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Our third feature of Black History Month highlights one of the Club’s greatest ever Overseas players, Keith Boyce.

Of all the Overseas players to have pulled on as Essex sweater, Boyce probably exerted the greatest influence on the team, and when you reflect on the fact that great players such as Allan Border, Mark Waugh, Kenny McEwan and Stuart Law followed in his footsteps, that highlights how remarkable he was.

Boycey arrived at Chelmsford in the mid-60’s after Trevor Bailey had seen him bowling in the West Indies against the International Cavaliers. So impressive was he that Trevor signed him without watching him bat. Arriving in England he had to embark upon a two-year qualifying period and when he did make his first-class debut, he marked the occasion with figures of 9/61 against Cambridge University in June 1966.

In his first full season for the County, Boyce scored just under 1,000 runs and captured 81 wickets as he quickly became a player to be feared and respected.

It was in the one-day format that he enhanced his reputation as an all-rounder, becoming the first player in the Sunday League to reach 1,000 runs and 100 wickets.

In the Championship he also proved a foe to be reckoned with, a cricketer hell-bent on giving everything whatever the state of the game. As far as he was concerned there was no such thing as a lost cause.

His commitment to the County was total although he could inspire admiration and frustration in equal measure. He smashed a century in just under an hour against Leicestershire at Chelmsford as he left his adoring public taking evasive action from the onslaught on several occasions. But his desire to entertain so often proved his undoing as, on a number of other occasions, he perished cheaply swinging across the line trying to propel the ball into orbit.

That century against Leicestershire was one of only three he scored at first-class level for Essex and a total of 6,848 runs at an average of just under 23 hardly did justice to his immense talent. But his haul of 662 wickets at 23.72 runs certainly did.

Boyce scored over 2,000 runs and took around 250 wickets in limited-over games while as a fielder he would leave spectators gasping with his ability to swoop on the ball in the deep and in one movement, feet off the ground, hurl it accurately over the top of the stumps.

Boyce went on to play 21 Tests for the West Indies and in 1973, was to prove a key figure as they recaptured the Wisden Trophy with Boyce shining with figures of 11/147 at The Oval and 8/99 at Lord’s.

His heavy workload though took its toll on his knees and it was a great loss when he was forced to retire in 1977, his benefit year, and after an emotional farewell to Chelmsford, he returned to Barbados where sadly, personal problems blighted his life.

Matters seemed to have improved when he took a position running the Barbados Cricket Association lottery and coaching youngsters but sadly, on his 53rd birthday, he collapsed and died of a heart attack.

Keith will always be remembered for helping to lay the foundation of an Essex side that dominated the late 70’s and 80’s in becoming one of the most successful and entertaining sides in the land.

Certainly, he left cricket lovers with many fond memories.

England Men’s Head Coach Chris Silverwood has named a 17-player squad for the Ashes tour of Australia starting in November, which includes Essex batter, Dan Lawrence.

All 17 players have been capped at Test level and is the strongest available squad selected by Silverwood. Ten of the 17 will be touring Australia in an Ashes series for the first time, including vice-captain Jos Buttler.

England Men’s Test Squad – Ashes Tour of Australia 2021-22:

Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Dom Bess (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Rory Burns (Surrey)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire)
Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Dawid Malan (Yorkshire)
Craig Overton (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)

Nottinghamshire seamer Stuart Broad, who is to embark on his fourth Ashes tour, is making excellent progress from his torn right calf sustained in the summer during the Test series against India. Next week, he is set to return to bowling at The ECB Performance Centre in Loughborough, where the Ashes and Lions squads will prepare for the Australia tour.

Surrey all-rounder Sam Curran was not considered for selection after a second scan has confirmed that he has a stress fracture in his lower back. More detail regarding his management and likely return will follow after further specialist consultation.

Durham’s Ben Stokes was not available for selection and continues to take an indefinite break from all cricket to prioritise his mental wellbeing and rehabilitation from his injured left index finger.

As confirmed on Friday, the Ashes tour is subject to several critical conditions being met by Cricket Australia before the team travels in November. However, positive ongoing discussions continue, and it is hoped matters will be resolved in due course.

Commenting on the squad, England Men’s Head Coach Chris Silverwood, said:

“A tour of Australia is the pinnacle as an England Test cricketer. I am delighted that all of our available players have committed to the tour. We are looking forward to touring and enjoying the experience of this historic series.

