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Essex Eagles host Gloucestershire in the Vitality Blast on Friday evening with the match scheduled to get underway at 7pm.

The home side will be eager to rediscover the winning trail. After beating Somerset in their opening match in the competition, they have been on the wrong end of results in their next three matches.

The latest of those reverses came in front of an 800-strong crowd at The Cloudfm County Ground on Tuesday where Sussex Sharks maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign with a comprehensive 7-wicket success.

However, the Eagles welcome back Dan Lawrence from his England duties on Friday and the 23-year-old is set to bolster the Eagles batting when he makes his first appearance of the T20 season.

Visitors Gloucestershire won their opening fixture beating Glamorgan by 4 runs before suffering defeats to Sussex Sharks (by 5 wickets) and Kent Spitfires (by 5 runs).

Squads:

Essex Eagles:

Gloucestershire:
Hammond, Dent, Cockbain, Phillips, J Taylor (c), Higgins, Howell, van Buuren, Smith, Payne, M Taylor, Bracey (wk), Shaw, Worrall.

Hear from Pepper:

Reflecting on the defeat by Sussex Sharks, Michael Pepper, who top-scored for the Eagles hitting 36, said: “It was very disappointing.

“On the batting front, there were just nowhere near enough runs and losing wickets at the wrong time meant we couldn’t get enough partnerships together.

“It was quite a hard wicket to get started on and you are never going to defend a total of 128 on it playing against Sussex with their batting line-up.

“I think on that hybrid pitch, we are looking to score around 150 to 160 and then if you do that, your bowling attack has different plans of going about it. You actually have some runs to back you up as you try to go for wickets.

“So, it was a disappointing outcome on Tuesday but if we can get two wins on Friday and Sunday we can be three from six and then be up in the top half of the table and we won’t be in a bad position at all.”

Injury/Absentees News:

Adam Wheater and Dan Lawrence return to the squad for Friday’s match.

Opposition:

Coach: Ian Harvey.
Captain: Jack Taylor.

Last Year’s Performance: Semi-finalists.
2020 Leading Run Scorer: Ian Cockbain (399 @ 44.33).
2020 Leading Wicket Taker: David Payne (16 @ 18.68).

Overseas players: Dan Worrall and Glenn Phillips (both available for the whole tournament).

Key man: Ian Cockbain – Possess incredible ball-striking ability and is a player that has real fear-factor for opposition attacks.

Flies under the radar: Chris Dent – Cast as a red-ball specialist, he returned to the T20 side last summer after a four-year absence and made 371 runs at 33.72.

Best player under 24: Tom Lace – Very highly-rated batsman who joined from Middlesex. Yet to play a T20 match but talent will no doubt transfer to the shortest format.

Blast expectations: Gloucestershire will expect another strong campaign having become one of the most consistent T20 sides of the past few years. Four times in the last five seasons they have qualified for the quarter-finals and in 2020 finally overcame their knockout hoodoo by destroying Northamptonshire and earning a place at Finals Day for the first time since 2007.

Head-to-Head:

The weather has been the dominant factor in the most recent years when Essex have been scheduled to lock horns with their West County opponents at Chelmsford.

In 2017, 2018 and 2019, rain washed out each match without a ball bowled whilst the intended meeting last year was cancelled as a result of COVID-19.

So the most recent occasion that the teams were able to get onto the field and undertake any action at Chelmsford was back in 2016 when Gloucestershire prevailed by 8 wickets with 3.1 overs to spare.

Matt Quinn appeals for a wicket during the T20 match against Gloucestershire in 2016.

The Eagles totalled 153-8 from 20 overs with Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara providing the highest two contributions of 45 and 28 respectively before their opponents replied with 154-2.

Michael Klinger and Hamish Marshall put on 126 for the first wicket before being parted when the latter was bowled by Matt Quinn for 42.

Klinger had reached 78 when he was caught by James Foster off the bowling of Wahab Riaz but at that juncture, the visitors were on the cusp of victory requiring only a further 22 runs.

How To Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Cloudfm County Ground, which will be broadcasting from 6:30pm ahead of play which is scheduled to start at 7pm.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Idris Patel, CEO of Supporting Humanity, a charity that delivered in excess of 82,000 hot meals to vulnerable people and frontline NHS staff at more than 18 hospitals, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for his efforts.

