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Kent Spitfires v Essex

Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury

Sunday 20 August 2023, 11am start

Team News:

Essex: Luc Benkenstein, Feroze Khushi, Tom Westley (c), Beau Webster, Charlie Allison, Noah Thain, Will Buttleman (wk), Ben Allison, Jamal Richards, Aaron Beard, Aron Nijjar

Kent Spitfires: Joe Denly, Ben Compton, Jack Leaning, Alex Blake, Harry Finch, Jaydn Denly, Grant Stewart, Hamid Qadri Matt Quinn, Jas Singh, Matt Parkinson.

Match Details:

Umpires: Sue Redfern & Sam Hollingshead
Match Referee: Alec Swann
Toss: Kent won the toss and elected to bat
Result: Kent won by 60 runs

Scorecard: View Here

Match Report:

A star turn from 17-year-old Jaydn Denly helped the Kent Spitfires to a 60-run victory over Essex in the Metro Bank Cup at Canterbury.

Jack Leaning hit a brilliant 137 from 127 balls and Ben Compton made 65 as Kent recovered from a middle-order collapse to post 287 for eight, but it was Denly, playing in the same team as his uncle Joe for the first time, who stole the show by claiming a wicket, a run out and an outrageous catch, as well as finishing as Kent’s third highest run scorer with 37.

Will Buttleman made an unbeaten 50 and Feroze Khushi hit exactly 50 for Essex but the visitors lost wickets too frequently to mount a credible run chase and they were all out for 227, with 5.1 overs remaining.

Grant Stewart, Hamid Qadri and Matt Parkinson all took two wickets for the Spitfires.

History was made at the Spitfire Ground on Sunday, where Joe and Jaydn became the first uncle and nephew to play since the modern club was formed in 1870, and the first since Fuller Pilch and his nephew William appeared together for the “Grand Old Kent XI” 41 times between 1838 and 1854.

In front of a crowd of 2400 Kent chose to bat, but for a third consecutive game they threw away a promising start, having been 130 for one at halfway.

With Daniel Bell-Drummond back on Hundred duty, Uncle Joe opened, but he was the first wicket to fall when he edged Aaron Beard behind for 17.

Compton and Jack Leaning put on 98 for the second wicket, but after what by his standards was a fairly rapid half-century the former was caught behind off Beau Webster in the 25th.

Webster then bowled Alex Blake for one and Beard strangled Harry Finch down the leg side for seven.

Jaydn Denly joined Leaning to steer Kent past 200 but he was bowled for 37 attempting to sweep Webster and Kent’s hopes of passing 300 vanished in the 43rd over, when Aron Nijjar struck twice.

Grant Stewart was out first ball when he played on and Hamid Qadri had made just one when he chipped the bowler to Webster.

When Matt Quinn then drove Richards straight to Nijjar at mid-on four wickets had fallen for five runs in 10 balls, 250 looked a long way off and Leaning was in danger of running out of partners until Jas Singh came in and played the Jack Leach role. Smart running between the wickets saw Leaning to the brink of three figures, which he reached when he punched Beard for a single through mid-on and he then launched an assault in the last two overs.

The 29th, bowled by Ben Allison, went for 13 and a pivotal 27 then came of the 50th, with Leaning hitting Beard for three leg-side sixes and Singh ending on two not out after a match-turning unbeaten stand of 69 from 44 legitimate balls.

Essex were 33 without loss in reply when Luc Benkenstein was run out by Jaydn Denly chasing a second.
Quinn then nearly had Tom Westley caught behind for a duck and although the ball came lose as the diving Finch hit he ground, he was caught behind off Stewart for two in the next over, the seventh.

Webster came in and put some pressure back on the bowlers, but he was out for 26 from 25 balls when Jaydn Denly had him caught at long on by Blake.

The younger Denly then produced what was arguably the game’s champagne moment when he took a sensational diving catch to remove Khushi, who’d just reached 50 and was trying to hit Matt Parkinson through cow corner.

Hamid Qadri struck with only his fourth ball, when he had Noah Thain caught by Stewart at mid-off for 141, before claiming the key wicket of Charlie Allison, lbw for 44.

Parkinson trapped Ben Allison lbw for seven in the 38th and in the next over Beard went in the same fashion to Leaning for two.