“This is why we play and coach to be involved in iconic series like this. More than half of our squad haven’t featured in an Ashes tour before, which means we will be fresh and looking to embrace the cricket and the excitement of touring one of the best places in the world.

“I believe we have selected a well-balanced squad with options in all areas and a blend of youth and experience. There is real competition for places and a genuine desire to work hard and compete, aiming to create some history.

“We are under no illusions about how difficult the task is going to be. Australia have been strong at home in the past, and there is an expectation on them to win this series. However, from our point of view, there is genuine excitement and belief that we can do something special.

“Both teams are in similar positions in the Test world rankings. For that reason, it should be a compelling series. We can enjoy the build-up to the tour, get out there, and prepare well ahead of the first Test in Brisbane.

“Having the Lions with the Ashes squad will be integral to our build-up. The extended group of players will be with us before the first Test. We will play two competitive warm-up games amongst both squads to give us the match practice we need as part of our build-up. It’s an excellent opportunity to connect the Lions into the England environment and gain a good understanding of what is required to play at the highest level.”

The Lions party for the Australian training camp will be announced in due course.

England’s Test specialists and the Lions squad are set to depart, subject to conditions being granted, on Thursday 4 November.

Players selected, who are part of England’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, will join the tour after their tournament commitments.

Dates and venues for England’s warm-up matches against the Lions will be confirmed and released by Cricket Australia in due course. There will be a three-day and a four-day match planned.

November 2021

4 November:

Test specialists and Lions depart.

December 2021

8-12 December:
1st Test, Australia v England, Gabba, Brisbane

16-20 December:
2nd Test, Australia v England (D/N), Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

26-30 December:
3rd Test, Australia v England, MCG, Melbourne

January 2022

5-9 January:
4th Test, Australia v England, SCG, Sydney

14-18 January:
5th Test, Australia v England, Optus Stadium, Perth

Essex County Cricket Club are pleased to announce that top-order batsman, Dan Lawrence, has signed a two-year contract extension and will remain at Chelmsford until at least the end of the 2023 season.

The Leytonstone-born batsman burst onto the scene in 2015 as a 17-year-old, scoring 161 against Surrey in only his second first-class game for the Club. At the time of doing so, he became just the third 17-year-old to score a century in the County Championship.

Since then, he’s made 175 appearances across all formats and scored 6,516 runs for Essex. His arrival in the First Team has coincided with the Club’s recent success and Lawrence has played a vital role in bringing silverware to The Cloudfm County Ground.

Lawrence made his England Test debut against Sri Lanka in early 2021 and has made eight appearances for the Three Lions so far, averaging 27.23. He’s made three half-centuries with his highest score of 81* coming against New Zealand in June.

Upon signing his extension, Lawrence said: “I’m really pleased to be staying at Chelmsford and to commit my future to this great Club.

“Since breaking into the First Team we’ve experienced so many triumphs. Although this year didn’t go our way, we have a phenomenal squad, and everybody in the dressing room is keen to get back to winning ways.

“Nobody was more disappointed with the season than us as we know what we can do when we play to our ability. We feel that we should be competing across all formats and that’s the aim going forward and hopefully we win some more trophies in 2022.”

Essex Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, added: “Dan is an outstanding batsman and has contributed enormously since breaking into the First Team.

“He’s scored vital runs for us on plenty of occasions and has been a major factor in our recent success, and the exciting thing for Essex fans is that he’s only going to get better and better.

“Despite still only being 24 he’s a leader in the dressing room and has seven seasons under his belt. He’s a shining example to the younger lads coming through and I’ve got no doubt he’ll go on to achieve big things in the game.”

Essex County Cricket Club can today confirm that Ryan ten Doeschate will retire from professional cricket at the end of 2021.

The all-rounder joined Essex in 2003 after impressing Graham Gooch during a pre-season game in South Africa. He’s gone on to make 554 appearances across all formats for the Club over his 19 seasons at Chelmsford, scoring 17,046 runs and taking 348 wickets.

His first piece of silverware came in 2005, with the Eagles capturing the totesport League. The side successfully defended their title in 2006, whilst ten Doeschate was awarded his County Cap later that year. He also made the highest score of his career in 2006, making an unbeaten 259 for the Netherlands against Canada in Pretoria.

In 2008, ten Doeschate played an instrumental role as he and Grant Flower saw the Eagles over the line in the Friends Provident Trophy Final at Lord’s. Later in 2008, he was named the ICC Associate Player of the Year for the first time; an award he went on to win again in 2010 and 2011.

