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Kent Spitfires v Essex

Vitality Blast

The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury

Team News:

Essex: Feroze Khushi, Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper, Robin Das, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Daniel Sams, Will Buttleman (wk), Simon Harmer (c), Shane Snater, Sam Cook.

Kent Spitfires: Tawanda Muyeye, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Denly, Sam Billings (c & wk), Jordan Cox, Jack Leaning, George Linde, Grant Stewart, Fred Klaassen, Kane Richardson, Michael Hogan.

Match Details:

Umpires: Nigel Llong, Ben Debenham & Neil Debenham
Match Referee: Steve Davis
Toss: Kent Spitfires won and elected to bat
Result:

Scorecard: View Here

Match Highlights:

Match Reaction: Sam Cook

“It was nice to get the wickets but even more special to get it in a winning cause, that’s the most important thing. We were happy to restrict them to 150 and to knock it off. The way Critch [Matt Critchley] played, Butters [Will Buttleman] played well at the end all the lads chipped in, so it was a good win on what appeared to be a tricky wicket.

“Especially over the last two years, even though we did win it in 2019 I think we’re a much, much better side than we were then. I think we’ve really evolved, we’ve had a bit of a change of personnel with young lads coming in and new faces, but everyone contributing is the most pleasing thing.

“Everyone that’s come in has done a job and for Will Buttleman coming in at the end, it could have been tricky if he’d got out so to smack one out the park and kill the game like he did was really impressive and that’s what it’s all about, everyone’s got to contribute and so far this season that’s been the case.

“To be honest I started the season pretty poorly in the powerplay so in the last couple of games I just tried to go back to basics as well, hit the seam and challenge the stumps and it’s worked for the last couple of nights.

“In this format you can try a million things and sometimes it better to just try and simplify things and go back to what you do well. It’s worked well in the last couple of games and hopefully it will in the future.”

Match Report:

Sam Cook took a hat-trick as Essex beat the Kent Spitfires by four wickets in the Vitality Blast at Canterbury.

The visitors recovered from an early-innings scare to close on 155 for six, Matt Critchley hitting an unbeaten 63.

Cook had taken four for 18 as Kent were held to 150 for eight, which actually represented a recovery. Joe Denly was the top scorer with 39 and Grant Stewart gave the hosts something to bowl at with 37 from 16 balls, but after slumping to 31 for four, Critchley’s measured innings saw Essex home with 10 balls to spare.

Kent’s decision to bat backfired when, having put on 32 for the opening wicket, they were rocked by a spell of four runs for four wickets in eight balls.

Daniel Bell-Drummond got away with an ugly shot off Shane Snater that sailed over the boundary, but he hit the next ball almost vertically and was caught by Feroze Khushi for 22.

Cook then sent Tawanda Muyeye’s stumps flying before getting Sam Billings caught behind for a golden duck and he claimed his first Blast hat-trick when Jordan Cox was plumb lbw.

With under five overs gone the remaining batters had little choice other than to drop anchor and Jack Leaning had made nine from 20 balls when he hit Critchley to Daniel Sams at forward square leg.

When Simon Harmer’s 15th over went for just two the old joke about it not being a test match leapt to mind, but the charge finally came in the 17th when George Linde hit Harmer for six, only to edge the next ball straight to Robin Das.

When Cook bowled Denly, Grant Stewart was left with the tail, but an eight-ball final over from Sams went for 27, including two sixes from Stewart, who was eventually caught by Das off the fifth legitimate delivery. A misfield allowed Kent to scramble two off the last ball, but the total still looked below par, until Essex started to bat.

Fred Klaassen, back after missing the start of the Blast for personal reasons, had Khushi lbw with the second ball of the innings.

It was one for two when Dan Lawrence edged Michael Hogan’s first ball down the leg side where he was brilliantly caught by Billings.

Hogan then bowled Das’s middle stump for 11, breaking Sky’s stump camera and when Michael Pepper went for 13, skying Kane Richardson to Billings Essex were 31 for four, but Paul Walter and Critchley steadied their nerves.

