Search Results for: what

Following last night’s defeat by Kent Spitfires at Canterbury, the Eagles are in Vitality Blast action again today when they face Somerset at Taunton starting at 4:30pm.

The matches continue to come thick and fast for the Eagles who then entertain Surrey on Sunday before hitting the road again, this time to Cardiff to meet Glamorgan on Tuesday.

Speaking on the match congestion, Assistant Head Coach Dimitri Mascarenhas said: “This is a big block of fixtures for us. This match with Somerset is a huge game for us and we must start to hit the winning trail. There is little or no room for any setbacks.”

Mascarenhas assessed the start the Eagles have made in the competition this summer.

“I think our bowling generally in T20 cricket this year has been pretty good. It’s always a tough game for bowlers with the small grounds and flat wickets but I think our bowlers are just ahead of our batters at the moment.

“If we can just get a few more runs on the board, I think our bowlers are more than capable of winning matches for us.

“1 or 2 overs per game have caused up problems but when you look back, other factors have contributed to our indifferent start. Dropped catches for example and a costly over here and there have caused us problems.

“If we could just cut out that over that’s been costing us 20 or so runs a time and get that down to 9 or 10, then I think we’d be fine.”

Mascarenhas is also urging the batters to contribute a few significant innings to support the bowling attack.

“We’ve only posted 2 half-centuries this season and both of those have been by the same player so those other guys need to step up but they know that.

“They will be mindful that once they get into the 30’s and 40’s, they need to kick on and get a substantial score. A couple got in last night against Kent but were then dismissed and that is costing us heavily.

“We need to start winning matches now starting with Somerset tonight. We’ve still got half of our matches to play, there are 14 points at stake and there’s still time for us to get ourselves right into the mix but it’s in our own hands.”

The Eagles have just re-introduced former Australian Test bowler Peter Siddle into their side and Mascarenhas has welcomed his return:

“He will be good for us, he knows the lads really well from the time he spent with us earlier in the season and he fits ideally into our group.

“This will be a bit of a challenge for him, but we know what he can do and what he’s capable of and all the boys will benefit from his presence on and off the field.”

The Eagles are already without Tom Westley who is suffering from an elbow injury and Dan Lawrence picked up a hamstring injury whilst fielding during last night’s match. As a result, Michael Pepper has been drafted into the squad.

Essex Eagles squad to face Somerset:

Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
Adam Wheater (31) Wicket-keeper
Ravi Bopara (25)
Varun Chopra (6)
Matt Coles (1)
Sam Cook (16)
James Foster (7) Wicket-keeper
Simon Harmer (11)
Michael Pepper (19) Wicket-keeper
Jamie Porter (44)
Matt Quinn (94)
Peter Siddle (64)
Paul Walter (22)
Adam Zampa (88)

Essex Eagles have a busy schedule of Vitality Blast cricket ahead with three matches in four days, starting with a trip to The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury where Kent Spitfires are the opponents on Thursday evening (starting at 7pm).

Then the Essex Eagles continue on the road with a match at Taunton on Friday against Somerset (4:30pm) before hosting Surrey on Sunday afternoon at The Cloudfm County Ground commencing at 2:30pm.

Kent Spitfires and Somerset are amongst the pace-setters in the Vitality Blast South Group both having 9 points from 7 matches and holding second and third places respectively.

Essex Eagles Head Coach Anthony McGrath refuses to concede that his side are out of contention for a top-four position and a place in the knockout stages.

“Things can turn around quickly in T20 cricket and with 8 matches to go, there are still a lot of points to play for” he said.

“Having said that, we are probably looking at winning 5 or maybe 6 of our remaining matches so that’s going to be tough but it can be done.

“We’ve thrown away a few points this season and we came close to winning a couple of our recent games without playing well. So we know that if we can raise our game up a notch, we can get a winning run going.

“Obviously, at this stage, we are under pressure to get things right quickly so after these next three matches, we’ll have a pretty good idea of where we are in this seasons T20 cricket.