During the height of the pandemic, Supporting Humanity teamed up with Essex Cricket to cook and deliver meals to hospitals in Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Basildon and Southend. Supporting Humanity also delivered meals to 18 other hospitals, care homes and vulnerable people over the age of 65.

Essex Captains Simon Harmer, Tom Westley and Kelly Castle amongst several players from the First Team and Women’s squads made the trip to Saffron Kitchen, where the charity is based, to help in the kitchen. They were joined by Essex County Cricket Club Ambassador, Graham Gooch OBE, who personally delivered the meals to grateful NHS staff.

Supporting Humanity and Essex Cricket received fantastic support from Club Partners, Cloudfm, Woodland Group and Allen Ford, who provided vehicles for the hot meals to be delivered to the hospitals in Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Basildon and Southend.

Essex Cricket also launched a Just Giving page dedicated to raising funds for Supporting Humanity and the Essex Community Foundation which supports local charities and voluntary groups. The campaign raised over £3,500 and the Club would like to thank everyone who provided support throughout the project.

Every single person in my charity is like a family member. We’re not expecting the world to thank us, we are doing things because we want to do it for the world.”

A lot of these things that I’m doing with the charity are because of the way my mother has raised me” he continued. “She has always said to me don’t worry about what the world can do for you, you worry about what you can do for the world.”

Arfan Akram, Essex Cricket’s East London Cricket Operations Manager said: “The work done by Idris and everyone at Supporting Humanity during the pandemic has been truly sensational. It’s a prime example of the selfless work done in the community to support vulnerable people and heroic NHS staff.

Cricket and community life go hand in hand, and for Essex County Cricket Club to lend their help was yet another example of the great work done by cricket clubs to strengthen bonds with their local communities.”

The Club would like to congratulate Idris on this fully deserved award.
 

The Club can confirm that Matt Quinn has signed a three-year contract with Kent, which is effective for the beginning of the 2022 season. Ahead of his move, Matt will join Kent on loan for the remainder of the current campaign.

The 28-year-old fast bowler will link up with the Kent squad immediately but won’t be available for selection in fixtures against Essex this season.

Quinn joined the Club in December 2015 and has played 16 first-class games for the Club, which included figures of 7/76 against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham in his debut season. He has been a more prominent member of the Eagles white-ball side during his time at Essex, playing 14 List A and 30 Twenty20 appearances.

He enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Kent earlier this summer, taking 12 wickets at 19.33 in his four games with his best figures of 4/54 coming against Sussex at Hove in May.

On his departure, Quinn said: “I would like to thank everyone associated with Essex for the support I have received. It was a big step in my career to move over from New Zealand but the Members, supporters, staff, coaches and teammates have been great throughout my time at the Club.

“I’m privileged to have shared some amazing experiences during a fantastic period of success and I look forward to returning to Chelmsford with Kent in the coming years.

Essex Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, said: “It’s never easy to see a player leave the Club but this is a great opportunity for Matt in the next step of his career.

“He has had to face long periods out of the game due to the back injury he sustained in 2017 but has worked hard to get back into First Team contention ever since. We are blessed with very talented bowlers at the Club but unfortunately, Matt has sometimes found his opportunities limited as a result.

“Matt has always had a great attitude on and off the field, and everyone at the Club wishes him well in the next step of his career at Kent.”

The Club would like to thank Matt for his contribution whilst at Essex and wish him the best of luck for his future with Kent.

Tuesday evening sees our second Vitality Blast match of the season with Sussex Sharks visiting The Cloudfm County Ground. Play is set to get underway at 7pm with tickets available on General Sale now.

We are fully expecting a capacity crowd under our current restrictions of up to 800 and ticket holders can view the following information ahead of visiting the ground.

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.

• 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 entertain Sussex Sharks in the Vitality Blast on Tuesday evening with play getting underway at 7pm.

The two sides head into the match with contrasting fortunes in the competition thus far. After winning the opening match with Somerset, the Eagles will now be looking to bounce back following two successive defeat against Glamorgan and Hampshire in the past four days.

