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In one week’s time on Friday 06 October, ballot winners will be able to purchase tickets for England Women’s Metro Bank One Day International against Pakistan Women at The Cloud County Ground.

The ballot will close on the evening of Thursday 05 October, so if you haven’t yet entered there is still time to put your name in the hat for 2024 International tickets.

Successful ballot entrants will receive a unique link via email and will be able to purchase tickets from the early bird prices of £15 for Adults and £5 for Juniors.

Click here to enter the ballot

Northamptonshire v Essex

LV= Insurance County Championship
The County Ground, Northampton
Tuesday 26 – Friday 29 September | 10:30am start

Essex undertake their final act of the season when they travel to Northamptonshire for the concluding round of the 2023 County Championship.

A dramatic and gut-wrenching defeat to Hampshire in their last match means that the Eagles head to the East Midlands 20 points behind leaders and defending champions Surrey.

While that gap does not mean the title is decided, a quite dramatic shift would now be required not just in Northampton, but also Southampton, where Surrey are playing their final game, to dethrone the Brown Caps.

In any event, a second-placed finish would still represent a memorable season for Anthony McGrath’s side, and there will, as ever, be more than just pride on the line over the upcoming four days.

Squad:

Head Coach Anthony McGrath has named an 14-strong group to travel to Northampton which is unchanged from the Hampshire encounter.

Dan Lawrence is named in an Essex squad for the final time before he departs in the upcoming off-season.

The Opposition:

Northamptonshire squad: Luke Procter (c), Hassan Azad, Justin Broad, Emilio Gay, Rob Keogh, Simon Kerrigan, Lewis McManus, Karun Nair, Alex Russell, Ben Sanderson, Tom Taylor, Jack White, Saif Zaib

While Northamptonshire did their bit last week in their fight against the drop by impressively holding Surrey to a draw at the Kia Oval, results elsewhere conspired against them and as a result, they have already been officially relegated ahead of this week’s match.

That early sealing of their fate has come about as a result of winning just one match so far this season, back in April against Middlesex, and picking up only seven batting bonus points, fewer than half of the next-highest tally of 15, held by Nottinghamshire.

John Sadler’s side had a slightly more competitive time of it in the white-ball arena this summer, although fell short of any knockout stage appearances, with sixth-placed group-stage finishes in both the Metro Bank One Day Cup and the Vitality Blast.

Key Battle – Tom Westley v Jack White:

Last Time We Met:

Quirkily, this match is taking place exactly a year to the days that these teams last locked horns, with their 2022 fixture taking place from 26 September too, and on that occasion, Essex prevailed in thrilling fashion.

Rain interrupted the first afternoon and the second morning in Northampton, but there was enough time in the remainder of the game for the Eagles to secure a 47-run win after the hosts folded in their second innings.

Both sides’ first innings, with Essex having first dig after being put in, were very much the Ben Allison show, as the all-rounder’s 69 was the top score in the visitors’ total of 263, before he went on to claim 5/32 and a run-out in establishing a first-innings lead of 163.

The pendulum did swing somewhat after the Eagles’ batting efforts the second time around, bowled out for 110 as Jack White claimed 6/38 to set up a tricky but achievable victory chase of 211 for his side.

However, as he has done on so many occasions over the past seven seasons, Simon Harmer came to the fore late in the game, matching White’s haul in taking 6/49 himself as the hosts collapsed from 62-1 to 163 all out.

That exactly matched their first-innings score and handed McGrath’s men a narrow win that saw them finish the Division One season in a comfortable fourth, two places ahead of Northants.

Division One Standings:

How To Watch:

For anyone not travelling to Northampton to watch in person, the game will be streamed live via the hosts, and will be available to watch on the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website, while live updates will also be provided across the Essex Cricket social media channels.

Tickets:

Entry to the County Ground is priced at £15 per day for adults and £5 per day for under-18s.

Anyone making the trip up to the East Midlands can purchase tickets from the Northamptonshire website by visiting the link below:

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has published details of further steps it will take to make cricket more inclusive in response to the recent report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).