“The players are frustrated because we are not replicating out on the pitch what they’ve been doing in training. We need a batter to provide a 70 or 80 and with the ball, we seem to concede one over of 20 or 25 which is killing us, so we need to cut that out.”

New Zealander Neil Wagner has now returned to his native country following the end of his contract with the county and that allows the return of Australian paceman Peter Siddle who was with Essex for the first 5 Championship matches of the campaign.

“Peter rejoins us and is available for the remainder of the T20 campaign and it will be good to have him around to join up with his fellow Aussie Adam Zampa who has been excellent for us” McGrath continued.

“There are few niggles in the regular squad and we might have to change the side around a bit.

“We know what we’ve got to do now if we want to get to the next stage in the competition so we’ve really got to go for it starting with the next three games” he concluded.

The Eagles will take a 14-man squad to Canterbury that includes Jamie Porter who was called up for the England squad for the First Test with India but was omitted from the starting XI. The seamer has been made available by the ECB for the next two Vitality Blast matches. However Tom Westley misses the game due to an elbow injury.

Essex Eagles squad to face Kent Spitfires:

Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
Adam Wheater (31) Wicket-keeper
Ravi Bopara (25)
Varun Chopra (6)
Matt Coles (1)
Sam Cook (16)
James Foster (7) Wicket-keeper
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Matt Quinn (94)
Peter Siddle (64)
Paul Walter (22)
Adam Zampa (88)

Essex Eagles have a busy schedule of Vitality Blast cricket ahead with three matches in four days, starting with a trip to The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury where Kent Spitfires are the opponents on Thursday evening (starting at 7pm).

Then the Essex Eagles continue on the road with a match at Taunton on Friday against Somerset (4:30pm) before hosting Surrey on Sunday afternoon at The Cloudfm County Ground commencing at 2:30pm.

Kent Spitfires and Somerset are amongst the pace-setters in the Vitality Blast South Group both having 9 points from 7 matches and holding second and third places respectively.

Essex Eagles Head Coach Anthony McGrath refuses to concede that his side are out of contention for a top-four position and a place in the knockout stages.

“Things can turn around quickly in T20 cricket and with 8 matches to go, there are still a lot of points to play for” he said.

“Having said that, we are probably looking at winning 5 or maybe 6 of our remaining matches so that’s going to be tough but it can be done.

“We’ve thrown away a few points this season and we came close to winning a couple of our recent games without playing well. So we know that if we can raise our game up a notch, we can get a winning run going.

“Obviously, at this stage, we are under pressure to get things right quickly so after these next three matches, we’ll have a pretty good idea of where we are in this seasons T20 cricket.

“The players are frustrated because we are not replicating out on the pitch what they’ve been doing in training. We need a batter to provide a 70 or 80 and with the ball, we seem to concede one over of 20 or 25 which is killing us, so we need to cut that out.”

New Zealander Neil Wagner has now returned to his native country following the end of his contract with the county and that allows the return of Australian paceman Peter Siddle who was with Essex for the first 5 Championship matches of the campaign.

“Peter rejoins us and is available for the remainder of the T20 campaign and it will be good to have him around to join up with his fellow Aussie Adam Zampa who has been excellent for us” McGrath continued.

“There are few niggles in the regular squad and we might have to change the side around a bit.

“We know what we’ve got to do now if we want to get to the next stage in the competition so we’ve really got to go for it starting with the next three games” he concluded.

The Eagles will take a 14-man squad to Canterbury that includes Jamie Porter who was called up for the England squad for the First Test with India but was omitted from the starting XI. The seamer has been made available by the ECB for the next two Vitality Blast matches. However Tom Westley misses the game due to an elbow injury.

Essex Eagles squad to face Kent Spitfires:

Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
Adam Wheater (31) Wicket-keeper
Ravi Bopara (25)
Varun Chopra (6)
Matt Coles (1)
Sam Cook (16)
James Foster (7) Wicket-keeper
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Matt Quinn (94)
Peter Siddle (64)
Paul Walter (22)
Adam Zampa (88)

Essex will be back in action this afternoon when they meet Hampshire at The Cloudfm County Ground in a Vitality Blast fixture that starts at 5pm.

