bat in the 50-over format and said: “He’s batted beautifully and did so again on Tuesday in the win over Gloucestershire.

“It was a tricky pitch to bat on, offering some seam movement and spin but his innings was exceptional in that situation and when he was out, they looked to be on top.”

The departure of the Eagles skipper left them requiring 52 runs from 6.4 overs with just 2 wickets intact but Nijjar and Snater saw them through with both adopting a responsible and confident approach.

Nijjar added: “I think Shane deserves a lot of credit, the way he played was very positive.

“We do bat deep as it showed with Shane coming in at number 10 and batting as well as he did. We are confident that we have enough quality on the team throughout the order to chase down any total.

“Throughout the game, it wasn’t easy to score boundaries but although the run-rate was going up, I knew that a couple of lusty blows would get us back in the game.

“So it was a matter of waiting for the right ball to come along and thankfully, I chose right and help us to get over the line.”

The Opposition:

Durham have a number of players unavailable for the fixture and will make their final selection from a 14-man squad missing Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Matty Potts and Ben Raine who are involved in The Hundred plus Ben Stokes who is currently taking a break away from all cricket.

Durham Squad:

Scott Borthwick (c), Alex Lees, Graham Clark, Cameron Bancroft, David Bedingham, Sean Dickson, Ned Eckersley, Chris Rushworth, Matt Salisbury, Liam Trevaskis, Luke Doneathy, Paul van Meekeren, Jack Campbell, Harry Crawshaw.

The Eagles have met the Durham on 18 previous occasions in List A cricket and have prevailed in 10 of those encounters and lost 6. 2 matches, those in 1995 and 1998, have ended in ties.

How to Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from Emirates Riverside, courtesy of our hosts. This will be available via the Essex Cricket Matchzone from 11am.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Essex County Cricket Club can today confirm that Ronnie Irani has stepped down as Chairman of the Cricket Committee to focus on his business commitments.

The former Essex and England all-rounder took up the position towards the end of 2015, and during his tenure, the Club have won an unprecedented five trophies in six seasons.

On his time with the Club, Irani said: “It’s been an incredible turnaround for Essex over the last six seasons and I’m proud of the part I’ve played in that.

“When I became Chairman of the Cricket Committee on a voluntary basis we were underachieving and not playing to our potential. We won Division Two in my first season and won a first County Championship title in 25 years the following year.

“Since then, we’ve added another three trophies to the cabinet, including that incredible double in 2019 and become one of the best and most successful Cricket Clubs in the world.

“I’ve dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy to this role with a professional attitude, and I hope this has gone a long way to giving the Members and supporters the success they deserve.

“We’re lucky to have quality in the squad and I feel the structure we’ve put in place has helped the players and coaching staff achieve their goals.

“It’s been an amazing journey and one I can look back on with immense pride. I feel that I’m stepping down with the Club in a good position, and I have no doubt there are more trophies on the horizon.

“At this time my business commitments must come first, but my passion and support for Essex Cricket will never go and I look forward to more success at the Club in the future.”

Cast your vote for the DeVines Player of the Month for July. There are four contenders nominated for the award during a period that saw the team round off their Vitality Blast campaign and get off to a winning start in the Royal London Cup.

Club Captain, Tom Westley had a month to remember. After breaking his way back into the Vitality Blast team with a fifty against Sussex, he finished the campaign strongly with good knocks against Hampshire and Middlesex. He continued that form into the Royal London Cup where he hit two fifties in three innings, ending the month with an average of 85 in the competition.

Simon Harmer was in fine form again in July, going the whole month without going wicketless in a game. Overall, he took 14 wickets at 17.36. His stand out performance came in the opening Royal London Cup fixture against Hampshire where we took 3/42 and alongside Aron Nijjar (27*) saw the Eagles home with a nerveless 32 not out.

Aron Nijjar continued his outstanding year with the ball, yet again proving to be one of the most economical bowlers on the county circuit. In the final four games of the Vitality Blast campaign, Nijjar picked up 6 wickets for 77 runs at an economy rate of just 5.03. His highlight was arguably also the opening game of the Royal London Cup where he took 2/48 and hit a vital 27 not out to seal the win against Hampshire.

Shane Snater has been an ever-present in the Royal London Cup XI and has backed that up with a number of fine performances, taking three wickets in each of the first two games. He also picked up figures of 3/45 in the abandoned LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Derbyshire. Across all three formats, Snater took 12 wickets in the month.

Vote now:

Voting closes on Friday 20 August.

Aron Nijjar won the award in June after an excellent month that saw him bowl the most overs of any Eagles bowler. His 7 wickets came at an economy rate of just 7.42.

