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Match Details:

Umpires: James Middlebrook & Mike Burns
Match Referee: Dean Cosker
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat
Scorecard: View here
Result: Match Drawn, Essex take 10 points from the game

Day Four Highlights:

Day Four Interview: Anthony McGrath

Day Four Report:

Jamie Steel defied Essex for more than two and a half hours to help Surrey salvage a draw against the odds at Chelmsford.

The 22-year-old right-hander dug in after Surrey were reduced to 103-6 with 25 overs still to hold out and retain their unbeaten start to the LV= Insurance County Championship season.

Surrey had been asked to chase down a not inconceivable 273 in 54 overs. However, once Ollie Pope had departed for a 58-ball 47, the reigning champion’s hopes of victory evaporated, and they were happy to still be there at the close on 153-7, Smith unbeaten on 39 from 126 balls.

In setting the target Essex had collapsed alarmingly from 116-2 to 198 all out in 16 overs with Jordan Clark (4-58) and Sean Abbott (3-50) sharing the wickets.

On a day of sunshine after the rain, Surrey’s response got off to the worse possible start when Dom Sibley hung out his bat to Sam Cook’s second ball and Harmer claimed at second slip. It didn’t get much better.

Harmer took an even better catch in the same position to dismiss Rory Burns on the stroke of tea. Burns had played the anchor role, scoring 10 off 43 balls, but flashed at Doug Bracewell and Harmer grabbed at full stretch a ball that looked to have gone past him.

Pope made Bracewell pay with a towering six from an over that went for 15, but when he England batsman had reached 47 from 58 balls, he drove Snater to Nick Browne in the covers and suddenly Surrey needed exactly 200 from 34 overs.

Will Jacks reduced that by six from his third ball but fell soon after when he chipped Snater to short midwicket for nine.

Harmer was not called upon until the 29th over, much later than usual, at which point Sean Abbott’s eyes lit up and he promptly lofted the first ball to wide mid-on. Two balls later Ben Foakes was caught in two minds, withdrew his bat and was lbw.

Smith and Cameron Steel produced a sterling rearguard action for an hour, scoring just 25 runs between them, before Steel was trapped on his crease by Bracewell. Smith then kept Clark out of the firing line as the game ebbed towards its inevitable conclusion.

The day started with Surrey on the front foot as Kemar Roach completed his rain-interrupted over from 23 and a half hours earlier and knocked over Sir Alastair Cook’s off-stump with the second ball.

The introduction of Clark seemed to unsettle Tom Westley, and after narrowly avoiding getting a touch to several outside off-stump, he did finally got a nick to one and was caught behind.

While Westley and Browne had taken a safety-first approach while adding 38 in 14 overs, the incoming Dan Lawrence showed a contrasting approach, advancing down the wicket and depositing his fifth ball out of the ground over long leg.

The third-wicket partnership accelerated the run-rate with 54 runs in 10 overs before Lawrence stepped outside off-stump in an attempt to swat Atkinson over square leg and left all three stumps exposed. At that point Essex were 116-3 and a lead of 190 with 72 overs remaining.

Browne followed almost immediately for 47 when he went to pull Atkinson over extra cover but mistimed and picked out Will Jacks less than halfway back to the boundary.

With Surrey scattering their field to all points on the boundary’s edge in an attempt to stem the runs, Essex’s lower order fell on their own swords.

Michael Pepper’s brief cameo lasted six balls when he took a massive swipe at Abbott and holed out to deep third man. Matt Critchley perished when he pulled Clark over square leg where Jamie Smith ran in to take a tumbling catch.

Doug Bracewell attempted a big heave and skied Abbott into the covers where the bowler took the catch and Harmer handed Abbott a third wicket by picking out long leg. Clark wrapped up the innings with the last two wickets.

Day Three Highlights:

Coming Soon…

Day Three Report:

Essex and Surrey were left frustrated at rain-swept Chelmsford where only 28 balls were possible in two brief spells on day three.

Essex have now lost an accumulated 458 overs to the weather in their first four LV= Insurance County Championship rounds – the equivalent of an entire four-day match.

There were two interruptions inside the first half-an-hour, the second of which proved terminal. Just nine runs were added in the 22 minutes possible, though play was not officially called off until 4.23pm. The forecast, however, is more promising for the final day.

Play had started promptly at 11am as Essex looked to extend their 76-run first-innings lead after dismissing Surrey for 240 at the end of the second day.

Nick Browne turned the first ball from Kemar Roach to third man for three runs. Sir Alastair Cook saw out the next four balls before the players headed back to the pavilion as the first shower struck.

