Doug Bracewell joined Essex in the weeks leading up to the 2023 season following the injury to Will Sutherland.
The New-Zealander already had a taste of domestic cricket in the UK, signing for Northamptonshire in the summer of 2018 where he took 15 wickets to help the side gain promotion to Division One.
Bracewell came into the 2023 season off the back of a recall to the Test squad following his inclusion in the squad to face Sri Lanka in March, which saw him pick up 2 wickets, in a career of over 100 wickets in over 50 matches for his native New Zealand at the Test level.
Kent v Essex LV= Insurance County Championship The Spitfire Ground, St.Lawrence, Canterbury Thursday 20 – Sunday 23 April 2023
Essex: Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Michael Pepper (wk), Simon Harmer, Doug Bracewell, Shane Snater, Ben Allison, Jamie Porter.
Kent: Ben Compton, Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Jack Leaning, Jordan Cox, Sam Billings (c & wk), Joey Evison, Hamidullah Qadri, Wes Agar, Nathan Gilchrist, Conor McKerr.
Match Details:
Umpires: David Millns & Nigel Llong
Match Referee: Simon Hinks
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat
Scorecard: View here
Result: Match Drawn (Kent 8 points, Essex 12 points)
Day Four Report:
The LV= Insurance match between Kent and Essex at Canterbury ended in a draw after the weather wiped out the final day.
Heavy rain fell throughout and play was officially abandoned at 1pm.
Kent had ended day three on 342 for seven, trailing Essex’s first innings total of 451 for five declared by 109, but a draw had always looked likely and in total 206 overs were lost across the four days.
The limited amount of cricket there was had been highly entertaining, with Nick Browne and Tom Westley scoring 159 and 148 for the visitors and Zak Crawley responding with a brilliant 170 on day three, but conditions on Sunday started badly and had no realistic prospect of improving.
Day Three Highlights:
Day Three Reaction: Simon Harmer:
Simon Harmer said: “I think it’s pretty obvious that there’s not going to be much cricket tomorrow so both teams wanted to maximise points.
“We wanted to try and get as many batting points and we could and if we’d bowled them out cheaply we could have gone for the win, but I think it’s quite obvious that’s out of the questions so we’re just trying to take as many wickets and get as many bowling points as we can.
“I think with the newer ball there was definitely something there but as the ball got softer and older it started to turn less and less.
“I think the optimist would have been looking at a win, but if you look at how we played when we played conventionally, they only took one wicket. I think the wicket was quite flat and it’s a very good four-day wicket. I think if this had been played over four days it would have been a hell of a game, but with the weather playing a part and the amount of time we’ve lost realistically we weren’t going to be able to pull off the impossible.
“Zak obviously took his chances. He wanted to play aggressively and Kent wanted to try and get as many points as possible. He got the rub of the green and there was a dropped catch, but don’t take that away from him, he’s a hell of a player and hopefully he can have a successful Ashes series this summer.”
Day Three Report:
An innings of 170 from Zak Crawley helped Kent to 342 for seven on day three of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Essex at Canterbury, a deficit of 109.
Despite the Kent player making his highest score for the Club, Essex kept Kent in check thanks largely to Simon Harmer, who took 4/141.
Earlier Nick Browne hit 159 before Essex declared on 451 for five. Tom Westley made 148 and Michael Pepper was unbeaten on 52, but with 118 overs lost to the weather on days one and two and the forecast for Sunday looking bleak, the draw now looks the most likely outcome.
For the first time in the match, the Spitfire Ground was bathed in sunshine when play began and Essex immediately went on the attack.
Westley drove the first ball of the day through the covers for four but he subsequently perished for 148 to an astounding piece of fielding by Daniel Bell-Drummond.
When he hooked Conor McKerr to the square leg boundary it looked almost certain to be a six, but Bell-Drummond managed to grab the ball in mid-air and flick it back over to the rope to Ben Compton.
Wickets continued to fall as the Essex batters favoured quick runs over conserving their wicket as the score moved to 330-4 when Matt Critchley was wonderfully caught in his follow-through by McKerr.
