Anthony McGrath is urging his players to put the memory of the Yorkshire defeat behind them as they prepare for their next County Championship match which begins against Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road on Friday.
Essex lost their long unbeaten record in the Championship stretching back to September 2016 when the White Rose County recorded a stunning 91 run victory, despite being bowled out for 50 in their first innings.
“We’ve said all we need to about that match with Yorkshire, we have to draw a line under it and move on,” said the Essex Head Coach.
“We’ve had a couple of days to lick our wounds and we’ve worked hard in practice this week and now we are looking forward to our next challenge which comes with the match against Worcestershire.”
Essex have retained the same 13-man squad that were named for the Yorkshire match and that includes Peter Siddle whose brief stint with the county ends after this match, when he is replaced by New Zealand Test bowler Neil Wagner.
“We have to look at the Yorkshire game as one defeat in isolation,” McGrath continued. “We have come a long way as a Club and as a team and to go 19 matches before losing a game is something to be proud of.
“So, as far as I am concerned, there’s no panic and we dust ourselves down and go again.
“This is a tough division as we know. Looking at the results so far in Championship, it’s looking as if anyone is capable of beating each other, I felt that after last year, you wouldn’t see a team going unbeaten again for a whole season because it’s just the nature of the division.
“Even last year, we were in situations where we could have lost games but we managed to turn it around and get over the line. But I think all through this season, we’ll see teams turning each other over. It makes it exciting for the media and the public but not so much for us coaches and players.
“So now we are looking to start another unbeaten run. We’ve got one more 4-dayer to go before we start the One-Day Cup matches so it would be nice to round off this sequence of Championship matches with a positive result which would see us going into the 50-over format with plenty of confidence.”
England opener Alastair Cook is named in the party for the match at Worcester although it will be his last game for the county for a while ahead of England’s forthcoming Test series with Pakistan.
“It would be nice for ‘Cookie’ to get some runs at Worcester before he goes off to play for England,” McGrath stated. “It’s been great to have him around and we know he loves playing for Essex whenever he can and hopefully we’ll see him later in the summer.”
Worcestershire, who returned to the First Division this season, have found life tough in the top-flight and start the match at the foot of the table with 21 points having lost three of their first four matches.
Meanwhile Essex are in sixth place with 37 points from four matches, 30 points adrift of early pace-setters Nottinghamshire, who like Worcestershire, were promoted from Division Two at the end of last season.
Essex squad:
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
James Foster (7) Wicket-keeper
Aaron Beard (14)
Ravi Bopara (25)
Nick Browne (10)
Varun Chopra (6)
Alastair Cook (26)
Sam Cook (16)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Peter Siddle (64)
Tom Westley (21)
ECB has today (Thursday, 10th May) announced a wide-ranging Action Plan to work closely with Essex to transform the way cricket engages with South Asian communities and draw more players, fans and volunteers into every level of the game.
The Action Plan was launched with a series of events in three ‘core cities’ including a Chance to Shine Street Tape-ball competition at Sparkhill Park in Birmingham, a schools’ cricket competition at Bradford Park Avenue Cricket Ground in Yorkshire and a women’s and girls’ cricketing session at Leyton County Ground Sport Centre in East London.
Key elements of the plan are currently underway in Essex where Essex Cricket in the Community have been working closely with the ECB.
To develop the plan ECB conducted the largest ever UK study into cricket in South Asian communities, analysing tens of thousands of survey responses and hundreds of thousands of database records to understand how these diverse groups view cricket.
Using all of this data and insight, ECB worked with Sport England to identify ten ‘Core Cities’ where the majority (61%) of the South Asian population live: Birmingham, Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds, Leicester, London, Luton, Manchester, Sandwell and Slough. These ten areas will be the focus of the first two years of the project. Following this initial period, the plan will expand to engage to being to engage with a further 300 districts that make up the remaining 39% of the audience.