They were back six minutes later for a longer stint during which the Essex openers added a further six runs, largely made up with a typical Cook flick off his hip for four, taking them to 24 without loss, a lead of 98 runs.

However, the first-wicket partnership did not survive without alarm. Roach, who had bowled well without reward in the first innings, beat the outside of Browne’s bat on several occasion. And a mid-pitch mix-up between the pair could have resulted in a run-out with a more accurate throw.

Day Two Highlights:

Day Two Interview: Jamie Porter

Day Two Report:

A rejuvenated Jamie Porter claimed four wickets on a rain-interrupted day to pose the first serious questions about Surrey’s credentials of retaining their LV= Insurance County Championship title.

The Essex seamer took his season’s total to 18 in four Championship games after recording just 19 during the whole of the 2022 campaign. Porter’s four for 51 from 14.5 overs enabled Essex to dismiss Surrey for 240 and gain a 74 first-innings lead. This was extended to 89 by Nick Browne and Sir Alastair Cook in five overs before stumps.

Only the one-time England opener Dom Sibley showed any lengthy occupancy of the crease for the reigning champions, mixing a degree of purpose and elan as he passed 7,000 runs in his 10-year first-class career.

But Sibley’s toing and froing, backwards and forwards from the pavilion between showers, finally ended after 83 balls, 48 runs and three big sixes off Simon Harmer. Sean Abbott chipped in with a lower-order 31, but his colleagues made starts without going on to make larger contributions.

There were hold-ups for four rain showers during the day. Indeed, one stop-start over from Sam Cook was interrupted twice and spanned three-quarters of an hour.

Surrey survived two dropped chances during the first spell of playable weather, Matt Critchley spilling Sibley at leg-slip and Dan Lawrence failing to grasp at third slip to reprieve Rory Burns. Later Abbott was given a life when Harmer floored what would normally be a routine chance at second slip.

Burns added 16 runs to his total before edging Cook to first slip to depart for 27. 

Sibley celebrated reaching his personal milestone by greeting the introduction of Harmer with a six over square leg. He followed that by launching the off-spinner for a second out of the ground over midwicket before lunch was heralded by thunder and lightning circling the ground.

Lightning struck metaphorically when play belatedly resumed with Pope and Sibley both lofting Harmer over long-leg for sixes.

Doug Bracewell started a Surrey mini-collapse when got extra lift off the pitch and induced a faint tickle from Sibley.

The New Zealander added a second wicket in his next over when he found some late movement to take the outside of Jamie Smith’s bat.

A third wicket fell inside a six-over spell for the addition of five runs when Porter’s first ball of a new spell and tucked up Pope.

Will Jacks hit 26 of the 39 runs scored for the fifth wicket before he also received a ball that kept low from Shane Snater and was lbw.

Cameron Steel fell into Harmer’s honey trap, pulling a shorter delivery straight into Sam Cook’s hands on the square-leg boundary.

Ben Foakes had hung around for 68 balls while scoring 24 while wickets fell at the other end before he got an inside edge to Cook and was bowled.

Porter wrapped up the innings accounting for Jordan Clark, another victim to one that kept low, then Abbott, caught spectacularly in the covers by Nick Browne, and finally Gus Atkinson pinned on his crease.

Day One Highlights:

Day One Interview: Tom Huggins

Day One Report:

Gus Atkinson claimed career-best bowling figures as he sliced through the Essex batting and wrested the initiative back Surrey’s way on the first day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Chelmsford.

The 25-year-old seamer, called in to replace rested leading wicket-taker Dan Worrall for only his 10th first-class appearance, claimed the prized scalp of Sir Alastair Cook among his maiden five-wicket haul to finish with figures of 6-68.

Essex had looked comfortable taking first use of a flat track under light cloud cover when Cook and Nick Browne put on 62 at a run-a-minute for the first wicket, and Tom Westley and Matt Critchley added 114 for the fourth wicket in 34 overs. Cook (51), Westley (62) and Critchley (60) all made hay before a mid-innings collapse in the face of a swinging ball in late afternoon.

The reigning county champions had been toiling before Atkinson and part-time spinner Will Jacks (2-24) combined to reduce Essex from 218-3 to 241-7 inside seven overs with three wickets falling in just 13 deliveries. Only a breezy ninth-wicket stand of 62 between Simon Harmer and Sam Cook enabled Essex to become the first team to take 300 runs off Surrey’s attack this season.

Surrey openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley survived two lively overs from Jamie Porter and Harmer before the close to reduce Essex’s advantage by one run.

It was not until Atkinson was called upon at the end of an uneventful first hour that Surrey finally made a breakthrough. With his second ball he had Nick Browne fencing at one that flew to third slip.