Leaning then caught and bowled Jamal Richards with his next delivery and although Buttleman hit the hat-trick ball for six Kent sealed the win when Stewart had Nijjar caught by the sub fielder Nathan Gilchrist.

Kent Spitfires v Essex

Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Spitfire Ground St Lawrence, Canterbury

Sunday 20 August 2023 | 11:00am start

 
Essex’s 2023 One-Day Cup group stage campaign begins to draw to a close on Sunday, as a Battle of the Bridge clash with Kent tees up a three-day period that will contain both of the Eagles’ final two matches.

Despite securing a tense victory over Middlesex at home last week, it has been a tough competition for Essex, who were defeated ion Tuesday against Leicestershire and have struggled with player availability and injuries.

However, the emergence of numerous young players, not least the likes of 18-year-olds Charlie Allison and Noah Thain, the former of whom is the Eagles’ top run-scorer in this season’s tournament, has been a major positive.

With a clash against Kent always worth more than just the points that are on offer, Anthony McGrath’s young charges will aim to finish the 50-over competition strongly.

Squad:

The Eagles have made two additions to the squad that travelled to Leicestershire on Tuesday, as Feroze Khushi makes his return from a hand injury, and Nick Browne is recalled to form a 14-strong group.

Simon Harmer drops out as his workload is managed ahead of the LV= County Championship run-in next month, while Jamie Porter continues his recovery from a groin tweak.

The Opposition:

Kent Spitfires squad: TBC

Sunday’s hosts are the defending champions in this competition, having lifted the trophy with a win over Lancashire in the final at Trent Bridge last September.

The Spitfires’ group-stage campaign has perhaps not been as convincing as they would have liked, but they do retain a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, in fifth and one point off the top three with two games left.

They have won three and lost three of their six matches so far, with their most recent outing seeing them lose in dramatic fashion to Notts Outlaws by one wicket with one ball remaining.

Elsewhere, Kent have struggled in Division One of the LV= County Championship, currently sitting in the drop zone, while it was the Eagles who beat them to the last quarter-final spot in the Vitality Blast.

Key Battle – Noah Thain v Hamid Qadri

Last Time We Met:

This will be the eighth One Day Cup tournament in a row where there has been a Battle of the Bridge contest, with the last one, 12 months ago in Chelmsford, seeing Essex take a crushing victory.

Having won the toss, the Eagles opted to bat first and piled up an imposing total of 331, with Tom Westley’s 101-ball 109 and 77 from Grant Roelofsen being the lynchpins as the duo shared a third-wicket stand of 184.

There were also some valuable late swipes from Shane Snater, who added 41 in just 22 balls, with Essex’s score coming in spite of Joey Evison’s three wickets.

The Spitfires largely failed to take off in their response, succumbing to Snater’s 5/29 from 6.2 overs as despite initially making it to 101-2, they lost their last eight wickets for 48 runs to be dismissed far short of their target.

Metro Bank One Day Cup Remaining Fixtures:

Tickets:

These are available to buy from the Kent website, with general admission tickets priced at £20 for adults and £1 for those aged 5-15s, while under-5s go free.

Spectators can also upgrade to the Frank Woolley Stand behind the bowler’s arm for an additional £5 on the general admission price for adults.

Kent are also offering a second innings only ticket, valid from the interval, for £10 in general admission areas and £22.50 in the Frank Woolley Stand, while group bookings will also receive a discount on the individual price.

All tickets can be purchased at the link below:

How To Watch:

If you are unable to make the journey over the Dartford Crossing in person, the match will be streamed live by hosts Kent and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Live updates will also be provided on the Club’s own social media channels, while highlights will be available after the match via the Essex Cricket website and social channels too.
 

Paul Walter is your DeVines Player of the Month for July after picking up 37% of all votes cast.

The all-rounder started the month by playing a vital role in the Vitality Blast campaign, scoring 27 off 15 in the quarter-final away to Birmingham Bears to help Essex over the line, before returning bowling figures of 4/36 from five overs across the two matches at Finals Day.

Walter also enjoyed a productive month in the LV= County Championship, first forming a match-defining partnership of 155 with Tom Westley against Lancashire in Blackpool, of which he scored 76, while also playing a decisive role with the ball by taking match figures of 5/50 from 13 overs as Essex won late on Day 4.

