The lockdown period has been a new experience for children who are completing their school work from home so when the Club received a message from a young Eagles fan, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to help them out.

Charlie, aged 9, from Chelmsford has been busy at home tackling a school project and decided to focus it on his favourite Essex bowler, Peter Siddle!

After getting in touch with Club for some help, we decided to get in touch with the one person who could really lend a hand.

Sids is currently back home in Australia but jumped on a video call with Charlie to talk cricket and help him with his project!

Essex fans will be able to welcome Peter back next year after agreeing to defer his contract this season to 2021 and you can read more – here.

It’s that time of the week when you have the chance to test your Essex knowledge!

This week we’re looking back at our biggest T20 innings, and we’re challenging you to remember who scored the 20 highest innings in our T20 history.

Make sure you share your score with us afterwards via our social media channels on Twitter and Facebook.

Look out for our latest quiz each week, as well as a choice of new content available soon across the Essex Cricket platforms, including classic matches, interviews and competitions.

The latest player in our Cult Heroes series looks back on the career of a record-breaker who lit up Chelmsford on numerous occasions. A local hero who spent his entire career at the Club before retiring in 2016.

Enjoy a look back on the career of Graham Napier with an opportunity to watch the highlights from two special performances in particular…

This series is supported by Allen Ford and we thank them for their continued support.

Essex Career Stats (1997-2016)
First-Class Debut: 20 August 1997 v Nottinghamshire
Appearances: 500
Runs: 8,912
First Class Average: 58.88
Highest Score: 196 – 2011 v Surrey
Centuries: 8
Fifties: 38
Wickets: 842
Best Figures: 7-21 – 2014 v Cambridge MCCU

A life-changing innings for a game-changer.

The date was Tuesday 24 June 24, 2008, and Essex Eagles faced Sussex Sharks in the Twenty20 Cup on a balmy evening at Chelmsford. As Graham Napier strode to the crease, he would have no idea that what was about to occur would alter his life.

The all-rounder, batting at number 3, produced an amazing innings of 152 not out from just 58 balls during which he set new world record figures as he blasted 16 sixes peppering the ball into and beyond the Chelmsford crowd with bullets from his bat.

His half-century arrived after 29 balls and 15 balls later, he was celebrating his hundred. The next 50 runs were even more mind-blowing with just 13 more deliveries required to reach his to 150, achieved with the 16th six of his spectacular innings that also included 10 fours.

The media were now on his trail and the attention brought the offer of an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians. It was a commitment that was to change his life.

“It was the launch pad of my career when I didn’t really know where cricket was going. It set me back on track to where I wanted to be,” he acknowledged.”

In 2009 he was named in England’s World Twenty20 squad but didn’t get the opportunity to showcase his talents and he was then dealt a heavy blow when, in June 2010, he suffered a stress fracture to his back, ending his season.

Then 31 years-old, the Colchester-born destroyer still had a point to prove. Returning to the first-class game after an 11-month absence, he struck 196 in the County Championship match with Surrey at Whitgift School on his comeback. He faced 130 deliveries and equalled the world record of 16 sixes in a first-class innings.

However, it was the wicket of Australia Test captain Ricky Ponting that is among his personal highlights. That came in 2013 when he took four wickets in four balls during a Yorkshire Bank 40 match against Surrey, on his way to career-best figures of 7-32.

“To take his wicket was very special and to take his middle stump, that is my little personal highlight,” he admitted.

As a youngster, he might have pursued a career as a goalkeeper with Ipswich Town having been offered a place on their YTS scholarship scheme but cricket was closest to the Napier heart and he opted for the summer game.

But it was not until that memorable T20 innings that his preferred career really took off.

“The 152 opened the door for me,” he admitted. “It got me into world headlines and led to opportunities to play in the IPL and other places. Yet, funnily enough, up until that season I didn’t feel I was making any progress and hadn’t done so for two summers really. I’d been in and out of the first team, without establishing myself soundly as a player. I’d been with Essex since 1996 when I joined as a YTS trainee.

“I’d got my County cap but I wasn’t really achieving what I wanted. In that summer, I had been given application forms for the fire brigade and the police force. “I suppose at that time, I was just looking to plan for the future if cricket was not going to fulfil the ambition I had. I guess that innings helped postpone the future plans for a few more years, 8 years in fact.”

