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In 2024, Essex Cricket’s Official Partner, Tiptree, is rewarding players who stand out with an individual performance on the field with one of their luxury hampers.

Across four out of the first five games of the season, seven players have produced an eye-catching showing to earn themselves a Tiptree hamper, including two men who already have two apiece.

Nottinghamshire (A)

Sam Cook bowled a stunning spell with the Kookaburra ball in the second innings at Trent Bridge to return figures of 6/14, skittling the hosts for just 80 as Essex recorded a 254-run win.

Kent (H)

Dean Elgar was the first of a trio to earn themselves a hamper in the first home game of the season against Kent, hitting his first Essex century with an innings of 120 from 176 balls that featured 18 fours.

He was followed by Matt Critchley, who took home two hampers as he made the match his own in first hitting an unbeaten 151 off 212 deliveries with five fours and four sixes.

The all-rounder then shone with the ball too, claiming 5/105 in the visitors’ first innings with his leg-breaks and removing Matt Parkinson to complete his haul.

Former Kent man Jordan Cox then became the final member of the three to take home a Tiptree hamper by blasting a whirlwind 85-ball century in the hosts’ second innings, ending on 116 not out.

Durham (A)

The long trip to the north-east failed to deter two further batters from chalking up scores that earned themselves hampers, with Feroze Khushi’s 107 off 165 balls, with 16 fours, making him the first.

Nick Browne then followed him with a mammoth 184 on his return to the side, soaking up 321 deliveries and hitting 20 fours as he spent six hours and 37 minutes at the crease.

Somerset (A)

Deadly seam duo Sam Cook, for the second time this season, and Jamie Porter ran riot in Taunton in skittling Somerset to both earn themselves Tiptree hampers.

Their figures were remarkably similar, as Porter took 5/37 and Cook claimed 5/38 in the hosts’ first-innings 128 all out

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex return to shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.

Demand remains exceptionally high, and there are now only 15% of tickets remaining across all seven home fixtures, with two already sold out.

With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.

Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

London Southend Airport have been confirmed as Essex Cricket’s newest Partner for the remainder of 2024.

While the agreement will see branding appear across Club channels, its focus is on the activities of Essex Cricket in the Community, with the airport supporting several primary school competitions.

Most notably within that support, the grounds on which the competitions and school festivals will be held will be renamed to feature London Southend Airport destinations.

The airport, which is located just 52 minutes from central London and 43 minutes from Stratford station, will offer flights to ten destinations across seven countries in 2024.

CEO of London Southend Airport, John Upton, said: “This new partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to community engagement and skill development. London Southend employs more than 80% of its workforce locally, with opportunities available for further training and career progression.

“By fostering grassroots cricket, we’re extending this idea onto the sports field and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the lives of young children in the wider county.”

Daryl Townson, Commercial Manager at Essex Cricket, added: “It’s a real pleasure to welcome London Southend Airport to the Essex Cricket family.

“While they already offer several family-friendly destinations, the support of our primary competitions this year shows their commitment to helping pupils enjoy their summer holidays in multiple ways!

“We look forward to working with them, and we are hugely excited about the possibilities that could grow from their support for cricket-loving children.”

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex return to shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.

Demand remains exceptionally high, and there are now only 15% of tickets remaining across all seven home fixtures, with two already sold out.

With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.

Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

With a little under four weeks until England Women return to The Cloud County Ground for a Metro Bank ODI against Pakistan, the Three Lions have named their squad for the series.

Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith is again selected after returning to the senior squad for the IT20s in New Zealand.

Heather Knight’s side start with a three match IT20 series, beginning on Saturday 11 May at Edgbaston, where England played in front of nearly 20,000 fans in a Women’s Ashes IT20 in July 2023.

They then travel to The County Ground, Northampton before finishing at Headingley, after which the three ODIs against the same opposition follow.

Chelmsford will host the third and final match of the ODI series on Wednesday 29 May, following on from Derby and Taunton.

Head coach Jon Lewis said: “We are really excited to start our home summer. It’s great to be kicking off the summer of sport on home soil.