That brought Pepper to the crease with a license to play his shots. And play his shots he did, including a spectacular ramped six and a lofted six over extra cover. He and Browne put on an entertaining 94, before Browne eventually fell for a wonderful 159.
Pepper, making the most of a rare outing in the red-ball side made a run-a-ball 52 and finished not out as Essex declared on 451-5 with all five batting bonus points safely secured.
Openers Crawley and Ben Compton moved cautiously to 13 without loss at lunch, after which the former launched an aggressive counter-attack, driving, cutting and even reverse-sweeping his way to his century.
He smashed Harmer back over his head for six to pass 50 and pulled the same bowler through mid-wicket to get to three figures, but an opening stand of 162 ended Harmer bowled Compton for 46 with a ball that trickled off the foot of his bat before hitting the stumps.
Harmer then trapped Bell-Drummond lbw for 23 with the final ball of the afternoon session and had Leaning caught by a tumbling Paul Walter at mid-wicket soon after the break.
Cox slashed a Doug Bracewell delivery to Harmer at backward point to give Essex their fourth wicket.
Harmer then bowled Sam Billings middle stump for one and having passed his previous highest score for Kent, 168 vs Glamorgan in 2018, Crawley was finally caught behind off Jamie Porter, with Kent still 14 short of the follow on target.
Joey Evison subsequently edged one past gully to get the hosts within 150 and although Hamid Qadri was caught behind off Matt Critchley for 16, Evison and McKerr batted through to stumps.
Day Two Highlights:
Day Two Reaction: Tom Westley
Essex’s Tom Westley said: “It’s always nice to score a hundred. It’s been a bit frustrating this season getting 40s. I’d sort of carried on my form from last year, getting starts and a few 50s, so I’m pleased to get a few runs and obviously pleased for Brownie as well. It’s a shame about the weather but I think we’re in a strong position.
“I think it’s a good wicket. I think by their own admission they probably didn’t bowl as well as they would have liked with the new ball and hopefully if we get it right with the new ball we can create a few chances, but so far it’s been a really good batting wicket.
“We’re trying to be a bit more positive as a batting unit and Chef [Alastair Cook] has taken it to another level. I was joking with him that if he was in now he’d probably be on about 350. Maybe he’s making a late push for an England call-up, or recall!
“I was fortunate, I think, that I got a few bad balls early on that got me going. In the past, when I’ve been at my best I’ve played quite positively and maybe I went away from that a little bit in the last 12 months. I’m really fortunate it’s paid off so far.
“You sometimes do need someone to anchor the batting and I think Brownie’s done that exceptionally well. We’re now trying to get as many runs as quickly as we possibly can so we can get some batting bonus points which we’ve been a bit short of this year and then get bowling. We need to take 20 wickets, which is going to be a challenge, but you never know.”
Day Two Report
Tom Westley and Nick Browne both hit centuries as Essex advanced to 289 for one on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.
Westley scored a swashbuckling, unbeaten 138, which contrasted with Browne’s more measured 105 not out, but for the second day running conditions halted Essex’s progress, with just 32 overs possible.
Kent’s bowlers toiled again and Westley and Browne have now put on an unbeaten 246 for the second wicket.
Almost incessant overnight rain left the Spitfire Ground outfield saturated, wiping out the entire morning session, but conditions slowly improved.
Essex were on 164 for one when play finally got started at 3.15 pm and they carried on where they’d left off on day one, scoring at four an over, with only the occasional alarm.
Westley reached three figures, from 129 balls, with a violent straight drive off Conor McKerr that flew to the Pavilion End boundary and it was 245 for one at tea, the duo having added 81 without loss in 22 overs.
Browne reached three figures from 236 balls when he hit Hamid Qadri for two through the covers. The celebration from both Browne and Westley when Browne reached his century showed the significance of the knock for the Essex opener.
The leaden skies encouraged him to accelerate and he smacked a four off Evison before bad light forced the players off at 5:40 pm.