Meanwhile, the Sharks arrive with a 100 percent record having beaten Gloucestershire by 5 wickets, followed by a 9-wicket thrashing of Hampshire Hawks on Saturday.

Phil Salt has been in sparkling form for the visitors hitting unbeaten scores of 77 and 72 in the victories.

Squads:

Sussex Sharks Squad:
Luke Wright (C), Will Beer, Ravi Bopara, Oli Carter, Henry Crocombe, George Garton, Travis Head, Chris Jordan, Archie Lenham, Tymal Mills, Delray Rawlins, Phil Salt, Aaron Thomason, David Wiese.

Head Coach’s View:

“We were probably 15 runs short of the score we wanted on Sunday and so the key was to get wickets early in the powerplay”, said Antony McGrath.

“We didn’t manage to do that and once Glamorgan got past the 100 with only one wicket down, the game was pretty much gone. They accelerated and didn’t give us much chance.

“When we batted, we lost wickets at crucial points and really, you need one of your top four to go and get a 60, 70 or 80 and when you keep losing wickets constantly, the run-rate drops and you lose momentum.

“We were without Adam [Wheater] and Ryan [ten Doeschate] who are two very experienced cricketers who played a big part when we won the competition in 2019, but these things happen.

“So, yes it was disappointing to lose both on Sunday and last Friday.

“In fact, I think we should have won against Hampshire which would have given us two wins out of two. You have to close those games out when you are on top like we were.

“In Twenty20 matches, sometimes you can get outplayed which I thought we were on Sunday with bat and ball, but we should have beaten Hampshire on Friday given the position we were in.

“But those games are gone and we now have two home games to look forward to. We saw in 2019 when we got on a run that we were difficult to stop so that’s what the immediate target is in front of us, to put together two or three wins which lifts everyone’s confidence.

There’s plenty of time to get a run going, there are eleven games still to go and that’s a lot of cricket to be played.”

Injury/Absentees News:

Adam Wheater still remains on the sidelines through injury, whilst Dan Lawrence will return soon from international duty.

Opposition:

Coach: James Kirtley
Captain: Luke Wright

Last Year’s Performance: Quarter-finalists
2020 Leading Run Scorer: David Wiese (281 @ 40.14)
2020 Leading Wicket Taker: George Garton (14 @ 16.5)

Overseas players: Rashid Khan (available from June 27), David Wiese and Travis Head (both available for the whole tournament).

Key man: Ravi Bopara – The former Eagle will make another return to Chelmsford after his move South in 2019. Ravi is one of the dangermen in the Sharks ranks and struck his first half-century for the Club on Saturday against Hampshire.

Flies under the radar: George Garton – He was outstanding in 2020 with 14 wickets and the best economy rate of Sussex’s seamers. He took 20 off a Steve Finn over to beat Middlesex and underline his batting potential.

Best Player Under 24: Archie Lenham – At just 16-years-old, it has been a memorable start of the campaign from Lenham who took 1/34 on debut, and followed it up with a man of the match performance against Hampshire Hawks with figures of 3/14.

Blast expectations: Sussex Sharks look to have all bases covered and it will be one of the favourites for the knockout stages.

Even at 36, skipper Luke Wright still has a lot to offer and commands enviable resources, even without Jofra Archer and with Chris Jordan’s appearances likely to be limited by England commitments.

Travis Head will bring runs and big-match experience and Ravi Bopara is too good a player not to improve on a disappointing 2020.

Head-to-Head:

When the teams met at Chelmsford last year, the Sharks won by 4 wickets with 10 balls to spare. Paul Walter batted splendidly for the Eagles holding the innings together with a valiant 76 in a total of 136 for 9.

The visitors started with a wobble in their reply losing half their side for 59 but Calum MacLeod and George Garton staged a 73-run partnership. When they were finally parted with the score on 132, Sussex were on the cusp of victory.

It’s a tight record between the two Clubs in Twenty20 cricket over the course of 28 meetings – Essex Eagles have claimed 13 victories with Sussex Sharks just ahead on 15.

How To Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Cloudfm County Ground, which will be broadcasting from 6:30pm ahead of play which is scheduled to start at 7pm.

