Adam Wheater opened the batting for the Eagles against his former Club and helped to steer his side to a 7-wicket victory with 36 balls remaining. It was Wheater’s first NatWest T20 Blast appearance in front of the crowd at The Cloudfm County Ground.
His innings spanned 32 balls and included 8 fours, and will be full of confidence heading into the next match against Glamorgan at the SWALEC in Cardiff.
Essex Eagles | Varun Chopra (6), Adam Wheater (31), Dan Lawrence (28), Ravi Bopara (25), Ryan ten Doeschate* (27), Ashar Zaidi (99), James Foster+ (7), Paul Walter (22), Simon Harmer (11), Mohammad Amir (5), Matt Dixon (30).
Hampshire | James Vince, Rilee Roussouw, Michael Carberry, Tom Alsop, Shahid Afridi, George Bailey, Lewis McManus, Gareth Berg, Kyle Abbott, Mason Crane, Reece Topley.
Umpires | David Millns & Michael Burns
Toss | Essex Eagles won the toss and chose to field
Match Highlights
Close of Play Report
Ravi Bopara and Adam Wheater shared the major honours as Essex got back on the winning trail with a crushing 7 wickets victory over Hampshire in th NatWest T20 Blast clash at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Replying to a total of 124 for 9, the Eagles reached the target with 6 overs to spare to record only their second success in this season’s competition.
Bopara produced a superb exhibition of accuracy and variation to end with personal figures of 4 for 19 from his four overs while Wheater, opening the innings against his former county, hit 44 not out.
To say Hampshire collapsed is putting it mildly. Their capitulation after being put in to bat was nothing short of pathetic after James Vince and Michael Carberry posted the 50 in the sixth over for the loss of one wicket.
That encouraging start was based on off-spinner Simon Harmer being hammered for 24 in his first over. But once Bopara arrived on the scene, Essex were to take full control.
He got rid of Vince (29) and Carberry (30) and followed up those successes by accounting for Tom Alsop and Lewis McManus for 9 and 5 respectively.
Hampshire were so poor that they lost their last seven wickets while 57 runs were added in 11 overs and they failed to record a single boundary after the seventh over of their innings.
Paul Walter shared the bowling honours with Bopara with 2 for 20 and was then able to sit back and watch Essex, who were missing Tom Westley because of a sickness bug, coast to victory.
After Varun Chopra went in the second over with only 6 on the board, Wheater and Dan Lawrence plundered 76 in eight overs. Of those, Lawrence hammered 47 from 33 deliveries with the help of 7 fours and a six – his best score to date in this format – before he gave a return catch to Shahid Afridi.
Ashar Zaidi scored 17, including two sixes off Afridi and his departure paved the way for Bopara to seal victory by smashing Gareth Berg over the ropes while making 11 from 6 balls and taking the home side to 129 for 3.
Wheater’s composed innings spanning 32 balls contained 6 fours and his partnership with Zaidi advanced the total by 31 in 4 overs.
It all left the Eagles going into Sunday’s battle with Glamorgan at Cardiff on Sunday in good spirits as they go in search of a revenge for the defeat they suffered a week earlier.
Interval report
Ravi Bopara claimed four wickets as Essex restricted Hampshire to 124 for 9 in their NatWest T20 Blast battle at the Cloudfm County Ground.
He picked up his successes at a cost of only 19 runs to leave the Eagles favourites to gain only their second victory in this season’s competition.
In the face of Bopara’s accuracy and variation, Hampshire completely lost their way after reaching 50 in the sixth over for the loss of only one wicket.
James Vince (29), Michael Carberry (30), Tom Alsop (9) and Lewis McManus (5) were snared by Bopara while Paul Walter sent back Rilee Roussouw (4) at a cost of 20 runs.
Hampshire collapsed in embarrassing style after their encouraging start, one in which they plundered 24 from the fourth over of the innings and sent down by Simon Harmer.
So inept were their efforts that they did not find the boundary after the seventh over.
Vince and Carberry were the only batsmen to provide much resistance, putting on 47 in six overs before Bopara embarked upon his destructive spell.
The visitors were 77 for 3 at the halfway stage of their innings but failed to find any acceleration thereafter.
Essex Eagles head into the next NatWest T20 Blast match with The Cloudfm County Ground sold out once again! Hampshire are the visitors this evening (Friday) with the Eagles needing a victory to kick-start the campaign.
After a weekend clash against Gloucestershire next weekend, Essex face Middlesex in the final Friday night, under lights and this is also now sold out! The Essex support continues to come out in force with an electric atmosphere anticipated for the second half of the competition running into August.