ECB also worked closely with key partners including the National Asian Cricket Councilthe British Asian Trust, cricket charity Chance to Shine and principal partner NatWest. These partners will work closely with the ECB to deliver the report’s recommendations.
The ECB Action Plan has set out 11 recommended actions which include:
URBAN CRICKET CENTRES – The creation of 20+ new Urban Cricket Centres and the development of 1,000 non-turf pitches and 100 turf pitches by 2024;
COMMUNITY TALENT CHAMPIONS – Piloting the implementation of ‘Community Talent Champions’ to scout talent previously missed by the scouting system;
PRIMARY SCHOOLS – The delivery of cricket sessions to 6,000 primary schools in deprived urban communities through Chance to Shine by 2019;
DIVERSITY IN COACHING – The adoption of the ‘Rooney Rule’ to support the progression of BAME coaches working in the professional game for all future ECB coaching roles; working with the ten ‘core cities’ to train and develop 200 female coaches;
BURSARIES – The awarding of bursaries to talented young South Asian players.
Announcing the long-term approach, Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer said:
“Cricket is a force for good in society and our job is to ensure that it makes a positive impact on as many people’s lives as possible.
“Whilst we’ve long acknowledged the passion for the game in South Asian communities in the UK and had the best intentions, we have never fully understood how to engage with South Asian communities. This report gives us a road map to change that.
“How can we ensure the level of South Asian participation in the recreational game, often outside of our own programmes, is reflected throughout cricket? We now have a much deeper understanding of how cricket can play a part in multi-faith, multi-lingual, multi-cultural communities, whether that’s creating a match-day experience which respects everyone’s customs, renovating derelict council buildings into cricket centres in urban areas or putting the game’s talent scouts into more diverse communities.
“Ultimately, we want more people picking up a bat and ball, the best talent getting opportunities to play at the highest level and attendances which match the UK’s passion for cricket. Whilst this Action Plan is about South Asian communities, in developing it we have learnt a great deal about how to reach other communities too. Cricket has a wonderful opportunity to grow and become a sport that is truly diverse and representative of its broad fan base.”
Matt Dixon has joined Durham County Cricket Club on a month’s loan and will be available for all formats of the game.
He is available for selection for Durham’s Specsavers County Championship match against Derbyshire on Friday and also for their Royal London One-Day Cup group games, starting on May 18.
Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, said: “This is a great opportunity for Matt to head out on loan to another Club and get some game time.
“Matt has found his First Team chances limited due to the number of pace bowlers we have at the Club, but he now has a chance to impress at Durham in both red and white ball cricket.
“We wish Matt luck and look forward to having him back with the squad after the loan period comes to an end in mid-June, for the demanding summer ahead.”
Essex v Yorkshire Specsavers County Championship | The Cloudfm County Ground
Friday 4 – Monday 7 May, 11am starts
Essex team | Nick Browne (10), Alastair Cook (26), Tom Westley (21), Dan Lawrence (28), Ravi Bopara (25), Ryan ten Doeschate* (27), James Foster + (7), Simon Harmer (11), Peter Siddle (64), Jamie Porter (44), Sam Cook (11).
Yorkshire team | Adam Lyth (9), Harry Brook , Cheteshwar Pujara (27), Joe Root (66), Gary Ballance* (19), Jonny Bairstow + (21), Jack Leaning (34), Tim Bresnan (16), Steven Patterson (17), Jack Brooks (70), Ben Coad (10).
Umpires | Richard Kettleborough & Steve O’Shaughnessy
Toss | Yorkshire, who elected to bat
Day Three | Close of Play Report
Champions Essex suffered their first defeat in 19 matches after Yorkshire pulled off an amazing 91 runs victory in their clash at The Cloudfm County Ground, the match lasting less than seven sessions.
When the final day’s play commenced, Essex were 97 for 4, still requiring another 141 for victory but they were bowled out for 146.
Dan Lawrence and Ryan ten Doeschate did inspire hope as they carried the overnight score to 114 but then the innings totally fell apart as four wickets fell on that total in the space of 23 balls.