Cook, taking the more aggressive role in the opening partnership, was particularly strong through the covers which was where the majority of his seven fours came..

However, Cook’s 78-ball innings was not without alarm as he was dropped twice, once on 13 at backward point by Jamie Smith and just after passing his fifty when Ollie Pope failed to hang on at second slip. The latter reprieve did not prove costly as he perished almost immediately when Ben Foakes adjusted well to claim an inside edge low to his right and give Atkinson a second wicket.

Foakes took a second catch behind soon after lunch when Dan Lawrence shuffled awkwardly across his stumps and nicked a delivery from Sean Abbott.

With Westley largely on the back foot metaphorically during a profitable fourth-wicket partnership, Critchley took the initiative, pulling Atkinson for four and then lofting Cameron Steel twice over long leg for sixes.

Westley narrowly beat Critchley to fifty, though his milestone shot was less than memorable as it raced away to the fine-leg boundary from an inside edge. But while Westley required 127 balls to get there, Critchley reached his fourth fifty in six innings this season with a push into the covers from his 85th ball.

But after bringing up the century partnership when he hooked Abbott for four, Critchley chased a wide-ish ball from Jacks and Rory Burns took a stupendous one-handed catch, full-length to his right at slip. It precipitated a rush of wickets punctuated by a six over midwicket by Michael Pepper.

Westley followed when he dragged on against Jordan Clark and lost his off-stump before Pepper edged behind off an injudicious attempt to reverse-sweep Jacks.

Doug Bracewell launched Jacks for six over extra cover before he edged a ball from Atkinson into his stumps. Then Shane Snater played all over another one from Atkinson and was bowled.

It was left to Harmer and Cook to show their batting betters how it should be done. There was much amusement when Roach took evasive action as Cook hooked the ball towards him on the fine-leg boundary, the Barbadian citing a rare sighting of the sun. Cook and Harmer were the final two victims for Atkinson, who found extra bounce to dismiss Cook and then helped Foakes to a fifth catch behind to end Harmer’s resistance.

Essex: Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Michael Pepper (wk), Simon Harmer, Doug Bracewell, Shane Snater, Ben Allison, Jamie Porter.

Kent: Ben Compton, Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Jack Leaning, Jordan Cox, Sam Billings (c & wk), Joey Evison, Hamidullah Qadri, Wes Agar, Nathan Gilchrist, Conor McKerr.

Match Details:

Umpires: David Millns & Nigel Llong
Match Referee: Simon Hinks
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat
Scorecard: View here

Result: Match Drawn (Kent 8 points, Essex 12 points)

Day Four Report:

The LV= Insurance match between Kent and Essex at Canterbury ended in a draw after the weather wiped out the final day.

Heavy rain fell throughout and play was officially abandoned at 1pm.

Kent had ended day three on 342 for seven, trailing Essex’s first innings total of 451 for five declared by 109, but a draw had always looked likely and in total 206 overs were lost across the four days.

The limited amount of cricket there was had been highly entertaining, with Nick Browne and Tom Westley scoring 159 and 148 for the visitors and Zak Crawley responding with a brilliant 170 on day three, but conditions on Sunday started badly and had no realistic prospect of improving.

Day Three Highlights:

Day Three Reaction: Simon Harmer:

Simon Harmer said: “I think it’s pretty obvious that there’s not going to be much cricket tomorrow so both teams wanted to maximise points.

“We wanted to try and get as many batting points and we could and if we’d bowled them out cheaply we could have gone for the win, but I think it’s quite obvious that’s out of the questions so we’re just trying to take as many wickets and get as many bowling points as we can.

“I think with the newer ball there was definitely something there but as the ball got softer and older it started to turn less and less.

“I think the optimist would have been looking at a win, but if you look at how we played when we played conventionally, they only took one wicket. I think the wicket was quite flat and it’s a very good four-day wicket. I think if this had been played over four days it would have been a hell of a game, but with the weather playing a part and the amount of time we’ve lost realistically we weren’t going to be able to pull off the impossible.

“Zak obviously took his chances. He wanted to play aggressively and Kent wanted to try and get as many points as possible. He got the rub of the green and there was a dropped catch, but don’t take that away from him, he’s a hell of a player and hopefully he can have a successful Ashes series this summer.”

Day Three Report:

An innings of 170 from Zak Crawley helped Kent to 342 for seven on day three of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Essex at Canterbury, a deficit of 109.

Despite the Kent player making his highest score for the Club, Essex kept Kent in check thanks largely to Simon Harmer, who took 4/141.