If you are still to purchase tickets for the NatWest T20 Blast, then you must buy now as there is now just limited availability for the matches versus Gloucestershire (Saturday 29 July) and the final group game against Kent Spitfires (Thursday 17 August).
Essex Eagles continue their NatWest T20 Blast involvement when they meet Hampshire on Friday night at The Cloudfm County Ground with a scheduled start time of 7pm.
The Eagles have made a disappointing start to the competition and a 10 run defeat to a Kevin Pietersen-inspired Surrey team at the Kia Oval on Wednesday left them with their fourth defeat from five matches.
The former England batting star made his return for Surrey and his arrival proved timely as he scored 52; the only half-century of the match and a contribution that proved defining in the final reckoning.
Essex now have the proverbial mountain to climb if they are to figure in the knockout stages of this year’s competition.
Head Coach Chris Silverwood admitted that the latest reverse was particularly disappointing. “It was a match I expected to win and I think we all did at the halfway stage after restricting Surrey to 150 for 9. I thought we bowled well and I expected us to chase their total down bearing in mind that we went in with the extra batter. But it wasn’t to be so yes, it was a disappointing defeat.
“There is some positives to be taken from the game, I thought Mohammad Amir bowled beautifully and showed again what a world-class bowler he is. Paul Walter continues to continue his upward trend of improving and pushing forward. Those are the two bonuses from our point of view which is fantastic.
“But still, there is a lot to work on as well.
“From the batting perspective, I felt we needed to be braver in the first ten overs, we needed to go at it and make sure that we got in front of the game. If you fell behind, it was always going to be difficult to score at ten an over on that wicket and so it proved. We needed to be up with the rate throughout and we weren’t.”
And the Eagles Coach indicated that changes can be expected to the starting line-up.
“There’s going to be opportunities coming up for players because it’s obvious that we cannot afford to carry on as we are,” he insisted. “We’ve lost four games now and we can’t afford to lose any more. So we need to look at where we go from here and make changes to try and turn things around.
“Things have got to improve.”
Essex Eagles squad
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
James Foster (7) WK
Mohammad Amir (5)
Ravi Bopara (25)
Varun Chopra (6)
Matt Dixon (30)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Callum Taylor (67)
Paul Walter (22)
Tom Westley (21)
Adam Wheater (31)
Ashar Zaidi (99)
Essex Head Coach, Chris Silverwood has rallied his team to improve heading into the upcoming matches, starting with Hampshire and Gloucestershire on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Silverwood praised the performance of his bowlers after the defeat to Surrey on Wednesday evening as Mohammad Amir and Paul Walter shined with the ball. However, it was in the batting department that the team came up short, which was so reliable and destructive last time out against Glamorgan.
The team could be set for changes as a need to start getting wins on the board becomes increasingly desperate, and Ryan ten Doeschate and his men will certainly be looking to put in a performance later this week in front of a sell-out crowd at Chelmsford.
Essex Eagles stars, Ashar Zaidi and Ravi Bopara surprised the public by turning up to bring NatWest T20 Blast cricket to Stratford! They were joined by Essex Women’s player, Kelly Castle and Essex Ability team player, Bradley Donovan outside Westfield Shopping Centre for some big hitting!
The Eagles took over for the morning at Meridian Square with bus drivers, policemen and the general public all taking part, proving that ‘Everywhere’s a Cricket Ground!’
With three defeats from their opening four matches in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast competition, Essex Eagles will be looking for a positive result when making the short trip to The Kia Oval on Wednesday evening to face Surrey.
The Eagles have named an unchanged 14-man squad that was on duty for Sunday’s nail-biting defeat by Glamorgan when the Welsh county prevailed by five wickets off the final scheduled delivery of the match.
Surrey beat Essex at The Cloudfm County Ground in the opening match of the campaign and are now able to include former England batsman Kevin Pietersen in their side.
The 36-year-old missed Surrey’s opening matches but is now available for the remainder of the tournament.
Although there are still ten group matches to be played, Eagles Head Coach Chris Silverwood insists that his charges need to quickly put together a sequence of wins if they are to reach the qualifying stages.
“I think that there are a number of games that you can afford to lose in this competition but we don’t want to be using them all up too soon. So we need to get back to winning ways and put a decent run of results together. We have to turn the corner and start to make things happen.
“Sunday’s defeat to Glamorgan was disappointing but you have to give Colin Ingram credit for that magnificent century. He strikes the ball as well as anyone you will ever see to be honest and he is a prolific player in white ball cricket. Every time he comes up against us, he gets a hundred which is a pain. But we did put him down twice and we paid a heavy price and that’s what happens against top-quality players.
“It was an unbelievable game of cricket though.