Host, Simon Ward will be joined by Graham Gooch and opening batsman, Nick Browne for the match and can be viewed via the Essex Cricket TV YouTube channel and Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Following the Prime Minister’s latest announcement on Monday evening regarding the four-week delay in moving to Step Four of the roadmap out of lockdown, the Club will regrettably now begin to implement the ticket refund and rollback policy for all home fixtures up until July 19.

With social restrictions remaining, the Club will again be operating with a limited capacity of up to x800 spectators. Tickets will be rolled back to that maximum capacity in order of purchase date, and you can view the Club’s full ticket refund and rollback policy online – here.

The delay will affect the Kent Spitfires (June 25), Somerset (June 29), Glamorgan (July 1), and Middlesex (July 18) games in the Vitality Blast, plus the England Women v India Women fixture, (14 July).

All ticket holders for these games will be contacted via email in the coming days with;

i) details should the ticket buyer be eligible to attend within the revised ground capacity of up to 800 spectators. This will also include details should you be eligible to attend but no longer wish to do so.

OR

ii) information on how a refund will be issued to the ticket buyer

Tickets will be reissued in order of purchase date and you can view the Club’s ticket refund and rollback policy online – here.

The Club have been granted permission from local authorities to increase the capacity at The Cloudfm County Ground to up to 800 spectators for the two upcoming games against Sussex Sharks (Tuesday 15 June, 7pm) and Gloucestershire (Friday 18 June, 7pm).

Tickets are currently on sale to Members online and can be purchased by phone from 10am on Tuesday 15 June. All remaining tickets for these two games will go on General Sale to all supporters from 12pm on Tuesday, subject to availability.

These will be available on a first come, first served basis and can be bought online at www.essexcricket.org.uk or by phone (01245 254010). Please note tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available on the gates for these games due to track and trace protocols.

Spectators are required to follow the Club’s Code of Conduct whilst visiting The Cloudfm County Ground and these are available to view here.

Cast your vote for the DeVines Player of the Month for May. There are four contenders nominated for the award during a period that saw the team record victories over Derbyshire and Durham whilst also drawing fixtures against Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

Simon Harmer was the stand-out bowler during the win against Derbyshire at Chelmsford, taking 9/80 in the first innings and ending with match figures of 12/202. Shane Snater made his first-class debut for the Club against Worcestershire at New Road and impressed with the ball the following week at Trent Bridge, capturing 7/98 with Essex slipping to an innings defeat.

Dan Lawrence is up for the award after his batting performance against Derbyshire. The England international was not out for 152, and moved from 100 to 150 in just 20 balls, which included three consecutive sixes of the bowling of Matt Critchley. Michael Pepper is the last player to be nominated. The 22-year-old replaced Lawrence in the team after the former linked up with England, and he scored a crucial 92 in the first innings at Durham as others fell around him to stabilise the innings. His efforts helped Essex record a 195-run victory.

Voting for this competition has now closed and the winner will be announced at the Vitality Blast match against Somerset on Tuesday 29 June.

Following the start of the Vitality Blast campaign, the Club have been granted permission from local authorities to increase the capacity at The Cloudfm County Ground for the two upcoming games.

A maximum of 800 spectators will be able to attend the next two Vitality Blast home games against Sussex Sharks (Tuesday 15 June, 7pm) and Gloucestershire (Friday 18 June, 7pm).

Members who entered the ballot for these fixtures have been contacted for their opportunity to purchase tickets with the remaining tickets going on sale to all Members from Monday.

These will be available on a first come, first served basis and can be bought online at www.essexcricket.org.uk from 1pm on Monday 14 June or by phone (01245 254010) from 10am on Tuesday 15 June.

All tickets sold are subject to Government regulations on the date of the match. A ticket refund & roll back policy is in place should there be changes to the current Stage Three guidelines and these can be found here.

Spectators are required to follow the Club’s Code of Conduct whilst visiting The Cloudfm County Ground and these are available to view here.

Essex Eagles head west for the next Vitality Blast match when they face Glamorgan in Cardiff on Sunday with the game scheduled to commence at 2:30pm.

Having won the opening game against Somerset at Taunton, the Eagles hopes of launching their home campaign with victory 48 hours later were dashed when they lost to Hampshire by 13 runs after their opponents successfully defended a total of 155-6 by dismissing Essex for 142.

