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The Essex County Cricket Club fans have voted Aron Nijjar as their June DeVines Player of the Month.

Nijjar pipped Simon Harmer to the post by receiving an impressive 46% of the votes, reflecting his excellent form throughout the Eagles’ T20 campaign.

In June, Nijjar took 8 wickets at an average of 32.38 and had a knack of picking up crucial wickets, none more so than his wicket of Hashim Amla from the first ball of the game against Surrey. His economy rate was particularly impressive at just 7.38 during the 35.1 overs he bowled. He also bowled a staggering 75 dot balls, the most of any Eagles bowler.

Keep an eye on our website as voting for the July DeVines Player of the Month will be opening shortly.

Essex Eagles v Middlesex

Royal London Cup
The Cloudfm County Ground
Sunday 25 July
11am start

Essex Eagles continue their Royal London Cup campaign on Sunday when they meet Middlesex at The Cloudfm County Ground.

The home side launched their 50-over season with a win against Hampshire at Southampton on Thursday.

Eagles skipper Tom Westley led the scoring with 69 after his side set off in reply to the hosts 273 all out. Paul Walter and Michael Pepper contributed 35 and 34 respectively but the match-winning partnership came from Simon Harmer and Aron Nijjar, who posted an unbroken 8th wicket liaison worth 54 runs taking the visitors to 275-7 with Harmer on 32 and Nijjar 27 not out and victory with 33 balls to spare.

Squad:

Westley’s View:

With his side missing three players to The Hundred competition, skipper Tom Westley acknowledged the increased demands that could place on the shoulders of other members of the squad.

He said: “Some guys are going to have to carry out some challenging roles in the 50-over competition but I know that everyone is willing to put their hands up and do that.

“I think that message and that ethos within the squad is going to carry us forward for the next few years.

“It was good to get the win on Thursday and plenty of people made significant contributions and we are going to need more of those in the weeks ahead.

“We set out to win every game but obviously things didn’t go our way in the Championship or the T20 competitions but it certainly hasn’t been through lack of effort or desire.

“In the last five years, we’ve won a lot of competitions although I’ve also been at Essex when we haven’t won anything for a number of years. It’s definitely a lot better winning things of course so the Royal London Cup is potentially another trophy that we could win and it’s something we will be aspiring to achieve.”

The Opposition:

Middlesex, who are coached by former Essex favourite Stuart Law, play their first match of the Royal London Cup at Chelmsford on Sunday but they arrive without a number of key players.

Whilst the Eagles are missing only three players (Sam Cook, Dan Lawrence and Jimmy Neesham), due to their involvement in The Hundred, their opponents have provided six players for the new tournament.

Tom Helm, Eoin Morgan, Blake Cullen, Steven Finn, John Simpson and Nathan Sowter have all been picked up, whilst New Zealand international Daryl Mitchell has now ended his stint with the side to return home.

How to Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Cloudfm County Ground which will be broadcasting ahead of play from 11am via the Essex Cricket Matchzone. The stream will also be available via the Essex Cricket YouTube Channel.

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 to The Cloudfm County Ground.

The ground will be operating a fully seated capacity across all four games and split between Unallocated Members and Public seating.

It will be the first opportunity since 2019 that we can open the doors to the Doug Insole Pavilion in a One-Day fixture 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.

Tickets in the general public area of the ground are now sold out for all four Royal London Cup fixtures

Scheduled Hours of Play:

• Middlesex, Kent Spitfires & Sussex Sharks

• Worcestershire Rapids

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.

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 8pm (Sunday fixtures) and 11pm (29/07) and 10pm (10/08).

• 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.

• 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.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has today released the fixtures for the Division Stage of the LV= Insurance County Championship.

Essex begin with a trip to Sophia Gardens to face Glamorgan, which is followed up with a fixture against Gloucestershire back at The Cloudfm County Ground.

Tom Westley’s side then head to the captial to face Surrey at The Kia Oval before wrapping things up at Chelmsford with a game against Northamptonshire.

Essex begin the Division Stage top of Divison Two, with 19 points. Northamptonshire are in second with 16, Surrey sit in third with 13 whilst they’re followed by Gloucestershire (12), Glamorgan (11.5) and Durham (4).