Paceman Ben Coad put the home side into free fall by removing ten Doeschate and James Foster in the same over, the former being nailed in front of his stumps leg before wicket while Foster was caught behind three balls later.
Simon Harmer went the same way as ten Doeschate again to Coad before Steven Patterson, who destroyed the Essex top-order yesterday, claimed his fifth wicket of the innings by bowling Lawrence for 32 to end the batsman’s two and a quarter hour stay.
The disintegration continued as Jamie Porter became the fifth lbw victim of the innings when the total had moved onto 126.
Peter Siddle did bring some light relief as he struck 4 boundaries in an entertaining 24 but then Tim Bresnan trapped him lbw to bring the curtain down on a dramatic game.
While it was an incredible triumph by Yorkshire after they had been rolled over for just 50 before lunch on the opening day, it has to be admitted that their opponents contributed to their own downfall with some ill-judged batting.
Alastair Cook, Tom Westley, Nick Browne and Ravi Bopara contributed a combined tally of 52 runs between them in eight innings.
The only real backbone with the bat came from Lawrence, with efforts of 48 and 32 and to a lesser extent from ten Doeschate (18 and 34) and the pair shared in a fifth wicket stand of 59 in the second innings. It was the home side’s highest stand in the match.
Patterson returned career-best figures of 6 for 40 as Essex capitulated a second time while Coad returned 3 for 36.
Essex, whose last defeat Championship defeat was in the Second Division at the hands of Glamorgan in September 2016, had to settle for just 3 points whilst a jubilant Yorkshire side returned north with 19 points.
Day Two | Match Highlights
Day Two Reaction | Ryan ten Doeschate
Day Two | Close of Play Report
Essex were left facing a testing task to fashion victory as Yorkshire continued their amazing recovery in the Specsavers County Championship Division One clash at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Faced with what seemed a modest 238 runs target, they reached 97 for 4 by the close after the top-order was demolished by paceman Steven Patterson.
Essex were seemingly about to take control as Alastair Cook and Nick Browne took the total to 34.
But they were plunged into trouble when Patterson removed them both, along with Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara in a five over spell, costing ten runs.
Before Patterson made his telling impact, however, the openers had enjoyed moments of brief fortune.
Browne survived a caught and bowled chance to Jack Brooks whilst still seeking to get off the mark while Cook as reprieved by Jack Leaning as he failed to accept a low slip catch at third slip offered against Ben Coad.
Patterson was to ensure that those two lapses did not prove costly.
Cook with the help of a couple of fine cover driven boundaries had moved to 26 when he was bowled whilst Westley was trapped lbw in the same over – his third successive duck.
Twenty-one runs and six overs later, Browne and Bopara departed in the space of three deliveries.
Browne who had never really looked totally comfortable was bowled for 10 while Bopara was caught by Harry Brook diving at backward point although he waited for the umpires to confirm the catch.
That left Essex in all sorts of trouble at 56 for 4 before Dan Lawrence and Ryan ten Doeschate revived their fortunes with an unbroken partnership worth 42 runs.
Lawrence will resume on 22 and his skipper on 27 with the county needing a further 141 runs to claim a victory in what has proved an absorbing match.
From 161 for 2 overnight, Yorkshire carried their second innings total to 329 with 19 year-old Harry Brook leading the way.
Resuming on 57 at the start of the day’s play, he went on to record his maiden first-class century and had reached 124 from 187 balls before he left the scene of battle.
His wonderful effort included 13 fours and a six and was eventually brought to an end when he drove off-spinner Simon Harmer to long-on.
Brook shared in two substantial partnerships – 94 with Cheteshwar Pujara (41) for the third wicket and 86 with Joe Root (35) for the fourth.
Pujara was bowled by Peter Siddle and that was to prove the only success for the title-holders Essex’s only success in the morning session.
