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Ryan ten Doeschate got his tour up and running on Friday, hitting 50 in the second warm-up match against Barbados. However, the skipper has made it clear that these games are all about getting time with the bat and ball ahead of next week’s match against MCC and then the new campaign next month.

He spoke after play to Essex Cricket TV to discuss the progress made in the 5 days out in Barbados so far, and especially about two new faces in the party, Feroze Khushi and Jack Plom, who have featured in both matches this week.

The end of the first week in Barbados is approaching for Anthony McGrath’s men and Friday offered another opportunity for a run out on another gorgeous day on the island.

The match saw Captain Ryan ten Doeschate and Ashar Zaidi feature for the first time with Tom Westley and Sam Cook sitting this match out as play reverted back to a standard 11-man team (Wednesday’s match included a total of 14 players). Matt Coles and Adam Wheater also got a run out by their inclusion in the opposition side, with the latter taking over keeping duties.

A fairly young bowling unit took to the field for Essex with Jack Plom featuring for the second successive match.However, it was Matt Dixon who striked first in the 2nd over of the game as Kofie Hurdle found Chopra in the slips.

Plom did follow up with a wicket for himself – match figures of 10-0-2-56 – by getting his teammate, Adam Wheater out in the 7th over.

Ryan ten Doeschate introduced his spin options from the 10th over and it was Aron Nijjar who bowled Craig St. Hill’s off stump for 27 with 15.1 overs gone. The left-arm spinner striked again 10 overs later as Matt Coles was trapped lbw, leaving Nijjar with figures of 10-1-38-2 for the match.

After a late flurry of runs from the Barbados batsmen, including an impressive 46 off 40 balls by number 10 batsman, Dominic Drakes, the hosts ended 255-8 after their 50 overs.

With the target now set, Essex set about in chasing the Barbados total.

After Nick Browne fell early on for 8, Tendo joined Varun Chopra in the middle, who soon followed Browne back to the Pavilion after finding the man at cover for 24.

It was two of the teams most experienced players in Tendo and James Foster who moved the innings along into the 28th over by putting on the highest partnership of the match with 60.

It was the skipper who reached the only milestone in the match with an 80-ball half century but was out a ball later bringing young Feroze Khushi out to bat. The 18 year old impressed once again with a collection of hooks and drives to reach 29 off 56 balls in a period of the match which both him and James Foster (38) to retire out, giving other batsmen some game time.

Ashar Zaidi brought the innings and match to a close with a typical ‘Zaidi-esque’ innings by frequently finding the square leg and long on boundary to hit 38 off 27 balls. Essex came up 29 runs short but the match was all about practice ahead of next week’s MCC Day/Night fixture at the Kensington Oval, which begins on Tuesday (6:30pm GMT).

 

The Essex Cricket Store and Membership and Ticketing Office will be operating reduced opening hours over the Easter Period.

During this time Memberships, tickets and the full range of Essex cricket merchandise is available online at https://http://essexcricket.org.uk/.

Essex Cricket will be open for business as usual from Tuesday 3 April.

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Friday 30 March (Good Friday) | CLOSED
Saturday 31 March |  9:00 – 12:30
Sunday 1 April (Easter Sunday) | CLOSED
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Essex Cricket Store

Friday 30 March (Good Friday) | CLOSED
Saturday 31 March | 9:00 – 14:00
Sunday 1 April (Easter Sunday) | CLOSED
Monday 2 April (Bank Holiday Monday) | CLOSED

Four months into his role as Essex Head Coach and Anthony McGrath is straining at the leash. He has yet to oversee a ball bowled in anger and the confines of his office on the balcony of the Chelmsford pavilion feel like a prison cell.

So the present pre-season tour to Barbados – culminating in the four-day County Champion match against MCC, starting on Tuesday – is like the days before release. It is also a chance for McGrath to get his voice heard by a squad reconvening after a lengthy winter break.

“Barbados is very important because we’re into match-play,” he says. “It’s three weeks till the season starts, so it becomes that little bit more real.

“The problem we have in this country is that the off-season is so long. People can get good at being indoors and it becomes a safety net. We’re lucky that we’ve sent quite a lot of guys away, so they’ve been playing a lot of games.

“But I think it is important to be together as a group and get a couple of my ideas over. You can do a bit more fielding, more preparation, tactics, but the most important thing is the guys getting outside into match practice because when we come back we’re pretty quickly into Cambridge and Yorkshire. It’s really starting to be the business-end of pre-season.”

McGrath was promoted when Chris Silverwood moved on to England duties. The handover has been almost seamless and there will be no discernible change in philosophy; the two men worked together for the last two seasons in which Essex finished top of Division Two and then top of Division One.

“We set out genuinely to win every competition, not to prioritise at all,” he says. “Ten wins out of 14 last year [in the Championship] … unless you’re aggressive and play with that intent you can’t win that amount of games.