It was less than 24 hours ago that the Eagles collected a point from their match with Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, after rain forced the abandonment of the game with Essexs, who had been put into bat, still in the penultimate over of their innings.

That point lifted the Eagles up one place in the South Division and they start today’s contest in seventh place, against opponents who are currently propping up the table despite last night’s win against Middlesex, although they have played one match fewer than most teams in the group.

Eagles Head Coach Anthony McGrath is looking for his side to improve on their record so far in the competition, a record that has seen them collect just three points from their first five matches.

“This South Group is evenly matched, anyone can beat anyone but we do need a win just to give us some momentum going into the second part of the competition.” he acknowledged.

“It’s going to be a really important fixture for us but it’s a tough game. Hampshire has not started their T20 season well either and we’ll have a look at the pitch before deciding what our side is going to be. I believe we will be using the pitch that we used against Glamorgan which means it might spin a bit more but we’ll have to wait and see before deciding our starting line-up.”

On a number of occasions in the Vitality Blast this season, the middle-order have failed to build on a good start to the innings and that has left the Eagles short of an acceptable par-score.

“We need to address the way we are going about our innings at the moment, we really do need to get some impetus going, I keep repeating myself here but we do need someone to go on and get an 80 or 90 and put in a match-winning performance.” McGrath continued.

“We need to turn things around. We’ve got nine games left and we are going to have to win more than we lose to go through in this competition, that’s a fact.”

ESSEX SQUAD:

Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
Adam Wheater (31) wicket-keeper
Ravi Bopara (25)
Varun Chopra (6)
Matt Coles (1)
Sam Cook (16)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Matt Quinn (94)
Neil Wagner (13)
Tom Westley (21)
Ashar Zaidi (99)
Adam Zampa (88)

For one group of cricket fans, the journey to The Cloudfm County Ground for Saturday’s Vitality Blast match between Essex Eagles and Hampshire will take a bit longer than normal as they walk 20 miles to the ground in aid of Lord’s Taverners charitable projects in Essex.

More than 20 walkers made up of Essex Lord’s and Lady Taverners members and supporters of the charity will be taking part in Walk For Wheels – a challenge to raise money for projects across the county including a new specially adapted minibus for Corbets Tey School in Upminster.

The walk will start at Maldon High Street at just after 9am and continue along the River Chelmer stopping off for refreshments at Heybridge Basin, courtesy of Tiptree Tearoom. The next stop will be at Paper Mill Lock before continuing on to Chelmsford finishing at The Cloudfm County Ground in time for the match.

Along with the minibus for Corbets Tey School, other projects in Essex to benefit from the work of the charity this year include a 17-seater minibus for the Endeavour School in Brentwood, outdoor fitness equipment at Thriftwood School, Chelmsford and Anderson School (National Autistic Society), Chigwell. The charity is also providing three sports wheelchairs to All Ability Leisure in Harlow and granting funding to Freya Levy, an Essex athlete who requires funding for a new bespoke sports wheelchair.

To date the walkers have raised £6,500 but with the kind support of everyone at Essex and supporters at the game, they are hoping to add to this through bucket collections.

Spencer Davis, Chairman of the Essex Lord’s Taverners, said: “Many local companies and supporters have really got behind the Essex Sporting Chance – Walk for Wheels and while it’s going to be a challenge for everyone taking part, it’s also going to be a hugely rewarding day as we look to raise money for some fantastic and vital projects across Essex. We’d like to thank everyone who has helped organise the walk and also to Essex County Cricket Club and 71M for allowing us to finish on a high at what everyone hopes will be a sold out Cloudfm County Ground.”

The Club wish all the walkers the best of luck and you can donate in support of Walk for Wheels – Here.

