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Another year has come and gone for Essex County Cricket Club, and the best of the 2018 campaign was celebrated last night in the Club’s on-pitch marquee as the End of Season Gala Dinner took place.

Players from the first-team squad were in attendance, as were sponsors, supporters and staff who have given their all for Essex over the last year.

Essex legend Graham Gooch hosted the event and Simon Harmer scooped several of the big awards, taking the Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and the Bowler of the Year after taking 57 County Championship wickets.

He edged out Jamie Porter for a few of those awards, but Jamie didn’t leave empty-handed and took home the Media Player of the Year and the Performance of the Year for his display against Worcestershire.

Ravi Bopara claimed Batsman of the Year having averaged 43.11 in the County Championship, whilst Sam Cook deservedly won First XI Young Player of the Year after claiming 27 County Championship wickets and Aron Nijjar took the Second XI Player of the Year.

Varun Chopra, Will Buttleman, Simon Gibbs, Chris Drummond, Mady Villers and Joe Freestone also collected awards over the course of the night, with the full list of winners shown below.

WINNERS:

Player of the Year (sponsored by DeVines Accountants): Simon Harmer
Players’ Player of the Year: Simon Harmer
Batsman of the Year: Ravi Bopara
Bowler of the Year: Simon Harmer
Eagles Player of the Year: Varun Chopra
First XI Young Player of the Year (sponsored by Euroline): Sam Cook
Media Player of the Year: Jamie Porter
Performance of the Year (sponsored by Euroline): Jamie Porter vs Worcestershire
Second XI Player of the Year: Aron Nijjar
Academy Player of the Year (sponsored by Allen Ford): Will Buttleman
‘One Team, One Dream’ Award (sponsored by Hamro): Simon Gibbs
Club Person of the Year: Chris Drummond
Women’s Player of the Year (in partnership with Newham Council): Mady Villiers
Ability Player of the Year: Joe Freestone

A huge thank you must go to the Club’s on-pitch marquee sponsors, D&A Media, Fenwick, Greene King IPA, Spotlight Sound, Weston Homes and Woodland Group for supporting the club and making last night possible.

Essex County Cricket Club are pleased to announce that spin bowler, Aron Nijjar, has signed a new contract and has extended his time with the Club until the end of the 2019 season.

The 24-year-old made his first-class debut against Leicestershire in May 2015 and has taken 16 first-class wickets whilst averaging 26.11 with the bat.

Having graduated from Cardiff University last year, where he also featured for Cardiff MCCU, Aron has become an integral part of the Second XI team and regularly captains the side.

Nijjar is elated to sign an extension and said: “Essex is a great Club and I’m delighted to sign for another year.

“It’s a very exciting time for the Club, we’ve got a great group pushing hard for trophies next season and I’m really looking forward to the 2019 campaign.”

Head Coach Anthony McGrath is pleased to see Nijjar commit his future and added: “Aron is a great lad and he’s still only 24. He has a lot of potential and we know how dangerous he can be with both the ball and the bat, so we’re thrilled to see him stay for another year.”

Graham Gooch OBE has completed his mammoth 14-day, 193-mile walk from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire in aid of the PCA Benevolent Fund and the Graham Gooch Scholarship.

The PCA Benevolent Fund is part of the PCA’s commitment to helping former and current players and their dependants in times of hardship and upheaval or to readjust to the world beyond the game.

The charity provides support in a huge variety of ways, both reactively and increasingly proactively with a drive to help and educate PCA members on all health and wellbeing issues key in helping players to negate problems further down the line.

Gooch, who was named PCA President in March 2018, has also run his own Scholarship programme for 15 years under the umbrella of the Essex Cricket Foundation.

Having previously played for the county for 24 years, Gooch’s Scholarship supports initiatives including the Essex Cricket Academy with the charity funding their recent Indian coaching camp in February 2018. The Scholarship frequently sends young Essex players on overseas coaching and playing tours, trips that Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara and most recently Aaron Beard have benefited from.

Gooch, who previously donated £50,000 to the PCA Benevolent from his scholarship, was aiming to raise £20,000 to be split across both charities.

Last night, Gooch surpassed the £20,000 mark and the figure raised now stands at a hugely impressive £20,271.

Gooch has blogged his entire trip, with diary entries and video posts showing the huge task he has undertaken. You can check out his blog here: https://www.thepca.co.uk/press-release/goochies-coast-2-coast-2018-blog/

There’s still time to donate too, and you can do so by clicking on the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/pcabenevolent/goochiescoast2coast2018

Former England batsman and current England Selector James Taylor joined children from Sybourn Primary School in Waltham Forest for their PE lesson on Thursday 27 September.