“So with the ball we bowl really attacking lengths, and with the bat we look to score. When you play that way you’re going to fall on your face sometimes; as yet we haven’t, but I’m sure we will, without a doubt. But the lads are confident with that, and have been for the last two years, so it would be silly to change.

“There is a different kind of pressure this season; I guess it’s an expectation from the outside for us to repeat last year. But from within the dressing room it’s very similar. We’ve got to get at least to the mark of last year because other teams will improve.”

McGrath, 42, knows the two sides to the season after the season before: in 2001 he was a member of the champion Yorkshire team who were relegated the following year; conversely, three years ago, he was coaching at Yorkshire when they won back-to-back titles. He is equally aware of what happened to Middlesex in 2017: from champions to Division Two in 12 months.

“I think to win this league you do so many good things, it’s silly to ignore them. So what we’ve got to do is focus on what we did well and then, obviously, improve on what we didn’t do well. If we do that I’m confident we can become competitive in each form.”

So what is the difference in stepping up from assistant coach to head honcho? “You’re never off the phone,” McGrath laughs, continuing to list: “Emails, meetings, a lot more planning, agents, don’t see the missus as much, that kind of stuff. But I knew what the extra responsibilities were; they go with the territory.

“I like to be hands-on, and I like to be out there in the nets. That was my main reason for getting into coaching. There will be some off-the-field stuff I’ll have to do, but once the cricket starts it takes care of itself. I’ve enjoyed it since I’ve taken over, so I’ve no complaints.”

Essex got the pre-season tour up and running on Wednesday with the first of three matches being played in Barbados over the next two weeks. Bad light brought a swift end to proceedings and although Barbados looked the most likely to take the spoils, it was some much needed time on the field for the squad in hot and humid conditions.

The match started in a peculiar fashion as three overs in, Varun Chopra was struck on the helmet. After discussion between the umpires and the two captains, it was agreed that the pitch was unfit for play. The game restarted 30 minutes later on a new pitch and the scores reset for a 45 over per side contest.

Chopra returned unfazed by the helmet strike and was joined Nick Browne, who would count himself lucky after being the only batsman to fall in the previous ‘match’.

It was Chopra to depart first this time round as Keon Harding found the edge of his bat and he was caught behind by wicket-keeper, Mario Rampersaud for 1.

Nick Browne followed suit 11 overs later as Rampersaud was called into action again, giving right-arm quick, Dario Seale his first wicket of the match.

This brought Adam Wheater to the crease to join Tom Westley, and the pair put on the best partnership of the innings (53) which included a number of fine drives from both batsmen. Westley, captaining the side for the day, brought up his half century from 70 balls and looked in fine touch. Two further boundaries from the Essex number 3 helped him to 61 before retiring out and thus giving Academy product, Feroze Khushi an opportunity to show his skills to the Coaching staff watching on from the boundary edge.

Both Wheater and Khushi would eventually go on to to retire themselves but only after a partnership of 28, which included the only maximum of the innings from Wheater (30) and an assured 23 from Khushi.

The only other wicket to fall was that of Callum Taylor, again edging behind to the keeper for 26 off 24 balls, with just an over remaining. This left Matt Coles (1) and James Foster to see the innings to a close and a knock of 24 off 29 balls from the latter saw Essex reach 207-6.

Barbados started their reply in a speedy fashion by racing to within 100 runs of the Essex total in just 16.3 overs. Former Frinton CC player, Shayne Moseley was the first wicket to fall as Sam Cook’s pace caused problems for the opener, and he subsequently edged through to Adam Wheater who shared keeping duties with James Foster.

Kyle Corbin was the pick of the home side’s batting, reaching the 50 milestone in 47 balls. His partnership with Rashidi Boucher (34) put on 72, before Aron Nijjar stepped in as the batsman found Feroze Khushi at mid-wicket.

18 year old Jack Plom impressed with figures of 1-13 off 5 overs and it was him who took the next wicket pinning Rampersaud for 19.

Callum Taylor earnt himself a big pat on the back from Head Coach Anthony McGrath, firstly dismissing Corbin (58) and then going on to take two further wickets in the match.

The game was brought to an end with Barbados requiring just 24 runs for victory but bad light saw Captains, Tom Westley and Shakeem Clarke, shake hands and move on to the next meeting on Friday at Windward Cricket Club in another one-day warm-up game.

 

Essex Cricket’s Official Medical Partner, Springfield Hospital, assisted 2018 preparations by screening the players for any signs of sun damage or skin cancer last week.

Springfield Hospital work closely with the Club in order to ensure that the players receive the best possible medical care and screening, to spot any potential problems at an early stage and minimise risk.

With the players heading to Barbados on Sunday, and spending large periods of time in the sun during the summer, this is a pivotal part of keeping the players healthy.

Springfield Hospital Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Jack Mann, said: “It was an honour checking the Essex Cricket squad for any signs of sun damage or skin cancer.