“I know the group are looking forward to playing in front of our fans in grounds across the country throughout the series.

“It’s great to see England’s men’s and women’s teams playing side by side again after the success of the Ashes last year.

“These two series against Pakistan give us an opportunity to build, develop and ensure we are in the best place come the World Cup in Bangladesh in September.

“We are very keen whenever possible to make sure all the players vying for places in the World Cup squad get opportunities to play cricket this summer so that they are able to put in performances that help secure a place in the squad for Bangladesh.”

Tickets for both series are still available and can be purchased here.

Women’s Metro Bank ODI Series v Pakistan – England squad

Heather Knight (C; Western Storm), Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers)

Women’s Metro Bank ODI Series v Pakistan – fixtures

23 May: 1st Women’s One-Day International – The Incora County Ground, Derby, 1pm

26 May: 2nd Women’s One-Day International – The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 11am

29 May: 3rd Women’s One-Day International – The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, 1pm
 

Women’s Cricket at Chelmsford in 2024

Essex Women’s full fixture list for the 2024 season is available to view here.

Three fixtures will be staged at The Cloud County Ground, including the Battle of the Bridge T20 clash against Kent on Wednesday 07 August (6pm start).

Sunrisers will compete in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (50-over) and Charlotte Edwards Cup (20-over) competitions at The Cloud County Ground with their opening 50-over match taking place on Saturday 27 April (10:30am) against The Blaze.

Tickets for all these fixtures are available now from essexcricket.org.uk and you can visit here for further information.
 

Somerset v Essex

Vitality County Championship

The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

Friday 03 – Monday 06 May 2024 | 11:00am start

 
Having continued an unbeaten start to the season with a draw against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside, Essex are again on the road this weekend with a trip to the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton to take on Somerset.

Nick Browne’s 184 was the standout in Chester-le-Street, along with 107 for Feroze Khushi, as the Eagles racked up a new team-record score against Durham of 488.

With Michael Pepper and Adam Rossington out with injuries, Yorkshire’s Harry Duke was loaned in, and he immediately endeared himself to his new teammates with a stunning low one-handed grab off Jamie Porter to remove Scott Borthwick.

With Tom Westley also unavailable due to personal reasons, the side was captained for the first time by Sam Cook, and with the Eagles in need of a nightwatchman late on Day One, the 26-year-old opened both the bowling and the batting.

Meanwhile, Browne underpinned the visitors’ innings by soaking up 321 deliveries, forming partnerships of 166 with Khushi and 100 with Jordan Cox, as the draw was agreed shortly before 5:00pm on the final day.

With one almighty journey in the space of a fortnight under their belts, Anthony McGrath’s side go on another this week in search of a third win of the season when they are welcomed to the West Country by fourth-placed Somerset.

Squad

Head Coach McGrath has named a 13-strong group for the trip to Taunton.

Captain Tom Westley, who became a father for the second time this week with the birth of his daughter Florence, returns in place of Robin Das.

The Opposition

Somerset have made a solid, if unspectacular, start to the campaign, with four draws from their opening four matches against Kent, Surrey, Nottinghamshire, and Worcestershire.

They dominated in Canterbury in the season opener and were denied only by the weather, while they fought back admirably at the Kia Oval to hold the Brown Caps to a stalemate.

A flat deck in their first home game against the Green and Golds set up an inevitable draw, while the rain again intervened during the relatively short trip to Kidderminster in their most recent fixture.

Jason Kerr’s men have taken 21 bonus points from those four games, split into 11 for batting and 10 for bowling, to sit fourth in the table, three points ahead of Durham and two behind Warwickshire, with the Eagles a further 16 ahead.

Tom Lammonby is the Taunton outfit’s leading run-scorer, and is indeed fifth in the entire division’s charts, with 373 from the first four matches, with Australian import Matt Renshaw having notched 245.

Meanwhile, Kasey Aldridge and new captain Lewis Gregory lead the way with the ball, having each claimed 11 wickets at 21.09 and 32.72 respectively, and 6’6″ Craig Overton remains a major presence in both disciplines.