In conjunction, Essex Cricket (EC) would like to go on record with its unequivocal support for the ECB’s response, recognising the need for wide-ranging change throughout the game in order to achieve that aim.

EC is also publishing details of its own undertakings on a more localised level as all parties strive to achieve the goal of making cricket the most inclusive sport in England and Wales.

Richard Thompson, ECB Chair, said: “On the day the ICEC published its report, I apologised without reservation on behalf of cricket’s wider leadership to anyone who has suffered discrimination or felt excluded from our sport.

“As well as reiterating that apology here, I reaffirm our absolute commitment that cricket will strive to become the most inclusive sport in England and Wales.

“There is no doubt that the ICEC highlighted to great effect the impact of discrimination on individuals and the extent of the systemic challenges to be addressed.

“Its in-depth analysis also presented an opportunity to put in place a comprehensive plan of action that will deliver meaningful change and rebuild trust among the communities we serve.

“This response represents a set of actions that will accelerate and intensify our work to make cricket a game for everyone, actions that cricket can deliver and fund within an achievable timeframe.

“It builds on a huge amount of work which is already under way right across the network. Cricket hasn’t got it right in the past, but this is an opportunity to move forwards together.

“I’d urge everyone to now come together, to put their energy and effort into delivering these actions, and to playing their part in ensuring cricket becomes England and Wales’s most inclusive team sport.”

Rachel Lewis, Chair of the Essex Cricket in the Community (ECiC) Board, added: “Essex Cricket is proud of the work it has done and continues to do in order to follow up on the recommendations laid out in the ICEC report.

“However, we recognise that significantly more work is required to ensure that the aims arising from those recommendations become reality.

“At Essex Cricket, we are determined to do more at a local level, and support the ECB in its wider jurisdiction, as we work towards a shared vision of opening the game up to everyone, regardless of their background.”

EC has aimed to strengthen links with the state school sector, training more than 700 teachers to deliver cricket sessions, and there are now more than 10,000 pupils taking part in EC-run primary school competitions.

The most evident increase in this area is in Years 5 and 6, where there has been a 54% rise in participation among pupils in those age groups.

In addition, funding of £10,000 has been provided towards secondary school competitions, and in 2023 EC was delighted to welcome 300 teams in these competitions across 80 schools.

Of those 300, 80 were girls’ teams, and a total of 3,000 students took part, while EC has already seen 14 new schools register their interest in participating in the competitions in 2024.

There are eight MCC Foundation hubs within EC’s remit, encompassing Leyton, Thurrock, Newham, Colchester, and Felsted, and which comprise 288 young participants, split into 176 boys and 112 girls.

Funds of £70,000 have also been directed towards the Leyton Urban Cricket Hub, and a multi-year partnership with the South Asian Cricket Association, another of the ECB’s funded partners, has been established.

On the EC Pathway, 50% of all players are currently state-educated, while 57% of boys and 20% of girls on the Pathway identify as being from an ethnic minority background.

Follow the links to view further resources on the ICEC report:
• ECB response on the ICEC report – view here
• Essex Cricket’s E.A.G.L.E.S EDI Action Plan – view here

Should you have any concerns following the release of the ICEC report today or would like to raise any concerns on discrimination, then please email [email protected].

Essex v Hampshire

LV= Insurance County Championship

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Tuesday 19 – 22 September 2023, 10:30am start

Team News:

Essex: Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Dan Lawrence, Matt Critchley, Paul Walter, Adam Rossington (wk), Simon Harmer, Umesh Yadav, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.

Hampshire: Fletcha Middleton, Toby Albert, Nick Gubbins (c), James Vince, Tom Prest, Liam Dawson, Ben Brown (wk), Keith Barker, Felix Organ, Kyle Abbott, Mohammad Abbas.

Match Details:

Umpires: Nigel Llong & Steve O’Shaughnessy
Match Referee: Simon Hinks
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat
Result: Hampshire won by 3 wickets

Scorecard: View Here

Day Four Highlights:

Day Four Reaction: Anthony McGrath

Day Four Report:

Liam Dawson put a cherry on top of his magnificent season with a sublime 119 to give Hampshire victory over Essex, and hand Surrey a significant advantage in the LV=Insurance County Championship title race.