“They are very aware of the dangers, and are very vigilant with their sunscreen use and other protective measures. However, they inevitably still get a lot of sun exposure, both home and abroad, so they are at risk of melanoma and other skin cancers. Regular checks like these should spot problems early and raise awareness.”

Essex Cricket Head of Athlete Development, Chris Clarke-Irons, added: “We have worked closely with Springfield Hospital for a number of years, and screenings such as these are vital in ensuring the squads health and fitness is kept at an optimum level.

“The Springfield Hospital staff involved in the screening were of the highest quality, and the squad were extremely complimentary of the professionalism provided throughout.”

As preparations continue in Barbados ahead of the upcoming title defence, there is now just ONE month to go until the opening home encounter against Lancashire.

The Red Rose travel to Chelmsford on Friday 20 April, in a repeat of the opening home Championship fixture of the 2017 season.

The clash between the two sides last year saw a host of big names head to The Cloudfm County Ground, with more stars expected this time around!

Ryan ten Doeschate, Peter Siddle, Tom Westley and Nick Browne are all expected to be in action for the County Champions, while Haseeb Hameed, Alex Davies, Graham Onions and Keaton Jennings are likely to travel with the visitors.

Dan Lawrence’s imperious 141 not out in 2017 helped Essex save the game and come away with a draw, which eventually contributed to an unbeaten season, and Anthony McGrath’s side will once again be looking to get the season off to a solid start in home comforts.

A big crowd will help the team do just that, and you can gain free entry to this match, and all other Championship home games buy purchasing an Essex Cricket Membership here!

A range of other benefits are included in a Membership, with entry to all One-Day Cup home group games, discounted Blast tickets and entry to other major sporting events.

Packages are on sale now and available in person, by phone (01245 254010) or online.

The 2018 pre-season Champions Tour of Barbados kicked off on Monday with the squad heading to the 3 Ws Oval for the first day of training. This ground, located just outside of Bridgetown, will be the training base for the first week in the Caribbean, which includes two warm up games against a Barbados Cricket Association Select XI (BCA).

A 19-man squad has travelled, with notable absentees in Simon Harmer (South Africa’s Sunfoil Series), Alastair Cook (England) and Ravi Bopara (Pakistan Super League) who all have commitments overseas before joining up with the squad in the UK.

Day One included some light training to climatise to the conditions, with a specific focus on fielding and catching drills. There was also a chance to get the bat and ball in hand once again, with Dan Lawrence also being involved after he was forced to cut short his England Lions tour only a couple of weeks ago due to a hand injury.

Ready for the new season? Essex return to The Cloudfm County Ground in a month and you can join them by becoming a Member in 2018! Packages are on sale now and available in person, by phone (01245 254010) or online.

Nick Gubbins fired the South to a record-breaking total at Bridgetown’s famous Kensington Oval which ensured they maintained their 100% record in the North-South Series.

The Middlesex opener hobbled back to the pavilion and was unable to field after suffering badly from cramp late in his innings of 116 from 99 balls.

But the South total of 347, beating the record 328 made at the ground by England against West Indies last March, proved more than enough for them to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series – watched by director of England cricket Andrew Strauss, and selectors Angus Fraser and Mick Newell, in addition to Paul Collingwood, Andy Flower and Mark Ramprakash who are involved in coaching roles.

Gubbins had received excellent support from Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond in an opening stand of 134 inside 19 overs after the North had chosen to field first, and Bermuda-born Sussex all-rounder Delray Rawlins provided the most spectacular batting in making 53 from 41 balls later in the innings – on only his second List A appearance.

Lancashire seamer Saqib Mahmood dragged the North back into the game with a stunning burst of five for 16 late in the South innings – all five clean bowled – as they lost their last six wickets for 32 and were all out with an over to spare.

Openers Joe Clarke and Alex Davies then gave the South another scare with an aggressive response of 77 inside 11 overs – although Sam Curran had them both dropped in his first two overs.

But the introduction of spin arrested the North’s momentum, with Ravi Patel winning an lbw decision against Davies before Dom Bess dismissed Clarke and Keaton Jennings in consecutive overs.

Sam Hain maintained the form he showed in the recent Lions series against West Indies A with a stylish 48 but he also fell to Bess, who ended with three for 61.

The North rallied again with a sixth-wicket stand of 89 between Brett D’Oliveira and captain Steven Mullaney. But immediately after being struck for six by D’Oliveira, Curran applied the coup de grace by yorking the Worcestershire all-rounder – and uprooting Chappell’s off stump with his next ball.

Mullaney then carved the first ball of the next over from Tom Barber to Rawlins at point, and the remaining wickets were shared by Paul Walter and Curran – who ended with three for 51.

The second game of the series is again at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday (130pm GMT), when the North need to end their four-match losing run to avoid being condemned to a second consecutive series defeat.