The first wicket of the afternoon period came when Bopara disarranged the stumps of Root to start a fightback that saw four wickets picked off while 14 runs were added.
Siddle was to emerge as the county’s most successful bowler with 4 for 65 and a match haul of 8 for 72, while Jamie Porter played a key part in wrapping up the innings with 3 for 89.
Day One | Match Highlights
Day One | Close of Play Report
Essex found themselves on the end of a fine Yorkshire fightback during an absorbing first day of the County Championship match at The Cloudfm County Ground.
The visitors, who won the toss, were left licking their wounds after being bowled out for 50, their lowest total since 1973.
But they hit back by dismissing Essex for 142 and although that represented a healthy lead, they cleared the arrears of 92 for the loss of only one wicket before ending the day on 161 for 2.
After winning the toss, Yorkshire were left shell-shocked as they were bowled out before lunch in only 18.4 overs.
The initial damage was caused by 20 year-old Sam Cook who maintained a superb line and length on a pitch which gave him far less help than the scorecard indicated.
He picked up four wickets for eight runs in only 22 deliveries and amongst his victims was England skipper Joe Root, dismissed first ball as Alastair Cook accepted a chance at first slip.
The later carnage was enacted by Peter Siddle who returned 4 for 7 from his 3.4 overs, his successes including Gary Ballance , the only Yorkshire batsman to record double figures with 22.
In between, the Australian’s deeds, Cook picked up his fifth wicket, that of Tim Bresnan to end with 5 for 28. He also picked up a five wicket haul against Yorkshire at Chelmsford in the final match of last season.
Essex were soon left struggling when they replied, losing their first three wickets for 12, including that of Alastair Cook for a duck.
He was caught behind by Jonny Bairstow off Jack Brooks for a duck and the same bowler then removed Tom Westley, also for a duck.
Dan Lawrence though proved resilient helping himself to seven boundaries in his 48 to help Essex to pass Yorkshire’s total without further loss.
He eventually departed leg before to Bresnan and it was left to Simon Harmer to carry Essex to their final total before he was out for 36, putting up a simple catch to mid-on that provided Ben Coad with his third success.
His wickets came at a cost of 27, Bresnan and Brooks also claimed three wickets apiece at a cost of 26 and 63 respectively.
Bairstow was pushed up the order to open the innings when Yorkshire went in again and he responded with a typical aggressive 50 from 44 balls that included six fours in addition to a straight driven six at the expense of Cook.
Those runs came in an opening stand of 77 with Adam Lyth before he was bowled by Siddle.
Lyth, on 27, followed just after the arrears were cleared, as Harmer pulled off a juggling catch at second slip completing the catch at the third attempt.
Harry Brook and Cheteshwar Pujara, however, scored freely and looked untroubled as they carried the visitors to a close of play lead of 69 runs.
By then, Brook had completed a maiden first-class half-century with the help of seven fours and a six from 46 balls.
He will resume in the morning on 57 with Pujara 22 not out.
Day One | Tea Report
After 12 wickets fell in the morning, the clatter of wickets continued in the post-lunch session as 8 more fell to leave both sides having completed their first innings by tea.
Nick Browne was bowled by Ben Coad with only two runs added to the lunch score to leave Essex in serious trouble at 12 for 3.
But chiefly through the efforts of Dan Lawrence and the dogged determination of Ravi Bopara (celebrating his 33rd birthday), a recovery of sorts enabled the county to move past 50 and gain a first innings lead.
It was not long after though that wickets began to fall in rapid succession once more starting with Bopara edging Steven Patterson to Cheteshwar Pujara at first slip with the total on 58.
Bopara’s share of a 46 run partnership was nine and then five overs later, Lawrence followed him back to the pavilion. The 20 year-old top-scored with 48 unleashing some punishing drives in his tally of seven boundaries.
It was Tim Bresnan who removed him lbw with the score on 72, and the same bowler claimed two more scalps before the total moved into three figures.