Dawson arrived at the crease at 32 for four, having been set 267 in 59 overs, and with best mate James Vince put on 184 for the fifth wicket – a record for Hampshire for the wicket against Essex.

Dawson struck his third century of the season, his most in a season, and Vince totted up 89 as Hampshire won at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, for just the fourth time since 1974.

Essex will go into their final fixture against bottom side Northamptonshire, at Wantage Road next week, with a 20-point deficit to leaders Surrey – who face Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.

Tom Westley’s side had won their last six matches, having only won one of their first six games of the season, but could only watch as Dawson gave them an uphill climb in the final week.

Essex knocked off the last two Hampshire wickets within five overs as they also picked up what could be a crucial third bowling point.

Kyle Abbott chopped Sam Cook onto his own stumps and Tom Prest fell for 108 when he was stumped – Harmer claiming six for 149.

Essex had a 113 first innings lead and had the dilemma of how many runs and how long they’d need to bowl out Hampshire.

Their first funky decision didn’t pay any dividends as the innately attacking Adam Rossington was promoted to open and lasted just three balls.

Alastair Cook, attempted to score quickly but couldn’t find any timing. Eventually he put out his misery when a swish caught an edge behind.

Dan Lawrence, on what is definitely his last home game as an Essex player before he joins Surrey, got things moving with Westley as the duo quickly put on 83 – forced largely to run between the wicket due to Hampshire’s defensive fields cutting off boundary options.

Westley fell to the final before lunch, plinking to long on for 45, while Lawrence moved past his 38th half-century for his boyhood county.

The spell after the interval was a blur of swinging bats, players alternating back and forward from the pavilion. In a 21 balls spell, Essex only managed 20 runs but lost five wickets.

Paul Walter was bowled by Liam Dawson the ball after smacking a huge six, Lawrence slogged straight up and was brilliantly held by wicketkeeper Ben Brown and Matt Critchley perished at long on.

Umesh Yadav went six, six, hole out to long on before the declaration came the ball after Harmer slapped to deep cover.

It ultimately meant Hampshire were set 267 runs to win in a minimum of 59 overs, and without the need of collusion or bartering.

A classic Essex fourth-innings rampage looked in store when Toby Albert was sensationally caught behind down the legside by Rossington.

Harmer entered the attack in the fifth over and had three wickets by the end of the 11th over as Hampshire flopped to 32 for three.

Fletcha Middleton top-edged a sweep, Nick Gubbins had a leading-edge loop to short extra cover, and having survived a dropped catch the ball before, Prest poked to short leg.

The next 39 overs didn’t go to plan for the hosts. Vince and Dawson colonised the crease, initially getting the run-rate towards what was required – typified by Vince reaching his fifty in 45 balls -before stopping taking risks when the win looked out of sight.

There were chances though. Vince was put down on 16 by Matt Critchley and Dawson dribbled one through Alastair Cook’s hands.

But otherwise, it was two experienced heads occupying the crease and picking the bad balls to put away and manipulating the field.

The stand reached 184 before Vince finally misjudged a big shot and was caught at cover.

But it barely deterred Dawson, he had a catch not carry to square leg on 97 before reaching his third ton of the season with a guide to the third boundary.

Dawson chipped to short cover with 20 still required from 22 balls, but Ben Brown and Keith Barker maintained the momentum to give Hampshire a memorable victory with five balls to spare.

Day Three Reaction: Tom Westley

Day Three Highlights:

Day Three Match Report:

Tom Prest brilliantly scored his maiden LV= Insurance County Championship century to frustrate title hopefuls Essex – despite Simon Harmer’s 35th first-class five-wicket haul for the county.

Former England under 19 skipper Prest masterfully scored an unbeaten 102 to guide Hampshire past the follow-on score with vital contributions from Toby Albert, Fletcha Middleton, James Vince and Keith Barker.

South African Harmer claimed five for 143 as he churned away from the River End for 36 overs but Hampshire ended the day on 322 for eight – and 125 runs adrift – with a potential to set up a result on the final day.

