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Essex County Cricket Club are delighted to announce that Sam Cook has signed a one-year contract extension and will stay with the Club until at least the end of the 2023 season.

The Chelmsford-born seamer has been in excellent form throughout the 2021 campaign and has taken 43 wickets across all formats. Of those 43 wickets, 32 of them have come in the LV= Insurance County Championship, at an average of 18.90, whilst the other 11 have come in the Vitality Blast, at an even more impressive 12.27.

The 23-year-old said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to sign an extension with this great Club.

“It was an easy decision to make and I feel like I’m having my best season to date. It’s an amazing feeling taking wickets for Essex and I’m pleased with how I’ve been able to contribute to the team this year.

“Essex is a top Club to be at. For me as a young bowler, I’ve got the likes of Simon Harmer, Peter Siddle and Jamie Porter to turn to for advice. They’ve all got heaps of experience and knowledge for me to pick, then there are figures like Alastair Cook and Graham Gooch.

“They’ve been and done it all on the biggest of stages for both Essex and England. Like every cricketer, I have aspirations to play for my country, and I believe Essex is the best place for me to be so I can one day follow in their footsteps.

“Since moving into the First Team I’ve been fortunate to win several trophies with the Club and create memories that will last a lifetime. Everyone in that dressing room is hungry for more success and with any luck over the next few seasons, we can bring some more silverware to The Cloudfm County Ground.”

Essex Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, added: “It’s great news for the whole Club that Sam has extended his stay.

“He’s extremely reliable and has become a hugely important player in our team. You sometimes forget he’s just 23 as he’s been in the First Team for quite a while now and has a matureness beyond his years.

“He’s a pleasure to coach and the good news for Essex fans and Members is that there’s more to come from Sam, he’s just going to get better and better.”

The Cloudfm County Ground welcomes Kent Spitfires on Friday evening for the next Vitality Blast match. Play is set to get underway at 7pm and the ground continues to operate under COVID-19 protocols which are outlined below.

We are looking forward to welcoming supporters once again to Chelmsford although we advise keeping up to date across our social media channels and prospect of play phone line (01245 254049) due to the wet weather forecast throughout the day.

We want to make sure supporters are all set ahead of visiting and we advise following the information below carefully.

If you have any COVID-19 related symptoms then please do not travel to the ground and follow the Government guidelines.

View our checklist to make sure you have everything ready:

• Your ticket is a QR code that has been sent to you via email. 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 if required so you are prepared for all eventualities.

• Most seated areas are uncovered so we advise bringing a compact foldable umbrella should rain be forecast for the day. Should it rain on the day of the game, we advise not attending and keeping up to date with the prospect of play via the Club’s social media channels.

• Read and understand the COVID-19 Spectator Code of Conduct – view here.

• Spectators can bring food and drink with them however there is strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted.

• The importation of alcohol is prohibited for Vitality Blast matches.

• Locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloudfm County Ground. Meteor Way will be open for this match from 4:30pm and free of charge for Members on a first-come, first-served basis.

The seating zones for this fixture are located in the River End (Areas 1-18) and Hayes Close End (Areas 24-31).

Please arrive as per the block details displayed on your ticket and view your designated entry/exit times below.

The designated ground entry times are:

• Entry is only via the designated gate stated.

• Face masks must be worn on entry and arrival into the ground.

• Before you can enter the ground you will be greeted by an initial ticket check, followed by the mandatory bag check. Please do not bring large bags as these will hold up others in the queue.

• Please follow the directional signage and guidance on your way into the ground as you make your way down to the entry gate.

• Please have your match ticket ready and you will be required to scan the QR code to enter.

We want to make your experience as safe and enjoyable as possible with the guidelines and protocols currently in place.

• Face masks must be worn when moving around the ground and can be removed once positioned in your allocated seat.

• Your ticket includes a block, row, and seat number. This is your sole designated seat for the day and you are not able to change seat unless authorised by a Steward or member of staff.

• Snack and drink bars are open to spectators and alcohol will be on sale.

• The Cloudfm County Ground is cashless this season and purchases can only be made using a debit/credit card.

• Please remain seated throughout the game and during breaks unless visiting the food/drink areas or using the toilet facilities. You will not be permitted to walk to other areas of the ground during your visit.

• Please refrain from moving in and out of your seat during overs.