The former made 27 from 15 before he cut Stewart to Leaning and Sams chipped in with 17 before Linde bowled him.

Critchley never allowed the run rate to escalate while Will Buttleman survived an lbw shout from Linde and then reverse swept him for four, before hitting Hogan for six into the Old Dover Road gardens.

Fittingly Critchley hit the winning runs when he hit Joe Denly for six over cow corner.

The win keeps Essex well in contention for Finals Day and a fifth consecutive defeat leaves Kent’s hopes of qualifying looking almost skeletal.

Essex Second XI: : Josh Rymell, Charlie Allison, Will Buttleman (wk), Noah Thain, Aaron Beard (c), Ronnie McKenna, Jamal Richards, Saud Munir, Hayden Goulstone, Eshun Kalley, Jamie Porter

Sussex Second XI: : Harrison Ward, Tom Haines (c), DK Ibrahim, Oli Carter (wk), Charlie Tear, Zach Lion-Cachet, Jack Carson, Albert Foreman, Ari Karvelas, Sean Hunt, Brad Currie

Match Details:

Umpires: Paul Nicholls and Nathan Hewitt
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Sussex Second XI won by 7 runs

Scorecard: View here

Match Report:

Essex’s second string were beaten by their Sussex counterparts in what proved to be a close Second XI T20 South Group encounter at Garon Park, Southend.

On a blustery afternoon beside the seaside, Sussex posted 213 for seven.
Daniel Ibrahim’s forty minutes in the middle gleaned 80 runs off 36 balls before he was trapped lbw by Hayden Goulstone. His innings included three 4s and seven 6s. Meanwhile, Harrison Ward contributed 46 off 32

Goulstone was the pick of the Essex attack, returning figures of four for 31 from his four-over spell. Noah Thain took 2/23 off two, while Jamie Porter was also amongst the wickets.

Essex did their utmost to remain within touching distance. Will Buttleman top-scored, hitting an unbeaten 78 off 43 balls, including ten 4s and three 6s.

But the chase proved to be just too much for the homes side. Thain chipped in with 36, while skipper Aaron Beard scored 25 and Josh Rymell 24, the latter superbly caught by Brad Currie off a delivery from Sean Hunt.

Adam Rossington comes into Essex’ Vitality Blast campaign, which starts on Tuesday evening at home against Gloucestershire, in the form of his life after an outstanding winter of white-ball cricket.

The wicketkeeper-opener played a major part in helping Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title and followed up with an exhilarating stand-in role for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League.

Rossington top-scored in the South African final with a 30-ball 57, having taken three catches and a stumping in Pretoria Capitals’ innings; it was his second half-century during a tournament in which he scored 246 runs at an average of 27.33. He added a third T20 fifty of the winter – the 15th of his career – when signing off from a week-long stint with the Kings.

“Over the last couple of years I’ve probably not scored as many runs as I’d have liked in the four-day stuff, but I’ve had a good 18 months or so of T20 cricket,” says the 30-year-old Rossington. “Hopefully I can put together a few match-winning contributions for Essex.

“This winter’s been brilliant. The opportunity to play in different conditions with different people has been great. You see how other players go about their businesses and pick little things up here and there.

“You see a few more overseas players you haven’t met before. You’ve played against them now, and sat in team meetings discussing what they do, and that can only help when it comes to the Blast.

“Cricket is a game where the more you play, the more experiences you have; the more different situations you find yourself in, and the more of that you can do when the pressure mounts the better equipped you are to handle them.”

Rossington also hit his stride towards the end of Essex’s 2022 T20 campaign, smashing a career-best 95 in the penultimate group game against Sussex at Hove during a purple patch when he accumulated 165 runs in three innings.

He recalls: “We got on a roll towards the back-end of the season but then just didn’t put in a good enough performance in the quarter-final [against Lancashire Lightning]. That’s something we’ll definitely learn from and if we’re in that position again hopefully we can put it right.”