Gloucestershire v Essex Eagles

Royal London Cup

Tuesday 03 August, 11am

The Bristol County Ground

Team News:

Gloucestershire: Ben Charlesworth, Chris Dent (c), Tom Lace, James Bracey (wk), Graeme van Buuren, Jack Taylor, George Scott, Matt Taylor, Tom Smith, Jared Warner, Josh Shaw.

Essex Eagles: Will Buttleman, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Michael Pepper, Josh, Rymell, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater (wk), Simon Harmer, Aron Nijjar, Shane Snater, Ben Allison.

Match Details:

Umpires: Neil Pratt & Benjamin Debenham
Toss: Essex Eagles and elected to field
Result: Essex Eagles won by 2 wickets
Scorecard: View Here

Match Highlights

Match Reaction: Aron Nijjar

Match Report:

Aron Nijjar and Shane Snater took the Eagles to a 2 wicket victory over Gloucestershire thanks to their unbroken 54-run partnership in the Royal London Cup clash at the Bristol County Ground.

The odds looked stacked against the Eagles when Tom Westley was controversially run out for 71 leaving the visitors 153-8 chasing their opponents 204 all out.

But Nijjar and Snater took charge with a judicious and responsible approach to chip away at the target. With 3 overs remaining, 30 runs were still required but both batsmen were warming to the task.

Nijjar, who had struck spinner Tom Smith for a maximum, then lifted a ball from paceman Josh Shaw over the ropes and the Eagles pair took every opportunity of keeping the scoreboard ticking with scampered singles and well-paced two’s.

12 runs were collected from the penultimate over to leave just 6 runs required from the final 6 deliveries. Snater took a single from the first 2 deliveries. Then Nijjar collected another from the next 2 before Snater took 2 from the 5th delivery sent down by Jared Warner before stepping back to cut the next to the third-man boundary to clinch the Eagles 4th win in 5 matches.

The boundary completed the half-century partnership from 40 balls as Snater ended 21 not out whilst Nijjar was unbeaten on 32, his highest List A score.

Earlier, the Eagles had slumped to 136-6 despite 30 from Josh Rymell, playing his maiden List A innings. Skipper Westley though was still at the crease to give the visitors encouragement but having reached 71, his 4th half-century in 5 innings in the competition this season, he was dismissed to leave his side 153-8.

Westley went on his way after a brief discussion with the umpires but Nijjar and Snater were destined to give him consolation.

Snater had continued his incisive form with figures of 4/48 as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 204 in 49.1 overs losing their last 4 wickets in 5 balls without a run.

The paceman took his tally of victims to 13 in the competition this summer collecting 3 wickets in 4 deliveries in his final over as the home side’s innings folded dramatically with Ben Allison collecting a wicket with the first ball of the last scheduled over of the innings.

George Scott and Jack Taylor had fashioned a revival in the home Club’s fortunes after they had been put into bat, with a partnership of 99 having started their stand with their side deep in trouble at 73-5.

Snater had found the breakthrough via the safe slip hands of Alastair Cook when he angled a ball across opener Chris Dent who was still to get off the mark.

Ben Charlesworth and Tom Lace advanced the score by 42 runs although both struggled initially against the movement enjoyed by Snater and Allison.

It was Ryan ten Doeschate, who returned 2/34 from his full allocation of overs, that broke the resistance with his first delivery trapping Lace in front of his stumps with a ball that nipped back for 19 and with the total on 46.

2 runs later, the 3rd wicket fell when non-striker Bracey, on 1, hesitated before setting off towards the opposite end but was left stranded by the throw of Michael Pepper.

6 runs later, ten Doeschate held on to a return catch from Grame van Buuren and when Charlesworth ended his innings of 22 by lobbing Simon Harmer to cover point, in the 16th over, the West Country side were in disarray.

Taylor and Scott though played sensibly to address the problems as Westley regularly rotated his bowlers who were keeping tight control on the scoring rate.

At the halfway point, Gloucestershire were 80-5 as the batsmen eschewed possible demise taking few chances, particularly when facing Harmer who completed his 10 overs at a cost of just 22 runs and 1 wicket.

Taylor and Scott were within one run of a century stand when Taylor, who had scored 62 from 80 balls, skied a delivery from Nijjar to Harmer at long-on to leave the hosts 172-6 with almost 6 overs remaining.

Matt Taylor and Scott carried the total past 200 but their 32 run liaison ended when Taylor, on 11, became the first of 3 catches in the deep.

Scott’s occupation of the crease spanning 86 balls that brought him 64 runs concluded when he chased a wide delivery from Snater and was caught at third man to herald the dramatic collapse that closed the innings.