• 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].

At the conclusion of the day’s play, spectators will be required to exit the ground as below and stewards will be on hand to direct you safely out of the ground;

You can find other important information regarding visiting The Cloudfm County Ground under Stage Three guidelines via the Club’s COVID-19 Code of Conduct.

We hope you have an enjoyable return to The Cloudfm County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be sent to Members before the match by email.

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 Eagles head to Lord’s for their next fixture in the Vitality Blast where they meet Middlesex on Thursday evening with the match scheduled to get underway at 6:15pm.

It is an important 48 hours for the Eagles who also have a home clash with Kent Spitfires on Friday night as they seek back-to-back successes that could galvanise their T20 campaign.

They recorded their second win in the competition on Monday night when they beat Surrey by 8 wickets with Will Buttleman and Sam Cook returning personal best T20 figures. Cook captured 4 wickets for just 15 runs whilst opener Buttleman scored 56 not out.

The Eagles now have a total of 5 points with half of their qualifying matches completed.

Middlesex have managed just a single win from their five matches thus far and are at the foot of the South Group table. Their victory came against Hampshire by a 3 wicket margin but clashes with Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent Spitfires and Surrey have all ended in defeats.

The home side will be missing top-rated white ball batsman Eoin Morgan who is leading England in their T20 series with Sri Lanka. However, New Zealand international Daryl Mitchell has now joined Middlesex for the remainder of the T20 campaign.

Squad:

McGrath’s View:

Anthony McGrath admitted that the victory against Surrey earlier this week that ended an unwanted sequence of five matches without a win Eagles came as a welcome relief.

“It had not been the greatest of performances for a few games before we beat Surrey, but we showed what we are capable of in that match,” said the Eagles Head Coach.

”It was obviously a much-needed win and now we have the chance to build on that with back-to-back matches with Middlesex on Thursday and then Kent Spitfires on Friday.

“Games in T20 come thick and fast, it’s easy to get on a losing run but equally, it’s also possible to put a decent winning run together. If we can do that, there are still enough games left for us to qualify for the next stage and that’s what we are aiming for.

“As we keep saying, it’s fine margins in T20 cricket, it’s about doing the basics really well and we did that against Surrey. If you get a few wickets in the powerplay and then when you bat, someone in the top-order takes responsibility and gets you off to a good start, it’s a different game.”

Sam Cook, Will Buttleman and Michael Pepper all attracted special mention from the Eagles Head Coach.

“It was good to see our young players taking the lead, I was delighted for Sam because he’s been our best bowler in the competition so far and Will is an exciting player,” he stated.

“I thought he showed great maturity and I’m sure he’ll take a lot of pride from his innings. I also thought Michael was very mature in the way he supported Will through to the end.

“You need individuals to perform and we had that on Monday.

“There’s still a lot of cricket to be played but we need to back up that performance and get a good run going. When we do that, we know that we are a match for anyone.”

Injury/Absentees News:

The Eagles have named an unchanged 14-man squad for the fixture with Middlesex.

Opposition:

Coach: Stuart Law
Captain: Steven Finn
Last Year’s Performance: Fourth in the South Group
2020 Leading Runscorer: Stevie Eskinazi (413 runs @ 41.30)
2020 Leading Wicket Taker: Steven Finn (14 wickets @ 19.00)

Key Man: Stevie Eskinazi

With Morgan and Stirling only available for the opening stages, Middlesex will look to Eskinazi to embrace the freedom to play his shots and repeat last year’s sparkling form.

Flies under the radar: Nathan Sowter.

Leg-spinner Sowter may attract few headlines but has become one of Middlesex’s most consistent T20 wicket-takers and helped propel his side to the quarter-finals in 2019.

Blast Expectations:

While Middlesex have underperformed in the Blast, this year’s tournament will be a welcome switch in formats after a poor start to their Championship campaign. England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan returns as skipper and bolsters a brittle batting line-up alongside explosive Ireland opener Paul Stirling.

Power-hitting New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell joins for the final group games, but the challenge for the rest of the batters is whether they can post competitive totals consistently once Morgan and Stirling resume international duties. Otherwise, Middlesex again have a largely youthful feel. The Seaxes will hope these promising youngsters can kick on after being given an extended run over the last year.

