The highly anticipated return of Vitality Blast cricket to The Cloud County Ground is fast approaching with the Eagles set to play 7 home games in front of sold out crowds at The Cloud County Ground.
The Vitality Blast campaign also includes a chance to watch Middlesex in action at Chelmsford as they play two of their allotted ‘home’ games in the county against Kent Spitfires (31 May) and Gloucestershire (18 July).
Secure your tickets for all Vitality Blast fixtures being staged at The Cloud County Ground (including Middlesex matches) now via the link below.
You are also able to purchase tickets for the Metro Bank One Day Cup and Vitality County Championship, plus our women’s cricket fixtures this season, which will see England Women, Sunrisers and Essex Women all play in front of the Chelmsford crowd.
After a strong start to 2024 for Essex, the four-player shortlist for the first wefinanceanycar.com Player of the Month award of the season has been revealed.
The quartet includes a pair of Essex born-and-bred seamers, alongside the Club’s two newest batters. Who gets your vote?
By voting in the wefinanceanycar.com Player of the Month award, you will be in with a chance of winning a signed shirt from the player who receives the eventual crown for April.
The Contenders
Jamie Porter
After a thoroughly productive 2023 that saw him claim 57 County Championship wickets, evergreen seamer Porter has continued to shine in the early part of 2024, claiming 19 scalps at just 17.84 apiece.
Porter has been consistent in the opening four games, following his five-wicket haul against Nottinghamshire with six versus Kent and four each in clashes against Lancashire and Durham.
Dean Elgar
Having signed for the Club in January after a 12-year international career that saw him hit more than 5,000 Test runs for South Africa, Elgar has made a sparkling start to life in Essex with 385 runs in April.
His runs in an Eagles shirt have come at a weighty average of 64.16, with the 36-year-old notching a hundred against Kent and two other half-centuries, including 80 on debut at Trent Bridge.
Jordan Cox
Another addition to the Essex top order in the off-season after signing from Kent, Jordan Cox has also hit the ground running since making his Eagles bow at the start of April.
His 331 runs, which have also included a barnstorming 89-ball century against his old team and two fifties, one of which was also on debut in Nottingham, have come at an average of 66.20.
Sam Cook
Cook, who boasts a career first-class bowling average of just 19.33, has seen his unfaltering quality again come to the fore so far this season with 18 wickets at a barely-believable 10.38 apiece.
The Chelmsford-born seamer outshone every other bowler in the opening round when he mastered the otherwise-unresponsive Kookaburra ball to claim a match-winning 6/14 against Nottinghamshire.
Vote Now
Full terms and conditions for the competition can be found here.
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 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
Win a signed shirt from the August Player of the Month terms and conditions
Win a signed shirt from our Player of the Month
1. Each entrant will receive no more than one valid entry.
2. The prize cannot be exchanged or refunded.
3. The competition will run until 11:59pm on Sunday 08 September.
4. The winner will be contacted via the email by 11:59pm on Friday 09 September provided and has until 11:59pm on Tuesday 13 August to confirm receipt of the prize.
5. Should the winner not respond by 11:59pm on Tuesday 11 September, a new winner shall be contacted by Thursday 13 September.
Your votes saw the returning Nick Browne awarded Player of the Match following Essex’s Vitality County Championship Division One draw with Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside.
Browne, who hit 184 on his first appearance of the season as the Eagles took 14 points from a weather-affected stalemate in the North East, received 74.9% of votes in the poll on Essex Cricket’s X page.
His fellow batter Feroze Khushi, who also struck a sparkling first century of the season with 107, finished second with 16.2%, while seam pair Sam Cook and Jamie Porter received 5.5% and 3.4%, respectively.
Born in Leytonstone, Browne has represented Essex for 11 years, and his knock in Durham was the 20th time he has reached three figures for the Eagles.
He now has 7,753 runs at an average of 36.57, with his efforts underpinning the visitors’ total of 488 in their only innings that was possible due to the rain.
Browne was initially watchful, reaching his first 50 in 143 balls, before, having been stuck on 94* for an entire day due to the weather, he accelerated to post 100 off 238 deliveries and then 150 from 290.
The hosts had previously totalled 358 in their first innings, with Porter and stand-in captain Cook taking three wickets apiece, before seeing the game out by ending their second innings on 131-2.
Anthony McGrath’s side now sit joint-top of Division One on 71 points, level with defending champions Surrey, having won two and drawn two of their opening four games.
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 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
Fans of Vitality Blast T20 cricket have until Wednesday 01 May to save up to 20% on the price of T20 tickets at The Cloud County Ground.
The Eagles are set to return to T20 action on Thursday 30 May, with the first home game on Sunday 02 June as Middlesex visit what’s set to be a packed out Chelmsford.