Earlier Nick Browne hit 159 before Essex declared on 451 for five. Tom Westley made 148 and Michael Pepper was unbeaten on 52, but with 118 overs lost to the weather on days one and two and the forecast for Sunday looking bleak, the draw now looks the most likely outcome.

For the first time in the match, the Spitfire Ground was bathed in sunshine when play began and Essex immediately went on the attack.

Westley drove the first ball of the day through the covers for four but he subsequently perished for 148 to an astounding piece of fielding by Daniel Bell-Drummond.

When he hooked Conor McKerr to the square leg boundary it looked almost certain to be a six, but Bell-Drummond managed to grab the ball in mid-air and flick it back over to the rope to Ben Compton.

Wickets continued to fall as the Essex batters favoured quick runs over conserving their wicket as the score moved to 330-4 when Matt Critchley was wonderfully caught in his follow-through by McKerr.

That brought Pepper to the crease with a license to play his shots. And play his shots he did, including a spectacular ramped six and a lofted six over extra cover. He and Browne put on an entertaining 94, before Browne eventually fell for a wonderful 159.

Pepper, making the most of a rare outing in the red-ball side made a run-a-ball 52 and finished not out as Essex declared on 451-5 with all five batting bonus points safely secured.

Openers Crawley and Ben Compton moved cautiously to 13 without loss at lunch, after which the former launched an aggressive counter-attack, driving, cutting and even reverse-sweeping his way to his century.

He smashed Harmer back over his head for six to pass 50 and pulled the same bowler through mid-wicket to get to three figures, but an opening stand of 162 ended Harmer bowled Compton for 46 with a ball that trickled off the foot of his bat before hitting the stumps.

Harmer then trapped Bell-Drummond lbw for 23 with the final ball of the afternoon session and had Leaning caught by a tumbling Paul Walter at mid-wicket soon after the break.

Cox slashed a Doug Bracewell delivery to Harmer at backward point to give Essex their fourth wicket.

Harmer then bowled Sam Billings middle stump for one and having passed his previous highest score for Kent, 168 vs Glamorgan in 2018, Crawley was finally caught behind off Jamie Porter, with Kent still 14 short of the follow on target.

Joey Evison subsequently edged one past gully to get the hosts within 150 and although Hamid Qadri was caught behind off Matt Critchley for 16, Evison and McKerr batted through to stumps.

Day Two Highlights:

Day Two Reaction: Tom Westley

Essex’s Tom Westley said: “It’s always nice to score a hundred. It’s been a bit frustrating this season getting 40s. I’d sort of carried on my form from last year, getting starts and a few 50s, so I’m pleased to get a few runs and obviously pleased for Brownie as well. It’s a shame about the weather but I think we’re in a strong position.

“I think it’s a good wicket. I think by their own admission they probably didn’t bowl as well as they would have liked with the new ball and hopefully if we get it right with the new ball we can create a few chances, but so far it’s been a really good batting wicket.

“We’re trying to be a bit more positive as a batting unit and Chef [Alastair Cook] has taken it to another level. I was joking with him that if he was in now he’d probably be on about 350. Maybe he’s making a late push for an England call-up, or recall!

“I was fortunate, I think, that I got a few bad balls early on that got me going. In the past, when I’ve been at my best I’ve played quite positively and maybe I went away from that a little bit in the last 12 months. I’m really fortunate it’s paid off so far.

“You sometimes do need someone to anchor the batting and I think Brownie’s done that exceptionally well. We’re now trying to get as many runs as quickly as we possibly can so we can get some batting bonus points which we’ve been a bit short of this year and then get bowling. We need to take 20 wickets, which is going to be a challenge, but you never know.”

Day Two Report

Tom Westley and Nick Browne both hit centuries as Essex advanced to 289 for one on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.

Westley scored a swashbuckling, unbeaten 138, which contrasted with Browne’s more measured 105 not out, but for the second day running conditions halted Essex’s progress, with just 32 overs possible.

Kent’s bowlers toiled again and Westley and Browne have now put on an unbeaten 246 for the second wicket.

Almost incessant overnight rain left the Spitfire Ground outfield saturated, wiping out the entire morning session, but conditions slowly improved.

Essex were on 164 for one when play finally got started at 3.15 pm and they carried on where they’d left off on day one, scoring at four an over, with only the occasional alarm.

Westley reached three figures, from 129 balls, with a violent straight drive off Conor McKerr that flew to the Pavilion End boundary and it was 245 for one at tea, the duo having added 81 without loss in 22 overs.