He was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2011 Indian Premier League and forged a successful and solid relationship with the franchise, winning titles in both 2012 and 2014.

A pivotal moment in the Club’s recent history was his appointment as Club Captain in 2016, which saw an immediate return to the County Championship’s top tier by winning the Division Two title.

The following season, he and his team defied all the odds and went unbeaten on their way to a first County Championship title in 25 years. Two years later, the team achieved the feat once again under his stewardship in a landmark double-winning campaign.

Despite stepping down as Club Captain at the end of 2019, ten Doeschate continued to play an instrumental role and was a huge factor in Essex claiming the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy in 2020.

On his retirement, ten Doeschate said:

“From the bottom of my heart I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved with Essex during my time at the Club. It’s been the greatest professional experience to grow in this environment, to watch the organisation and the individuals within it evolve and become something that I am extremely proud to have been a part of.

“The support that the team and myself personally have enjoyed has been phenomenal and is greatly appreciated. The staff, members, sponsors, and supporters have made Essex a fabulous place to play cricket. My professional career would not have been the same without some very special teammates, who I know will be lifelong friends.

“Your profession shouldn’t define you as a person, and I realise that cricket is just a sport and that Essex is just one cog in the wheel of county cricket, but I’m not ashamed to say that for 19 summers Essex has been my purpose and focus. We have all had varying degrees of satisfaction and peaks and troughs in form but I always had the drive of giving my all for Essex.

“Coming from Cape Town to be given a chance to pursue my dream seems a million moons ago. We’ve shared some remarkable times but for me, the biggest achievement has been making a home away from home. I have a collection of memories from Chelmsford to keep me happy long into retirement.”

Ryan spoke to Essex Cricket TV following the announcement to express his thoughts on the decision:

Club Captain and close friend, Tom Westley, added:

“It’s difficult to begin to put into words Tendo retiring. Not only have I had the honour of sharing a changing room with him for 15 years, but I’ve also had the privilege of changing next to him for 8 of them! To know that he won’t be playing for Essex again is a sad day for the club.

“I have always admired him, not only as a cricketer, who I believe has won more games for Essex than anyone else I have played with. It’s his values and qualities as a person, that means his name is alongside the greats of the club.

“I can assure you that I’m speaking on behalf of every player that has been fortunate enough to play with and share a changing room with Tendo. He has had a positive impact on all of us at some stage in his illustrious career. His selflessness as a teammate and leader is one of the leading factors to Essex’s success in the last decade.

“He epitomises what it means to play for this great club, and his name deserves to be alongside the likes of Fletcher, Gooch, Bailey and Insole.

“Thank you Ryan for everything you’ve done, I along with everyone will miss you. I wish you and your family all the best for the future.”

The top two teams in Division Two meet at The Cloudfm County Ground on Sunday when Essex entertain Gloucestershire in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

Essex made a superb start to their round of four matches in Division Two when they beat Glamorgan by the comprehensive margin of an innings and 74 runs earlier this week.

Nick Browne scored 102, his first century of the summer, Michael Pepper posted 63 whilst Simon Harmer claimed 3/46 in the Welsh County’s first innings and Sam Cook 5/37 in their second innings.

But Shane Snater was the standout player for Essex, having wrecked the home side’s first innings with 6/39 before following up with 48 as his side took a firm grip on proceedings.

Then for good measure, the 25-year-old Dutch international removed Steve Reingold shortly after Glamorgan began their second innings when his direct throw from cover left the batsman stranded yards out of his ground.

Essex head Division Two with 41 points, 10 more than Gloucestershire who arrive at Chelmsford having completed victory over Northamptonshire by 6 wickets.

The West Country side were outplayed over the first two days of the match at Bristol and trailed on first innings by 136 runs before staging an impressive fight back.

They were eventually left requiring 266 to win and thanks to 94 by Miles Hammond, an unbeaten 67 by Tom Lace and 53 not out from Graeme van Buuren, victory was achieved to complete a remarkable turnaround.

Squad:

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Hear from Snater:

Having been sidelined since 8th August with injury, Shane Snater turned in a fine all-round performance for Essex in the win at Cardiff and admitted he was delighted to be back.

He said: “It’s nice to be playing again and getting a few wickets and runs and to be able to contribute to the team.”