Anthony McGrath described Rossington’s arrival from Northamptonshire last year as filling the void left at the top of the order since the Blast title win of 2019. The search for someone to replace Cameron Delport and get after the bowlers in the first six overs had become “a bit of a headache”, according to the Head Coach Anthony McGrath.

Rossington is clear what his role is. “It’s to take advantage of the powerplay and then try and go on and get some match-winning scores and take the game away from the opposition.

“I’ve played a fair amount of cricket now so I can also help out Simon Harmer from behind the stumps. Captaincy in the format can be very hard, so if as wicketkeeper I can help by taking care of the angles in the field, give an opinion about what I think the wicket is doing, what the batter is up to, then that information can help both bowler and captain. You tend to have a pretty good view from my position, so I try to use it to help the team in any way I can.”

Rossington, who helped Northants win the Blast back in 2016, has just returned from an enforced one-month break after damaging the middle finger on his left hand during the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire.

Finger restored to full flexibility, Rossington can also look forward to a contract with London Spirit in The Hundred later in the summer. Not that a franchise-only future is in his thoughts. “It’s nice to be part of them in the wintertime,” he says, “but for the minute I still want to carry on and play my four-day cricket for Essex. I’m really enjoying it. Obviously, there are now opportunities to play all the year round, which I’d love to do, and keep doing. I think all these experiences can only help me improve as a player.”

Essex v Gloucestershire
Vitality Blast
Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Tuesday 30 May
6pm Start

Essex welcome Gloucestershire to CM2 for the Eagles’ first Vitality T20 Blast fixture of the 2023 summer.

Daniel Sams makes his return to Chelmsford after arriving from the IPL at the weekend and goes straight into the squad.

Our visitors have already played three games in the competition, and head to Chelmsford after their match against Middlesex this afternoon.

Squad:

Head Coach Anthony McGrath has named a 13 player squad that will take on Gloucestershire. Australian Daniel Sams slots straight into the squad after joining up with the team after a stint in the IPL for Lucknow Super Giants.

After scoring 132 against Ireland, Robin Das has also secured a spot in the squad.

Gloucestershire squad: Jack Taylor (c), James Bracey, Ben Charlesworth, Chris Dent, Marchant De Lange, Zafar Gohar, Miles Hammond, Danny Lamb, David Payne, Ollie Price, Grant Roelofson, Josh Shaw, Tom Smith, Matt Taylor, Graeme Van Buuren.

The Opposition:

Gloucestershire are a team in transition following the departure of established stars Benny Howell, Ian Cockbain and Ryan Higgins. Financial pressures have precluded the return of overseas batsman Glenn Phillips and South African wicketkeeper-batter Grant Roelofsen has been recruited to help plug the gap in the top order. Pakistani spinner Zafar Gohar has been contracted for the entirety of the competition.

The side from the West Country visit Chelmsford after taking on Kent, Glamorgan and Middlesex in their opening there games.

View from inside the camp:

Adam Rossington: 

“Over the last couple of years I’ve probably not scored as many runs as I’d have liked in the four-day stuff, but I’ve had a good 18 months or so of T20 cricket,” says the 30-year-old Rossington. “Hopefully I can put together a few match-winning contributions for Essex.

“This winter’s been brilliant. The opportunity to play in different conditions with different people has been great. You see how other players go about their businesses and pick little things up here and there.

“You see a few more overseas players you haven’t met before. You’ve played against them now, and sat in team meetings discussing what they do, and that can only help when it comes to the Blast.

“Cricket is a game where the more you play, the more experiences you have; the more different situations you find yourself in, and the more of that you can do when the pressure mounts the better equipped you are to handle them.”

Rossington also hit his stride towards the end of Essex’s 2022 T20 campaign, smashing a career-best 95 in the penultimate group game against Sussex at Hove during a purple patch when he accumulated 165 runs in three innings.