James Foster was bowled and Ryan ten Doeschate fell leg before wicket for 18, only the third batsman to have reached double figures by that stage of the game.
Simon Harmer and Peter Siddle struck a few aggressive blows while adding, in the context of the game, a valuable 27 runs to carry the total to 120.
Then two wickets fell in successive overs. Siddle drove Brooks to Gary Ballance at mid-off for 145 before Jamie Porter became the sixth lbw victim of the match to give Coad his second wicket.
With Harmer leading the way, 21 runs were added for the final wicket with Sam Cook.
It carried Essex to an all out total of 142 and a lead of 92 with the final wicket falling when Harmer put up a simple catch to Bresnan at mid-on after making 36 that contained 4 boundaries.
Coad, Brooks and Bresnan each claimed three wickets at a cost of 27, 63 and 26 respectively.
Day One | Lunch Report
Twenty-year old Sam Cook and Australian Peter Siddle produced devastating spells of pace bowling as Essex bowled out Yorkshire for only 50 on the opening day of the Division One County Championship match at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Only 18.4 overs were required as the visitors, who had won the toss, were left completely shell-shocked by the champions slumping to their lowest total since 1973.
Cook did the early damage on his way to 5 for 28 from nine overs. He bowled unchanged in gathering his second five wicket haul against the Tykes returning 5 for 20 when the counties met at Chelmsford last season.
Siddle mopped up the last pockets of resistance with 4 for 7 in only 3.4 overs as the innings was brought to a close 24 minutes before Lunch.
That left enough time for Yorkshire to hit back and remove Alastair Cook and Tom Westley for ducks as the home side arrived at the break on 10 for 2. Nick Browne has 6 and Dan Lawrence is 4 not out.
Gary Ballance and Jack Leaning managed to take the total onto 41 before the arrival of Siddle brought about the sixth wicket to fall in an astonishing session and a further disintegration of the innings.
He trapped Leaning lbw, had Steven Patterson caught behind and Jack Brooks and Ballance caught at third slip by Browne.
In between Tim Bresnan fell lbw to provide Cook with his fifth success.
But any feeling of smugness for the home side evaporated with the loss of their first two wickets with only 2 runs on the board.
Brooks saw to that as Alastair Cook was snapped up behind by Bairstow and Tom Westley had his middle stump uprooted by the same bowler.
But Browne and Lawrence survived the final few minutes of a sensational morning that saw 12 wickets go down for 60 runs.
It was certainly a day to remember for youngster, Sam Cook who took a five-wicket haul on a crazy opening day against Yorkshire at The Cloudfm County Ground.
With a host of prized wickets, which included Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root off his first ball, Cook will be happy with achievements so far in the match.
Essex head into Day Two trailing Yorkshire by 69 runs in a match which is tightly poised and we’re set for another great day of cricket on Saturday.
Watch Essex in action on Day Two with tickets available on sale via the Hayes Close End and River Gate entrance points from 10am, priced £15 Adults, £10 Students/Young Adults and £5 Juniors.
You can also become a Member for the 2018 season with a host of benefits, including entry to all Specsavers County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup matches. Packages are available online now or in person at the Membership & Ticketing Office.
Ravi Bopara resisted the opportunity of the early birthday present of a first-class century when he could have selfishly opted for an early-evening thrash at the Ageas Bowl.
Bopara, who reaches the grand old age of 33 on Friday, could have batted on for the remaining 13 balls of the match at Hampshire and raised his bat for the 28th time in red-ball cricket. But he refused the chance of cheap runs and opted to honour the declaration when Essex reached 300 and secured their third batting point from the weather-wrecked draw.
With 16 runs required to reach three-figures, captain Ryan ten Doeschate left it up to Bopara whether he wanted to carry on in the middle. The Essex all-rounder said: “When I looked up at the dressing room when we reached 300, Tendo indicated, ‘Do you want to go for your hundred?’