Spin could play a decisive role with several slow bowling options available, including experienced leg-spinner Nathan Sowter, Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman who has risen to number five in the world rankings since his last stint at Lord’s and Sydney Thunder off-spinning all-rounder Chris Green.

Head-to-Head:

When the teams met at Lord’s last year, the home side won by 11 runs after being put into bat. Openers Steve Eskinazi (51) and Max Holden (46) put on 97 before being parted but then wickets fell at regular innings before a brisk unbeaten 25 by Luke Hollman took the home side to 167-7 at the conclusion of their innings.

With a short boundary on the Tavern side to encourage batsmen, the Eagles were hopeful of recording their first win of the T20 campaign in four matches, but a number of batsmen promised substantial contribution only to perish in the deep.

When Steven Finn claimed 2 wickets in 4 balls including Ryan ten Doeschate for 32, the visitors needed 32 from 3 overs with 3 wickets remaining. Simon Harmer then hit a breezy 23 from 12 deliveries including 2 sixes and at the start of the final over sent down by Miguel Cummins, 23 were needed.

The first delivery was a waist-high full toss and a free hit was called, then 10 runs came from the next three balls to keep the Eagles hopes alive. But Harmer was bowl to the next delivery and Essex finished on 156-8.

Of the 30 matches contested, Essex narrowly shade the honours with 15 victories, 1 more than Middlesex whilst 1 match was abandoned.

How To Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from Lord’s, which will be broadcasting ahead of play from 6:15pm via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

England Women have announced a 16-strong squad for the Royal London ODI series against India, which includes Essex Women & Sunrisers spinner, Mady Villiers.

Sophia Dunkley is included and could make her ODI debut when the series gets underway at Bristol on Sunday 27 June.

Freya Davies and Sarah Glenn, who returned to their regional teams during the LV= Insurance Test match, are back in the squad.

Heather Knight (Western Storm, captain)
Emily Arlott (Central Sparks)
Tammy Beaumont (Lightning)
Katherine Brunt (Northern Diamonds)
Kate Cross (Thunder)
Freya Davies (South East Stars)
Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars)
Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder)
Tash Farrant (South East Stars)
Sarah Glenn (Central Sparks)
Amy Jones (Central Sparks)
Nat Sciver (Northern Diamonds, vice-captain)
Anya Shrubsole (Western Storm)
Mady Villiers (Essex & Sunrisers)
Fran Wilson (Sunrisers)
Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Diamonds)

Head Coach Lisa Keightley said: “We’re looking forward to playing ODI cricket again after a hugely enjoyable and hard-fought Test match.

“The competition for places across all formats is growing every time we meet to select a squad. The options available to us are the strongest we’ve had since I’ve been in the role and we feel this group gives us a great opportunity for success in the ODI element of the series.

“There’s no space on this occasion for Danni Wyatt and Georgia Elwiss, and while I know they’re both disappointed to miss out, it’s important that they’re given the opportunity to play cricket at a regional level ahead of the Vitality IT20 series.

“We have to balance the needs of the squad and the need of the individual and we’ll always be keen to get people playing competitive cricket where we can.”

Royal London Series

• Sunday 27 June: Match One – England v India (Bristol County Ground, 11am)
• Wednesday 30 June: Match Two – England v India (The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 2pm)
• Sunday 3 July: Match Three – England v India (New Road, Worcester, 11am)

Essex Eagles are in Vitality Blast action once again when they make the trip to the capital city tonight to engage Surrey at The Kia Oval with the match scheduled to get underway at 6:30pm.

The Eagles suffered their fourth defeat in six matches when they lost to Kent Spitfires on Sunday. Having won their opening match at Taunton, the Eagles only other point in this year’s competition came from the washed-out fixture with Gloucestershire on Friday.

Surrey have also been frustrated by the weather after victories in each of their first three matches. The game with Sussex Sharks on Thursday was abandoned after only five overs had been bowled and the following night, the intended clash with Hampshire Hawks was abandoned without a ball bowled.

The home side will be missing a number of players. Sam Curran, Tom Curran and Jason Roy have joined up with England’s white-ball squad ahead of the forthcoming series with Sri Lanka. Ollie Pope is unavailable due to self-isolation having come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Reece Topley and Sean Abbott are ruled out through injury together with Liam Plunkett and Nico Reifer whilst James Taylor, Gus Atkinson and Nick Kimer are recovering from viral illnesses.