Albert and Middleton had seen out seven overs the previous evening and combined on the third morning with a mix of patience and skill to clear the new ball with little problems.

Middleton survived a missed stumping, the first of a few missteps from Essex, on 17 as the 21-year-old openers put on 68.

But the arrival of Paul Walter’s tall left-arm pace to the attack immediately saw the back of Albert, when he pinned him lbw with an in-swinging yorker.

Nick Gubbins pushed to second slip to give Harmer his first before the off-spinner bowled a slog sweeping Middleton for 47.

Vince had arrived with intent to counter and smashed 46 in 45 balls – capped by hitting Matt Critchley back over his head for six.

He and fellow experienced middle-order batter Liam Dawson fell in consecutive overs playing aggressive shots – Vince skying a top edge to long off, while Dawson slogged a sweep from well outside off stump to square leg.

Essex’s title hopes looked bright with Hampshire 141 for five and in a prime follow-on position, and Surrey collapsing at the Kia Oval against Northamptonshire.

But Prest flipped the script by partnering up with the lower-middle order to defy Harmer and bat Hampshire towards a position of strength.

Prest has long been talked about in the same breath as Vince, with his powerful shot-making and wonderful ability to find boundaries.

His red ball form, in his first six outings, had been disappointing, especially compared to his sparkling white-ball record – which included two List A centuries and four Vitality Blast fifties.

Here, he scored 36 of his 69-ball half-century in boundaries with plenty of resilience shown in a dodgy situation for his team.

Prest put on 54 with the uneasy Brown – who survived a simple catch at square leg when on one before he was caught off the bat-pad for Harmer’s fourth.

Prest was dropped by Harmer at second slip the ball after bringing up his first Championship fifty but was otherwise chanceless, amid turn and invariable bounce from Harmer.

Barker, who was so close to winning this fixture last season, utilised his well-honed reverse sweep and dipped into his experience to join forces with his young seventh wicket partner – the pair putting on 89 together.

Barker fell trying to pull Sam Cook before Felix Organ gave Harmer his fifth with a misjudged slog sweep.

Kyle Abbott now stewarded Prest to make sure Hampshire averted the follow-on – which he managed with a pair of sixes in the 77th over. Prest then reached three figures in 119 balls after the second new ball had been taken.

Bad light took the players off just before 16:30 before rain kyboshed any hope of any more play – as those who stayed in the ground were taunted with Surrey’s improving situation being played on the scoreboard.

Day Two Match Highlights:

Day Two Match Report:

Matt Critchley fell one run short of his third LV= Insurance County Championship of the season before title-contenders Essex declared on a hefty 447 against Hampshire.

Critchley had been strolling towards three figures and 1,000 runs for the season but stuttered on 99 before he slapped to short extra cover.

Simon Harmer and Umesh Yadav, the latter in electrifying style, struck half-centuries as Essex continued to tot up the runs before a lunchtime declaration, before Hampshire scored 10 without loss in seven overs.

Essex accrued three batting points in their quest to challenge Surrey for the title – which cancelled out the three bowling points Surrey picked up against Northamptonshire. The points difference since 18.

Having resumed on 310 for six, and just eight overs into the second new ball, Essex had the 350-run bonus point in their sights.

Critchley was more watchful than he had been during his exciting 177-run partnership with centurion Adam Rossington.

He went from 83 in 123 balls to 99 in 162 balls before getting stuck. He batted out a maiden from Liam Dawson – which included him getting dropped off a caught and bowled.

Three more dots off Kyle Abbott followed as he struggled to find a gap in the field, before attempted to hit Dawson over the covers and was caught by Nick Gubbins at short extra cover.

Critchley had never had the misfortune of falling for 99 before, while he now has 969 runs for the season.

His departure sparked an up-turn in the tempo, as Harmer sparked into life and Yadav took a fancy to Dawson and fellow spinner Felix Organ.

They scored 77 runs in seven and a half overs before the declaration came – their 70 stand coming in 69 balls.

Harmer dominated his boundary hitting by rocking onto the backfoot and cutting behind point, although also pinged Dawson over long on after coming down the track.