Young Essex bowler, Jack Plom, showed his promising potential for the England Under 19s taking 7 wickets in 9-wicket victory over South Africa.

Plom and Middlesex’s Luke Hollman shared the bowling honours as England Under-19s claimed their first red-ball win in 12 “Tests” stretching back more than five years in Scarborough today.

Plom, the Essex seamer who had taken three for 45 in South Africa’s first innings on Sunday, added four for 56 in the second as the tourists were all out for 161 – leaving England needing only 89 for victory.

They knocked off those runs inside 14 overs with Kent’s Ollie Robinson promoted to open in place of Warwickshire’s Liam Banks, who had gone for x-rays after suffering a finger injury in the field, and making 34 from 27 balls in a stand of 69 with Gloucestershire’s Ben Charlesworth – who ended unbeaten on 41 from 37.

Derbyshire seamer Alfie Gleadall also took two wickets in South Africa’s second innings but head coach Jon Lewis reserved his highest praise for Hollman and captain Tom Banton, whose 137 in the first innings proved the difference between the teams.

“The result looks convincing, but there were moments in the game where it was much closer than that,” said Lewis. “We won critical moments in the game – for instance our partnerships late in our first innings, with Jack Davies supporting Banton, and Hollman with the tail-enders.”

Hollman made 45, then the tall Middlesex leg-spinner added two for 30 to his four first-innings wickets. “He’s one of five lads who are 17 or under in this side, which is exciting,” added Lewis. “He’s stood out in this game in terms of delivering his skill as a leg-spinner, and he’s dominated with the ball. He’s been outstanding.

“Banton’s innings was head and shoulders above the rest of the game – although the South Africa coach has just reminded me he got dropped early on, which is one of those moments that could have made a big difference.

“But he played a fantastic innings. He looks a really good young player, and his game has really developed over the last couple of years since I first saw him. That is credit to Somerset, and himself, and also the opportunities he’s been afforded by the Under-19s programme has helped him grow as a player and as a person – his decision-making is much better than it has been in the past, and he clearly now understands the art of batsmanship. His innings was really the difference between the teams.

“If you’d asked me even before we met up last week if I saw him as a captain, I would have said 100% no. However having experienced him last week at Loughborough, and seeing the changes he’s made this season – and that would be a lot to do with being around a professional squad for the first time at Somerset – he’s changed. And there’s a guy there who’s able to lead this group, which he’s done very well over the course of this game.”

England had lost four and drawn seven of their Under-19s Tests since a team including Ben Duckett, Ed Barnard and led by Oli Stone beat South Africa in Cape Town in January 2013.

And this win was all the more impressive as it was achieved without several eligible players who were omitted to allow them to continue playing for their counties in the Vitality Blast.

“The other lads are kicking on, which is what we want as a programme,” Lewis reflected. “I said to Will Jacks, Dillon Pennington, Harry Brook, Henry Brookes, I don’t want to see you, I want you to be playing first-team cricket – and Henry’s already been picked in the Lions squad, which means this programme is working. We’re adding value to the counties, and we’re helping push on young players, by giving them broader and different experiences.

“It’s very different putting on an England jersey, different pressures playing for your country. As a result of the injuries to Tom Lammonby and Greg Willows, we’ve brought in two 17-year-old lads, and Ben Charlesworth and Jack Haynes, both of whom will be available for the next Under-19s World Cup, are now having experiences of playing international cricket. They’re lapping it up. They’ve had a winning experience, and now they get another training period, and can they repeat?”

The teams meet again in a second four-day match at Durham’s Emirates Riverside starting next Monday, before a three-match Royal London One-Day Series the following week. Banks was cleared of any serious damage, so he is expected to be available.

Essex Eagles entertain Middlesex at The Cloudfm County Ground on Friday having started the Vitality Blast campaign with a disappointing defeat to Sussex Sharks on Wednesday night.

The Sharks won by 36 runs after posting a score of 181 for 6 but the Eagles were bowled out for 145 with Sussex fast-medium bowler David Wiese picking up 5 for 24.