Essex Fixtures:

Monday 30 August: Glamorgan v Essex – Sophia Gardens
Sunday 05 September: Essex v Gloucestershire – The Cloudfm County Ground
Sunday 12 September: Surrey v Essex – The Kia Oval
Tuesday 21 September – Essex v Northamptonshire – The Cloudfm County Ground

Hampshire v Essex Eagles

Royal London Cup

Thursday 22 July, 11am

The Ageas Bowl

Team News:

Hampshire: Felix Organ, Tom Prest, Nick Gubbins, Joe Weatherley, Ian Holland, Lewis McManus (wk), James Fuller, Kyle Abbott (c), Tom Scriven, Scott Currie, John Turner.

Essex Eagles: Will Buttleman, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Michael Pepper, Paul Walter, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater (wk), Simon Harmer, Aron Nijjar, Shane Snater, Jamie Porter.

Match Details:

Umpires: Ian Blackwell & Mark Newell
Toss: Essex Eagles, who elected to field
Result: Essex Eagles win by 3 wickets

Scorecard – view here

Match Reaction: Tom Westley

Match Report:

Simon Harmer and Aron Nijjar struck an unbroken 54 run partnership to carry the Eagles to a 3 wicket victory in their opening match of the Royal London Cup against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.

Harmer struck 32 and Nijjar 27 and the pair batted superbly to ease their side to victory with 5.3 overs to spare after Hampshire had been bowled out for 273 in 49.1 overs.

In reply, the Eagles scored but when their eighth-wicket pair came together, a further 53 runs were still required.

But both batsmen played with coolness and assurance as they steadily picked off the runs to launch the Eagles 50-over campaign with a win after they were rocked by the loss of 2 wickets inside the first 2 overs of their reply.

Will Buttleman was lbw to Kyle Abbott without score and then Alastair Cook pulled to mid-wicket to give debutant John Turner a memorable scalp.

Now 8-2, Westley orchestrated a recovery mission. He put on 67 with Michael Pepper before the 23-year-old was bowled by Scott Currie for 34, a contribution that included 2 sixes and 4 other boundaries in a 34-ball innings.

Then he and Paul Walter carried the score to 137 with a fourth-wicket partnership of 62 in 10 and a half overs before Westley, having scored 69, drove to cover facing the bowling of Felix Organ.

The Eagles skipper had looked impressive whilst at the crease striking 12 cleanly hit boundaries amongst the 70 balls he received and it was the fourth time in his last four List A innings against these opponents that he had passed 50.

Walter and Ryan ten Doeschate both looked on course for the necessary substantial contributions to support the pathway laid by Westley but both fell when apparently well-set.

Walter had made 35 when a leading edge saw him caught at mid-off to leave the visitors 153-5 at the end of the 27th over. Adam Wheater joined ten Doeschate to keep the score moving along but having added 44 in 5.3 overs, the Eagles lost ten Doeschate who was caught and bowled by Scott Currle for 28.

Now 197-6 and 77 runs short of their target with 17 overs left, Wheater and Simon Harmer took their side 24 runs nearer until the wicketkeeper, having contributed 25, picked out mid-on to give Currie his third wicket of the innings.

But Nijjar joined Harmer in a composed liaison. With 8 overs remaining, only 17 runs were required and the pair could afford to be selective. 1 over from James Fuller yielded 12 runs helping the duo to a 50-run partnership in as many balls.

With 4 overs to go, just 4 runs were required and after Nijjar took a single from the second ball of the Kyle Abbott over, Harmer thrashed the next delivery to the boundary to seal the win.

Earlier, half-centuries by Nick Gubbins, Joe Weatherley and Lewis McManus proved the chief contributors in the Hampshire innings.

Harmer and Shane Snater proved the most successful wicket-takers for the Eagles with three victims apiece with the off-spinner conceding 42 runs in his 10 overs although Snater’s trio of victims cost 62 runs.

Snater had taken the new ball after Essex had elected to field and struck with his 11th delivery of the match. Tom Prest, still to get off the mark, had his off-stump knocked back.

His departure brought the arrival of on-loan Gubbins and the batsman, who will join Hampshire on a permanent basis from Middlesex from next season, showed his quality working the ball around the field comfortably.

