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Essex County Cricket Club can confirm that Ashar Zaidi is to leave the Club following the end of his contract.

The Pakistani all-rounder joined Essex in January 2016 following a spell with Sussex and was part of the Division Two winning side that year.

Having become a favourite with the Essex crowd in limited-overs cricket, he was also an important spin option during the Club’s run to Specsavers County Championship title in 2017.

Zaidi’s NatWest T20 Blast innings against Middlesex in 2016 will live long in the memory of supporters, as he struck 59 off 24 with his infamous black bat.

Anthony McGrath, said: “Ashar has been an important part of the squad during his time with us with both bat and ball, especially in white-ball cricket.

“His ability to strike the ball long and hard was always special to watch and excited the crowd at Chelmsford on a number of occasions.”
The Club would like to thank Ashar for all of his hard work and commitment and we wish him all the best in the next stage of his career.

Alastair Cook has been selected for England’s upcoming Test match against India at Kia Oval.

England National Cricket Selectors have named a 13-man squad for the fifth Specsavers Test match starting on Friday September 7.

The match will mark the end of Cook’s 12-year international career, as the opening batsman has announced he will retire from international cricket following the Test against India.

England Test squad

Joe Root (Yorkshire) captain
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire)
Jimmy Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Alastair Cook (Essex)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Keaton Jennings (Lancashire)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

Essex play the penultimate home match of the Specsavers County Championship season when they entertain Surrey at The Cloudfm County Ground starting on Tuesday at 10:30am.

Essex Head Coach Anthony McGrath has named a 13-man squad for the fixture, which promises to be an enthralling clash between last year’s Champions Essex and opponents that currently lead the chase for the 2018 title.

With four matches left to play, Surrey have 196 points, 32 more than closest pursuers Somerset. Victory over Hampshire last week for Essex saw them move into third place in the Division One table with 119 points.

That latest success at Chelmsford by an innings and 52 runs owed much to off-spinner Simon Harmer, who had match figures of 6 for 116, and quickie Peter Siddle who took 7 wickets in the match at a personal cost of 70 runs.

Harmer, who has now taken 43 wickets in his 9 matches in the competition this season at an average of 23.72, admits that the latest win and the county’s fourth of the summer in red-ball cricket owed everything to a magnificent all-round effort by the team.

“It took a massive effort from the group to play the cricket that we wanted to play, to bat first and look to bat big and then bowl them out twice,” he said.

“It was the only way we were going to win the game. It was a tremendous team performance and it was good to see the batting unit putting up the runs so that the bowlers could take care of the rest.

While Harmer worked his magic, Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle was also in scintillating form with his third 5-for of the campaign and taking his tally of Championship victims to 34 in only 6 matches this year.

However, the match with Surrey will mark the end of Siddle’s tenure with Essex this year and Harmer paid him this tribute, saying: “He has been a special addition this season and he showed his class again (against Hampshire). I don’t think the wicket deteriorated or played as we thought it would. It was quite dead, and it was hard work on the last day but with Sidds always coming back and getting vital breakthroughs, it made our job a helluva lot easier.”

Although he accepts that Surrey are probably too far ahead for Essex to have a chance of retaining their crown, Siddle believes that Essex has an opportunity to apply some pressure on their opponents.

“We’ve got two matches against them on this back half of the season and it’s a good chance for us to finish strong and make a point,” he stated.

“If they are going to be the eventual winners, it would be a nice way to finish our season by putting in some good contests against them and setting us up nicely going into next year.

“It’s always hard to defend a title but it’s very important for us to finish the year strongly and move on to next summer.

Anthony McGrath has included both Michael Pepper and Adam Wheater in the squad for the Surrey fixture after Wheater came off in the last match against Hampshire and sat out the final day.

Essex squad to face Surrey:

Ryan ten Doeschate (27) (Captain)
Ravi Bopara (25)
Nick Browne (10)
Varun Chopra (6)
Sam Cook (16)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Michael Pepper (19) (Wicket-keeper)
Jamie Porter (44)
Matt Quinn (94)
Peter Siddle (64)
Tom Westley (21)
Adam Wheater (31) (Wicket-keeper)

Tickets for the match are available in advance online, priced £13 Adults, £10 Young Adults and £5 Juniors. Supporters can purchase on the gates for the day of the game, with Adult tickets priced at £15. > Buy Tickets

A true servant to his country, Alastair Cook will bring an end to his International career with England after this week’s Test against India at the Kia Oval.