He recalls: “We got on a roll towards the back-end of the season but then just didn’t put in a good enough performance in the quarter-final [against Lancashire Lightning]. That’s something we’ll definitely learn from and if we’re in that position again hopefully we can put it right.”

How To Watch:

Enjoy our live stream is available on Essex Cricket TV YouTube channel and the Matchzone at essexcricket.org.uk.

Join our commentary team and guests from the stands with our free public Wi-Fi also available this season by simply logging on to ‘ECCC-Public’ in-ground.

We’ve been made to wait for it, but Essex’s Vitality Blast campaign finally gets underway tomorrow and it will do so in front of a home crowd at Chelmsford.

The weather is set fair and so fans can look forward to playing Gloucestershire in what would be the first T20 since 2019 to see any play between the two sides – weather and covid have previously hampered the fixture.

Tickets are still available for the game against Gloucestershire on Tuesday 30 May and there will be no better place to be than at The Cloud County Ground supporting Simon Harmer and his Eagles.

If you’re looking to sink your teeth into some Vitality Blast material ahead of Essex’s opener, you’re in the right place. On the eve of the tournament, Essex Cricket TV’s Live Stream Host, Simon Ward sat down with some of the Eagles’ stars to talk about the upcoming campaign.

The Vitality Blast Preview Show will air tonight (Monday 29 May) at 6pm on Essex Cricket TV.

The South Group Preview:

Get to know every team that Essex will come up against during the Vitality Blast group stages with our preview of the South Group. Here you’ll find every overseas signing as well as a run down of each teams past performances and hopes for 2023.

The Pundits Predictions:

We enlisted the help of pundits and content creators to give their opinions on Essex’s chances ahead of the 2023 campaign.

In charge of dishing out the verdicts were Phil Walker, Editer-in-chief of Wisden Cricket Monthly, Dail Mail Cricket Correspondent Paul Newman, BBC Essex Radio Presenter and host of the Around the Wicket podcast Victoria Polley, Martin Smith of the ECB Reporters Network and the Presenter of Essex Cricket TV’s live stream and stadium host, Simon Ward.

Also adding their unique insights cricket content creators, Cricket District, run by Toby Marriott and Jack Meacher, as well as founder of The Cricket Draft, John Welch.

Will you agree with them?

Over the years the Vitality Blast has thrown up many surprises and unforgettable moments. It has also made careers and thrust young cricketers into the limelight. But what can we expect to see in 2023? And who is going to catch the eye? We asked six pundits for their thoughts on Essex’s chances, the South Group and who might lift the trophy in July.

Dishing out the verdicts will be Phil Walker, Editer-in-chief of Wisden Cricket Monthly, Dail Mail Cricket Correspondent Paul Newman, BBC Essex Radio Presenter and host of the Around the Wicket podcast Victoria Polley, Martin Smith of the ECB Reporters Network and the Presenter of Essex Cricket TV’s live stream and stadium host, Simon Ward.

Also adding their unique insights cricket content creators, Cricket District, run by Toby Marriott and Jack Meacher, as well as founder of The Cricket Draft, John Welch.

So firstly, how do you rate Essex’s chances ahead of the 2023 campaign?
PW: Last year we saw more evidence of the expansive style that Simon Harmer wants to see from his team. There were four batters in Michael Pepper, Dan Lawrence, Paul Walter and Harmer himself that had a strike-rate of above 150. Consistency is still the issue for Essex, if they can start well, they stand a great chance. Bowling-wise, the left-arm pace of experience Aussie Daniel Sams will be key. Quarter-finals should be within reach. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.

PN: I believe Essex have a terrific chance of emulating their 2019 success and bringing the Vitality Blast title back to Chelmsford. They have all the bases covered and have a dynamic squad full of youth and experience.

VP: I’m excited to see how Essex get on in this year’s competition. The quarter-final defeat last season was disappointing because they’d been playing so well up until that point. With pretty much the same side as that campaign, I think if all the players are firing on all cylinders there’s no reason why the Eagles can’t be at Finals Day in July.

