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Having clinched the Specsavers County Championship Division Two title last week against Glamorgan, Essex head to Kent to play their final game of the season and lift the trophy.

Chris Silverwood has named a youthful looking squad for the trip to Canterbury with Aaron Beard and Matt Dixon making the trip. David Masters will look to make his final professional appearance at the club where he started his career and in the process hand the baton over to the likes of Beard and Dixon.

The trophy will be presented to Chris Silverwood’s side on the final day’s play in Canterbury and Essex will look to finish the season strongly with a victory against rivals Kent.

Ticket Prices
Tickets are still available to purchase from the Kent ticket office or online. Savings can be made if you purchase them prior to 5pm the day before you are attending. Tickets will also be available to buy on the gate and will be priced as below.

Ground Entry | £15.00
Ground Entry and Stand | £20.00
Junior | £8.00

Directions to The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury

From the North
From M20 junction 7 turn left onto A249. At M2 junction 5 (Sittingbourne) bear right onto M2. At junction 7 (Boughton Street) turn right on to A2.

From the A2 ignore the first exit for Canterbury (Harbledown, A2050) Continue on the A2 till the Bridge exit. Take the exit and then turn right travel 70 metres the take the first right with a sign directing to Canterbury.

Follow the road on to the A2050 (not left and back onto to the A2). Continue on the Roman Rd and at the Gate roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the Old Dover Road (B2068). Continue on Old Dover Road for 800 metres and the ground will be clearly visible on the left hand side.

From the South
From M20 junction 13 bear right onto A20. Follow this road to junction with A260. Bear left and continue to junction with A2 (north). Continue to junction with A2050 and then proceed as north.

Parking
On matchdays, there is no one-off parking at the ground for spectators.

Parking is available at Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School in Old Dover Road for £10 per day when school is not open and space is available.

Entry to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence is via a pathway onto Nackington Rd and directly into the Club’s entrance – a five-minute walk.

Weather
The weather looks mixed today but full days of play are expected the next three days. What better way to spend the next four days than watching the top two sides go toe to toe?

Essex travel to Canterbury to face Kent in their final match of the season in party mood having already secured promotion.

Despite defeat by Glamorgan at The E.C.G last week, the six point haul from the match was sufficient to ensure that the 2017 season will see the County compete in Division One for the first time since 2010.

Head coach Chris Silverwood paid tribute to the efforts of the players and staff.

“Our achievement is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the players and also by everyone behind the scenes at the club and I don’t think anyone can deny that we are worthy champions,” he insisted.

“Clinching promotion was a wonderful feeling. It was something that we were all determined to achieve when we started the season and now we have done just that, we are both delighted and excited about next year.

“We have an exciting time ahead of us at Essex cricket. We are going to be tested by the best sides in the country and it will be a challenge for our players. For them, it will not be a matter of just trying to raise their game but generally just getting even better at what they are doing.

“Personally, I am very proud to be part of the Essex success but the hard work regarding planning for next year is already underway. Now we are back in Division One, we have to make sure that, not only do we stay there but that we are competitive and challenge to win it.

“There is a big challenge ahead of us but it’s one that we will relish.”

Essex will be missing two key figures when they return to Division one as both David Masters and Graham Napier  have announced their retirement at the end of this season.

Chris Silverwood acknowledged their contributions over the years. “They have been wonderful servants to the county and, of course, both will be sorely missed,” he stated.

“They have been excellent professionals and are perfect examples to young cricketers in both their performances and attitude.”

Essex have lost just one of their last nine matches against Kent with 4 wins and four draws and whilst the Division Two champions Essex have won their last two away games by an innings margin.

The retiring Graham Napier is the top wicket taker in the division this season with 63, overall he has 69 in first-class cricket this season, by far his most productive campaign since his debut in 1997.

The match with Kent starts on Tuesday at 10.30 a.m.

Essex squad:
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
Adam Wheater (31) Wicket-keeper
Varun Chopra (6)
Kishen Velani (8)
Dave Masters (9)
Nick Browne (10)
Aaron Beard (14)
Tom Westley (21)
Paul Walter (22)
Ravi Bopara (25)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Matt Dixon (30)
Will Rhodes (-)

Essex CCC are pleased to announce that Matt Quinn has signed a new contract with the club.

Quinn has extended his existing contract by an extra year meaning his contract will run until the end of the 2018 season.

The Kiwi seamer quickly become a pivotal figure for the club in all formats and has taken 22 first-class wickets in 2016 including the memorable spell against Gloucestershire where he finished with figures of 11-148.