He figured in two decent partnerships, first with Organ as 49 were added until the opener miscued a pull against Jamie Porter and was caught for 29. Then he combined with Joe Weatherley adding 72 in 13 overs before Gubbins edged behind off Snater just before the halfway point of the innings.

Gubbins had scored 62 from 59 balls that included 1 six and 6 fours and after Nijjar had taken a return catch from Ian Holland, Weatherley and McManus accelerated the scoring with a partnership of 33 in 4.1 overs.

Weatherley scored 54 before edging Harmer behind the wicket but Fuller proved a quick-coring ally for McManus as 55 runs were added in 6 overs.

Their half-century stand spanned 35 balls before Fuller was trapped in front of his stumps by ten Doeschate for 27 to leave Hampshire 224-6 in the 40th over.

McManus posted a 49-ball fifty before Snater had him caught at mid-wicket later in the over and with Harmer collecting 2 late wickets and another for Nijjar, the hosts innings came to a close after 49.1 overs with their last 6 overs producing just 125 runs.

Hampshire v Essex Eagles

Royal London Cup
The Ageas Bowl
Thursday 22 July
11am start

Essex Eagles commence their Royal London Cup season on Thursday with a trip to the South Coast to face Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl, with the fixture scheduled to start at 11am.

Hopes of silverware for the Club this season now rest with the Royal London Cup, after two disappointing campaigns in both the LV= Insurance County Championship and Vitality Blast.

The 50-over tournament returns to the domestic calendar this season having been cancelled last year due to the restricted season brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Squad:

McGrath’s View:

Eagles Head Coach Anthony McGrath is delighted to see the return of 50-over cricket.

He said: “It’s a competition that I’ve always been delighted to be involved with and I know the players all enjoy it.

“It’s being played alongside The Hundred which means a number of players will be away from their sides but that offers other players the opportunity to come in and show what they can do.

“We are all disappointed that we now won’t be able to challenge for the County Championship title this year and equally, the T20 tournament proved hugely frustrating, so the 50-over competition offers us an opportunity to win a major trophy this year.

“The first challenge is of course to make the next stage but we want to finish top of our group because that would take us into the semi-final and a guaranteed home tie.

“So, we will be taking it very seriously and putting out our best available team.”

The Opposition:

Hampshire have several key players involved in cricket’s latest tournament and will be without D’Arcy Short, Mason Crane, Chris Wood, Liam Dawson and James Vince.

However, their involvement elsewhere does offer some young up-and-coming hopefuls their opportunity in the Royal London Cup with Hampshire expected to include highly promising quartet, all-rounder Scott Currie and batters Tom Prest, Fletcha Middleton and Tony Albert.

The two sides have met on 70 occasions in List A cricket with Essex successful in 32 matches, Hampshire triumphant in 35 whilst 3 matches ended as no results.

How to Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Ageas Bowl which will be broadcasting ahead of play from 11am via the Essex Cricket Matchzone. The stream will also be available via the Hampshire Cricket YouTube Channel.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Dan Lawrence has been included in England’s 17-man squad for the two opening LV= Insurance Tests against India next month.

England Men’s Test Squad:

Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Dom Bess (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Rory Burns (Surrey)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire)
Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Dom Sibley (Warwickshire)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Mark Wood (Durham)

All-rounder Ben Stokes returns to the Test squad after he missed the two-match series against New Zealand in June to enable continued management of the finger injury he sustained during the Indian Premier League.

Stokes captained England to a 3-0 series win in the Royal London Series against Pakistan earlier this month and has since rested from cricket to optimise his preparation ahead of the India Tests.

Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran also come back into the Test squad. Ollie Robinson is included after he took seven wickets on his Test debut against the Black Caps at Lord’s.

Jofra Archer (right elbow) and Chris Woakes (bruised heel) are both unavailable due to injury.

Archer continues to progress following elbow surgery but is not ready at this point to return to Test cricket. Woakes suffered a bruised heel last week and is expected to be available later in the series.

England Men’s Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, said: “A home Test series against India is one of the most anticipated red-ball series and this promises to be an outstanding five Tests.

“India are a quality team who have shown their ability to get results away from home. We are expecting a highly competitive series and have selected our strongest possible squad.

“The returns of all-rounders Ben Stokes and Sam Curran provide balance that allows us to get back to a structure that has been successful in Test cricket.