The South African’s half-century came in 76 balls as he moved past 500 runs in a profitable season from the lower-middle order.

Yadav’s 51 off 45 was breathtaking. The Indian swung hard and far in his four sixes, with his three fours not coming from precision play.

Harmer and Yadav were both caught at long on going for a big shot, with the latter’s bringing the end of the innings and lunch.

Sam Cook sent down three maidens in response, with Harmer’s sole over also runless.

Toby Albert and Fletcha Middleton’s 10 runs all came off Jamie Porter before bad light took the two teams off.

The forecast rain then battered the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford and saw play called off just before 16:30.

Day One Highlights:

Day One Match Report:

Adam Rossington ended his horror season with a century as Essex commanded day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Hampshire and boosted their title bid.

Wicketkeeper Rossington came into the match having only scored 188 runs in a season ramshackle by injury and poor form but pushed through the gears to reach 104 – his best for Essex.

Matt Critchley added a ninth Championship fifty to his impressive season after Tom Westley reached 1,000 runs for the campaign on his way to his own half-century.

Essex ended the day on 310 for six, Critchley still going strong on 83 after his 177-run stand with Rossington.

Essex began this penultimate round of fixtures 18 points behind leaders Surrey, and the final challenger to the London side’s hunt of back-to-back titles. They started by winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Third placed Hampshire have a strong role in determining the location of the Championship as they face Surrey in the final round, after potentially making a decisive mark on Essex’s ambitions.

Nick Browne dangled his bat outside off stump to nick behind as Essex slumped to 18 for two, but Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence combined to improve the hosts’ position.

Westley needed 15 runs to reach 1,000 first-class runs this season, something he had only achieved once before – in 2016, when he Ryan ten Doeschate and Browne also piled up four figures. That was the last time at Essex player had achieved the feat.

In fact, only three Essex players – Stuart Law and Paul Grayson in 2001 and Andy Flower in 2003 – have ever scored 1,000 runs in Division One since the Championship splitting into two in 2000.

Westley joined the trio with a flick into the leg side with his 25th delivery.

He ticked along nicely, as he has throughout the season, unleashing the odd straight drive or trademarked flick off the pads on his way to his seventh half-century of the season.

He didn’t score another run as he drove Kyle Abbott to third slip. It ended a 64-run stand with Lawrence – who is definitely making his last home Chelmsford appearance ahead of his move to Surrey.

Lawrence fell three overs later to Liam Dawson, having struck back-to-back boundaries, edged to first slip, with the left-arm spinner also picking up the skittish Paul Walter lbw to leave Essex 132 for five.

The demise was short-lived as Critchley found his flow quickly, reaching his half-century in 70 balls.

It wasn’t a boundary-a-thon though. He only scored to fours and a sliced six down the ground off Dawson, with 28 milking singles controlling his scoring.

Critchley, Rossington and Walter had all been awarded their Essex county caps at lunchtime. Like Critchley, Rossington celebrated with 50 – his first of a frustrating season.

It came in 83 balls and was brought up with a six over long on – which also moved his alliance with Critchley past 100.

He raced past Critchley’s scoring with his second fifty coming in 56 balls to bring up his second ton for Essex, since moving from Northamptonshire at the beginning of last summer.

Rossington’s assault ended on 104 as he attempted to yahoo-one over midwicket and was caught behind, but Essex cruised to the close – which came to an early due to bad light, having earlier been on and off for rain.

Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, and Adam Rossington have become the latest Essex players to have their service to the club recognised with the award of county caps.

The trio, who are respectively the 166, 167, and 168th Essex players to receive the honour, had their caps bestowed upon them during the Day 1 lunch break of the home LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Hampshire, on 19th September.

Batting all-rounder Walter, 29, who made his first-team debut in a T20 Blast match at home to Hampshire in 2016, has scored more than 3,500 runs and taken exactly 100 wickets across all formats.