Eagles skipper, Ryan ten Doeschate, is looking for an immediate improvement from his squad and get the campaign up and running in front of packed house at Chelmsford.

“It’s good that we have an early chance to rectify matters because overall, we just weren’t good enough on the night,” he admitted.

“They probably got 20 more than we would have liked and we needed to have put in a better batting display. I thought our bowling was okay for much of the time but when we did have them on the ropes, we couldn’t capitalise. I think about 160 was about par on that wicket but we let them off the hook.

“We were facing two world-class bowlers when we were batting and we always knew it was going to be tough. They kept picking up wickets and the pressure was always on, particularly when the asking rate gets up above ten with eight overs to go, then that’s tough.

“So there is a lot of work to be done before we face Middlesex and hopefully, we can sort out a lot of things ahead of the match on Friday. We need to look at a number of aspects of our play but we do have some very good players in our dressing room and I’m expecting them to turn things around. But we do need to review a few things and work out where we need to be stronger.”

And the Essex Eagles captain is not ruling out changes to the side ahead of Friday’s sell-out match.

“We may need to change the team around a little bit and try and get a better balance,” he acknowledged. “Tactically I think we may have too many bowlers in there and so maybe playing an extra batter is one option.

“With the talent we have in the squad, perhaps we are still finding out what our best team is and what our best formula is. We need to look at our selection progress and need to learn from the Sussex defeat – and quickly.”

Middlesex include West Indian Dwayne Bravo, one of their two Overseas players, along with Australian, Hilton Cartwright. The 34-year-old Bravo has played 66 Twenty20 internationals, averaging 24.29 with the bat and taking 52 wickets at an average of 28.26 and spent the briefest of time with Essex back in 2010.

Essex Eagles squad to face Middlesex:

Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
Adam Wheater (31) Wicket-Keeper
Ravi Bopara (25)
Varun Chopra (6)
Matt Coles (1)
Sam Cook (16)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Matt Quinn (94)
Neil Wagner (13)
Tom Westley (21)
Ashar Zaidi (99)
Adam Zampa (88)

Friday’s match against Middlesex is sold out but there are five further Vitality Blast matches at The Cloudfm County Ground in 2018! Secure your tickets now to avoid disappointment…

 

Essex’s overseas recruit for the Vitality Blast, Adam Zampa, has spent five weeks acclimatising to English conditions, immersing himself in the local club scene, getting to know his new team-mates.

The Australian leg-spinner’s contract with Essex did not start until July 1, but he has been in this country since the end of May in readiness for the Blast, which starts tonight against Sussex Sharks at The Cloudfm County Ground, and continues on Friday at home against Middlesex. Zampa has played a handful of games for Brentwood in the Shepherd Neame Essex Premier League and taken 18 wickets, including a six-wicket haul on debut.

Zampa, whose globe-trotting has taken in the IPL and Caribbean Super League, as well as the Big Bash, explains: “I have been conscious in the past of making sure I hit the ground running. If I had just arrived I wouldn’t be bowling as well as I am now. The ball’s coming out really well. I feel like I’ve had enough bowling now and I feel comfortable with the guys. I’ve had the numbers on the board in terms of overs and wickets where I feel like I’ve bowled well enough to play the Blast.

“You go into club cricket knowing it’s not your level, but there is also a bit of expectation on your back. It’s also an opportunity to try things and have fun. Sometimes being a professional cricketer is not the most fun thing, going around the world and all that stuff. I don’t absolutely love the game, so just to go and play club cricket, enjoy it, and get in the habit of taking four, five, six wickets on the weekend gives a massive confidence-boost.”

The 26-year-old Zampa is with the Eagles for the entire T20 season, including finals day in September, if Essex qualify for the first time since 2013. He is looking forward to sampling the atmosphere of Chelmsford Friday nights under the lights, and trying to defend the notoriously short boundaries. “I know what to expect,” he says, “I’ve been told a few times!

