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On 20 November 2017, Anthony McGrath was appointed Head Coach of Essex, taking over the reins from his former boss, and fellow Yorkshireman, Chris Silverwood.

In the ensuing years, the Eagles have won three trophies, including a historic County Championship-Vitality Blast double in 2019.

Now, on the sixth anniversary of Mags’ appointment, this is a look back at an over of his most memorable moments at the Essex helm.

1) County Champions Again, 2019

Simon Harmer did what he does best to lead the way in the wicket-taking charts with 83, while Alastair Cook hit 913 runs as the Eagles finished 11 points clear of Somerset at the top of the tree.

Just 48 hours after also winning the Vitality Blast, Essex headed to Taunton for a crucial showdown that would decide the destination of the trophy, and they dug in for a crucial draw to bring it back to Chelmsford.
 

2) Record Breakers, 2022

A total of 43 boundaries were hit in the Essex innings, 19 of which were sixes, as the Welsh outfit wilted, with four of their five bowlers going at more than ten per over and every home batter striking at a rate of at least 160.

In response, captain Sam Northeast put up a valiant fight with an unbeaten 97 from 56 balls, but no one was able to match the Eagles’ fireworks as the visitors finished well short on 185-7 to give Essex victory by 69 runs.
 

3) Vitality Blast Triumph, 2019

Having seen off Finals Day debutants Derbyshire Falcons in the semi-final by 34 runs, with Cameron Delport hitting 55 and Simon Harmer snaring 4/19, a date with destiny was set for the evening.

The Rapids, who were defending champions, set a target of 145/9, which Essex overhauled in thrilling fashion as Harmer hit the winning four off the very last ball of the chase, to spark manic celebrations in Birmingham.
 

4) Last-Ball Six, 2023

Chasing 197 and with three needed off one ball, Feroze Khushi hit Sean Abbott towards Chris Jordan, and though he took a catch, he was unable to stop, and an attempted throw to Jamie Overton only palmed it over the rope.

The most crucial two points were in the bag, and with Kent then losing to Somerset in the day’s evening clash, the Eagles’ progress to the last eight, having gone right down to the wire, was secured.

5) Lifting The Bob Willis Trophy, 2020

Although Essex were officially unable to defend their 2019 Championship title, they again saw off Somerset, this time in the final at Lord’s, to retain their status as the best red-ball side in the country.

The rain-affected match did end in a draw, but by virtue of having scored more first-innings runs – 337 to Somerset’s 301 – it was McGrath’s Eagles that lifted another trophy.
 

6) Spoiling The Champions’ Party, 2018

However, Essex ensured their achievement from the previous year of going through the entire year without defeat would remain unmatched, as Tom Westley’s first-innings 134 set up a thrilling one-wicket win.

Chasing a target of, funnily enough, 134 in the fourth innings after a topsy-turvy four days, Ryan ten Doeschate’s counter-attacking unbeaten 53 saw Essex sneak over the line and put a dent in the Brown Caps’ celebrations.
 

Essex are set to fly to Abu Dhabi in March 2024 for a two-week pre-season tour.

Taking place just two weeks prior to the start of the 2024 summer, the Eagles will be joined by Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, and Yorkshire, and will spend two weeks in the UAE capital from 11th March.

Alongside a team representing Abu Dhabi, the five counties will participate in a three-day T20 festival before each playing a two-day red-ball match, all taking place at the Zayed Cricket Academy complex.

The tour will be the first opportunity for the entire Essex first-team group to train and play together after a long winter, with several players returning from off-season assignments across the globe.

It will also be the first time new signing Jordan Cox will pad up for the Eagles, in a city where March temperatures average around 25°C.

Members and fans wishing to watch Anthony McGrath’s side in action in the sunnier climes before the season begins in earnest can book their trips through Sporta Tours.

The full details of what the spectators’ package entails, as well as how to register your interest, can be found by clicking below:

General admission and hospitality tickets for Essex’s home County Championship and Metro Bank One Day Cup fixtures in 2024 will be on sale from 10:00am on Thursday.