Fellow all-rounder Critchley, 27, signed for Essex from Derbyshire ahead of the 2022 season and made his debut in a home County Championship game against Kent, has since scored over 1,800 runs and taken 73 wickets for the Eagles across first-class and T20 cricket.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rossington, 30, joined from Northamptonshire at the same time as Critchley and made his debut in the same match against Kent, has scored over 1,000 runs and has claimed 61 victims from behind the stumps in both red- and white-ball cricket.

They take the number of county-capped players in the current squad to 11, joining Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley, Dan Lawrence, Simon Harmer, Sam Cook, Shane Snater, and Jamie Porter.
 

The final home match of the season is upon us as Hampshire make the trip to Chelmsford in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

Hampshire sit in third position with the title fight between Essex and Surrey set to go down to the wire with two games to go.

Match Information:

Open Ground

The Club will be continuing to have an open ground for this match, permitting all spectators to walk around the full concourse area with better access to the Club Store and other facilities.

Members will still have exclusive access to dedicated Members’ seating areas which will be located in the Doug Insole Pavilion and Tom Pearce Upper & Lower Stands. All other seating areas in the ground will be available for both Members and general public.

Please note that seating for LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures is unallocated so will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Peter Edwards Museum & Library

Visit the Peter Edwards Museum & Library during your visit to the match which include a new exhibition on the late Ken Farnes who was a prominent player for the Club during the 1930s. The Museum is free to to visit over the course of the match and is located next to the Essex Cricket Store.

Gates Opening Times:

Gates open from 9:30am via the Main Entrance on New Writtle Street or alternatively, the Tees River Gate which is the closest entrance from Chelmsford City Centre and Chelmsford Bus/Train Stations.

Scheduled Hours of Play:

Toss (Day One): 10:00am
Morning Session: 10:30am-12:30pm
Afternoon Session: 1:10pm-3:10pm
Evening Session: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Scheduled Close of Play: 5:30pm

Members Entry & Matchday Tickets:

The LV= Insurance County Championship is part of the 2023 Membership and Members are required to scan their card on the gate.

Supporters visiting individual matchdays can purchase tickets in advance to save on the price and speed up your entry into the ground.

Reduced priced tickets are available at £14 Adults, £11 Students/Young Adults (18-25) and £5 Juniors (U18s).

These can be purchased online via the following link or alternatively by phone (01245 254010) in person at The Cloud County Ground.

Tickets will also be available on the gates from 10am each day and this is strictly card sales only. Post-lunch tickets are available priced at £11 Adults, with entry free of charge after the scheduled Tea break.

Matchday Purchases:

The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, which includes purchasing tickets on the gates, scorecards on the gates, and on food and drink purchases in the Doug Insole Pavilion and concourse areas. Find out more – here

Scorecards will be available using contactless payment on the entry gates priced at £1, and also available in the Essex Cricket Store.

Accessibility:

Accessible parking:
Accessible car parking spaces are located at The Cloud County Ground and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Accessible Seating:
Accessible seating can be found in the Hayes Close End of the ground and a wheelchair-accessible platform is located in Block One of the Tom Pearce Stand.

Carers can enter the ground on a companion ticket which is free of charge. This is upon the presentation in the Membership & Ticketing Office or on the gate with proof of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people under 16 years old.

We can also accept a Blue Badge and Access card.

Accessible Toilets:
Wheelchair-accessible toilets are located behind the main scorecard (Red Area), rear of the Doug Insole Pavilion (Blue Area) and adjacent to Block 25 at County Corner (Green Area).

Ahead of Your Visit:

In the event of adverse weather conditions on the day of the match, please keep up to date with the prospects of play via the Club’s Twitter and Facebook channels.

Please note that the Prospect of Play phone line is no longer in use and all updates will be available online.

Travel:

Parking:
• Spectators travelling by car will need to locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloud County Ground.

• The High Chelmer multi-storey will be open across all four days.

• Meteor Way will be open for Members and open three hours before the start of play and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Public Transport:
• Chelmsford Bus Station is situated on Duke Street, next to Chelmsford Train Station, with connections to all over the County. Alternatively, bus numbers 13, 46 and C1 shuttles, stop on New London Road, which is approximately a two-minute walk to the Ground, via New Writtle Street.