The 29-year-old would go on to claim a further wicket in the next match against Kent alongside hitting 45 in the first innings and scoring the winning runs in the second, to keep Essex’s charge towards the title race rolling.

His fine month concluded with another crucial showing in a low-scoring encounter against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl, claiming miserly match figures of 2/27 from 10.1 overs, while also hitting a vital unbeaten 28 in the second innings to steer Essex home on a tricky pitch.
 

The squad has been announced for England Women’s IT20 and ODI series’ against Sri Lanka Women later this summer, with The Cloud County Ground braced for a Vitality IT20 on Saturday 02 September.

With the squad now announced and just over two weeks until England Women play at Chelmsford, there is no time better to plan your visit with tickets selling fast.

Allocated tickets have already sold out, but fans can still secure unresevered seating in the on-pitch Eagles Area, whilst getting one of the closest seats to the action from as little as £16 for Adults and £5 for Juniors.

For fans who like a little bit extra from their matchday experience, and for an affordable price, we have launched a Dong Insole Pavilion Ticket Upgrade.

The upgrade, which costs just £30 for Adults and £10 for Juniors, gets you access to the Members’ Pavilion and all of it’s facilities, as well as an unreserved seat on the Pavilion Benches.

This ticket can be bought online by selecting a seat in the Pavilion Benches block, or by contacting our Ticket Office on 01245 254010 or emailing [email protected].

If you have any enquiries regariding the package or wish to upgrade your existing ticket to a Pavilion Ticket, our team will be happy to help.

With a little over two weeks until England Women entertain Sri Lanka in a Vitality IT20 at The Cloud County Ground, the hosts have named their squad for the series, as well as the three Metro Bank ODIs that follow.

Fast bowler Mahika Gaur and wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath receive their maiden senior call-ups and are named in both groups after representing England A against Australia A earlier this summer.

Gaur, 17, was part of Thunder’s run to Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day and played a key role in their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches earlier this year.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Heath was part of Northern Diamonds’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy-winning side of 2022 and has been in the England A set-up for the last 14 months.

All-rounder Freya Kemp returns to the 20-over format squad after recovering from a stress fracture in her back while seamer Lauren Filer receives her first IT20 call-up after debuting for England in the Test match at this summer’s Ashes.

Sophie Ecclestone and batter Sophia Dunkley will miss the series while experienced duo Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danielle Wyatt will sit out of the IT20 and ODI series respectively, to manage the quartet’s programme over the next 12 months.

Heather Knight’s side will visit The Cloud County Ground on Saturday 2 September (14:30BST), in between opening the series in Hove and concluding it in Derby.

The ODIs then begin in Chester-le-Street, before taking in two matches in the East Midlands at Northampton and Leicester.

Tickets to see Knight’s side in Chelmsford remain on sale but are going fast, with some limited availability in select areas. To avoid disappointment by snapping up your tickets now, click below:

Head coach Jon Lewis said: “We have named a squad with a good blend of youth and experience and see this as an important series to test the depth of playing pool.

“We have some exciting, new young players coming in who we are looking forward to working with.

“Mahika (Gaur) is a very exciting talent. Left-arm swing bowlers of over six-foot tall are unique in women’s cricket. Mahika has shown consistently this summer that she is a threat with the new ball, and we are excited to see how she performs at international level.

“Bess (Heath) is an all-action cricketer who impacts games and is a great fit for us and how we want to play. She impressed in the A team games against Australia earlier in the summer and she also provides cover for Amy Jones with the gloves.

“With a World Cup coming up next year it’s imperative we develop the squad and players can gain international caps and experience.

“The chance to play at venues around the country is exciting. After an incredible Ashes summer, we want to maintain momentum on and off the field and look forward to getting started.”

England Women IT20 squad: Heather Knight (captain, Western Storm), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Mahika Gaur (Thunder), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers), Issy Wong (Central Sparks), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers).

England Women’s Metro Bank ODI squad: Heather Knight (captain, Western Storm), Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Mahika Gaur (Thunder), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Emma Lamb (Thunder), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze).
 

By Martin Smith

Essex have endured a difficult Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign, but Luc Benkenstein for one is happy just to be playing cricket again.

The 18-year-old leg-spinning scion of a famous cricketing family only made his season’s debut last week after suffering a stress fracture in his back that kept him sidelined for three months.