Squad:

McGrath’s View:

Anthony McGrath was forthright in his assessment of The Eagles latest defeat.

“When a team starts off and gets to 100 odd without losing a wicket, you are up against it,” the Head Coach said. “ We fought back a little bit but in the end, 230-odd is always going to be a big chase.

“At the moment, we are either not batting well or not bowling well and are not putting it together.

“So we have to find solutions and pretty quickly.

“We went with the extra batter, made a couple of changes and altered the balance of the team.

“Nobody wants to lose, the fans and Members want us to win and we want to win and there is no one more disappointed than the players and the coaches.

“It’s not going well at the moment and we’ve lost four in a row apart from the rained-off game but it’s only the guys in the dressing room that can change things around.

“We’ve had five or six excellent years and the Essex fans have been spoilt for trophies but at the moment we are in a little trough, which can happen now and again, and we need everyone to get behind us.

“Believe me, everyone’s trying their best and working as hard as possible to put things right and a lot of work has gone in but at the moment, we are not showing that out on the pitch.

“But we’ve got to come back on Monday at The Kia Oval and hopefully get that win on the board.”

Injury/Absentees News:

The Eagles have named an unchanged 14-man squad for the fixture with Surrey.

Opposition:

Coach: Vikram Solanki
Captain: Jade Dernbach
Last Year’s Performance: Runners-up
2020 Leading Runscorer: Laurie Evans (363 @ 45.37)
2020 Leading Wicket Taker: Dan Moriarty (17 @ 18.29)
Overseas players: Hashim Amla.

Key Man: Will Jacks

The talented 22-year-old had a standout Blast last year, hitting 309 runs at a strike rate of almost 150 and taking 13 wickets with his off-spin at only 16 runs apiece and an impressive economy rate of 6.46.

Flies under the radar: Laurie Evans

Now 33, the former Warwickshire and Sussex batsman returned to his native Surrey last year and has quietly built a fine white-ball record, with 3,624 career T20 runs.

Blast Expectations:

Very high. Beaten by Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the floodlit final at a dew-soaked Edgbaston last year, Surrey’s squad now looks even stronger – particularly in the early games when their England white-ball players Jason Roy and the Curran brothers are available. Injuries to quicks Reece Topley and Sean Abbott have ruled both out of the competition – a pair of untimely blows in the past week.

Head-to-Head:

The clash at The Kia Oval last year ended in a nail-biting tie. The Eagles posted 143-6 after being put into bat with Ryan ten Doeschate and Adam Wheater supplying the chief contributions with 35 and 32 respectively including a partnership of 57 after the visitors had been 52-4.

At 116-5 and with former Essex man Ben Foakes showing good form, Surrey appeared on course for victory needing only a further 28 from 24 balls. The target was down to 9 at the start of the final over and 8 runs were accrued from the next four balls. But Foakes was then caught on the boundary by Paul Walter off Matt Quinn for 44.

Amidst high tension, James Taylor failed to connect with the final delivery and Adam Wheater collected the ball and appealed for a stumping.

Meanwhile, Matt Dunn had set off from the non-striker’s end like a greyhound out of the traps and had already ran the length of the pitch and beyond when the umpire turned down the wicket-keeper’s plea. Wheater then responded to Simon Harmer’s call to throw the ball to the vacant crease as Taylor belatedly set off for the run only to be left stranded well out his ground as the Eagles Captain removed the bails and the match was tied.

That match has proved the only tie between the two teams in the competition with Essex prevailing in 17 matches and Surrey 11 times whilst one match was declared a no-result and another abandoned.

How To Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Kia Oval, which will be broadcasting ahead of play from 7pm via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Kent Spitfires v Essex Eagles

Vitality Blast

The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury

Team News:

Kent Spitfires: Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond (c), Joe Denly, Alex Blake, Jack Leaning, Jordan Cox (wk), Darren Stevens, Grant Stewart, Qais Ahmad, Matthew Milnes, Fredrick Klaassen.

Essex Eagles: Adam Wheater (wk), Will Buttleman, Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper, Jimmy Neesham, Ryan ten Doeschate, Paul Walter, Simon Harmer (c), Aron Nijjar, Jack Plom, Sam Cook.

Match Details:

Umpires: Paul Pollard & Benjamin Debenham.
Toss: Essex, who elected to field.
Result: Kent Spitfires won by 67 runs.