Only 500 tickets are left for the opening fixture and just 15% of tickets remain for Essex’s T20 fixtures at their home ground.
By purchasing on or before Wednesday 01 May you could save as much as 20% on the price of your tickets with prices increasing after the early bird deadline.
Prices after Wednesday 01 May:
All Adult tickets: +£5
Members allocated ticket: +£4
Junior and Young Adult tickets: Unchanged Prices as of Thursday 02 May 2024
Match Availability
More T20 cricket at The Cloud County Ground
The T20 action keeps coming in 2024 with your chance to attend two other Vitality Blast fixtures at Chelmsford!
We will be staging Middlesex against Kent Spitfires (Friday 31 May, 7pm) and Gloucestershire (Thursday 18 July, 7pm) at The Cloud County Ground.
Tickets for these matches cost £20 for Essex Members, £25 for Adult tickets and £10 for Under 18s.
The Cloud County Ground hosts the first women’s match of the season Saturday 27 April with Sunrisers facing The Blaze in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
The 50-over match will begin at 10:30am with tickets available in advance or on the gates from 9:30am.
Gates Opening Times:
Gates open from 9:30am via the Main Entrance on New Writtle Street or the Tees River Gate, which is the closest entrance from Chelmsford City Centre and Chelmsford Bus/Train Stations.
Scheduled Hours of Play:
Toss: 10am
First Innings: 10:30am-2pm
Second Innings: 2:30-6pm
Member Entry & Matchday Tickets:
Supporters can purchase tickets in advance to speed up your entry into the ground. Tickets are priced at £10 Adults, £10 Students/Young Adults (18-25) and £5 Juniors (U18s).
These can be purchased online via the following link or alternatively in person at The Cloud County Ground from 9:30am on Sunday.
Tickets will be available on the gates from 9:30am each day and this is strictly card sales only.
The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy is part of the 2024 Essex Membership and Members are required to scan their card on the gate.
Matchday Purchases:
The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, which includes purchasing tickets on the gates and food and drink in the Doug Insole Pavilion. Find out more – here
Please note that the Essex Cricket Store is the only location on-site which accepts cash payments.
Accessibility:
Accessible parking:
A limited number of accessible car park spaces will be available at The Cloud County Ground but strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
Accessible Seating:
Accessible seating can be found in Block One of the Tom Pearce Stand.
Carers can enter the ground on a companion ticket which is free of charge. This is upon the presenting proof of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people under 16 years old in the Membership & Ticketing Office or on the entry gate.
We can also accept a Blue Badge and Access card.
Accessible Toilets:
Wheelchair-accessible toilets are located behind the Doug Insole Pavilion (Blue Area).
Travel:
Parking:
• Spectators travelling by car can park in a number of public car parks within Chelmsford City Centre. There is no parking available on-site at The Cloud County Ground or Meteor Way for this fixture.
Public Transport:
• Chelmsford Bus Station is situated on Duke Street, next to Chelmsford Train Station, with connections to all over the County. Alternatively, bus numbers 13, 46 and C1 shuttles, stop on New London Road, which is approximately a two-minute walk to the Ground, via New Writtle Street.
• Chelmsford Railway Station is operated by Greater Anglia and is an approximate 10-minute walk from The Cloud County Ground. Regular direct train services depart from Chelmsford to London, Stratford, Shenfield, Romford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich. Chelmsford is situated on the Liverpool Street to Norwich mainline.
Ground Entry:
Spectators are able to enter the ground via the Main Gate located on New Writtle Street or the Tees River Gate.
Ground Entry:
• The Doug Insole Pavilion is open for all spectators for these games with the benches also available.
• Members are not required to pre-book a match ticket and can enter by scanning their Membership card on the gate. If you require a replacement card, please get in contact with the Membership & Ticketing Office before the fixture to arrange a replacement or this may cause delays on entry for you and other spectators.
• Entry to this fixture is included in 2024 Essex Membership and we encourage spectators to arrive in plenty of time to secure a seat. All seating for Sunrisers’ games are Unallocated and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Members of Middlesex County Cricket Club and Northamptonshire County Cricket Club can also attend these games for free of charge on presentation of a Membership card.
• Supporters who have purchased tickets can enter the ground by scanning the QR on your tickets that has been sent to you via email following your purchase. If you choose to print out your ticket, please ensure that the match details (including name and seat details) are included as per the image below. Make sure you have your match ticket available on your phone or printed out so it is easily accessible for ticket scanning on arrival. Please do not take a ‘screen grab’ of your QR code as this could cause scanning issues.
• In the event of rain forecast on the day of the match, spectators can bring a small umbrella into the ground but metal spiked umbrellas are not permitted.