Playing just as a batsman to allow his back to recover, he shared half-century partnerships with Tom Westley in Essex’s thrilling victory against Middlesex, and with Beau Webster against Yorkshire, before being promoted to open against Leicestershire in his third appearance in five days.

Benkenstein, then 17, launched himself as one of the county’s outstanding young prospects in last year’s Royal London Cup with 10 wickets, including a sensational six for 42 against Glamorgan, and was looking to kick on this season.

“Yes, I was hoping to try and push my case forward, to maybe get into the Blast team, but these things happen,” says the son of former Durham all-rounder Dale. “It’s a shame I haven’t been able to be part of the team’s success in the T20 and red-ball, but it’s been great to watch from the sidelines.

“As I say, I think these things happen for a reason, and it’s allowed me to work on the physical side of things. Hopefully I’ll come back even stronger for next season.”

The problem came to a head in May when he was bowling in the Chelmsford nets to help Bangladesh prepare for their one-day series against Ireland. “I struggled to move the next morning and I knew something was wrong and that I had to say something.”

Stress fractures in the back are notoriously the curse of the fast bowler – think Reece Topley, for example – and Benkenstein admits: “I never knew spinners could get these injuries either. But studies are showing that leg-spinners put as much stress on their backs as seamers nowadays because of all the rotation of their bodies and the fact they are starting to run in faster.

“I’m allowed to bowl off one step at the moment, so if they want me to bowl off one step I can. But realistically we’re looking at around November time for me to be fully fit.”

Benkenstein’s form in the One-Day Cup last year led to a call to play in the Pakistan Junior League where he not only helped Gwadar Sharks to the final with two man-of-the-match performances with the bat, but also came under the scrutiny of team mentor Sir Vivian Richards and head coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

“It was honestly surreal to have Sir Viv there. He is my dad’s hero and I think my dad’s a bit jealous that I was over there with him. It was amazing to be able to learn from him. He seemed more keen than us most of the time! He was always down to play with us on the sideline, giving massive celebrations every time we got a wicket.

“Seeing someone like that happy for you when you do well, it almost makes you want to do even better. It makes you want to push harder to get to that next level and try and win for him.”

It has been the same story at Essex where head coach Anthony McGrath has taken a keen interest in a young man who returned to this country from South Africa alone aged 16 to attend Seaford College in West Sussex where former Hampshire captain Chris Adams is cricket master.

“I’d just been picked for South Africa Under-19s and me and Dad had a long discussion about which country I wanted to play for, because I had both passports. I want to play for England, I love England and it’s always been my dream to represent England in Test cricket. So I made the move by myself.”

He has his foot firmly on the first rung of the international ladder after being selected for the England Under-19 squad to play in upcoming series against Ireland and Australia, starting next week.

His father, presently Gloucestershire head coach, played for South Africa, grandfather Martin represented Rhodesia back in the day, and the grandson says: “I think it’s pretty cool to be keeping the family legacy going and hopefully be the third generation to play for their country.”
 

Leicestershire Foxes v Essex

Metro Bank One Day Cup

Kibworth Cricket Club, Kibworth

Tuesday 15 August 2023, 11am start

Team News:

Essex: Luc Benkenstein, Robin Das, Tom Westley (c), Beau Webster, Charlie Allison, Simon Harmer, Noah Thain, Will Buttleman (wk), Jamal Richards,Aaron Beard, Aron Nijjar

Leicestershire Foxes: Sol Budinger , Joe Cracknell, Sam Robson, Jack Davies (wk), Ryan Higgins, John Simpson, Luke Hollman, Josh de Caires, Martin Andersson, Ethan Bamber, Ishaan Kaushal.

Match Details:

Umpires: Anthony Harris & Rob Bailey
Match Referee: Steve Daivs
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat
Result: Leicestershire Foxes won by 2 wickets

Scorecard: View Here

Match Highlights:

Match Reaction: Charlie Allison

Match Report:

Sol Budinger’s maiden century in any format of senior cricket led Leicestershire Foxes to a fifth victory in six matches and within touching distance of a place in the knock-out stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after a two-wicket win over Essex at Kibworth.

The 23-year-old left-hander – coincidentally born in Colchester although brought up in Australia – hammered 10 fours and six sixes in a 74-ball 102 as this club ground in the southeast of Leicestershire hosted the county’s first XI for the first time, lifting his aggregate in this year’s 50-over competition to 365 at an average of 60.83.