Browne reached three figures from 236 balls when he hit Hamid Qadri for two through the covers. The celebration from both Browne and Westley when Browne reached his century showed the significance of the knock for the Essex opener.

The leaden skies encouraged him to accelerate and he smacked a four off Evison before bad light forced the players off at 5:40 pm.

With the rain falling once again play was subsequently abandoned for the day and just 74 overs have been bowled over days one and two.

Day One Highlights:

Day One Report:

Essex dominated a truncated first day against Kent in the LV= Insurance County Championship at Canterbury, posting 164 for one.

Tom Westley was unbeaten on 71 and Nick Browne made 54 before the rain intervened.
Kent debutant Wes Agar took the only wicket to fall when he had Alastair Cook caught behind, leaving him with figures of 1/39.

The players initially came off for bad light during the afternoon session and heavy rain subsequently saw play officially abandoned at 5 pm.

Essex dominated what little action there was. After winning the toss, they chose to bat in Baltic conditions and approached the morning session like wizened old-timers taking on a callow bowling attack. They didn’t run because they didn’t need to, hitting 17 boundaries before they scored their first single.

Kent’s sole breakthrough came when Alastair Cook, who’d made a rapid 39 from just 30 balls, edged Agar behind to Sam Billings.

It was the only bright moment for Kent during an otherwise one-sided session that saw Essex reach 121 for one at lunch.

Westley drove the second ball of the afternoon session, from Conor McKerr, through point to reach his half-century and Browne passed the same landmark with an elegant cover drive off Nathan Gilchrist.

The visitors had cantered to 159 for one when bad light halted play at 2.19 pm. There was an-eight minute resumption before rain started to fall and with no realistic prospect of conditions improving, the umpires called a halt for the day.

Tom Westley’s side will be looking to continue their good start to the season, whilst Lancashire will want to rediscover last year’s form which saw them finish 2nd in the table.

Squad:

The 13 players named in the squad for the victory over Middlesex keep their places, whilst the arrival of the New Zealander Doug Bracewell means a 14-player squad has been named for this week’s fixture.

Keaton Jennings (c)
James Anderson
Tom Bailey
George Balderson
George Bell
Josh Bohannon
Steven Croft
Colin de Grandhomme
Tom Hartley
Rob Jones
Dane Vilas
Luke Wells
Will Williams

The Opposition:

Lancashire have raided New Zealand for two overseas signings, bringing in former and current international all-rounders Colin de Grandhomme and Daryl Mitchell. Retired Black Cap de Grandhomme starts the season for the red rose county with Mitchell not heading to Manchester until May 11 for his three-match stint.

The visitors remain without England trio Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt who are all away currently playing in the Indian Premier League, but Lancashire and England legend Jimmy Anderson is set to return to action ahead of what is set to be an important summer for the seamer.

Anderson is aware of the challenge of facing Essex and said: “They [Essex] are another great attack. There are a lot of good bowlers around on the county circuit now, and everything’s a challenge. No first-class runs are easy.

“But it’s a challenge we’re ready for.”

Last Time We Met:

George Balderson claimed a hat-trick to wreck Essex hopes in an incredible match at Chelmsford that spanned just a little over 4 sessions.

The pace bowler finished with 5/14 from seven overs and was duly supported by Will Williams who returned 4/24 as Essex lost lost nine wickets for 35 runs in pursuit of 98 to win.

Simon Harmer’s prodigal return from international duty with South Africa was marked with another five-wicket haul for the Club with 26 wickets falling on the opening day at Chelmsford.

The off-spinner, who had bowled just 23 overs in two months since his last appearance for Essex in late July, claimed his sixth five-wicket haul of the summer to take his tally past fifty for the fifth time in six seasons. But while his 5/41 helped skittle Lancashire for 131, Essex struggled to capitalise in the third v fourth clash in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

All-rounder, Snater capped off a fine individual performance by being awarded his county cap during the lunch interval following an outstanding season for the Club.

How To Watch:

If you’re unable to attend, the game will be streamed live from Chelmsford and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone or on the Essex Cricket TV YouTube channel.

Miss the action? Highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website and social media channels.

Tickets:

With the mouthwatering prospect of a rare clash between Alastair Cook and James Anderson, this fixture will be well worth a watch! Advance tickets cost £14 for Adults and £5 for Juniors, while tickets on the gate are £17 for Adults.

Shane Snater was the Essex Players’ Player of the Year; it could be argued that it was richly deserved considering the number of times he performed during the season.

The Zimbabwe-born all-rounder also took the performance of the season award for the unbeaten 65 he compiled in nerve-racking circumstances at Headingley when he provided the glue to steer Essex from the depths of 64 for six, chasing 162, to a remarkable one-wicket victory.