After a lot of hard thinking, he took the decision to retire at the conclusion of the 2016 season. But there was still time for Napes to remind the fans of his all-round talents. Fittingly the stage was at his “home” ground of Castle Park, Colchester where he had played so much cricket in his formative years. “I wanted to go out when I was still turning in acceptable performances,” he insisted.

And he did in spectacular style in the match with Sussex. Having taken his 17th first-class 5-wickets haul for the Club, he followed up with his 7th first-class century for the county when he struck 124 to steer his side to the draw that kept them on top of the table and a step closer to promotion. Napier’s marvellous effort with the bat spanned 155 balls and included 4 sixes and 17 fours, which earned him an emotional standing ovation.

Now his time is spent as a teacher at RHS School in Ipswich but Napier hopes that his master classes for Essex on the cricket field will be fondly appreciated by all who saw him play.

An effective and fine exponent of the game across all three formats, he retired after 172 first-class matches for Essex having accumulated 5,225 runs and taken 468 wickets. His 219 List A appearances for the Eagles brought 251 wickets and almost 2,400 runs whilst 109 T20 matches produced 123 wickets and 995 runs.

“I’d like people to remember me as someone that played with a smile, enjoyed the game and entertained,” he stated. “There have been highs and lows along the way. I’ve had a few injuries in my career that halted my progress.

“As long as you play, make sure you do it with a smile on your face whether you are a 17-year-old and making your debut or you are playing in your last game.”

Truly a wonderful entertainer who gave so much fun to those watching.

We continue our look back at the great Graham Napier moments with a chance to watch another memorable moment. Following our ‘Essex Archives’ screening on Friday of our match versus Surrey Lions in 2013 where Napes took 4 wickets in 4 balls, we now take you back to Tuesday 24 June 2008.

This is another match that will live long in the memory of every Essex fan for one special performance from a legend of the Club.

A T20 World Record… 152 Not Out. 16 Sixes.

Graham Napier’s world record innings put T20 on the map at Chelmsford and around the world as he smashed balls to every part of the ground.

The match versus Sussex Sharks was broadcast live in front of the Sky Sports cameras and 10 years on from that match in 2018, the Club made a special documentary video to mark the remarkable day.

The documentary was shown live for the first time at the opening Vitality Blast match of the season in 2018 against Sussex Sharks and was supported by the Peter Edwards Museum & Library, which is based at The Cloudfm County Ground.

Miss our 4 wickets in 4 balls screening? You can still watch full coverage of the match via our YouTube channel – here.

Essex Eagles v Surrey Lions
Yorkshire Bank 40
Monday 3 June 2013
The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford

This latest Essex Archives match is supported by Woodland Group.

Essex Team: Tom Westley, Hamish Rutherford, Mark Pettini, Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, Ryan ten Doeschate, James Foster (c & wk), Graham Napier, Tim Phillips, David Masters, Reece Topley

Surrey Team: Steven Davies (wk), Jason Roy, Vikram Solanki (c), Ricky Ponting, Gary Wilson, Azhar Mahmood, Zander de Bruyn, Tom Jewell, Jon Lewis, Stuart Meaker, Gary Keedy

Toss: Surrey Lions won the toss and elected to bowl

Umpires: Mark Benson, Steve Garratt & Paul Pollard

Result: Essex Eagles won by 178 runs

Match Reaction: Graham Napier reflects on his remarkable Player of the Match performance with the ball

Match Highlights:

Match Report:

Essex 312-7 (40 overs)
Surrey 134 all out (29.4 overs)

Graham Napier bowled Essex to a second success in 24 hours as they followed up the comprehensive victory over Scotland with the demolition of Surrey, who were dismissed for just 134 in pursuit of their opponents’ commanding 312 for 7.

Napier was in sensational form with the ball, at times as he returned figures of 7 for 32 that included four wickets in four balls having earlier dismissed international star Ricky Ponting.

Needing to launch their reply with tempo and substance, the Surrey innings floundered with the loss of their first four wickets in 13 overs for 49 runs including Jason Roy and Ponting who became the first of Napier’s septet of victims.