• Chelmsford Railway Station is operated by Greater Anglia and is an approximate 10-minute walk from The Cloud County Ground. Regular direct train services depart from Chelmsford to London, Stratford, Shenfield, Romford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich. Chelmsford is situated on the Liverpool Street to Norwich mainline.

Ground Entry:

Spectators are able to enter the ground via the Main Gate located on New Writtle Street or through the Tees River Gate.

• The Doug Insole Pavilion is open for Members upon the presentation of a valid Membership card and accessible by entering the ground through the Main Gate.

• Members are not required to pre-book a match ticket and can enter by scanning their Membership card on the gate. If you require a replacement card, please get in contact with the Membership & Ticketing Office before the fixture to arrange a replacement or this may cause delays on entry for you and other spectators.

• Entry to this fixture is included in 2023 Membership and encourage Members to arrive in plenty of time to secure your seat. All seating for Championship games is Unallocated and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• There will be an open ground for this match allowing spectators to walk around the whole concourse area at The Cloud County Ground with access to the Club shop and other facilities.

Members will still have access to dedicated Members’ seating areas which will be located in the Doug Insole Pavilion and Tom Pearce Upper & Lower Stands. All other seating areas in the ground will be available for Members and general public.

General Public Seating:

• Supporters who have purchased tickets can enter the ground by scanning the QR on your tickets that has been sent to you via email following your purchase. If you choose to print out your ticket, please ensure that the match details (including name and seat details) are included as per the image below. Make sure you have your match ticket available on your phone or printed out so it is easily accessible for ticket scanning on arrival. Please do not take a ‘screen grab’ of your QR code as that will not be read by the scanners.

• Ticket holders can sit in all areas of the ground for this match, except for the Doug Insole Pavilion and Tom Pearce Upper & Lower stands.

Around the Ground:

• Spectators are welcome to enter the pitch during the lunch & tea breaks when instructed over PA or by a member of the Club’s stewarding team. Please follow the guidance to the specific areas permitted to enter and please respect the playing surface. We encourage spectators to play on the outfield but please use softballs.

• Spectators are permitted to move behind the Doug Insole Pavilion but please respect the players’ area and walkway.

• The Club have installed a new faith and reflection room. This is available to spectators throughout the duration of the match and is located within the Allen Ford Graham Gooch Cricket Centre.

• The Club Store and Membership & Ticketing Office will be open for spectators for the duration of your visit.

• The Peter Edwards Museum & Library is located on-site adjacent to the Essex Cricket Store and will be open for the duration of the game.

• If you experience any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour during your visit to The Cloud County Ground then, please contact your nearest steward. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or text ‘CROWD’ including your stand and issue to 60066.

• Free Wi-Fi is available at The Cloud County Ground for every matchday giving you the opportunity to share photos and videos of your Eagles experience. Simply logon to ‘EC-Public’ from your seat to access.

Food & Drink:

• The Doug Insole Pavilion will be serving a wide range of hot and cold drinks from the bar. A choice of snacks will also be available to purchase.

• Anne’s Pantry will be offering a choice of home-cooked meals, cakes/snacks, and drinks from their refreshment kiosks located in the Hayes Close End and River End.

They will be serving a range of meals suitable for all dietary requirements including vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free, as well as children’s portions.

• Other refreshment kiosks include bar areas located at either end of the ground in County Corner and Spinners Bar.

• Spectators can bring food and drink into the ground for this fixture. A limit of four cans of beer/lager or one bottle of wine per person but there’s strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted into the ground.

• Please note that The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit.

Leaving the Ground:

At the conclusion of the day’s play, we ask spectators to leave the ground in a safe and patient manner. Stewards will be on hand to help direct you safely out of the ground.

We hope you have an enjoyable visit to The Cloud County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be available on essexcricket.org.uk ahead of the match.

Get in touch with us by email if you have any further questions at [email protected] or via the Club’s official Twitter and Facebook channels.

Watch The Action On the Move

Our Live Stream will be available for spectators with multi-angled ball tracking, replays and commentary courtesy of BBC Essex. Head to the Essex Cricket Matchzone to watch the action live ahead of the toss on Day One, plus view an interactive scorecard, stats and individual match clips.