Match Highlights: Coming Soon

Match Reaction: Anthony McGrath

Match Report:

Essex Eagles suffered a heavy Vitality Blast defeat when Kent Spitfires won by 67 runs at Canterbury.

The Spitfires raced to their highest-ever T20 total posting 236-3 after Daniel Bell-Drummond and Zak Crawley ensured an afternoon of torment for the Eagles attack at The St. Lawrence Ground

The visitors were then bowled out in 19.2 overs for 169 with Adam Wheater’s 46 being the biggest contribution.

Rain in the morning had left the ground, already wet from a dousing on Friday, damp forcing umpires Ben Debenham and Paul Pollard to delay the start by an hour.

The Eagles won the toss and elected to field having made two changes from the side beaten by Sussex Sharks last Tuesday. Dan Lawrence, back from England Test duty, and Wheater having recovered from a side strain came into the side with Tom Westley and Jamie Porter standing down.

Bell-Drummond and Crawley put the visitor’s bowlers to the sword with an opening partnership of 145 as they exploited the short boundaries to the full.

Both batsmen drove cleanly and powerfully soon building the momentum and by the completion of the powerplay, they had put 71 runs on the board with 32 runs coming from a sequence of 10 balls that included 7 boundaries.

Crawley completed a 31-ball half-century and a salvo of sixes saw the addition of 56 from 3 overs at the midpoint of the innings brought their partnership to 143 after 11 overs with Bell-Drummond having also completed his 50 from 25 balls.

Paul Walter ended their fun in the 12th over when Crawley, who had survived a stumping opportunity off Aron Nijjar when still waiting to get off the mark, played across the line and was leg before having made 69 that included 4 sixes and 5 fours.

With the total on 173, skipper Bell-Drummond edged Sam Cook behind to end his innings of 88 that boasted 6 sixes and 4 fours.

Joe Denly went quickly, also caught by Adam Wheater off Jack Plom but that brought Jack Leaning in to pepper the Eagles attack. He struck out freely and effectively to post an unbeaten 42 from just 17 balls with 4 maximum blows and a couple of other boundaries as he and Adam Blake added an unbroken 57 in 3.2 overs for the fourth wicket.

The Eagles never looked like challenging the demanding target despite the efforts of opener Wheater who was 4 runs short of a half-century when he holed out to long-on.

Dan Lawrence made 17 but single figure scores from Will Buttleman, Michael Pepper, Jimmy Neesham, Ryan ten Doeschate and Paul Walter reduced the visitors to 106-7 in the twelfth over.

And it was Leaning who was in the thick of the action again taking three of those wickets in six deliveries including a magnificent return catch from a powerful Neesham drive.

Simon Harmer contributed 31 before he was caught by Leaning in the covers but Aron Nijjar recorded his career-best T20 score. He made an unbeaten 27 and combined with Sam Cook in a last-wicket stand worth 32 before Cook, who struck a magnificent straight six off Grant Stewart, was dismissed for 18 and his personal best in this form of the game.

Essex Eagles now travel to The Kia Oval to face Surrey on Monday evening.

Essex Eagles cross the water to take on Kent Spitfires in the Vitality Blast on Sunday at Canterbury for the latest chapter in the Battle of the Bridge.

The Spitfires have proved early pacesetters in the competition and go into Sunday’s contest having made an impressive start winning four of their five matches so far. Their latest success came in Cardiff when pace bowler Matt Milnes returned figures of 5/22 as the visitors successfully defended a total of 144-7 to win by 40 runs with Glamorgan bowled out for 104.

The Eagles have recorded one victory, three defeats and a total washout from their five fixtures so far. Due to meet Gloucestershire at The Cloudfm County Ground on Friday night, persistent rain throughout the day caused the match to be called off.

Squads:

Kent Spitfires Squad:
Bell-Drummond (c), Billings (wk), Blake, Cox, Crawley, Denly, Gilchrist, Klaassen, Leaning, Logan, Milnes, Ahmad, Robinson, Stevens, Stewart.

McGrath’s View:

Head Coach Anthony McGrath admits that the form of the Eagles has been frustrating so far.

“After the excellent win against Somerset, we were hoping to use that as a platform for further successes in order that we could be amongst the pacesetters but obviously that has not happened and of course that’s frustrating for everyone,” he acknowledged.