Australian Test captain Ponting had scored just 2 runs when he was beaten outside his off stump by Napier but there was no such good fortune for the batsman when he pushed forward to the bowler’s next delivery and lost his middle stump, leaving Napier jubilantly celebrating his prized scalp.

The 33-year-old Essex all-rounder was virtually unplayable as he continued his demolition job by bowling Azhar Mahmood and Jon Lewis and trapping Zander de Bruyn and Tom Jewell in the crease with full-pitched deliveries.

That left the Surrey innings in tatters at 113 for eight.

Napier then found the edge to have Stuart Meaker caught in his next over to finish with the remarkable figures of 8-2-32-7, the second best limited-overs haul by an Essex bowler.

Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara had led the scoring for the home side, with Shah playing a superb innings of 68 from 53 balls including three sixes and four other boundaries.

Bopara scored 54 from 58 balls, with five boundaries including a six in an innings containing wristy stroke play and trademark drives on either side of the wicket until he was caught at deep mid-wicket.

Shah and Bopara posted 55 in nine overs for the fourth wicket to initiate the rapid acceleration of the innings.

England all-rounder Bopara was a surprise inclusion for the home side having been given permission to play by the ECB ahead of the Champions Trophy which starts later in the week and he responded.

His demise allowed Shah to take over and the former England batsman combined elegant and conventional stroke play with aggressive punishing shots as he dominated the visitors’ bowling.

He set the tone for his side who added 191 runs from the final 20 overs, with Shah at the crease for 15 of those.

There were briskly struck contributions at the top of the order from Tom Westley and Mark Pettini, who scored 34 and 43 respectively, before James Foster added 39 from 18 deliveries at the conclusion of the innings.

Speaking after the match, Essex hero of the hour Napier said:

“To have a hat-trick, Ricky Ponting, seven wickets, career-best figures all in one go, I am ecstatic about it all.

“Four in four is a first for me in any form of cricket.

“The ball had been roughed up on the wicket, it was a very dry wicket and it enabled it to reverse swing at that stage in the game.

“I was only ever doing one thing, going full and straight, and that’s what I do.

“He [Ponting] is one I have dreamed about for a very long time. Just to get the chance to bowl to him was great and to knock his middle stump out of the ground, you can’t ask for much more.”

Get set for the Bank Holiday Weekend with our range of activities suitable for all ages to enjoy whilst at home!

Our Eagle Eye activity booklet is still available to download or print out now, along with the colouring-in sheets for both adults and juniors.

Feeling like a test? You can challenge yourself with our Essex quizzes on subject such as Essex Captains or Wisden Cricketers of the Year.

Our Eagle Eye activity series is supported by Felsted School and we thank them for their continued support.

All activities are available in pdf format and can be saved or printed off.

Don’t forget to share your artwork with us via our social media channels on Twitter and Facebook.

Test Your Essex Knowledge:

Give the latest Essex quiz a go and test your knowledge of our Yorkshire Bank 40 match in 2013 against Surrey… the match where Graham Napier took 4 wickets in 4 balls! You’ve got 5 minutes to name both starting XI’s plus the Head Coaches.

NEW! >> Essex Eagles v Surrey Lions 2013

>> Wisden Cricketers of the Year

>> Essex Captains

>> Alastair Cook

Junior Activities:

Adult Colouring In:

Enjoy an afternoon colouring in your favourite Essex players, along with some familiar faces from yesterday’s year. There are a further 8 designs to try in the second part, which now include Simon Harmer, Graham Gooch and Essex & England Women’s player, Mady Villiers!

Following a week of voting, the DeVines Magic Moment for April has been decided!

First up for April was the ‘Best Catch’ of the season, with 8 contenders. The winner with 33% of votes was Ryan ten Doeschate’s catch against Hampshire, thanks to some unbelievable football skills from Adam Wheater to keep the chance alive.

You can watch back the 8 catches plus a chance to hear some insight from Anthony McGrath into the game and what each catch meant to the outcome of the match.

Special thanks to DeVines for their continued support as long-term partners of the Club.

Our next DeVines Magic Moment poll will take place at the end of the month so keep an eye on our website and social media channels.