“I didn’t want to score a hundred in that situation where the target had been achieved before the overs were finished. I didn’t want to go, ‘You know what, I’ll slog the last two overs and hopefully get to a hundred’. It’s not the way I want to do it. Every hundred you score in first-class cricket is a big deal.
“I would have backed myself to get the extra 16 runs with the 12 balls remaining. But those runs wouldn’t have felt like a graft. In a proper game, those last 16 runs would be hard work. I just wanted to help the team get to 300, that was the most important thing. That was the focus and what the whole of that innings was about – not me getting a hundred – and we achieved that.”
It must have been tempting. Bopara has scored just one red-ball ton in nearly four years: the 192 compiled against Warwickshire in last year’s surge to the Specsavers County Championship title. “I wasn’t fazed whether I got a hundred or not. I know I’m going to score hundreds. I know they’re coming; they’re round the corner. I’ll get a few this year. And not only this year, but in the years to come for Essex.”
Essex play Yorkshire at The Cloudfm County Ground on Friday with the memory of the four-day wash-out at Headingley fresh in the mind. “Headingley was a loss,” Bopara insisted. “Five points was not good for us, especially being defending champions. So we’ve got a bit of work to do. We’re sitting fourth in the table having played a game extra than some of the other teams.
“But it’s very early days. We have just one point less than we had after three games last year. We came good from around this time last year. I feel it starting to happen again. The batters are in a good place, Jamie’s still bowling really well, Harmer’s still bowling really well, and we’re back here this week at Chelmsford, which is a little fortress for us at the moment.”
Not only is it Bopara’s birthday on Day One of the match but he will also reach the milestone of 200 first-class career appearances. “That’s a lovely achievement,” he said. “I thought I’d have played more than 200, but there was a period where I was playing for England and missed a few games.”
Bopara is playing throughout the year. During the winter he helped Rangpur Riders to the Bangladesh Premier League title and Karachi Kings to the last four in the Pakistan Super League. In between he played in the Hong Kong T20 as well as playing in the final of the Sharjah T10 tournament for Punjabi Legends. Bopara is a fan of the shortest short-format game.
“White-ball cricket is moving fast and if you don’t keep up with it you’ll be left behind. You can’t just sit it out and think you can come back and catch up. You need to keep playing.
“Nothing rivals football, but T10 puts it on a level where it’s just 90 minutes’ play. Speaking as a cricketer I think it’s a perfect length for a game. It’s fast, it’s furious, there’s lots and lots of boundaries, every over is a death over. As a bowler you know you could easily go for six sixes because you’ve got proper batsmen against you. People can go for 25 an over and they’re shrugging their shoulders like it’s normal. It’s great for the whole family.”
England opener Alastair Cook is set to make his first home appearance of the summer when Essex meet Yorkshire in the Specsavers County Championship at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Former England Test captain Cook is named in a 13-man squad against opponents who are able to include fellow England stars Joe Root (who took over when Cook stood down as skipper) and Jonny Bairstow.
Cook played for the County in their drawn match with Hampshire earlier this week and has been made available by the ECB to play against Yorkshire and in the next match with Worcestershire ahead of the forthcoming Test series with Pakistan.
Commenting on the opener’s innings of 84 at The Ageas Bowl in his first innings of the summer, Essex Head Coach Anthony McGrath said: “Alastair continued where he left off for us last year and looked as if he’d never been away. Obviously we love having him around and he’s a terrific presence both on and off the field.”
Predictions from the weathermen promises four days of sunshine for Chelmsford and the forecast was warmly received by McGrath.
“Let’s hope they are right, we could certainly do with some decent weather,” he said. “We’ve had to sit around for quite a few days this season and that has prevented the players from getting any rhythm to their game.”
The equivalent of more than two days were lost to a combination of rain and bad light during the county’s match with Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl earlier this week although Essex did manage to earn 10 points from the drawn game, a return that pleased McGrath.