“The main problem has been the lack of runs but we’ve now got Dan Lawrence back and so that should help.

“The teams that are winning games are seeing batters in their top four or five getting 70’s or 80’s and we haven’t had that. I don’t think anyone of our batters is really out of nick, there’s been some nice 20’s and 30’s, but we just need that match-winning performance from someone to galvanise the rest of the order.

“With 20 overs being such a short game, you need someone to step forward to give you that match-winning contribution.

“Obviously, things have not gone the way we would have hoped for. We’ve now had five matches and collected three points and that’s identical to the record we had at this stage in 2019 when we went on to win the competition so that does show that we still have a great opportunity to turn things around.

“There are plenty of games left and plenty of points to play for and hopefully, we can get a good run going and start putting points on the board to get us up the table.”

Injury/Absentees News:

Adam Wheater is named in the 14-man squad having not played since suffering a side strain in the opening match of the competition when the Eagles met Somerset at Taunton on June 9th.

Opposition:

Coach: Matt Walker
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
Last Year’s Performance: Quarter-finalists
2020 Leading Runscorer: Daniel Bell-Drummond (423 @ 42.3)
2020 Leading Wicket Taker: Fred Klaassen (13 @ 28.76)
Overseas players: Qais Ahmed

Key Man: Fred Klaassen

English-born Dutch international Fred Klaassen has been amongst the wickets this year in T20 cricket. The left arm medium-fast bowler has 9 victims thus far @ 16.55 and an economy rate of 7.84.

Flies under the radar: Jack Leaning

The third-highest scorer last time out, he took 4/16 in a second XI warm-up against the Eagles and after a tough start seems to be improving with every week.

Blast Expectations:

The switch to the white-ball will come as a relief for a side bottom of their LV= Insurance County Championship group, despite Walker’s pre-season statement that this was the most excited he’d been about a group of players for a long time.

The 45-year-old Darren Stevens hasn’t played T20 for two years, but brings the kind of experience that might just see the Spitfires over the line, having hit the winning runs when Kent Spitfires won the tournament in 2007 – the last time they lifted the trophy.

Head-to-Head:

When the teams met at the St. Lawrence Ground last year, the Spitfires emerged with a four wickets success with two deliveries to spare after Grant Stewart sealed the match with a six off a Jack Plom full toss.

Cameron Delport and Tom Westley got the Eagles off to an excellent start with 50 in 29 balls but the loss of Westley for 39 brought the downfall of three more wickets quickly including Delport for 28.

It was left to Ryan ten Doeschate to oversee the remainder of the innings posting a 32-ball half-century as the visitors closed on 167-9.

In reply, Kent Spitfires lost half their side for 80 with Plom enjoying figures of 3/10 at one stage but Alex Blake and Jack Leaning added 67 in 7.2 overs and nine runs were required from the final over.

Leaning found the boundary to reach an unbeaten 55 before a single passed the strike to Stewart who struck the winning blow.

The Eagles have won 15 and lost 18 of the 34 T20 matches between the two teams with one match abandoned.

How To Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from Canterbury, which will be broadcasting ahead of play from 2:30 via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

The Vitality Blast match against Gloucestershire at The Cloudfm County Ground on Friday evening has been abandoned without a ball being bowled for the fifth year in a row.

Persistent heavy rain throughout the day meant that the outfield became saturated and any play was unlikely, despite Stuart Kerrison and his ground staff team’s hard work.

The umpires made sure the curse of the fixture remained at a 5:15pm inspection to give Gloucestershire and Essex Eagles a point each.

The two sides now haven’t met at the Eagles’ home since 2016 – where Michael Klinger’s 78 set up an eight-wicket victory.

Of the Eagles side which played that day, only three were in the squad to feature tonight – including Dan Lawrence who was due to make his return after his England Test appearances.

In 2018 and 2019 rain meant no action as possible, with 2017 the outlier due to a toss being made and teams named before the inclement weather arrived.

The 2020 fixture was also cancelled although on that occasion it was the Covid-19 pandemic, with the two counties split into different groups, rather than the weather that accounted for the lack of action.

Essex Eagles are back in action on Sunday against Kent Spitfires, aiming to halt a four-game winless run in the Blast, while mid-table Gloucestershire face Hampshire Hawks at home on the same day.