The 25-year-old was playing only his 10th first-class match but has now taken a total of 52 wickets and 22 of those have been in his six matches for Essex.

“It’s really clicked for me this year in red-ball cricket which is nice although I’ve been around the white ball stuff in the past.

“As I say, things have really moved on for me this season and it’s nice to be part of the team in the longer format.

“At 25, people might say I’m a bit of a late entry into the side but it’s hard to get into this Essex team because they have so many fine bowlers.

“I believe that I’ve matured as a player this year and that comes as you play more matches. I’m reasonably happy with what I’ve achieved so far this season as a player and where I am at the moment, but I want to go on improving.

“We still have three games left and I want to continue taking wickets and scoring runs and obviously to contribute to the team’s performances. It’s probably not been the best of seasons for Essex in terms of results and where we are, but we know we can improve and crack on next year and make our mark again.”

Injury/Absentees News:

Dan Lawrence misses out due to his involvement with the England squad in the fourth Test against India.

Opposition:

Although Gloucestershire won five of their opening 10 Group 2 matches in this year’s conference system, they failed to qualify for Division One status and the chance to challenge for the County Championship title by 14 points.

Gloucestershire finished in third place but three defeats and two draws from their final five matches proved costly as both Somerset and Hampshire clinched the Division One places by virtue of more draws and bonus points.

One to Watch:

Ryan Higgins moved to Gloucestershire from Middlesex at the end of the 2017 season and soon settled into his new surroundings becoming an outstanding all-rounder in the County Championship for the Bristol-based Club.

His nagging medium pace and quick runs from the lower-middle order helped them earn promotion from Division Two in 2019 when he took 50 wickets and scored 958 runs to spearhead the promotion charge.

He has continued to impress in all formats of the game and has become a stalwart of the Gloucestershire side.

Head-to-Head:

The teams last met at Chelmsford in the County Championship back in 2016 when Essex recorded a facile 10-wicket victory.

The visitors were dismissed in their first innings for 262 after Jamie Porter returned 4/59 before Essex replied with 385 thanks to 105 by Alastair Cook and 121 from Tom Westley, with the duo adding 222 for the second wicket.

Graham Napier, Ravi Bopara and Porter each took three wickets when Gloucestershire were bowled out for 215. Needing 92 to complete the win, Nick Browne (55) and Cook (35) eased Essex to success with an unbeaten 94 run partnership.

Potential Milestones:

Adam Wheater requires 2 more victims to reach 150 first-class dismissals for Essex. He currently has 136 catches and 12 stumpings.

Ryan ten Doeschate requires a further 159 runs to reach 10,000 first-class career runs for Essex.

How To Watch:

Our Live Stream service will be available across all four days of this game from 10:30am, which also includes player stats, scorecards and clips throughout the day.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

Essex resume the LV= Insurance County Championship campaign when the team travel to Wales to meet Glamorgan in Cardiff on Monday.

It is the third time this season that Essex have made the trip across the border and they will be hoping that the change of format from limited-overs cricket to the four-day variety will be more conducive in helping them return with a favourable result.

Two white-ball matches, in the Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup, ended with the home side victorious on both occasions so Essex will be hoping to make amends as they undertake red-ball cricket.

It will be the first time since July 11 that the team have competed in the 4-day format but even that match was abandoned after just a single day when a Derbyshire player tested positive for COVID-19.

Hear from McGrath:

Although his side are unable to challenge for the Championship title, Head Coach Anthony McGrath insists that the remaining four matches still carry a lot of importance.

“It’s obviously disappointing that we are not involved in the top division and although we played some good cricket at times, we just were not consistent enough which cost us our place in the top-tier,” he said.

“But each player has personal pride to play for, not only in his own performances but also that of Club. Essex will always prepare properly and go out to try and win whatever game in whatever competition we are involved with so playing in the second tier for the last few weeks of this season is no different.

“We have been used to arriving at this stage of the season and watching Essex challenging for titles but it’s not to be this time around.

“Our players are professional sportsmen and they thrive on the challenge to win games, and will be mindful of not letting either themselves or the Club down.

“It’s important that we finish the season as strongly as we can. The conference system was put into place for this year and nobody yet knows what will happen in 2022. It could be retained or we will return to two-division cricket so it’s important that we finish the season as strongly as in preparation for whatever is eventually decided for next year.”

Injury/Absentees News:

There are no new injuries concerns with Jamie Porter (side strain) and Shane Snater (hamstring) both returning to fitness after missing part of the Royal London Cup campaign.