Visit Matchzone

Essex v Hampshire

LV= Insurance County Championship
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Tuesday 19 – Friday 22 September | 10:30am start

Essex will play their final home match, and their penultimate match altogether, of the 2023 summer this week when Hampshire visit The Cloud County Ground.

A three-day victory for the Eagles over Middlesex in their last Championship outing, also at home, kept a thrilling title race with Surrey very much alive heading into the final two rounds of action.

Simon Harmer claimed five wickets in the Seaxes’ second innings as the Eagles picked up 21 priceless points to remain just 18 behind the defending champions with a maximum of 48 still on offer.

However, James Vince’s Hampshire, themselves in third and only 34 points behind Essex, look set to provide the biggest challenge, on paper at least, of any of September’s opponents.

Squad:

The Opposition:

Hampshire squad: James Vince (Captain), Mohammad Abbas, Kyle Abbott, Toby Albert, Keith Barker, Ben Brown, Liam Dawson, James Fuller, Nick Gubbins, Ian Holland, Fletcha Middleton, Felix Organ, Tom Prest

While Hampshire are just mathematically out of contention for a first Championship title since 1973, they have still enjoyed a strong season in the red-ball arena, winning six of their 12 games to occupy a top-half spot.

The Rose and Crown may not now be able to top Division One themselves, but with a home match against Surrey following this encounter in Chelmsford, they could still play a significant role in deciding the eventual destination of the trophy.

Adrian Birrell’s side will be looking to bounce back after losing a dramatic Metro Bank One Day Cup final against Leicestershire on Saturday.

They fell short of the same stage in the Vitality Blast, however, where, despite having finished second in the South Group and convincingly seen off Worcestershire Rapids in the last eight, the Hawks went on to lose by five wickets to none other than Essex in a rain-affected semi-final at Edgbaston.

Key Battle: Nick Gubbins v Jamie Porter

Last Time We Met:

It was a low-scoring affair at the Ageas Bowl back in late July on the most recent occasion that Essex locked horns with Hampshire.

Only 506 runs were scored in total across the four innings, but it was the Eagles who, in spite of being the visitors, adapted the better to the tough conditions to come away with a six-wicket win and 19 points.

Having invited Hampshire to bat first, Essex struck near-immediate gold as Jamie Porter took 5/37 and Simon Harmer claimed 3/26 to see the hosts bundled out for 120, with only four batters making double figures.

With the match still only just over a day old by the time the hosts came to bat again, Porter then claimed another five-for, taking his overall match haul to 10/83, and Sam Cook picked up three as Hants were all out for 131.

That left a target of 83, which on this difficult surface posed plenty of potential pitfalls, but scores of 28 from Nick Browne and Paul Walter, the latter unbeaten, saw Essex edge over the line for a fifth consecutive win.

Division One Standings:

How To Watch:

If you are unable to make it to The Cloud County Ground in person, the game will be streamed live on the Essex Cricket TV YouTube channel and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Daily highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website, while live updates will be provided on the Club’s social media channels.

Tickets:

Members of both counties are free to sit in any vacant seat, though the Doug Insole Pavilion benches and blocks 1-14 and 27-31 are reserved specifically for their use.

Meanwhile, unreserved general admission seats are located in blocks 15 to 26 and are unreserved, with the Family Area able to be found in block 23, which is part of the Felsted School Stand.

These tickets are priced at £14 for adults if bought in advance or £17 at the gate on the day, while young adults aged between 18 and 25 can buy at any time for £11 and under-18 tickets cost just £5.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the link below:

Voting is now open to find Essex’s DeVines 2023 Player and Performance of the Year!

You can pick from a shortlist of 10 outstanding individual performances from this season and select one of 27 players to win Player of the Year.

The winners will be revealed during the End of Season Gala Dinner, held at Braxted Park on Wednesday 04 October.

Tickets are still available to attend the dinner and can be purchased from £99 +VAT per head by emailing [email protected].

Voting is open until 5:00pm Friday 29 September.

2023 Performance of the Year:

2023 DeVines Player of the Year