Ticket holders for this match will be contacted in due course for further information regarding a refund.

The Cloudfm County Ground welcomes Gloucestershire on Friday evening for the next Vitality Blast match. Play is set to get underway at 7pm and the ground continues to operate under COVID-19 protocols which are outlined below.

We are looking forward to welcoming supporters once again to Chelmsford although we advise keeping up to date across our social media channels and prospect of play phone line (01245 254049) due to the wet weather forecast throughout the day.

We want to make sure supporters are all set ahead of visiting and we advise following the information below carefully.

If you have any COVID-19 related symptoms then please do not travel to the ground and follow the Government guidelines.

View our checklist to make sure you have everything ready:

• Your ticket is a QR code that has been sent to you via email. 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 if required so you are prepared for all eventualities.

• Most seated areas are uncovered so we advise bringing a compact foldable umbrella should rain be forecast for the day. Should it rain on the day of the game, we advise not attending and keeping up to date with the prospect of play via the Club’s social media channels.

• Read and understand the COVID-19 Spectator Code of Conduct – view here.

• Spectators can bring food and drink with them however there is strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted.

• The importation of alcohol is prohibited for Vitality Blast matches.

• Locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloudfm County Ground. Meteor Way will be open for this match from 4:30pm and free of charge for Members on a first-come, first-served basis.

The seating zones for this fixture are located in the River End (Areas 1-18) and Hayes Close End (Areas 24-31).

Please arrive as per the block details displayed on your ticket and view your designated entry/exit times below.

The designated ground entry times are:

• Entry is only via the designated gate stated.

• Face masks must be worn on entry and arrival into the ground.

• Before you can enter the ground you will be greeted by an initial ticket check, followed by the mandatory bag check. Please do not bring large bags as these will hold up others in the queue.

• Please follow the directional signage and guidance on your way into the ground as you make your way down to the entry gate.

• Please have your match ticket ready and you will be required to scan the QR code to enter.

We want to make your experience as safe and enjoyable as possible with the guidelines and protocols currently in place.

• Face masks must be worn when moving around the ground and can be removed once positioned in your allocated seat.

• Your ticket includes a block, row, and seat number. This is your sole designated seat for the day and you are not able to change seat unless authorised by a Steward or member of staff.

• Snack and drink bars are open to spectators and alcohol will be on sale.

• The Cloudfm County Ground is cashless this season and purchases can only be made using a debit/credit card.

• Please remain seated throughout the game and during breaks unless visiting the food/drink areas or using the toilet facilities. You will not be permitted to walk to other areas of the ground during your visit.

• Please refrain from moving in and out of your seat during overs.

• 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].

At the conclusion of the day’s play, spectators will be required to exit the ground as below and stewards will be on hand to direct you safely out of the ground;

You can find other important information regarding visiting The Cloudfm County Ground under Stage Three guidelines via the Club’s COVID-19 Code of Conduct.

We hope you have an enjoyable return to The Cloudfm County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be sent to Members before the match by email.

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 Essex County Cricket Club Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday evening over the Zoom video conferencing platform and the result of the 2021 Committee ballot were announced.

There were three places available on the General Committee this year with Members voting able to vote from six candidates. A total of 1,255 Ballot Papers were received, equating to 40% of the 3,144 Ballot Papers issued.

Those nominated were:

Mr Peter Edwards
Mrs Vicky Ford MP
Mr Paul Harvey
Mr Ronnie Irani
Mr Baiju Solanki
Mrs Kate Walters

Those elected onto the General Committee:

Mrs Vicky Ford MP
Mr Paul Harvey
Mr Ronnie Irani

In addition, the Membership was asked to approve a new Constitution put forward by the General Committee following a comprehensive review by the Governance Working Group in order to comply with the ECB’s new Governance Framework.

Key changes include the introduction of limitations on the terms of office of General Committee Members, and the establishment of a Nominations Committee (the main purpose of which is to provide advice to the Membership in electing a skills-based and diverse Board to govern the Club) and of a Members’ Committee (to be a conduit for information and policy matters between the Membership and the Board).

The Constitution was approved by an overwhelming majority of 1,045 votes to 50 votes.

The Club would like to thank the Members who voted this year and those who joined us on Wednesday evening for the virtual Annual General Meeting.