His efforts were backed up by Peter Handscomb (69) and Wiaan Mulder (36), which gave Leicestershire, chasing 251, enough to withstand some late scares to win with nine balls to spare. Left-arm spinner Aron Nijjar was the best of the Essex bowlers, finishing with three for 34 from 10 overs.

On a good pitch, teenagers Charlie Allison (85) and Noah Thain (75 not out) both made their highest scores in senior cricket as Essex totalled 250 for eight after opting to bat first, the two 18-year-olds putting on 105 in 18 overs for the sixth wicket.

Allison – younger brother of seamer Ben – had shared a 75-run partnership with Australian all-rounder Beau Webster (35) for the fourth wicket. Chris Wright, Josh Hull and Tom Scriven took two wickets each for the Foxes.

This followed a rocky start that saw Essex 20 for three inside the first eight overs as Wright dismissed Robin Das, was caught at midwicket, and Luc Benkenstein, taken at point, off mistimed shots before Tom Westley was run out by Scriven’s direct hit after chancing a risky single to mid-on.

Webster and Allison’s 19-over stand began the Essex fightback before the recovery effort was checked just past the halfway point when Scriven, who conceded only 19 runs in his first seven overs, removed Webster and Simon Harmer with consecutive deliveries.

Allison grew in confidence, completing a 70-ball half-century – his second in the competition – by driving Colin Ackermann’s off-spin down the ground for the first of his three sixes, going on to pull Mulder into the netting fence protecting neighbouring houses to pass his previous best of 70 against Middlesex four days ago, and lofting a third maximum over long-on as Scriven’s figures began to suffer.

He must have been backing himself to post a maiden hundred with five overs remaining but, having been put down at long-off on 83, was bowled by Mulder, stepping across the stumps to play a scoop but missing.

Thain and William Buttleman maintained the momentum. Thain went to his maiden fifty off 56 balls and Buttleman’s 22 off 15 helped add 49 in the final five overs before he holed out to long-on as Hull picked off him and Jamal Richards in the last over to lift his wickets tally in his debut season in the competition to 12.

Leicestershire’s batting has been a revelation in this competition and they began their reply with the positive approach that has been their hallmark, racing to 67 for two in the first 10 overs. They lost Rishi Patel, caught behind, and skipper Lewis Hill, bowled not offering a shot, as Aaron Beard struck twice in three balls in his fourth over but Budinger set the tone again, crashing three sixes and six fours in a 31-ball half-century, his fourth in five innings.

Budinger, who moved to Leicestershire from Nottinghamshire after finishing last season on loan at Grace Road, had a reputation for explosive but short-lived innings in all forms of cricket yet this competition has seen him turn a corner, which his innings here seemed to encapsulate.

Doubtless with Handscomb offering advice, he showed he is able to be patient as Webster, Harmer and Westley combined in a tight 10 overs.

But after Harmer uncharacteristically dropped one in his arc, which he pulled for his fourth six, Budinger went after the medium pace of Thain with immediate success. His fifth six took him past his previous highest score – 89 against Gloucestershire for Nottinghamshire last summer – before his sixth propelled him to 99, followed after a moment’s hesitation by a single off a misfield. He was celebrating even before he completed the run, earning a hug from Handscomb for good measure.

His downfall came shortly after the halfway drinks break when he sent one straight up in the air from 19-year-old seamer Richards – one of four teenagers in a decidedly youthful Essex team. Ackermann soon followed, leg before playing back to Nijjar’s accurate left-arm spin, at which point Leicestershire needed 87 from 141 balls.

Harmer bowled Handscomb for a 94-ball 69, Nijjar dismissed Mulder caught behind and Tom Scriven leg before, and Roman Walker holed out off Webster to keep Essex in the hunt. But Wright was able to hit Webster through the covers for four to avoid any further wobbles.

Essex Women Under-18s will take on Surrey in New Malden on Friday after progressing to the quarter-finals of the 50-over ECB County Cup tournament.

Having topped a group containing Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire with four wins from six, the young Eagles will join the seven other group winners in the finals stage.

Opponents Surrey finished ahead of Kent, Sussex, and Middlesex with three victories from their six outings, and will host the match, starting at 11:00am on Friday 18 August, at LSE Sports Ground.