“What was particularly disappointing for us was that Varun Chopra was to finish on the losing side. He scored a terrific hundred and showed what a good player he is. He played some fantastic shots and got us off to a good start and, as I say, it’s a shame he didn’t get the reward his efforts deserved by ending on the winning side.
“There is obviously room for improvement to our game and we are constantly trying to address those areas in the hope that we can start to string some positive results together.”
Essex Eagles squad:
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
James Foster (7) WK
Mohammad Amir (5)
Ravi Bopara (25)
Varun Chopra (6)
Matt Dixon (30)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Callum Taylor (67)
Paul Walter (22)
Tom Westley (21)
Adam Wheater (31)
Ashar Zaidi (99)
Essex Eagles stars, Ashar Zaidi and Ravi Bopara surprised the public by turning up to bring NatWest T20 Blast cricket to Stratford! They were joined by Essex Women’s player, Kelly Castle and Essex Ability team player, Bradley Donovan outside Westfield Shopping Centre for some big hitting, outside Westfield Shopping Centre!
The Eagles took over for the morning at Meridian Square with bus drivers, policemen and the general public all taking part, proving that ‘Everywhere’s a Cricket Ground!’
As part of our partnership with ROL Cruise, we are pleased to offer supporters an incredible opportunity to meet some cricketing legends whilst relaxing on a cruise.
Whether you are a seasoned cruiser or simply a keen cricket fan, this exclusive Cricket Themed Cruise with Cruise & Maritime Voyages is a perfect trip to enjoy with friends or family. On the cruise, you can watch cricketing highlights on the big screen out on top deck, take part in the Question of Cricket Challenge and meet some legends, including David Gower, Chris Cowdrey and Alan Wells plus former Essex players John Lever, Ray East and Don Topley.
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Cruise Itinerary:
October 2017
Tuesday 24 | Embark Magellan and depart London Tilbury
Wednesday 2-5 | Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam really is a place that lives up to its reputation. Filled to the brim with artistic heritage, interesting architecture and elaborate canal system, Amsterdam is a unique place that you have the pleasure of visiting. This evening, meet the Cricketing Legends in the Taverner’s Pub
Thursday 26 | Antwerp, Belgium
Why not explore the famous Grote Markt, a central square in the old town, overlooked by the magnificent Cathedral of Our Lady, with it’s beautiful gold faced clock tower, the belfry is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Watch “Big Screen Cricketing Highlights”; test your knowledge at the Question of Cricket Challenge, Essex vs Kent. Watch the David Gower & Chris Cowdrey show and enjoy “an audience with” hosted by Nick Hancock
Friday 27 | Cruising the River Seine Rouen, France (arrive evening, overnight)
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Saturday 28 | Rouen, France (depart evening)
Sunday 29 | Honfleur, France
Monday 30 | Arrive in London Tilbury
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Superior Single Inside – £749
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> Opportunity to meet cricket legends in the Taverner’s Pub
> Enjoy a special ‘Cricket Theme’ programme presented by TV Presenter Nick Hancock (They Think It’s All Over)
> Chance to test your knowledge at the Question of Cricket Challenger
> Full Board cruising
> Delicious cuisine, afternoon tea and late night snacks
> A wide choice of exciting shore excursions to discover your destinations
> A friendly and attentive standard of service from attentive crew
Visit the ROL Cruise’s website for more details – here
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Live Commentary
RESULT | We’ll have a report and reaction from today’s five wicket loss to Glamorgan up later.
RESULT | That’s it from us. I’ve been Matt Lee, taking you through this afternoon’s proceedings, and we thank you all for attending today’s match at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Over 20 | RESULT! Glamorgan win off the final ball with a six. They win by five wickets.
Over 20 | 2 from one ball…
Over 20 | 6 required from two balls…
Over 20 | 6 required from three balls…
Over 20 | It goes into the final over. Glamorgan require 9 runs from this final over to win.
Over 19 | ANOTHER WICKET!! Cooke departs for 49 now as he is caught by Porter from Amir, with Glamorgan requiring 14.
Over 19 | WICKET!! Essex made the much-needed break-through as Ingram departs for 114 as he is run out by Amir. 200-4
Over 18 | 200! That’s the 200-mark for Glamorgan, the visitors require just 20 from 12 balls.
Over 17 | That’s the end of the 17th over, Glamorgan are on 183 and require 37.
Over 16 | Ingram dropped again, this time by Zaidi at square leg with the batsman on 113. 172-3
Over 15 | Ingram finally reaches his 100 as Walter returns with the ball, being hit around for 20. The score is 160-3.
Over 14 | That’s the end of the fourteenth over and Glamorgan are on 140-3.