Dan Lawrence also returns after being released by England following the third Test against India and back is in contention for a place in the Essex starting XI.

Squad:

Opposition:

Glamorgan finished their 10 matches in Group Three of the qualifying round in third place having recorded two wins and six draws to accrue 127 points. Lancashire and Yorkshire took the two Division slots from the section with 150 and 149 points respectively.

Both of the Welsh county’s successes came in low-scoring contests in Cardiff. They beat Kent with the match lasting just two days after the visitors scored 138 and 74 with the hosts replying with 197 and 19 without loss to secure a 10-wickets win in two days.

The other victory took a day longer in another contest where the ball mastered bat. Lancashire scored 173 and 164 whilst Glamorgan totalled 150 and then 188 for 4 to cross the finishing line with a day and 6 wickets to spare.

Three Glamorgan batsmen have passed 500 Championship runs so far this season, headed by Kiran Carlson with 790, ahead of David Lloyd (607) and Chris Cooke (544).

Pace bowlers Michael Hogan and South Africa-born Michael Neser have taken a combined tally of 51 Championship wickets this summer. Neser’s 23 scalps have been claimed an average of 16.78 and Hogan’s 28 victims @ 23.64.

One to Watch:

Right-hand middle-order batsman, Kiran Carlson is enjoying a superb season for his county. With a number of their players drafted into the Hundred, the 23-year-old took on the responsibility of leading the side in the Royal London Cup. It proved a fine appointment with the Cardiff-born lifting the trophy as Glamorgan beat Durham in the final.

Back in 2016 at the age of 18 years, Carlson becomes the youngest player to score a first-class century for Glamorgan in Essex’s final home match of the season at Chelmsford.

So far this season, he has blossomed in the red-ball format scoring 790 Championship runs @ 65.83.

Head-to-Head:

The teams last met in the County Championship back in 2016 when the fixture ended as a draw. Graham Napier returned 5 for 82 in the Glamorgan score’s first innings of 260. Essex responded with 313 thanks to 80 apiece from both Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara, whilst Timm van der Gugten claimed 5 for 90.

In Glamorgan’s second trip to the middle, Will Bragg posted an unbeaten 161 out of 386-6 declared to set the visitors 334 to win.

Essex lost their first three wickets for 46 and when opener Nick Browne was dismissed after scoring 71 , Essex were in trouble at 122 for 5. But Jesse Ryder (25*) and Ryan ten Doeschate (22*) prevented any further damage and with the score on 160 for 5, Glamorgan called off the hunt.

This match was the penultimate match of the season and bonus points secured Essex promotion into Division One.

In the 138 Championship clashes to date, Essex have won 45 of the contests and lost 27 matches.

Potential Milestones:

Simon Harmer needs 6 more wickets to reach 300 first-class wickets for Essex.

Adam Wheater requires 3 more victims to reach 150 first-class dismissals for Essex. He currently has 135 catches and 12 stumpings.

Ryan ten Doeschate requires a further 159 runs to reach 10,000 first-class career runs for Essex. He has also claimed 189 wickets for the county.

How To Watch:

Our Live Stream service will be available across all four days of this game from 11am, which also includes player stats, scorecards and clips throughout the day.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.

The LV= Insurance County Championship returns this week as the Divisional stage of the competition gets underway.

Essex start the new round of fixtures with a trip to Glamorgan on Monday 30 August, followed by games against Gloucestershire (05-08 September), Surrey (12-15 September) and Northamptonshire (21-24 September).

What is the Division Stage?

Having played ten games in the initial Group Stage, the 18 First-Class Counties have been split into three Divisions based on finishing positions in their respective groups.

In the Division Stage, each county will play four more County Championship matches to determine their final finishing position.

They will not play against the other team from their initial group, but will carry through half the number of points it scored in the two matches played against that team in the Group Stage. This could result in half points being carried forward.

So, for example, Lancashire and Yorkshire both progressed to Division One from Group Three and Lancashire carry forward 16.5 points – half of the 33 points they gained against Yorkshire thanks to a win and a draw. Yorkshire take through 4.5 points having gained nine bonus points in total from those two matches.

How were the divisions decided?

Teams finishing in the top two of each group in the Group Stage have progressed to Division One. Teams finishing third and fourth progressed to Division Two and those teams finishing fifth and sixth are in Division Three.

Which teams are in which division?