Around the Ground:
• Sunrisers merchandise and clothing will be available to purchase on the matchday.
• Spectators are welcome to move behind the Doug Insole Pavilion but please respect the players’ area and walkway.
• The Club have installed a faith and reflection room. This is available to spectators throughout the duration of the match and is located within the Graham Gooch Cricket Centre.
• The Club Store and Membership & Ticketing Office will be open for spectators.
• If you experience any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour during your visit to The Cloud County Ground then, please contact your nearest steward. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or text ‘CROWD’ including your stand and issue to 60066.
Food & Drink:
• The Doug Insole Pavilion will be serving a wide range of hot and cold drinks from the bar. A choice of snacks will also be available to purchase.
• Spectators can bring food and drink into the ground for this fixture. A limit of four cans of beer/lager or one bottle of wine per person but there’s strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted into the ground.
• Please note that The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit.
Leaving the Ground:
At the conclusion of the day’s play, we ask spectators to leave the ground in a safe and patient manner. Stewards will be on hand to help direct you safely out of the ground.
We hope you have an enjoyable visit to The Cloud County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be available on essexcricket.org.uk ahead of the match.
Get in touch with us by email if you have any further questions at [email protected] or via the Club’s official Twitter and Facebook channels.
It’s a game of thrills, spills, passion and drama – now a brand new national competition has recently been launched to showcase the best of tape ball cricket from diverse urban communities across the country.
Ahead of the start of England Men’s and Women’s international series against Pakistan next month, England stars Adil Rashid, Dawid Malan, Heather Knight and Sophie Ecclestone last week helped to launch the inaugural National Core Cities Tape Ball Competition, part of the ECB’s Core Cities programme designed to engage diverse communities in urban areas, break down barriers and drive grassroots participation.
Tape ball is a variation of the game which originated in Pakistan and is now played across the country and all over the world, often within South Asian communities. A tennis ball is physically taped up to create swing and bounce variations in play. No protective equipment – such as helmets or pads – is needed as the ball remains soft and the game can be played on any surface, in any area, making it widely accessible and popular.
The format was identified as a key area for potential growth of the game at the Core Cities Summit in November 2023 because of the casual format’s accessible nature. Now its profile is due to be elevated through the annual competition – the National Core Cities Tape Ball Competition – with hosting duties shared among the Core Cities, welcoming more people into cricket.
Each of the Core Cities – Birmingham, Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds, Leicester, London (Middlesex, Essex and Surrey), Luton, Manchester, Sandwell, Slough and Nottingham – can have a women’s and a men’s team in what will be two separate competitions. The inaugural competition will be held at Bradford Park Avenue this weekend, with the ambition of promoting inclusivity and fostering grassroots engagement while also identifying and nurturing talent.
The tournament was launched with an event held in Birmingham last week, attended by England Women’s, Men’s and Disability stars, Heather Knight, Adil Rashid, Sophie Ecclestone, Dawid Malan and Jamie Goodwin. This launch event was a true festival of tape ball cricket, with kids from Chance To Shine giving it a try and adult teams competing across three matches with celebrity and professional players accompanied by local South Asian food and entertainment.
The event also takes place in the build-up to England Women’s and Men’s joint upcoming series against Pakistan, which kicks off with the Women’s T20I at Edgbaston on 11 May.
Adil Rashid, England Men’s world no.1 T20 bowler said: “I used to play tape ball in the street with my brothers and it would get really competitive. It’s such a great format of the game, can be played anywhere by anyone and that’s what cricket should be about. It’s brilliant that there’s now a national tape ball competition. It’s really important to give people across the country the opportunity to play.
“The British Pakistani community is cricket mad, the game unites us and the upcoming series is going to be incredible for the players and fans – we’re going to put on a show.”
ECB Managing Director of the Recreational Game, Leshia Hawkins, said: “Tape ball is such an exciting and accessible form of cricket. Born on the streets of Karachi, it’s already played passionately in many communities across England and Wales and shows that you don’t need lots of equipment or expensive grounds to enjoy playing cricket.
“As we continue our collective efforts to make cricket the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales, the new competition we’re launching today will give players an extra chance to showcase and hone their skills.
“And with England Men and Women facing their Pakistan counterparts in white ball series next month, we’re looking forward to experiencing the passion of crowds and communities enjoying the contests – whether it’s watching friends and family competing to lift the National Core Cities Tape Ball trophy, or seeing some of the world’s best cricket players competing on the international stage.”
To find out more about tape ball cricket or the competition go to www.ecb.co.uk/tapeball.
After seeing off Lancashire in crushing fashion inside three days last week, Essex make the long journey up to the Seat Unique Riverside to face Durham from Friday.