“The weather forecast was for a total washout for the final day of the Hampshire game but we got a full day’s play in so it was good that our bowlers and batsmen were able to spend time in the middle,” he acknowledged.
“But it was bitterly cold, some of our players wore beanie hats, Peter Siddle bowled in his, and I think ‘Cookie’ actually had seven layers on at one stage. Despite the weather, there were a good few positives to take from the game.
“Peter Siddle put in a brilliant effort with the ball, he passed the bat so many times and Sam Cook benefitted from his first match of the season. He’s been unlucky with injuries pre-season and so it was good for him to shake off any rustiness and he’ll be better for that.
“Alastair and Ravi Bopara played superbly and it was nice to see Ravi get a decent score; he’s looked impressive pre-season but that innings against Hampshire was good for him and his confidence.
“Once again, James Foster made a valuable contribution, at one stage I thought we might not get 250 but he came in and helped us to get to 300 and that third batting point.
“So overall, apart from the weather, I’m satisfied with the way things panned.”
Yorkshire arrive at Chelmsford having lost to Somerset by 118 runs earlier this week but McGrath is expecting a strong reaction from his former County.
“They will be desperate to put things right and the inclusion of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow will lift their dressing room for sure. We are expecting a tough battle but we are ready for the challenge.”
Essex, who had already won the Championship title when they met Yorkshire at Chelmsford in the final match of last season, celebrated their achievement in style completing victory inside three days.
The two teams were scheduled to meet in the opening Championship fixture this year but the weather dictated that not a ball would be bowled.
Essex start the match in fourth place with 34 points from their three matches, 5 ahead of Yorkshire and 11 behind early pace-setters Nottinghamshire.
Essex squad:
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
James Foster (7) Wicket-keeper
Aaron Beard (14)
Ravi Bopara (25)
Nick Browne (10)
Varun Chopra (6)
Alastair Cook (26)
Sam Cook (16)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Peter Siddle (64)
Tom Westley (21)
With the Specsavers County Champions match against Yorkshire due to start tomorrow morning, get all your matchday information below to make your day as enjoyable as possible!
Dates of match and hours of play
The Championship match against the White Rose will begin on Friday 4 May, and is scheduled to finish on Monday 7 May, should play go for the full four days.
Play is due to commence at 11am every day, with gates opening at 10am.
Tickets
Tickets will be available to purchase on each day of the match. On the day these can now only be purchased at either at the Hayes Close End via the main driveway, or at the River Gate.
Adults can gain entry to Championship games for £13 if purchased in advance of the matchday by purchasing online, in person or by phone – 01245 254010. Alternatively, tickets can be bought from the Ticket Huts on the gates for £15 or just £10 after Lunch.
Student/Young Adult tickets can be purchased for £10, while Juniors can gain entry to The Cloudfm County Ground for £5 (£3 after Lunch).
Ticket holders have access to sit in Blocks 15-26 with their Unallocated ticket.
Memberships
Memberships can be renewed or purchased at the Membership & Ticketing Office on any day of the Yorkshire game, but we are encouraging people to purchase them in advance as there will be high demand on matchdays.
Join the County Champions for a season of high-quality cricket, with Memberships available from £63 for Students/Young Adults, £142 for Senior Citizens, and £179 for Adults.
If you wish to purchase a Membership in advance of Friday, please call the Membership & Ticketing Office on 01245 254010 or visit here.
Supporters who have not renewed by the matchday will need to attend the Membership & Ticketing Office. There will be no access without a ticket or valid Membership card at the River Gate. This also applies to Premier Members who have not yet renewed and they will not be admitted to the Scrutton Bland Premier Suite until a Membership fee is paid.
Members can sit in the Members areas of the ground which are located in Blocks 1-14 and 27-31, which includes the Doug Insole Pavilion and benches. Please note that half of the Foundation Stand will be open for this fixture.
Access System
A new Access Control system has been introduced for the 2018 season to help improve matchday experience for all spectators.