With the rain falling once again play was subsequently abandoned for the day and just 74 overs have been bowled over days one and two.
Day One Highlights:
Day One Report:
Essex dominated a truncated first day against Kent in the LV= Insurance County Championship at Canterbury, posting 164 for one.
Tom Westley was unbeaten on 71 and Nick Browne made 54 before the rain intervened.
Kent debutant Wes Agar took the only wicket to fall when he had Alastair Cook caught behind, leaving him with figures of 1/39.
The players initially came off for bad light during the afternoon session and heavy rain subsequently saw play officially abandoned at 5 pm.
Essex dominated what little action there was. After winning the toss, they chose to bat in Baltic conditions and approached the morning session like wizened old-timers taking on a callow bowling attack. They didn’t run because they didn’t need to, hitting 17 boundaries before they scored their first single.
Kent’s sole breakthrough came when Alastair Cook, who’d made a rapid 39 from just 30 balls, edged Agar behind to Sam Billings.
It was the only bright moment for Kent during an otherwise one-sided session that saw Essex reach 121 for one at lunch.
Westley drove the second ball of the afternoon session, from Conor McKerr, through point to reach his half-century and Browne passed the same landmark with an elegant cover drive off Nathan Gilchrist.
The visitors had cantered to 159 for one when bad light halted play at 2.19 pm. There was an-eight minute resumption before rain started to fall and with no realistic prospect of conditions improving, the umpires called a halt for the day.
East London has long been renowned for being a hotbed of cricketing talent with the likes of Graham Gooch, Nasser Hussain, Ravi Bopara, and more recently Dan Lawrence and Feroze Khushi learning their skills in the boroughs, such as Newham, Redbridge, Havering, Barking & Dagenham and Waltham Forest.
The next crop of talented young boys and girls in the area are honing their skills in the Leyton Hub;in collaboration with the ECB and London Borough of Waltham Forestthe newlyrefurbishedcricket facility situated adjacent to the home ground of Essex’s inaugural first-class fixture against Leicestershire in 1894.
One of Leyton’s famous sons, Graham Gooch recently visited the Hub toformally launch the East London Cricket Performance programme for boys and girls partnership funding by Essex Cricket Foundation on a 3-year agreement, the funding is in place to fill the cost gap to ensure local talented players are not hampered on their own cricket development, the programme is fully funded as well as utilising quality local coaches and providing state of the art cricket equipment, the sessions also include master class workshops, most recently being run by Nasser Hussain, Ravi Bopara and Dr Zaf Iqbal.
As well as formally launching the partnership, Graham Gooch alsogavea batting masterclass to players in the East London Development Programme and Essex Cricket Academy. Gooch was joined by Head Coach Anthony McGrath and First Team players Feroze Khushi and Robin Das for a session all built around decision-making, scenario play and developing batting techniques.
Graham Gooch said: “It’s amazing to launch the East London Cricket Performance programme. It’s vital that cricket in East London gets the funding it’s required to help both discover and develop the amazing cricket talent the boroughs hold. After speaking and working with some of the players from both the Essex Cricket Academy and the East London Development Programme it’s clear to see that the future is very bright and I’m excited to help play a part in these youngsters’ cricketing journeys.”
Arfan Akram, Essex Cricket’s East London Development Manager, added: “The passion and love for cricket in East London is simply inspiring. The data shows that East London historically and continues to produce very talented players, the funding is paramount in ensuring that those very talented players who at current may not be on the age group programme have the time to develop and grow with quality coaching, quality equipment and quality coaching.
“The programme is a direct pathway into the county and regularly attended by our head scout. In its infinity, the programme has already produced so many talented boys and girls players on their cricketing journey and collaborating with SACA is another fantastic opportunity to continue to support by providing opportunities.”
The sessions are part of an extensive schedule of events which take place daily within the Leyton Hub for boys and girls of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Essex Cricket’s new partnership with the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) will also be based in Leyton to help create further opportunities through elite performance programmes for aspiring British South Asian cricketers.