Somerset squad: Lewis Gregory, Sean Dickson, Matt Renshaw, Tom Lammonby, Andy Umeed, Tom Banton, James Rew, Craig Overton, Josh Davey, Migael Pretorius, Kasey Aldridge, Jake Ball and Shoaib Bashir.

Last Time We Met

Essex recorded a comfortable 196-run win the last time they met Somerset, in high summer at The Cloud County Ground, thanks to centuries from Alastair Cook and Matt Critchley, and Simon Harmer’s eight match wickets.

Play began following an impeccably-observed minute’s silence to pay tribute to the victims of the Nottingham attacks, Barnaby Webber, who represented Bishops Hull CC in Somerset, and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, who played in Essex age-group sides between 2015 and 2019.

Batting first, Essex piled up 462-9 as Cook amassed 128, in what would turn out to be his final century for Essex, Matt Critchley struck 121, and Feroze Khushi also chipped in with an unbeaten 56 from 69 deliveries.

In response, the visitors could only muster 167 as Harmer ripped through the lower order in returning 5/64 from 25 overs, including at one point being on a hat-trick, giving the Eagles an enormous first-innings lead of 295.

Deciding against enforcing the follow-on, Tom Westley sent his troops out to bat again, and they extended that lead to a near-insurmountable 465 by declaring on 170-7, with Critchley making another half-century.

The visitors gamely attempted to chase down their mammoth target, but their ultimate total of 269 was far short of what they needed as Harmer and Jamie Porter claimed three wickets apiece, with a 22-point Essex victory sealed on the final morning.

Division One Table

How To Watch

If you are not able to make the trip to the West Country in person, the game will be streamed live on our hosts’ YouTube channel and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

A report and reaction will be published on the Club website after each day’s play, while live updates and daily highlights will also be provided on the Club’s social media channels.

Tickets

For anyone planning to join the Eagles in Taunton over the next four days, tickets can be purchased directly from Somerset’s website in advance of each day.

These are priced at £18 for adults, £9 for students, £8 for those aged 16-18, and £6 for juniors aged under 16, with seating unreserved at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

Somerset also offer a ‘Member for the Day’ ticket, which grants access to members’ areas, priced at £20, while family tickets for two adults and two children can be purchased for £36 each.

Members’ areas are the James Hildreth Stand, the Lord Ian Botham Stand, the lower area of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion, and the elevated area of the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion.

All tickets are available to buy direct from the hosts’ website by clicking the link below. Please be mindful of selecting the correct day on which you would like to attend by using the calendar icon in the top right corner of the seat selection box.

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex return to shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.

Demand remains exceptionally high, and there are now only 15% of tickets remaining across all seven home fixtures, with two already sold out.

With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.

Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Jamal Richards hit his second consecutive century but the Second XI’s Championship clash with Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl petered out into a rain-affected draw.

Richards added to his unbeaten 109 last week against the South Asian Cricket Academy by striking 114, with wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes making 92.

Aum Patel also took career-best bowling figures of 4/34 in the hosts’ first innings, who were bowled out for 292 after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Mackenzie Jones took three wickets, while Richards chipped in with 2/62 as Wilf La Fontaine-Jackson top-scored with 62.

In response, the visitors were underpinned by Richards’ and Fernandes’ knocks, as they racked up 301 all out to eke out a slender first-innings lead despite Eddie Jack’s 5/67.

Hampshire then posted 178-3 in their second innings, with Richards again starring as he took all three wickets to fall, including that of established first-teamer Joe Weatherley for 90.

With the final day unable to begin due to a rain-saturated outfield, the draw was finalized as captain Felix Organ ended unbeaten on 82.

The Eagles took 13 points from the fixture, and are back in Second XI Championship action from Bank Holiday Monday, 06 May, when Somerset come to Billericay.
 

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

Demand remains exceptionally high, and there is now just one Friday night fixture with availability remaining, the visit of Glamorgan to The Cloud County Ground on 07 June.

With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.

Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here