Among other personal highlights – during an LV= Insurance Championship season in which he scored 463 runs at 23.15 and was third highest wicket-taker with 36 – were a match-saving, career-highest 79 not out against Northamptonshire, and six-wicket hauls against Somerset and Lancashire.

“To have the trust of the players and for me to be awarded that was a great honour,” said the 27-year-old Snater. “To be honest I don’t know how or why people voted for me. All I can say is thank you and try and do the same this season and continue contributing for the team.

“It was something of a breakthrough year for a player who received his County Cap last September after only shining intermittently during his previous four seasons at the club.

“I think I showed some glimmers of that form the season before, but, yes, last season was pretty much like a breakthrough. It was good that I could finally contribute consistently with both bat and ball. I’m happy with how last season went and I guess my aim now is to maintain that and move on with renewed confidence.

“As you get older you start to mature and you look at your game a bit differently, what you want to do on and off the field. I think it was just that maturity began to show. It is quite difficult when you first come to a new country and you’re still trying to find your feet inside cricket, outside cricket. I guess everything needs to come together for you to perform on the field. And it did last season.”

That 51-ball innings against Yorkshire certainly brought Snater sharply into focus. Essex were making heavy weather of the run-chase when he strode out to join Adam Rossington.

“It was quite a difficult wicket to bat on. We wanted to try and score as quickly as possible because it was just a matter of time before a ball had your name on it. We just tried to see the good balls out and put the bad balls away. I think that is how we slowly crept forward. Then Benny Allison and I put together a nice partnership and everything just seemed to fall into place.”

However, the dismissal of Allison left Snater with just No11 Jamie Porter for company and a couple of runs still needed. Snater went for bust and hit the decisive boundary. He remembers: “I kind of figured there had been two balls in the previous over, one of which Ports missed that barely missed the stumps. I decided I’d rather get out trying to go for it than just try and defend it and maybe get out to a half-shot.”

Those sorts of performances will pile expectation on the Netherlands international this season. “I don’t really look at it that way.” Snater replies. “I am quite a laidback person, so I tend not to think like that. I’m happy where I’m at. If there is more pressure on, I’m not really feeling it. I’m happy if we are winning. Hopefully it’s a good season.”

And what would constitute a good season? “Obviously we would like to walk away with a trophy. It was amazing to see the successes of 2019 and 2020 from the outside, so to be part of something like that would be incredible. I would certainly love to be a part of a Championship-winning team. Hopefully we can create our own history.”

The PCA is delivering Alcohol Awareness sessions to players across the country to create a greater understanding of how to positively develop their relationship with alcohol whilst aiding inclusivity.

The workshops form part of the Personal Development and Welfare Programme (PDWP) run by the PCA for the players and follows on from previous key priority sessions covered in recent years such as gambling awareness, sexual consent, social media and drive safely workshops.
The sessions that are being delivered throughout 2023 were planned following detailed analysis of ongoing mental health research and referral data produced by the PCA and the players’ charity, the Professional Cricketers’ Trust.

Every men’s county squad, women’s region and England squad will receive a session from B5 Consultancy founder and former professional footballer, Fraser Franks due to Graham Gooch leading on a donation from his Scholarship and the Essex Cricket Foundation.

B5 Consultancy were successfully appointed by the PCA to deliver these sessions due to their professional and player led approach. Run by lawyer Matt Himsworth alongside Franks, the company works with businesses to create a culture which is risk averse, respectful and defensive through education, strategic advice and player care.

Former Luton Town and Newport County defender Franks has delivered 11 sessions so far, hosting the absorbing workshops through drawing on experiences from his career in professional sport.

At the age of 28, Franks was diagnosed with a heart condition and forced to retire from football. With no plan for the future, his relationship with alcohol was becoming a burden to himself and his family.

Now an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, the 32-year-old speaks to the players about his own struggles with alcohol, how to develop a positive relationship with the substance and the benefits of sobriety.

These sessions have been made possible thanks to a generous donation of £30,000 from the Graham Gooch Scholarship alongside the Essex Cricket Foundation to the Professional Cricketers’ Trust.

The organisations requested funding to be ring-fenced for education with a portion of the donation also being spent on producing this year’s Rookie Camp, which was attended by a record 67 young professional cricketers.

With no funding partner, the Trust is extremely grateful for the donation which isn’t the first time that Graham Gooch, former President of the PCA, has donated to the Trust. Previous gambling awareness courses were also funded by the former England captain’s scholarship.
Gooch witnessed the most recent Alcohol Awareness session held at The Cloud County Ground and was impressed by Fraser Franks and the engagement of the Eagles’ squad.