Now they look to overcome the disappointment of that setback by recording another on the road win.

Glamorgan narrowly lost their opening match of this year’s competition when Gloucestershire prevailed by 4 runs in the encounter at Sophia Gardens. Aussie star Marnus Labuschagne struck 10 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 93 from 56 balls but the Welsh county just fell short reaching 175-9 chasing down a target of 179-6.

Squads:

Glamorgan Squad:
46 Chris Cooke (c & wk), 5 Kiran Carlson, 88 Dan Douthwaite, 41 Colin Ingram, 99 Marnus Labuschagne, 73 David Lloyd, 30 Michael Neser, 21 Andrew Salter, 9 Nick Selman, 32 Prem Sisodiya, 20 Ruaidhri Smith, 4 Callum Taylor, 64 Timm van der Gugten, 29 James Weighell.

Cook’s View View:

Paceman Sam Cook continued his fine start to the season with figures of 2/21 in the loss to Hampshire to follow his 3/14 at Taunton two nights earlier.

Reflecting on the home defeat, he said: “At the halfway stage I think we would have been happy chasing 155. Historically at Chelmsford, you are looking at 180 being par so the way we had bowled we’d be happy with that.

“In hindsight, it wasn’t the easiest pitch to score on and it was frustrating to lose wickets at regular intervals and come up short.

“Tom Westley batted beautifully. He proved that if you got in on that pitch it got easier. The way he constructed his innings, hitting the gaps and attacking when the opportunities presented themselves.

“It was disappointing the way he got run out and it was a crucial moment in the game.

“We have been an inexperienced T20 bowling unit over the past few years, we identified that over the winter and have worked hard to improve our skills. We are reaping the rewards of that now.”

Injury/Absentees News:

Adam Wheater is suffering with a side strain whilst Dan Lawrence is unavailable due to his commitments with England in the Test series with New Zealand.

Opposition:

Coach: Matthew Maynard
Captain: Chris Cooke
Last Year’s Performance: 5th (Central Group)
2020 Leading Runscorer: Andy Balbirnie (255 @ 36.42)
2020 Leading Wicket Taker: Timm van der Gugten (14 @ 14.92)
Overseas players: Colin Ingram (South Africa), Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) & Michael Neser (Australia)

Key man: Colin Ingram

In the last completed game between the two sides, at Cardiff in 2018, Colin Ingram blasted 89 to underpin a six run victory for his side. The hard-hitting batsman had scored a brilliant 114 at Chelmsford the previous year and to date, the South African has scored 426 runs in seven innings with his tally also including an unbeaten 101 at Chelmsford.

Flies under the radar: Timm van der Gugten

The Netherlands international has been Glamorgan’s leading wicket-taker in his past two Blast campaigns for the club.

Blast expectations:

Glamorgan have endured a tough time since reaching Finals Day four years ago, but there is reason for optimism as they aim to get back to the knockout stages. Glamorgan won three of their final four games last summer and their batting is boosted by the return of Colin Ingram. David Lloyd is back to full fitness, Marnus Labuschagne is set to be available for the entire group stage and young gun Kiran Carlson has shown signs he is ready to take the next steps in his career.

Head-to-Head:

The Eagles have not beaten Glamorgan in the competition since June 2016, when Jesse Ryder (42) and Tom Westley (41) set up the 7 wicket victory.

Since 2016, the Welsh county have been victorious against the Eagles in all three of their T20 matches where the weather has not intervened. The list is as follows:

July 16, 2017 at Chelmsford – Glamorgan won by 5 wickets
July 23, 2017 at Cardiff – Match Abandoned
July 13, 2018 at Chelmsford – Glamorgan won by 2 wickets
Aug 7, 2018 at Cardiff – Glamorgan won by 6 runs
Aug 9, 2019 at Cardiff – No Result
Aug 1, 2019 at Chelmsford – Match Abandoned

Glamorgan’s victory in 2018 was their first on home soil against the Eagles in the T20 competition, with the visitors having won five of their previous encounters at the Cardiff ground – in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The teams have been scheduled to meet on 16 occasions. Essex won eight matches, lost four whilst there has been two no-results and two matches abandoned.

How To Watch:

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

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.