The winners will face Devon or Berkshire, who play their quarter-final at Exeter Cricket Club at the same time, in the last four.

Meanwhile, the other half of the quarter-final draw consists of Staffordshire taking on Yorkshire at Moddershall CC, and Suffolk welcoming Nottinghamshire to Ipswich CC.

Jasmine Westley and Bella Howarth were the leading run-scorers for Essex in the group stage, hitting 149 runs at an average of 74.50, and 138 at 69.00, respectively.

Alongside those two, Sally Chapman led the way with the ball, picking up ten wickets at an average of just 7.70, while Prisha Bedi’s seven scalps at 11.43 and Bella Johnson’s six at 7.17 kept them close behind.
 

Leicestershire Foxes v Essex

Metro Bank One Day Cup

Kibworth Cricket Club, Kibworth

Tuesday 15 August 2023 | 11:00am start

 
Having already played Lancashire at Sedbergh School in the group stage of this year’s One Day Cup, Essex will face another dose of outground cricket as they travel to Kibworth Cricket Club to take on Leicestershire Foxes.

The surroundings, ten miles south-east of Leicester city centre, will be unfamiliar not just for the Eagles, but for the hosts too, with this being the very first time the Leicestershire first XI have played a game in Kibworth.

Essex will hope they can be the ones to seize the initiative in the new conditions in order to secure their second victory in three One Day Cup matches.

Despite earning a nail-biting win over Middlesex on Friday thanks to the efforts of 18-year-old Charlie Allison, the Eagles were unable to go back-to-back as Yorkshire Vikings left Chelmsford with the spoils on Sunday.

Squad:

That is the only change from the 14-man group that was named to take on Yorkshire, with Jamie Porter still resting a groin niggle.

The Opposition:

Leicestershire Foxes squad: Lewis Hill (c), Colin Ackermann, Sol Budinger, Sam Evans, Peter Handscomb (wk), Josh Hull, Louis Kimber, Wiaan Mulder, Rishi Patel, Uttam Ramji, Tom Scriven, Roman Walker, Chris Wright.

Leicestershire have enjoyed a positive start to Group A of the One Day Cup, currently sitting atop the table with four wins from their five matches.

Their only defeat came at the hands of local rivals Notts Outlaws, in between seeing off Surrey, Kent Spitfires, Lancashire, and Hampshire.

In the third of those victories, at Old Trafford, the Foxes posted their highest-ever List A total of 411/6, which also stands as the fourth-highest total seen in this year’s tournament.

They remain in the hunt for promotion from Division Two of the LV= County Championship too, sitting fifth on 111 points, just 23 behind Worcestershire in second, whom they possess a game in hand on too.

However, the exception to their positive campaign so far was a dismal showing in the Vitality Blast, where they won only two games of 14 to finish bottom of the North Group, six points below Yorkshire Vikings.

Key Battle – Tom Westley v Josh Hull:

Last Time We Met:

A relatively sizeable trip into the past is required to find the last time the Eagles met the Foxes in List A cricket, with no fixture having taken place between the sides for almost a decade.

The last meeting in 50-over cricket was in 2014 at Chelmsford, when the visitors, thanks to Scott Styris’s unbeaten 44, edged a low scoring contest by 34 runs in spite of Graham Napier’s 5/43.

In actual fact, the match-up is rare, with Tuesday’s match set to be only the eighth time the two sides have played one another in the List A format since the turn of the millennium.

Recent history is more kind to Essex on the whole, however; they have triumphed on three of those seven occasions, with Leicestershire winning two, while one was tied, and one was washed out.

Metro Bank One Day Cup Remaining Fixtures:

Tickets:

General admission tickets are available from the Leicestershire website until 5pm on Monday 14th for anyone planning to make the trip to the East Midlands, priced at £18 for adults, £15 for concessions (aged 16-22 and 60+), and £5 for under-16s.

Following the 5pm deadline, Leicestershire are advising that tickets will be on sale on the ground’s Fleckney Road gate at the same price with only card payment accepted, but they are encouraging spectators to buy in advance.

Tickets can be purchased from the link below:

How To Watch:

If you are unable to make the trip to Kibworth in person, the match will be streamed live by hosts Leicestershire and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Live updates will also be provided on the Club’s own social media channels, while highlights will be available after the match via the Essex Cricket website and social channels too.