Former PCA President, Graham Gooch, said: “It’s very important that players are educated on these subjects because one thing can lead to another with alcohol which could end up in a downhill spiral.

“Hopefully the players that were here today might relate to some of the things that Fraser said and recognise that they can make themselves a better sportsperson and a better person.

“The Foundation and my scholarship supported the gambling awareness courses a few years ago and I’m a great believer in what the PCA does with the rookies as well as past and present players. I think the most important thing they do is through the education that they deliver to the players.”

Simon Harmer, said: “It was extremely interesting to listen to Fraser’s story and it puts into perspective how easily that can happen.

“I think with cricket especially when you’re enjoying successes and having a beer afterwards, sometimes that can effect relationships that you have at home or with your family.

“It’s always good to educate players about the dangers that are out there when it comes to alcohol and I think Fraser’s story resonates with a lot of people, which is why everyone was engrossed in the session.

“For me, when he was talking about having a big night and then having to train the next day, that was something that really hit home and made me think about my relationship with alcohol.”

PCA Director of Member Services, Ian Thomas, said: “Educating players on the subject of alcohol is fundamental to ensuring that cricket is a sport for all.

“At the PCA we recognise that alcohol can play a part in the lives of male and female players across the country, so by prioritising this education we hope members can learn how to have a healthy relationship with alcohol and ensure their performance on the pitch and their relationships at home are not affected by the substance.

“Fraser’s sessions are thoughtful, personal and expertly delivered and I would like to thank the Graham Gooch Scholarship alongside the Essex Cricket Foundation for enabling us to provide these vital workshops.”

Find out more about the Personal Development and Welfare Programme (PDWP) by clicking here.

CHESS Homeless and Essex Cricket Foundation have come together to host the first ever Essex Super Sleep Out at The Cloud County Ground on the eve of the first home match of the season against Lancashire on Wednesday 12 April 2023.

You can be part of the event and experience a little of what it is like to be homeless and have to sleep outside on cold, hard ground.

With spaces limited this year to 50 it is a first come, first served event open primarily to corporate participants to raise much needed funds for both organisations. You can participate as a team or as an individual. All money raised from this event will be split 50/50 between both organisations.

Registration is £10 per person. This includes a ticket to the first game of the season the following day Thursday 13 April, 2023. We would ask that you are able to raise a minimum fundraising amount of £100 per person.

Please note: this event is only open to over 18’s due to venue regulations.

Find out more – here

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The Spitfire Ground in Canterbury will host Essex’s final pre-season fixture as they take on Kent in a three-day friendly before the 2023 County Championship season gets underway next week.

After a two-day intra-squad fixture last week at Chelmsford, Anthony McGrath’s side will travel down to Kent as they look to put the finishing touches on what has been a strong pre-season campaign.

Spectators are welcome to attend all three days for this fixture, with free entry and no tickets required.

LIVE STREAMING

The home side will provide a Live Stream without commentary, but fans can also keep up to date via the Matchzone on the Essex Cricket website.

TEAM NEWS

Essex head to Canterbury with no current injury concerns. South African spinner Simon Harmer landed back in the UK last week after representing his country against the West Indies earlier this month and will be available to play if selected.

Hosts Kent will also have the majority of their County Championship squad available. Sam Billings and Jordan Cox have returned following their Pakistan Super League win over the weekend and are available for selection.

Essex Cricket is delighted to announce that The Cloud County Ground will be hosting three Men’s One Day International (ODI) matches between Ireland and Bangladesh in May 2023.

The Club have worked closely with Cricket Ireland to stage the series in the UK for what will be both sides’ final World Cup Super League fixtures.

While Bangladesh have already qualified for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, the ‘Men in Green’ will have a chance to qualify automatically for the global tournament, which will be hosted by India in October.

The series will also build up to a busy summer for Ireland that includes them returning to Chelmsford on 26-28 May for a first-class Tourist match against Essex at Chelmsford before their Test match with England at Lord’s in June.

Essex Cricket Chief Executive, John Stephenson, said, “We are incredibly excited to host Ireland and Bangladesh for this series of Men’s ODI matches.

“The Cloud County Ground has a long-standing history of staging international sides, and we are proud to have been chosen as the host venue in an important series for both sides.

“We look forward to welcoming supporters to Chelmsford and engaging with our local communities to put on a memorable experience for everyone involved.”