MS: Essex may be picking from the same squad as last year, but they will be older, wiser and a bit more experienced, especially those who have played T20 around the globe this winter. So, despite no fresh blood, a top-four finish in the group is confidently predicted, though a sixth Finals Day appearance may be hope over realism.

SW: The Eagles learnt lots of lessons in their last campaign by playing a more dynamic, maybe at times risky game. They will need to build on that to get to finals day.

TM & JM: We’re really looking forward to keeping our eye on Essex’s Blast campaign. We think it’ll be a successful one and predict that The Eagles will definitely make it out of the group stages. There’s no reason why they can’t get to finals day with their strong core squad.

JW: The Essex Squad will be very similar to last year and their consistency in selection, seems to serve them so well across all formats, with all players seemingly knowing their roles inside out. The starting XI is likely to feature lots of bowling options, which is very important at a high scoring ground like Chelmsford. We think the Essex team will have all bases covered, and are likely to be featuring towards the end of the competition once more.

Who is Essex’s one to watch?
PW: Adam Rossington. He’s a destructive opener and in great form in white-ball cricket after a winter belting it in South Africa. Unstoppable on his day.

PN: Look no further than the man who led Essex to that 2019 title in Simon Harmer as the one to watch again. He had one of the leading bowling economy rates in any side in last year’s tournament and can do it again this time.

VP: Paul Walter. He’s always been a valuable white ball player to Essex but seeing him flourish last summer was a real highlight. There are also a couple of youngsters in Robin Das and Jamal Richards who I’m excited to see more of.

MS: Paul Walter – Already been smashing the ball around in warm-up games. Second top run-scorer last season, top of the averages and, besides, T20 is his natural playground.

SW: Paul Walter. He had the best average with the bat last campaign, showing his great range and power. He also adds some variety as a tall left-arm bowler if called upon.

TM & JM: Feroze Khushi is our player to watch for the Eagles. He’s an explosive batter who’s incredibly passionate about his cricket on and off the field. He’s going to be available for the full 2023 Blast campaign making him an even more valuable asset for Essex. He also featured in one of our recent videos in which he showed his immense power!

JW: Michael Pepper had a brilliant 2022 and we see his excellent form continuing into this season. He is a modern player who can access all areas of the ground and we particularly love his ability to take on spinners with relative ease.

Last year Michael Pepper topped the run-scoring charts, who will it be this year?
PW: We saw glimpses of Dan Lawrence’s class last year. He’s due a massive T20 campaign.

PN: I would go for Dan Lawrence but think he could well be spending plenty of time with England this year so let’s make it Adam Rossington for leading run-scorer.

VP: Adam Rossington had a great winter in various T20 competitions so if he can find that form for the Eagles then I’d back him to be up there when it comes to run scoring. Also, we saw glimpses last summer of how powerfully and quickly Dan Sams can add to the total so it would be nice to see a tight contest for the title of leading run scorer.

MS: Paul Walter. I’ve already given him the build up.

SW: I think Michael Pepper will again lead the way. His ability to improvise and his 360 degree range really sets him apart.

TM & JM: Although we think Khushi could have a fantastic season, it’s tricky to look past Michael Pepper for total runs. He’s had a successful last two seasons and we think he’ll continue to be consistent this season in the top order.

JW: Adam Rossington has been in brutal touch over the winter. He should be looking to lead the way.

And which Eagle will pick up the most wickets?
PW: Daniel Sams with the new ball is the one for me.

PN: Simon Harmer again, he’s the key man.

VP: Sam Cook with the ball – do I need to say anymore? An integral part of the Essex team across all formats but he continues to go from strength to strength and I’d like to see him continue the white ball form he showed last summer in this year’s Blast.

MS: Matt Critchley. He was brilliant before his injury last year.