The Club have paid tribute to him as he gets set for the next chapter of his playing career on a regular basis with Essex.

Essex Cricket Chief Executive, Derek Bowden, said: Alastair has been a great servant to England Cricket and I’m sure it was a tough decision to make after being a prominent mainstay in the team for such a long time. In an international career, which has seen Alastair reach the pinnacle of his sport and breaking all records, his name will be regarded as one the cricketing greats.

Alastair still believes he still has a lot more to give and we are looking forward to seeing Alastair continue his career and enjoy more success at Essex, which I’m sure is a sentiment shared by all Essex Members and supporters.

Club Chairman, John Faragher added: “Alastair will always be remembered as one of England’s greatest cricketers. He holds the records for the highest number of Test runs and is England’s most capped player. In addition, he was an extremely successful England Captain, leading the team to two Ashes series wins and a first Test series win in India for over 28 years. He can feel proud of his International achievements.

“We look forward to Alastair joining up again with Essex on a permanent basis. He still has much to offer Essex Cricket both on and off the field and it’s exciting times for Club.”

Former teammate and Chairman of the Cricket Advisory Group, Ronnie Irani added: “Alastair has had a fantastic career in his time with England and everyone associated with Essex have watched and followed him throughout. He has immense talent and incredible attitude to succeed and do well as an elite performer. I have nothing but admiration for the way he has gone about his game and being a good human being.

“It must have been a tough call but naturally if it’s the right time for him then we respect his decision and we are extremely looking forward to having him in the Essex team more often next year.”

Head Coach, Anthony McGrath was full of positive words and is confident he will receive a fitting send off from the England crowd:

“He’s a really down to earth guy and he works as hard as any other professional sportsman I’ve seen, so the success he’s achieved over the years is no real surprise.

“There’re too many outstanding moments to pick out just one. To be at the top of the order and open the batting for England for a number of years is a phenomenal effort in itself. With the career he’s had and the records he holds, you really can’t pick out just one moment.

“He holds so many records and has played a huge amount of cricket for England, I’ve seen him score double hundreds in the searing heat, bat for 10 hours and come off not breaking into sweat, and that’s Chef down to a tee really.

“He’s written his own script and hopefully he really enjoys The Oval this week and I’m sure the England fans will give him the send-off he deserves.”

Ryan ten Doeschate has shared a dressing room with Cook for many seasons at Essex and praised him as a player and man:

“His numbers speak for themselves and his batting in test cricket is pretty special. He’s going to go down as one of England best ever players.

“As a person he’s very generous and is always willing to give you his time and opinions. He’s a very funny guy and he cares a lot about his teammates.

“I was quite surprised when the news came through about his retirement, but if you look at the bigger picture, with England winning the series, he’s probably thinking when’s the right time for him and England to both move on, and in that aspect, I think he’s got it spot on.

“There’s not one innings of his that stands out, but what does stand out is his consistency. In every Series, he’s always delivered that one innings that’s won England the Test. I’ll always look at him as a really gutsy cricketer who’s always managed to find an innings at the right time.

“I’m delighted that he’s going to be back at Essex helping us in the County Championship next season. As well as his runs, he’s got so much cricket experience and brings a great personality to our group. His desire to be part of the team is really special for us and I could be happier that he’s going to back with us.”

Cook is not a user of social media but there have also been an outpouring of messages from present and former teammates to celebrate his career to date:

Alastair Cook has announced his retirement from international cricket after this week’s final Test against India at the Kia Oval. A monumental career in international cricket will be coming to an end but Alastair is set to continue with Essex and is excited for joining up with the Essex team on a more regular basis in 2019.

“After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India.

“Although it is a sad day, I can do so with a big smile on my face knowing I have given everything and there is nothing left in the tank. I have achieved more than I could have ever imagined and feel very privileged to have played for such a long time alongside some of the greats of the English game. The thought of not sharing the dressing room, again, with some of my teammates was the hardest part of my decision, but I know the timing is right.

“I have loved cricket my whole life from playing in the garden as a child and will never underestimate how special it is to pull on an England shirt. So I know it is the right time to give the next generation of young cricketers their turn to entertain us and feel the immense pride that comes with representing your country.