World Cup Super League series: Ireland v Bangladesh

• Tuesday 9 May, 10:45am: Ireland Men v Bangladesh Men – 1st Men’s ODI (Chelmsford)
• Friday 12 May, 2pm: Ireland Men v Bangladesh Men – 2nd Men’s ODI (Chelmsford)
• Sunday 14 May, 10:45am: Ireland Men v Bangladesh Men – 3rd Men’s ODI (Chelmsford)

Tickets and hospitality packages for the matches will be on sale via Essex Cricket from 10am on Tuesday 21 March, and we encourage supporters to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

On Thursday 9 March, Essex Cricket held a ‘Women in Leadership’ event with local secondary schools to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The pupils from Grays Convent High School and William Edward School attended the event on board Ambassador’s cruise ship, Ambience and were joined by Essex Cricket staff; Lauren Onojaife (Girls Participation Manager), Natalie Samaranayake (Women & Girls Operations Manager), Chloe Dack (Girls Participation Officer) and Kimberley Blundell (Commercial Marketing Executive).

Once onboard, the students enjoyed a grand tour of Ambience before listening to an engaging Q&A with female members of staff from Essex Cricket and Ambassador Cruise Line.

Essex Cricket were represented by a mixture of staff from both playing and non-playing backgrounds to share their experiences of working in their respective areas:

• Grace Melhuish – Girls Performance Pathway Lead at Essex Cricket &  Emerging Players Programme (EPP) Lead Coach at Sunrisers
• Angela Tuff – Umpire Development Officer
• Kimberley Blundell – Commercial Marketing Executive

Also on the panel was Danni Warren, Sunrisers Regional Director of Women’s Cricket.

Ambassador Cruise Line staff spanned a wide variety of departments:

• Nicola Harper – Head of Trade and Distribution
• Gemma Bassey – Head of Pre and Post Cruise
• Sarah Partridge – Reservations Manager
• Rebecca Jones – Marketing Manager

After this, the pupils completed a project in groups to re-design the Ambassador Cruise Line logo as well as marketing ideas for the partnership with Essex Cricket. They had some fantastic presentations and it was brilliant to see the young girls put their ideas forward confidently in front of professionals.

Congratulations to Grays Convent who were the winning school and received two Essex Cricket bats. Their two pupils who presented on behalf of their group also received a playing shirt each.

Lastly, all pupils, teachers and staff experienced a five-course meal in the restaurant courtesy of Ambassador Cruise Line before disembarking to share the exciting news of the day with their friends and family at home.

Natalie Samaranayake, Essex Cricket Women & Girls Operations Manager

It was fantastic to partner with Ambassador Cruise Line for our celebration of International Women’s Day.

Getting to compete against other local secondary is so important for girls; getting to put the skills they train into matches can help embed a passion for the game and hopefully keep them active in the sport for longer.  This is a key age when a lot of girls drop out of sport so to work together to try and enthuse their love for cricket has such a positive impact.

The panel Q&A was an excellent chance for the girls to see what careers are available locally with Ambassador and also how they can work in cricket outside of playing.  Having so many successful women sitting together and discussing their roles was such an inspiration and the feedback from both schools has been really positive.

Danni Warren, Sunrisers Regional Director of Women’s Cricket

It was a pleasure to join Essex Cricket in the Community and Ambassador Cruises for their recent event, hosted brilliantly on board the inspiring ship Ambiance. Seeing the pupils from both schools so engaged throughout, taking in the experiences of those working in both the cricket and travel industries and showcasing their own talents with the task set, made the event very special. Sunrisers look forward to working with everyone again in the future.

Karen Smith, William Edwards School

Our year 9 girls had a fantastic day onboard Ambience. They had an amazing opportunity to listen from Women that Lead at Essex Cricket and Ambassador Cruise Line. Being around such inspiring women in such a fabulous setting has given them an International Women’s Day event they will never forget.

Siobhan Franklin, Grays Convent High School

It was a really great opportunity for our pupils to see the inside of the Cruise Ship. They completely loved the chance to be in such a luxurious environment and be waited on by attentive staff- very different to a school day! The girls found the interview panel insightful and inspiring, with many showing an interest in careers in the travel industry, and being surprised by the variety of careers available within Essex Cricket. It was a very memorable experience and one they wont forget!

Pupil Quotes, Grays Convent High School

Riya Prabakaran

I was able to interact and be more sociable with people, and experience and explore new things. Going forward I hope the school can put forward more events like this one.

Louisa Haartroppe

It was a really exciting experience and the food was nice. The cruise as a whole is a piece of beautiful scenery. The staff were really nice and helpful.

Goda Budenaite

I really enjoyed the ambassador cruise trip as I finally found out what a cruise looks like. I loved the tour and the women who spoke about their day-to-day lives. I hope we do this again.