Division One
Warwickshire (21 points), Somerset (18.5), Lancashire (16.5), Hampshire (8.5), Nottinghamshire (5), Yorkshire (4.5)

Division Two
Essex (19 points), Northamptonshire (16), Surrey (13), Gloucestershire (12), Glamorgan (11.5), Durham (4)

Division Three
Worcestershire (18.5 points), Middlesex (13), Sussex (12), Leicestershire (11.5), Kent (11), Derbyshire (9.5)

When will the matches be played?

You can find all the fixtures for the 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship Division Stage here.

How can a team win the LV= Insurance County Championship?

The 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship title will be decided by the team that finishes top of Division One.

How is the winner of the Bob Willis Trophy decided?

The top two teams in Division One will play for the Bob Willis Trophy in a five-day final at Lord’s to ensure a showpiece event to conclude the men’s first-class domestic season.

The playing conditions for the final are to be confirmed and will be announced in due course.

How can I watch and listen to the LV= Insurance County Championship?

For the 2021 season, matches will be live streamed through the improved Essex Cricket Matchzone which is available through essexcricket.org.uk for all games, as well as our Essex Cricket TV YouTube channel during home fixtures.

Every ball of the men’s domestic season will be broadcast on BBC Essex and the BBC Sport website.

You’ll be able to listen to the BBC commentary over the top of the live stream videos on our live stream.

Dan Lawrence has been included in England’s 15-man squad for the third Test at Emerald Headingley.

England Men’s Test Squad:

Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Rory Burns (Surrey)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire)
Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
Dawid Malan (Yorkshire)
Craig Overton (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Mark Wood (Durham)

Yorkshire batsman Dawid Malan returns to the Test squad for the first time in three years. He last played Test cricket in August 2018 in England’s victory over India at Edgbaston. He will be looking to add to his 15 caps.

Lancashire seamer Saqib Mahmood is included after impressing in all formats. He has yet to make his Test debut but will be aiming to add to his England credentials, having already been capped by the senior side in ODIs and IT20s.

The 24-year-old right-arm quick is familiar with the England set-up, having toured as a reserve during England’s winter Test programmes in Sri Lanka and India. In addition, he was part of the extended squads during last summer’s behind closed doors Test series against West Indies and Pakistan and was called up as back up in the build-up to the first Test at Lord’s.

Batsmen Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley are omitted and will return to Kent and Warwickshire respectively, to spend some time playing.

Somerset spinner Jack Leach will return to Taunton, but remains on standby as back-up to Moeen Ali.

The England medical team will monitor seamer Mark Wood’s injured right shoulder sustained at the end of day four during the first Test at Lord’s. It is expected that he will make a full recovery ahead of the Emerald Headingley Test.

England Men’s Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, said:

“The Test series is beautifully poised, and we are relishing the prospect of aiming to bounce back at Emerald Headingley next week.

“Dawid Malan deserves his opportunity in the Test arena. He has a lot of experience across all formats and, if called upon, I am confident that he can come and do well on his home ground. In the limited time he has played first-class cricket this season, he has shown what he is capable of, scoring a highly accomplished 199 for Yorkshire against Sussex at Headingley in June.

“Zak Crawley will return to Kent to galvanise the excellent work he did last week in the nets at Lord’s with Assistant Coach Graham Thorpe. Zak is still a massive part of our plans moving forward, but we feel he would benefit from time outside the pressure of international competition to get some time working on his skills. He has a bright future and I do not doubt that his time will come again in the Test arena.

“Dom Sibley needs some time away to regain his confidence after a challenging period. He will return to Warwickshire to spend time in the middle without the scrutiny and find some rhythm and confidence. Dom offers a lot of value to the Test environment and some time away should help him. However, he remains part of our plans.

“Jack Leach will return to Somerset to get some game time. I have been impressed with his patience and it’s not easy living under the COVID protocols, especially when you’re not playing. However, he has regained his confidence and spark, and it has been a considerable asset having him around. He will be on standby should we need his services, but we want what is best for him and playing cricket and getting overs into him is the way to go.

“We are hopeful that Mark Wood will be fit after injuring his right shoulder in the first Test. Our medical team will be working with him each day. We will monitor where he is at when we get to Leeds.

“We also have the services of Saqib Mahmood, who has been brilliant across all formats this summer. He is confident, highly-skilled and will not be overawed if he is to make his Test debut. His temperament and attitude are suited to the international arena.”