“There are too many people to thank individually, but a special mention must go to the Barmy Army and all supporters for their constant encouragement for the team and also a special mention to Graham Gooch. As a seven year-old I queued for his autograph outside Essex County Cricket Club and years later was so fortunate to have him mentoring me. Graham was my sounding board, especially in the early years of my career, spending hour after hour throwing balls at me with his dog stick. He made me realise you always need to keep improving whatever you are trying to achieve.

“My family and I have had 12 wonderful years fulfilling my dreams and this could not have been done without them. So I wish to thank my parents and brothers, my wife, Alice, and her family for their quiet, unwavering support behind the scenes. As cricketers, who travel frequently, we often don’t realise just how important our families are to our success.

“I would also like to thank Essex County Cricket Club for their help and support ever since I was 12, and I can’t wait to get fully involved with them in the 2019 season.

“I wish the England team every success in the future, and I will be watching with great excitement.”

In a match which saw a number of players leave and enter the field of play, Anthony McGrath updates supporters with news on injuries from the physio’s room.

The wicket-keeper role changed twice after Adam Wheater suffered a shoulder injury, with Academy player, Will Buttleman and youngster Michael Pepper getting their chance behind the stumps.

With the next match coming up quick against Surrey, McGrath is confident on that both Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara, who took impact injuries, with be fine, but waiting on Adam Wheater after rest over the weekend.

Anthony McGrath spoke after play against Hampshire to express his delight of a top performance by his side over three days against Hampshire. In recent weeks, the Head Coach has been pushing for those first innings runs and the team duly delivered, with Essex taking maximum points from the game.

Mags had nothing but praise for all of his players, especially the bowling attack which again came up with the goods on a wicket which was favouring the batters more and more as the game went on. It was Harmer and Siddle who starred as the wicket-takers but McGrath was quick to draw praise to Sam Cook and Jamie Porter who continued to apply the pressure on the HAmpshire bowlers, which was duly reflected in their match figures.

Peter Siddle showed his international pedigree by producing a Man of the Match performance on Day Four to help Essex to an innings and 52 run victory. He finished with match figures of 7-70, with his direct, pace deliveries sending the stumps cartwheeling more often than not.

Sids spoke after play and is loving being back with the side after a brief spell away. The Aussie has formed a formidable partnership with Simon Harmer, and the pair tore the Hampshire batting line-up apart, aided with the support of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook.

Essex return to action next week for the visit of the current leaders, Surrey to The Cloudfm County Ground.

Essex County Cricket Club are pleased to announce that New Zealand fast bowler, Matt Quinn, has signed a contract extension that will see him remain with the Club until the conclusion of the 2019 season.

The 25-year-old joined Essex from Auckland in 2015 and has taken 106 first-class wickets at an average of 27.77 during his career.

In July 2016, Quinn suffered a serious back injury whilst playing against Gloucestershire. After lengthy rehabilitation he has worked his way back into the first team, claiming 5 wickets in his comeback match against Nottinghamshire in June of this year.

Quinn is thrilled and said: “I’m really excited to sign an extension and I’m really thankful to the Club for putting trust in me after being out injured for so long.

“We have a good dressing room and we want to win silverware again, and I want to be a part of that.”

Head Coach Anthony McGrath is pleased to see Quinn commit his future and added: “Matt is a great bowler who hasn’t had the best of luck with injuries. We know what he’s capable of and we’re sure he’s going to make a difference in plenty of games next year.”

Essex CCC would like to address the condition of the outfield at The Cloudfm County Ground and as to why the first day of the Specsavers County Championship match against Hampshire was abandoned.

Over the summer, Chelmsford was subject to a drought with temperatures consistently surpassing 30 degrees and there was no rainfall at The Cloudfm County Ground for over 10 weeks.

Understandably, this had an uncontrollable effect on the outfield, drying it out and making it both hard and patchy.

Since the drought, 90% of the outfield has recovered, however, there are minor areas spread out all over the field, including the wicket-keeper area, the slips and areas on the boundary which are still damaged.

The grass and roots in the damaged parts of the outfield are completely dead, as a result it is retaining a lot of moisture, making it very slippery and potentially hazardous.

Yesterday, Umpires Rob Bailey and Mike Burns inspected the outfield several times and it was solely their decision that, despite attempting to let the relevant areas dry out, it was of all the players best interests and safety to abandon play for the day.