Opening bowler Quinn was happy to extend his contract for a further year and said: “I have loved every minute of my time with the club so far and I am delighted with how everything has gone this season.

“I am thrilled that we are playing Division One cricket next year and look forward to testing myself against the best teams in the country.”

Chris Silverwood was ecstatic to tie the 23-year-old down for another year and said: “Matt performed excellently for us in all competitions this season and quickly became a pivotal member of the squad.

“To be able to extend his contract for another year is brilliant news both for him and the club.”

More than 50 players between the ages of 17 and 30 have been selected for involvement in the four components of the men’s International Pathway this winter – the Lions, the Young Lions, the Pace Programme, and Overseas Placements.

It means that all 18 first-class counties will have players abroad either with England or on the Pathway, spread around four continents.

Andy Flower will lead an 18-man squad on a Lions training camp in Dubai in November and December, including three 50-over matches for England Lions against the United Arab Emirates at the ICC Academy and a three-day match against Afghanistan in Sharjah.

“This squad is for the first half of our Lions programme this winter,” explained Flower. “Firstly to build on some of the leadership work we did at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst last winter, which leads into a short camp at Loughborough, before we head out to Dubai later in November.

“We are taking 18 players because whereas last winter, and in our Tri-Series this summer, our focus was specifically on white-ball cricket, this year we will be working on both white-ball and red-ball skills. Developing skill will remain the highest priority of our work, with a range of specialist coaches to work with the players in the excellent facilities at the ICC Academy, and initially the opportunity to do that away from the different demands of competition. However towards the end of the camp we will play as England Lions in white-ball and red-ball fixtures, and an England Lions squad will then be selected later in December for a tour of Sri Lanka in February and March which will again involve white-ball and red-ball fixtures.”

Lions (for training camps at Sandhurst, Loughborough, Dubai, Nov/Dec, including white-ball matches against UAE, three-day match against Afghanistan): Nick Gubbins (Middlesex), Keaton Jennings (Durham), Tom Alsop (Hampshire), Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent), Tom Westley (Essex), Joe Clarke (Worcestershire), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Ollie Rayner (Middlesex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), James Fuller (Middlesex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Stuart Meaker (Surrey).

The Lions will be joined in Dubai in December by the Young Lions, a 17-strong squad of players who will be led by Andy Hurry, and who are all eligible for the England Under-19s tour of India in the New Year. This includes nine players who took part in this summer’s Under-19 matches against Sri Lanka.

Young Lions (for training camps in Loughborough, Dubai, Nov/Dec): Max Holden (Middlesex), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), George Bartlett (Somerset), Josh Dell (Worcestershire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Ben Green (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Delray Rawlins (Sussex), Amar Virdi (Surrey), Josh Coughlin (Durham), Will Jacks (Surrey), Euan Woods (Surrey), Liam Banks (Warwickshire), Aaron Beard (Essex), George Panayi (Warwickshire), Jack Blatherwick (Nottinghamshire), George Scrimshaw (Worcestershire).

The club wishes both Tom and Aaron the best of luck with the Lions & Young Lions over the winter.

After sealing the Specsavers County Championship Division Two title last Tuesday against Glamorgan, the club have designed some memorabilia t-shirts to remember the occasion. These have now been available to pre-order for both members and non-members.

The t-shirts will be priced at £8.99 for members and £9.99 for non-members. The shirts will be white with the below design on them to commemorate a special season for Essex and give supporters the opportunity to remember the campaign as well.

Do not hesitate to contact the Essex Cricket Store immediately on 01245 254020 to order your t-shirt now!

During the final home match of the season against Glamorgan in the Specsavers County Championship, two Essex players were presented with the Essex Boundary Club trophies, awarding the players who score the most runs and take the most wickets across all formats of the game.

For the third year running Tom Westley was the highest run scorer and he was presented with the Trophy by Essex Boundary Club Deputy Chair, Annie Northfield and Bonanza competition sponsor, Len Collins from Purified Air Ltd.

The most wickets trophy in 2016 was won most fittingly by Graham Napier in his final season with the Club.

The Bonanza is a raffle competition and the two members to draw the winning players were Mrs Mary Rose and Brian Blackler of Frinton on Sea. They each received a cheque for £250 from our sponsor Purified Air Ltd.

Finally, the Essex Boundary Club congratulates all the winners and thanks Members & supporters of Essex Cricket, and Purified Air Ltd for their support.