The England Men’s Test squad will report to its Leeds base on Sunday.

LV= Insurance Test Series:

1st Test: England v India, 4-8 August 2021, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
2nd Test: England v India, 12-16 August 2021, Lord’s, London
3rd Test: England v India, 25-29 August 2021, Emerald Headingley, Leeds
4th Test: England v India, 2-6 September 2021, Kia Oval, London
5th Test: England v India, 10-14 September, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

Essex Eagles v Yorkshire Vikings

Royal London Cup
The Cloudfm County Ground
Saturday 14 August
11am start

Essex Eagles face Yorkshire Vikings in the Quarter-Finals of the Royal London Cup on Saturday, following yesterday’s dramatic tie with Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Chasing a target of 251 for victory, Alastair Cook scored a sublime 110 but the fireworks were provided by in the final over by Simon Harmer.

With the Eagles requiring 21 runs to win from the final 4 deliveries with 2 wickets intact, the South African thumped 3 enormous sixes before having to settle for 2 runs from the last ball to secure a point for his side.

Now 48 hours later, the Eagles are in action again, this time at The Cloudfm County Ground where they battle to overcome Head Coach Anthony McGrath’s former County, Yorkshire, with the winners progressing to Tuesday’s Semi-Final against Glamorgan.

Yorkshire finished third on run-rate in their group behind Glamorgan and Surrey, although all 3 teams completed their qualifying round of matches with 10 points.

Squad:

McGrath’s View:

Anthony McGrath is relishing the opportunity to meet up with his former County once again as the Eagles and Vikings lock horns looking for a place in the Semi-Finals.

Now Essex Head Coach, he represented Yorkshire from 1995 until 2012 and was twice Club Captain, but now all his loyalties lie with the Eagles.

He said: “I still know a few people from there but all my focus is now with Essex and I’m looking forward to what should be a really good game.”

Commenting on the tied match with Lancashire which ensured the home Quarter-Final tie, he continued: “Cooky was magnificent and the way he was playing with Ryan (ten Doeschate), we were cruising along. But we started to lose wickets and in the end, it was left to Harmy to get us the point.

“I have to be honest and say I thought the game had gone at that point but Harmy normally writes his own scripts. He hit 3 sixes to the longest part of the ground which was incredible really and he was actually disappointed he didn’t hit the last ball for six.

“But once again, we witnessed an excellent game of cricket as we have done so often in this tournament and yet again, there was another tight finish.

“What has been really satisfying for me is the way so many of our younger players have taken their opportunities to show what they can do and for us to qualify with so many disruptions like any other County is superb to see.

“Now we need three wins to pick up another trophy starting on Saturday which we know will be a tough game but it’s one that we are eagerly anticipating.“

The Opposition:

The Vikings booked their place on the knockout stages thanks to a fine victory over table-toppers Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens on Thursday.

Yorkshire successfully defended a target of 231 having been 132-7 at one stage. In the 28th over, Glamorgan were coasting along at 121-0 and soon after, needed 108 off the last 20 overs with 9 wickets in hand.

But the Vikings attack applied pressure to the home batsman before Matthew Waite defended 11 off the last over as the Welsh County ended on 226-8.

Yorkshire have won 4 matches in the Royal London Cup claiming victories against Glamorgan, Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

Essex and Yorkshire have met on 47 occasions in List A cricket with the Eagles narrowly shading bragging rights with 24 wins and 23 defeats.

The Vikings have won the last 2 Royal London Cup Quarter-Final matches at Chelmsford securing victory by 25 runs in 2018 and 20 runs 3 years earlier.

However, back in 2008 when the teams clashed at Chelmsford in the 50 over Friends’ Provident Trophy, it was the home side who prevailed by 87 runs. Alastair Cook stroked his way to 95 out of 285-8 and then Danish Kaneria and Ryan ten Doeschate shared 6 wickets (Kaneria 3/32 and ten Doeschate 3/30) as the visitors were dismissed for 198 despite 53 from a certain Anthony McGrath.

Essex went on to lift the trophy that year beating Kent Spitfires in the Final and that proved to be the last occasion that they have won a List A competition. Now Tom Westley and co are looking for repeat success as they strive to secure their 6th major trophy in 6 years.

How to Watch:

There will be a Live Stream service from The Cloudfm County Ground. This will be available via the Essex Cricket Matchzone from 11am.

Access via the Essex Cricket Matchzone is available here.