In a rain-affected encounter at The Cloud County Ground, the Red Rose were twice skittled, being bowled out for 146 and 107 to hand the Eagles victory by an innings and 124 runs.
Shane Snater led the way with the ball, claiming match figures of 7/59, while the returning Sam Cook collected five wickets and Jamie Porter took four.
Meanwhile, in the Eagles’ sole innings, Tom Westley top-scored with 81, Dean Elgar continued his fine start to life at Essex with 79, and Feroze Khushi blasted a 33-ball 53 at the top of the order.
It all added up to a convincing win for the hosts, who were afforded an extra day’s rest before the clash in the North East against last season’s Division Two champions.
Anthony McGrath’s side currently sit eight points clear at the summit of Division One with two wins and a draw from their opening three matches, and will aim to finish April with another victory.
Squad
New loan addition Harry Duke comes straight into Head Coach McGrath’s 14-player squad, replacing the injured Michael Pepper.
Adam Rossington and Paul Walter are both also absent due to their respective injuries, while Westley misses the match due to the impending birth of his second child.
The Inside Line: Sam Cook
The Opposition
Durham are back in the top flight for the first time since 2016 after they secured the Division Two title in emphatic style last time out.
Ryan Campbell’s side lost just once all season and collected 233 points, a tally that put them 66 clear of second-placed Worcestershire.
They have more than held their own since promotion too, and last week they sealed their first win of the season away to the also-promoted Pears in Kidderminster.
Batter David Bedingham remains their most potent run-scoring threat, having hit a total of 261 at 65.25 so far, and his knack of scoring runs in tricky April conditions is a key differential for Durham.
Wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson, who was signed from Kent on a three-year deal ahead of the 2023 season, is also in fine form, with four consecutive half-centuries.
Meanwhile, with the ball in hand, Paul Coughlin’s seven wickets lead the way, ahead of five apiece for Matthew Potts and last season’s leader Ben Raine.
Durham squad:Colin Ackermann, David Bedingham, Scott Borthwick (c), Graham Clark, Paul Coughlin, Brydon Carse, Daniel Hogg, Michael Jones, Alex Lees, Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Ollie Robinson (wk), Peter Siddle.
Last Time We Met
It is almost three years since Essex last visited Durham, in May 2021, but the Eagles came away with a convincing 195-run victory on that occasion.
Put in to bat, the visitors initially only mustered 182 despite Michael Pepper top-scoring with 92, as Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine both took four wickets apiece.
However, a whirlwind bowling performance from the Eagles then saw Durham forced onto the back foot as they were dismissed for just 99, with opener Cameron Bancroft the only batter to reach 20.
Sam Cook led the way, as he so often does, with figures of 4/38, as Jamie Porter and Peter Siddle both took three scalps apiece to give the Eagles an 83-run first-innings lead.
A second-innings total of 301 from Tom Westley’s side, in which Adam Wheater top-scored with 81 and Ryan ten Doeschate struck 55, then gave Durham a mountain to climb in their chase.
It was a mountain they were unable to climb, as Porter returned 4/31 and Siddle picked up 3/47 in dismissing the hosts for 189, securing a three-day, 19-point win for the Eagles.
Division One Table
How To Watch
If you are not able to make the long trip north 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 Chester-le-Street over the next four days, tickets can be purchased directly from Durham’s website in advance of each day.
These are priced at £14 for adults and £4 for juniors, with seating unreserved at the Seat Unique Riverside, and can be bought from the link below:
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 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
Jamal Richards hit an unbeaten second-innings century as a combined Essex/Kent Second XI drew with the South Asian Cricket Academy in a three-day friendly at Billericay.
Richards struck 109 not out from 134 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes, as the hosts closed their second innings on 316-7 after also declaring their first on 244-7.
In response, SACA amassed 235-8 in their first dig, before being allowed just enough time at the end of the third day to reach 19 without loss prior to the draw being agreed.
Luc Benkenstein continued his fine form from the previous Second XI outing with Warwickshire, though this time with bat in hand, striking scores of 59 and 55.
The latter came while opening the batting in the second innings, and he was joined in the half-centurion club by Ben Allison, who notched an unbeaten 62.
Meanwhile, Aaron Beard returned figures of 3/57 in SACA’s first innings, with Allison and Benkenstein also collecting a wicket each.
Sanaullah Khan was the standout bowler for the visitors, collecting 3/32, while Arav Shetty hit a fluent 67 in the middle order during the visitors’ first use of the pitch.
The Second XI return to competitive action on Monday, 29 April, with a trip to Utilita Bowl to face Hampshire in the Second XI Championship.
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 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
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