Over 13 | 129 is the score at the end of the 13th over, 10 added from that over.
Over 12 | End of the 12th over and Glamorgan are on 119-3.
Over 12 | WICKET! Rudolph edges a shot to Third Man and it’s comfortably caught by Porter off Harmer’s bowling for 9. Chris Cooke comes in. 117-3
Over 11 | End of the eleventh over and Glamorgan on 110-2.
Over 10 | We reach the half-way point in Glamorgan’s innings and the visitors are at 104-2. Essex were at 96-2 at this stage in their innings.
Over 9 | That’s the end of the 9th over, the visitors are on 85-2.
Over 8 | End of the 8th over, Glamorgan reach 80-2.
Over 7 | Ingram reaches his fifty midway through the seventh over. Glamorgan end the over on 74-2.
Over 7 | WICKET! Lloyd is caught by Zaidi from Bopara’s bowling for 20. 68-2.
Over 6 | 63-1 is Glamorgan’s score as Bopara picks the ball to bowl the seventh over.
Over 5 | End of the fifth over and Glamorgan are on 42-1.
Over 5 | DROPPED CATCH! Skipper Tendo darts towards Long off but he can not wrap his fingers around the ball and it bobbles away. 31-1.
Over 4 | 0, 4, 0, 1, 6, 0. Glamorgan add eleven more to their score, 30-1.
Over 3 | 4, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0. Six more added to Glamorgan’s total as it creeps to 19-1.
Over 2 | Seven runs conceded from Porter’s debut over. Glamorgan on 13-1.
Over 2 | WICKET! Donald attempts a pull shot to long stop but his bails are smashed away by Porter. 12-1.
Over 1 | Amir concedes just six off that over, with one boundary and two singles from the over.
Over 1 | Mohammad Amir opens the bowling for the hosts. Glamorgan require 220 to win.
ESSEX INNINGS | The Eagles finish their innings on 219 for 4 wickets. We’ll have a short interval now before Glamorgan chase 220 to win.
Over 20 | 100! Chopra reaches his 100 with a fine four to deep mid-wicket before then knocking another single onto the board. Eagles finish on 219-4.
Over 20 | WICKET! Ten Doeschate is bowled first ball of the final over and departs for 6, Zaidi takes his place at the crease.
Over 19 | End of the 19th over and The Eagles reach 209-3.
Over 19 | 200! The Eagles reach the 200-mark with a huge six back over Wagg’s head.
Over 18 | End of the 18th over and The Eagles are on 196-3.
Over 18 | WICKET! Bopara smashes a six to Deep Mid-Wicket but next ball is edged and he is caught by the wicket keeper. 194-3.
Over 17 | End of the 17th over and 183-2 is the current score.
Over 16 | SIXES GALORE! Bopara smashes the first ball back over Ingram’s head and then The Eagles reach 179-2 with a HUGE six over the Press Box.
Over 15 | Three quarters of the overs played and The Eagles are on 153-2.
Over 14 | End of the 14th over and The Eagles reach 143-2.
Over 13 | The Eagles finish the 13th over on 137-2.
Over 12 | End of the 12th over and The Eagles are held on 123-2.
Over 11 | Big hit to Third Man from Bopara for six puts The Eagles on 115-2.
Over 11 | 100 for Eagles! The ton is reached for the hosts midway through the eleventh over. 100-2.
Over 10 | The Eagles reach the half-way mark and are standing strong on 97-2.
Over 10 | 50! Chopra reaches his fifty with a single run from Salter’s bowling.
Over 9 | Nine overs gone and The Eagles are on 87-2. Including one four at Long On from Chopra.
Over 8 | That’s the eighth over compelted and The Eagles are on 79-2.
Over 7 | End of the seventh over and four runs are added to the tally. 74-2.
Over 7 | WICKET Craig Meschede catches Westley at Third Man for 29. Ravi Bopara enters the play now. 72-2.
Over 6 | Seven more added – with Salter dropping Westley – as The Eagles stroll to 69-1.
Over 5 | Marchant de Lange’s time to bowl now and is hit for 17, including three boundaries at Deep Cover. Eagles on 62-1
Over 4 | Graham Wagg takes his first over with the ball and concedes 7. 45-1 is the score.
Over 3 | 1, 1, 6, 6, 2, 0. Strong over from The Eagles, 38-1 on the board now.
Over 2 | Sucessive sixes and a four from Chopra means The Eagles reach 22-1 at the end of the 2nd over.
Over 1 | End of the first over and The Eagles have six on the board following Lawrence’s early departure. 6-1.
Over 1 | WICKET! Third ball of the first over and Lawrence is cleanly bowled by Michael Hogan for 1. Eagles 2-1.