SW: I’m backing Matt Critchley. A good leggie is always a key cog in a bowling attack. Matt seems to be maturing into something really good.

TM & JM: Matt Critchley as well. He’s a golden arm.

JW: It’s hard to ignore Sam Cook for this one.

Who are the four favourites to progress from the South Group? (In no particular order)
PW: Surrey, Somerset, Kent Spitfires, Essex.

PN: Essex, Surrey, Somerset, Hampshire Hawks.

VP: Essex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks and I think Hampshire Hawks can recover from the opening defeat.

MS: Surrey, Hampshire Hawks, Somerset, Essex.

SW: Hampshire Hawks, Essex, Sussex Sharks, Kent Spitfires.

TM & JM: Somerset, Essex, Surrey, Kent Spitfires.

JW: Essex, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex Sharks.

And of all of the players in the south, who’s the one to keep an eye on?
PW: Will Jacks at Surrey is a serious talent.

PN: If I’m going outside Essex I’ll go for Hampshire’s James Vince.

VP: Shadab Khan for Sussex. They don’t have Rashid Khan this season but he’ll be more than useful with the bat and ball.

MS: Jamie Smith at Surrey – Seen at Chelmsford at the start of May in a face-saving grind for a Championship draw. But he is more than capable of slapping the ball long and high over the ropes.

SW: Benny Howell. One of the most awkward bowlers to face in T20.

TM & JM: In the south group, we’re really excited to watch Tom Kohler-Cadmore at Somerset. He’s got some serious flair when he bats, loves hitting sixes, and we expect him to make Taunton look very small!

JW: Will Jacks is simply the future of English white ball cricket. An unbelievable striker of the ball who has developed his bowling enormously in the last couple of seasons. What a player!

It’s an impossible question, but if you were to pick a winner now who would it be?
PW: Surrey, Birmingham Bears and Lancashire Lightning are the favourites. Sussex Sharks, Essex and Somerset are dark horses.

PN: Essex!

VP: Lancashire Lightning have a lot of fire power in their squad and that narrow defeat in last year’s final to spur them on. But Essex have been the underdogs before so I’d love to see them lift that trophy again!

MS: Lancashire Lightning.

SW: Lancashire Lightning.

TM & JM: Lancashire Lightning.

JW: Surrey

We’ve teamed up with sports hydration company WOW HYDRATE to offer the chance for one Club to win a dream night out at the cricket during Essex’s Vitality Blast fixture against Somerset on Monday 19 June, 7pm.

If you attend Monday’s match against Somerset with your Club, you’ll be entered into a competition to win two months worth of WOW HYDRATE sports hydration drinks for your team and your group will be upgraded from general allocation seats to an Executive Box for the night.

As well as this, you box will be filled with WOW HYDRATE drinks and you’ll have the chance to feature on the big screen and live stream. Plus, there will be some extra surprises to delight the cricket badgers amongst you.

To be entered into the competition you must book as a group of 10 or more, but you can take advantage of our group saver offer which gets you 10 tickets for the price of 8. You will receive one entry to the competition per ticket purchased, so the bigger the crowd the higher your chances of winning.

How to enter

To enter, call our Ticket Office on 01245 254010 and book 10 or more tickets to Essex’s T20 against Somerset and let a member of the team know that you’re part of the Club night offer. Remember, more tickets = more entries. Also make sure to let us know what club you play for when you book tickets, and wearing the club shirt is encouraged! While this is an offer for Clubs, your party may consist of friends of the Club, there are no age restrictions.

The Winner

We’ll announce the winner on Monday 12 June. They’ll be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to confirm they’re accepting the prize. Their group will then be able to watch the match from an executive box, which will be filled with WOW HYDRATE goodies. You’ll also have the chance to feature on our live stream and on the big screen! Food will be available to purchase on the night.

The Rules

This offer is only valid for the game on Monday 19 June against Somerset. In order to qualify, the booking has to be for 10 or more people and you’ll need to book over the phone. The booker must be over the age of 18.