Welcome to our exclusive interview with Head Coach Anthony McGrath. After a fruitful winter in Australia, Head Coach Anthony McGrath is all geared up to take on the challenges of the upcoming cricket season, starting with the pre-season camp in Abu Dhabi.
Mags has not long returned to the UK after a few weeks spent alongside his Essex Assistant, Mick Lewis at the Melbourne Renegades in BBL 12 but is now preparing for two weeks of warm weather training and competitive action in the UAE.
In this interview, McGrath shares his thoughts on his winter in Australia, his expectations for the upcoming season, and his plans for the pre-season camp in Abu Dhabi.
The latest Members’ Forum takes place on the evening of Thursday 16 February at The Cloud County Ground.
The evening will begin at 6:30pm in the Doug Insole Pavilion and Members will be joined by Chief Executive John Stephenson, Interim Chair Sir Stephen O’Brien and Interim Deputy Chair Anu Mohindru for a discussion on Club matters, including season preparations and an update on the Board.
The Forum will be exclusively for 2023 Members and is available to attend either in person or via the zoom conferencing platform. Please note that attendees will only be able to access the ground via the main entrance on New Writtle Street and parking will be free of charge.
The Doug Insole Pavilion bar will be open before the Forum and please note we are a cashless venue.
Attendees are invited to submit questions in advance by midday on Thursday 16 February to [email protected].
We look forward to welcoming Members who are able to join us on the night but an exclusive link has been sent to all Members with a valid email address ahead of the event for those wishing to view online. If you are a current 2023 Member and haven’t received a link, please get in touch with the Club on [email protected].
We advise checking your online Membership account if you have recently changed your contact information.
After going on general sale on Thursday 19 January, only 30% of season passes to see every one of the Eagles’ home T20 fixtures remain with Members and Eagles fans coming out in force to ensure another strong home support for next season’s Vitality Blast campaign.
Blast Passes start at £150 for adults and are the best value way to see every ball of T20 action at Chelmsford, saving a minimum of £25 compared to buying seven equivalent matchday tickets.
Coming up in the blast in 2023
There’s plenty to look forward to in Essex’s Vitality Blast campaign after a promising showing in 2022 which ended in the Quarter-Finals.
T20 cricket returns to Chelmsford on Tuesday 30 May, 7pm when the Eagles take on visitors Gloucestershire before Hampshire Hawks come to The Cloud County Ground three days later for the first Friday night under lights of 2023.
On Tuesday 06 June, Sussex Sharks are the opposition and anything near a repeat of last year’s manic game in which 477 runs were scored will live long in the memory of supporters of both sides.
A repeat of another high-scoring affair follows as the Eagles take on Glamorgan on Friday 16 June. After Essex’s all-time T20 record score of 254 last year, Glamorgan will be keen to avoid the same happening again.
Fixtures against Somerset (Monday 19 June) and Kent Spitfires (Thursday 22 June) follow before the final T20 fixture of the season at Chelmsford against Middlesex on Friday 30 June.
Individual Matchday Tickets
If you can’t attend every home Eagles match or financially commit to a Blast Pass, individual matchday tickets will be on general sale from Tuesday 21 February.
To jump the queue for Vitality Blast matchday tickets, subscribe to the Club’s Over & Out! emails and receive priority access to tickets from Monday 06 February as well as all of the latest news regarding the Club, new signings and pre and post-match information.
Eagles Fans can now secure their seat at all seven of Essex’s home Vitality Blast fixtures in 2023 with a Blast Pass.
Blast Passes start at £150 for adults and are the best value way to see every ball of T20 action at Chelmsford, saving a minimum of £25 compared to buying seven equivalent matchday tickets.
There’s plenty to look forward to in Essex’s Vitality Blast campaign after a promising showing in 2022 which ended in the Quarter-Finals.
T20 cricket returns to Chelmsford on Tuesday 30 May, 7pm when the Eagles take on visitors Gloucestershire before Hampshire Hawks come to The Cloud County Ground three days later for the first Friday night under lights of 2023.