We are pleased to announce a new gate layout will be in place for the Yorkshire County Championship game. Using data from the first home game of the season alongside Member and ticket holder feedback the new layout will see entry points relocated on to the driveway opposite the Killick Gate meaning there will be no need to scan in/out when moving around the ground.
The River Gate will see an additional scanning point for entry and an additional two for exit during the busy lunch break. An additional entry point for those using the onsite Car Park (including blue badge holders and Premier Members) will be situated next to the Essex Cricket Store.
The Club have worked hard to overcome numerous obstacles to make this change possible and we hope that it helps to improve the spectator experience at the ground.
Scorecards
Scorecards will once again be available to purchase on all four days of the Yorkshire game. These will be priced at £1 each for the 2018 season, and will give people the opportunity to keep track of all the matches key moments.
Food and Drink
There have been a number of changes to the Food and Drink selection at The Cloudfm County Ground, with a range of new options introduced to refresh and renew our catering offering.
Hot food will still be served in the Doug Insole Pavilion, with Bangers and Mash available on Friday, a Roast Dinner available on Saturday and Sunday, and an all-day breakfast on offer on Monday.
There is also a new Members’ Restaurant offering for our Yorkshire clash with the opportunity to enjoy the relaxed Woodland Group Premier Marquee matchday experience.
Take advantage of Lunch and Pint (or any drink of your choice) for just £10 on each of the first three days available on a first come first served basis. A choice of meals will be available each day, such as Cumberland Sausage & Mash, Jacket Potato with your choice of filling and sandwiches being just a few dishes on offer.
Spinners Bar will now just be serving drinks and snacks for all matches across the course of the season, while Anne’s Pantry will be available near Spinners Bar and in County Corner. Anne’s Pantry will be offering a selection of burgers, an array of street food, cakes, and hot and cold drinks. Feedback on the offering during the 2017 was excellent, and will now be available across the ground for all Essex fixtures.
There are also vegan and vegetarian options available for all matchdays, as well as children portions.
An extra bar has also been installed for ease, which will be situated in the County Corner section of The Cloudfm County Ground.
Essex Cricket Store
An array of items are available for purchase in the Essex Cricket Store, with a Champions range introduced for supporters after last year’s success.
Three new kits were also released for the 2018 season, with new County Championship, Vitality Blast and One-Day Cup shirts available to purchase.
The 2018 Yearbook is also now available, priced at £3 for Members and £13 for non-Members, and reflects on a truly memorable 2017 campaign.
There also copies of the highly acclaimed ’25 Years On’ Commemorative Book available still, providing a pictorial journey for fans to reflect on a first County Championship title for a quarter of a century.
The Essex Cricket Store will be open on all four days of the Yorkshire match, and make sure you get all the latest merchandise before it goes!
Parking
Parking is extremely limited at The Cloudfm County Ground on matchdays, with Members encouraged to park at our Meteor Way Car Park for just £1.
There are also a number of Public Car Parks in the vicinity of the ground, with High Chelmer multi-storey Car Park just a 5-minute walk to the Ground. Moulsham Street (George Street) Car Park can be accessed via New London Road and again, is a 5 minute walk via New Writtle Street. The postcode for this car park is CM2 0LG.
Wheelchair accessible car park spaces are available at The Cloudfm County Ground on a first come, first served basis.
Day Four saw the two of the most experienced Essex players in the side guide the team to valuable bonus points against Hampshire, in a game which was destined to continue the team’s frustrating time on the road so far this season.
Both Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara hit 84 with the bat, with the latter finishing the day alongside Simon Harmer, just 16 short of his century.
Ravi spoke to Essex Cricket TV after play to talk about his innings and also the criticism his teammate, Cook, has had to endure in recent weeks.
Essex now return to Chelmsford on Friday for the visit of Yorkshire. There wasn’t any play when the two side were scheduled to meet each other in the season opener, and Anthony McGrath’s men will be looking to record back-to-back home victories in the Specsavers County Championship.
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