James is an ambassador for children’s cricket charity, Chance to Shine, which gives young people the opportunity to play and learn through cricket. He spent the afternoon giving Sybourn Primary Year 5 pupils batting, bowling and fielding tips on the playground. He also took part in a special ‘Spirit of Cricket’ assembly led by Essex Cricket coach Charlotte Read to help teach the children the importance of good sportsmanship.

Students were given a chance to ask James questions about his England cricket career and the serious heart condition that forced him to retire from playing cricket in 2016. He spoke passionately about the lessons that experience had taught him, from not giving up when faced with challenges to always embracing change.

Speaking at the school, Chance to Shine Ambassador Taylor said, “I absolutely loved my time at Sybourn Primary today. The children here clearly love cricket and the school has really harnessed the power that sport can have on young people’s lives. I was really impressed by the questions the children asked me, especially around my heart condition and retirement from cricket which was the most difficult time of my life.”

The Graham Gooch Cricket Centre is celebrating its refurbishment after significant investment and is proudly sponsored by the Allen Ford Group.

The long-standing partnership between Essex Auto Group (now part of the Allen Ford Group) and the indoor cricket centre spans over eight years; a time which has seen the rise of Dan Lawrence, Sam Cook, Nick Browne and Jamie Porter into the First Team.

Photo: Graham Gooch OBE pictured with Allen Ford’s Matt Brown

Graham Gooch OBE, Essex County Cricket Club Ambassador said: “Essex Auto Group and now the Allen Ford Group have shown real commitment to both the Club and to the community in Essex and have been supporters of the Club for a number of years. Their backing and sponsorship of the Cricket Centre helps to run a vast number of courses and sessions throughout the year, and we look forward to a bright future working together.”

Matt Brown, Head of Marketing at Allen Ford: “This is a really exciting time for the Club and we’re delighted with how the refurbishment of the Centre has gone. The modernised facilities are a terrific resource for everyone and we’re happy to be playing a part of providing cricket to the community in Essex.”

The Allen Ford Group Graham Gooch Cricket Centre and its new facilities are available to hire on a daily basis throughout the year. Further information is available at www.essexcricketcentre.co.uk or by phone 01245 254028.

The Allen Ford Group Graham Gooch Cricket Centre was relaunched this week and, after significant investment, is now ready for cricket action.

The centre now boasts five lanes, spacious changing rooms and shower facilities, a public viewing gallery and on-site parking, plus newly refurbished nets, flooring and lighting.

The centre caters for visitors aged 5 years old and above and offers one-to-one cricket coaching for adults & juniors, holiday coaching courses and indoor cricket leagues, as well as being the main indoor facility for the Essex First Team squad throughout the year.

The new refurbished centre was opened by Graham Gooch OBE, Essex County Cricket Club Ambassador, who said: “The Allen Ford Group Graham Gooch Cricket Centre has become an integral cricket hub in the development of cricket in the region.

“Thanks to the substantial investment, from the ECB and others, the centre can continue to be a first-class facility at grassroots level through to the Essex First Team.

“I am thrilled to have been part of the project and help fund the great new facilities through my Scholarship and my thanks extends to the other contributors who have helped with the project.”

The ECB were the major funders of the scheme, providing a grant of £150,000, and Bruce Cruse, the ECB Head of Participation, said: “We were delighted to support this project and give a boost to the development of the game for all age groups. I am confident as the investment matures, the redevelopment of the Centre will be of major benefit to cricket in Essex and the community more generally.”

Essex Cricket would like to extend thanks to the following contributors:

• England & Wales Cricket Board
• Graham Gooch Scholarship Fund
• Essex Cricket Foundation
• Essex and Southend Sports Trust (EASST)
• The Essex Boundary Club

The Allen Ford Group Graham Gooch Cricket Centre and its new facilities are available to hire on a daily basis throughout the year, with further information available at www.essexcricketcentre.co.uk or by phone 01245 254028.

The final day of the 2018 season certainly didn’t disappoint as it went down to the wire with Essex ruining Surrey’s party at the Kia Oval with a one wicket victory.

It was that man Ryan ten Doeschate who steered his team to victory, finishing alongside Matt Quinn who dug-in to fend off the persistent attack of Morne Morkel.

Tendo spoke after the match to expess his delight on beating the newly crowned Champions and ruining their chances of replicating Essex’s undeafeated in a season record along the way!

Simon Harmer showed his all-round ability by smashing his maiden century for the Club on Day Two of the Specsavers County Championship match against Surrey at the Kia Oval.

After Tom Westley had reached three figures earlier in the day, Harmer’s 159-run partnership with Adam Wheater, plus cameo’s from Jamie Porter, Sam Cook and Matt Quinn helped the South African to the milestone, which came from a huge six over the long-on boundary.

Simon spoke after play to express his feeligs on his achievment and how Essex go about clinching a victory over the newly crowned County Champions.