On Tuesday 06 June, Sussex Sharks are the opposition and anything near a repeat of last year’s manic game in which 477 runs were scored will live long in the memory of supporters of both sides.
A repeat of another high-scoring affair follows as the Eagles take on Glamorgan on Friday 16 June. After Essex’s all-time T20 record score of 254 last year, Glamorgan will be keen to avoid the same happening again.
Fixtures against Somerset (Monday 19 June) and Kent Spitfires (Thursday 22 June) follow before the final T20 fixture of the season at Chelmsford against Middlesex on Friday 30 June.
T20 Blast Passes have already proved popular this year so we recommend buying early to avoid disappointment. However, if you can’t attend every home Eagles match or financially commit to a Blast Pass, tickets will be on general sale from Tuesday 21 February.
To jump the queue for Vitality Blast tickets, subscribe to the Club’s Over & Out! emails and receive priority access to tickets from Monday 05 February as well as all of the latest news regarding the Club, new signings and pre and post-match information.
Essex batter Dan Lawrence has been selected in England’s 15-strong squad for a two-match Test tour of New Zealand starting in February.
Lawrence was last seen in an England shirt when he was an ever-present during England’s tour of the West Indies in March, making his highest score of 91 in the second Test at the Kensington Oval.
He has experienced facing New Zealand at the highest level, featuring in two Test matches against the opposition in June 2021. In the second Test he made 81 not out, his highest score in Test matches until the 91 against the West Indies.
England Men’s Test squad:
Ben Stokes (Durham)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Ben Foakes (Surrey)
Will Jacks (Surrey) Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire)
Seamers Stuart Broad, Matthew Potts and Essex batter Dan Lawrence are returning to the Test squad.
Nottinghamshire quick Olly Stone, who last played for England in June 2021 against New Zealand, will be looking to add to his three Test caps.
Durham fast bowler Mark Wood, who was impressive in the recent 3-0 victory over Pakistan, will take a break from all international and franchise cricket in January to fully recover after a busy winter in all formats. He is expected to tour Bangladesh in March, where England will play three ODIS and three IT20s.
Leg spinner Rehan Ahmed, as part of his management for this winter, will go to the UAE T20 League in January with a view to joining up with the white-ball team in Bangladesh if selected in March.
Yorkshire and England batter Joe Root will play a handful of matches in the UAE T20 League ahead of the tour to New Zealand. He will then have a short break before joining up with the Test team. We believe this is the best way to enhance his game ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India in the autumn of 2023.
Those players involved in the ODI series in South Africa – Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Olly Stone and Will Jacks, who is playing in the South Africa T20 League – will fly directly to join the squad in New Zealand following the conclusion of that series.
England Men’s Test Tour of New Zealand
08-09 February: 11am start: NZ XI v England, Seddon Park, Hamilton (Two-day warm-up, red-ball)
10-11 February: 2pm start: NZ XI v England, Seddon Park, Hamilton (Two-day warm-up, pink-ball)
16-20 February: 2pm start: New Zealand v England, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui (First Test, pink-ball)
24-28 February: 11am start: New Zealand v England, Basin Reserve, Wellington (Second Test, red-ball)
Essex County Cricket Club supports Azeem Akhtar’s personal decision to voluntarily step aside as Chair of the Club while an immediate independent review is conducted into the circumstances around some historic content on social media.
Essex and Azeem Akhtar are determined to uphold the values of strong leadership, governance and accountability. By initiating this review, Azeem has demonstrated his commitment to those core values.
We remain committed to tackling discrimination and racism and have a zero-tolerance approach in this area. All of those connected with Essex want to ensure the Club is a safe and welcoming place where everyone, no matter of background, can play a major part in the future of Essex Cricket.
Essex’s Deputy Chair, Sir Stephen O’Brien will take on duties as Chair on an interim basis, while Anu Mohindru KC will step up as Interim Deputy Chair.
No further comment will be made while the independent review is ongoing.
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