“Ben’s leadership in the Royal London Series, when he played despite his finger not yet being 100 per cent, typified his character and commitment that drives the players around him forward. With Jos and Jonny back in the squad we have added further experience and quality that will be needed against the world’s second-ranked team.

“We have selected Ollie Robinson after his seven-wicket Test debut against New Zealand. Ollie proved in that Test that he has the ability to replicate his outstanding form in the County Championship at international level and we will continue to work with him to develop his England career.”

The England Men’s Test squad will report to Loughborough on Wednesday 28 July ahead of the first LV= Insurance Test starting at Trent Bridge on Wednesday 4 August.

The players selected in this squad will be available to play in The Hundred for each team’s first two matches before joining the Test squad.

LV= Insurance Test Series:

1st Test: England v India, 4-8 August 2021, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
2nd Test: England v India, 12-16 August 2021, Lord’s, London
3rd Test: England v India, 25-29 August 2021, Emerald Headingley, Leeds
4th Test: England v India, 2-6 September 2021, Kia Oval, London
5th Test: England v India, 10-14 September, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

Following the next stage of the Government Roadmap, we are pleased to welcome back all Members to The Cloudfm County Ground on Tuesday as Essex Eagles take on Cambridgeshire in this year’s National Counties match.

The ground will be operating under a 2,000 crowd as we build up to full seated capacity in the Royal London Cup, which begins later this week. It will be the first opportunity since 2019 that we can open the doors to the Doug Insole Pavilion with a section of the benches also available for Members.

Play will begin at 2pm for the 50-over match and Members can enter the ground as part of the 2021 Membership by scanning their card on the gates.

Public Tickets are available but must be purchased in advance and no tickets will be on sale on the gates. These are priced at just £5 Adults and £1 Juniors.

Scheduled Hours of Play

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.

View our checklist to make sure you have everything ready:

• 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 it out 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.

• Pack adequate clothing and sun protection as required with hot weather forecast on Tuesday for this fixture.

Parking:

• 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 11pm.

• Meteor Way will be open for Members today from 11am on a first-come, first-served basis.

Seating:

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.

The Members’ seated areas are located in the 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.

• General Public Seating: Ticket holders for this game are welcome to sit in the Unallocated Areas numbered 18-26, 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 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 closed for the duration of your visit, however, you can make an order online at www.essexcricketshop.co.uk or contact [email protected].

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.

• 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.

Essex Cricket can today announce the appointment of John Stephenson as the Club’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Stephenson will start his position in early October and take overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Club.

The 56-year-old was educated at Felsted School and came through the Essex Academy, having two stints at the Club as a player between 1984-1994 and 2002-2004.

Following his retirement from professional cricket, Stephenson joined the MCC as Head of Cricket in 2004, whilst also taking up further roles in overseeing the MCCUniversities Programme and leading on the masterplan for the ground redevelopment at Lord’s as Assistant Secretary (Cricket and Estates).

He leaves his position as Assistant Secretary (Cricket) at Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), having been responsible for the MCC’s playing and touring programmes, the strategic management of the playing and practice areas at Lord’s and the MCC Young Cricketers Programme, as well as General Manager and Director of Cricket for the London Spirit Men’s and Women’s teams.

On his appointment, Stephenson said: “I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to come back to Essex as the Club had a big influence on my professional career.

“Having spent over a decade with the Club as a player, I couldn’t pass up the prospect of taking on this fantastic role.

“The Club means so much to so many people and has a key role to play in the wider Essex community. One of my main objectives is to continue and build on the recent success that the Club have experienced both on and off the field. With the support of the Members, fans and the team, I believe we can continue to compete and bring silverware back to Chelmsford.”

Executive Chairman, John Faragher, added: “After an extensive interview process involving some very high calibre personnel, John was clearly the outstanding candidate for the position at Essex.

“His exceptional skill set together with his appreciation of the modern game and the challenges facing cricket in the future were key credentials in making our decision.

“He will lead the Executive team on our journey to the next level in performance both on and off the field. Although we continue to face numerous problems brought about by the pandemic, we continue to be very focused on the future.

“These are exciting times for the Club and the Board looks forward to supporting and working with John.”

You can follow our new CEO on Twitter, with the handle @JohnPStephenson.