The Cloud County Ground will host up to 32 days of cricket in those competitions next summer, and tickets will be available at the same time as the full 2024 programme is announced.

Alternatively, you can secure full access to every Essex home fixture in those two competitions now by purchasing a 2024 Membership:

2024 Membership Pricing

Membership Renewals will only apply to those who were Members in 2023. All other Membership purchases will be charged the New Member rate.

 
Ticket sales for the Vitality Blast will begin in priority stages in mid-January, leading up to general sale by the third week of February.

Furthermore, there is now also the opportunity to express your interest in upgrading your experience at The Cloud County Ground in 2024 by means of a hospitality package.

Please complete the form below to register for news on Blast tickets and/or be placed on our contact list for hospitality packages – and by so doing, be optionally entered into the draw to win a 2024 Vitality Blast Pass!

Sorry, this competition has now expired. If you would like to purchase matchday tickets, a T20 Blast Pass or hospitality, please visit www.essexcricket.org.uk for more details.
 

Essex Cricket is pleased to announce that long-serving batter Nick Browne has signed a new contract that extends his association with the Club until the end of the 2024 season.

Born in Leytonstone, Browne has represented the Eagles since 2013, playing 178 games and scoring almost 8,500 runs across all formats.

Across his time in Essex colours, he has been most prolific in first-class cricket, hitting over 7,500 runs at an average of 35.87.

The 32-year-old has hit 31 half-centuries and 19 hundreds in the format, as well as striking three List A fifties, and has a career top score of 255 against Derbyshire in May 2016.

Having struck three further scores above 200 since, Browne also has the distinction of being joint-second on the list of double-century makers in Essex history, level with Sonny Avery.

He was awarded his county cap in 2015, and has won five trophies with Essex, including the Club’s first County Championship title for 25 years in 2017, a year in which he scored over 1,100 runs.

Upon extending his Essex career into a second decade, Browne said: “It’s fantastic to stay here at Chelmsford, a place that has given me a wonderful career and some amazing memories.

“I was born locally, and it means a huge amount to me to be able to represent the region where I grew up and developed both personally and professionally.”

“I look forward to contributing to winning more trophies for the Essex fans and Members!”

Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, added: “I’m really pleased we’ve managed to keep Nick at Essex for at least another year.

“We’ve been keen to secure the futures of our most promising young players, but a key ingredient of a winning team is getting the blend of youth and experience just right.

“Nick brings the latter in spades, and he’s a quality option at the top of the order as well as being a great character to have in the dressing room.”
 

Our Official Travel Partner, Ambassador Cruise Line is offering Members and supporters access to their exclusive Purple Month. You’re invited to discover their outstanding offer until Tuesday 28 November!

In November, Ambassador have some great offers on selected trips, as well as giving guests the choice between Free Drinks or £20 per person per night on board credit on all 2024/25 season sailings (departing 27 March 2024 –24 April 2025).*

And that’s not all. You can save 5% on all sailings when you apply code ‘ESSEX5’ at the checkout on top of this special offer. Essex Members can apply an additional 10% saving by using the code ‘ESSEX10’.

When you sail with Ambassador, you’ll enjoy breath-taking destinations, amazing entertainment, excellent service and outstanding cuisine; all for the best value at sea. Hurry before the offer ends – you have until 28 November 2023 to finalise your booking!

Ambassador’s ships visit countries all around the world, leaving it up to you to decide when and where you want to enjoy yourself next. Plus, their sustainability efforts are supporting the next era of cruising, both with their on board improvements and our charity partnerships.

Join us on board, and you’ll soon find out why 9 out of 10 guests would recommend Ambassador and why they were awarded the best value on the high seas!

‘ESSEX5’ and ‘ESSEX10’ codes expire on the Wednesday 31 January 2024 so don’t forget to book now for unbelievable value. There will be further updates in the New Year with what to expect from our valued principal partner.

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**Free Drinks includes our Explorer Drinks Package and guest can upgrade to our Expedition Package for just £10per person per night.