“The biggest thing for me is the size of the grounds. In Australian Big Bash games, my home ground is the MCG [for Melbourne Stars] and that’s one of the biggest grounds in the world. And here it’s like a postage stamp!

“You’ve just got to bowl good balls. It’s one of those things being a leg-spinner: you’re going to get hit over the fence. It’s the way you come back that’s important. I know my role in the team is to take wickets through the middle overs. That makes a huge difference to winning games of T20 cricket. You know you’re going to get hit, it’s about minimalising that and getting as many wickets as you can.”

Zampa has a number of variations and changes of pace in his locker. “The best thing about being a wrist spinner,” he says, “is having the option to spin it away from the bat, and bowling a slider as a defensive option, too. I have a few tricks, but they are pretty simple ones. Before I bowl a ball I try and think what’s best for the team at this point. Do we need a wicket or do we just want to get this guy off strike?

“The good batsmen are forward-thinkers and know what the bowlers are going to bowl pretty much before it’s bowled. I need to be one step ahead of them because, normally, they’re a step ahead of you.”

Zampa has played 13 T20s for Australia, and 31 one-day internationals, the most recent at the turn of the year. He is philosophical being omitted from the squad that has just finished a white-ball series in England, and is now in Zimbabwe. “I was a bit flat and disappointed about it,” he admits. “But I’m also seeing the positive side. The selectors have said they want a wrist spinner at the World Cup next year, so my thinking is if I have a good summer here, bowl well, have a good Australian summer, then I think I’ll have a very good chance of making the squad.”

Essex’s initial experience of Day/Night Championship cricket will always be remembered as ‘Harmy’s Match’. The image is still fresh of Simon Harmer wheeling away in the gloom of a mid-summer mid-evening a year ago after taking his fourteenth wicket of the match with only a handful of balls remaining.

Harmer was quickly submerged in the congratulations of his team-mates and walked off holding aloft the pink ball used for the first time in the Specsavers County Championship. He had career-best figures of nine for 95, 14 for 172 in the match, and more importantly had given Essex the growing belief that they could indeed go on and land their first title in quarter of a century.

The moment of triumph was captured in an iconic photograph that features prominently on Harmer’s Twitter account, though you won’t find a framed version on the walls of the 29-year-old off-spinner’s home just outside Chelmsford.

“If you walk into my house you’ll never see a cricket photo of me,” he says. “I try and keep my cricket life and my personal life very separate.

“I don’t care too much for personal milestones; I don’t check how many wickets I’ve taken [72 in the Championship last season, 27 so far this]. I just want to be trying to put in performances that win us games – and if I’m doing that the rest will take care of itself. My focus is solely on trying to put in match-winning performances.”

The match-winning performance under the lights against Middlesex still shines bright in his mind’s eye, though. “I remember them trying to hit me out of the attack in the first innings, and giving away silly wickets,” he says.

“And then in the second innings I think they were caught between looking to be positive and looking to play me out. The wicket was turning and they lost a lot of wickets not offering shots.

“I remember it being five or six minutes left in the day, with Steve Finn on strike. He shouldered arms to another one that was going to hit the wicket. I do remember walking off the field at the end of what was obviously a good day for us, having beaten the reigning champions.

“It was a good feeling to win a game for Essex; any bowler will take great satisfaction in winning a game for their team. But I think there were a lot more milestones than mine in that game.”

Harmer will have a pink ball in his hand again over the next four days as Essex host Somerset in this summer’s day-night game (2pm start), attempting to bounce back after a lacklustre performance against Nottinghamshire in the game that ended in heavy defeat on Saturday.

This time he will be bowling with a Kookaburra pink rather than that of rival manufacturers Duke used in 2017 as the ECB experiment to find the best version. Reports, though, on how the Kookaburra performed in day-night matches played last week are not promising. The pronounced seam apparently disappears after the 40-over mark, the ball peels and cracks and quickly becomes soft. One player said it was “like bowling with a tennis ball”.

Harmer played with a red Kookaburra in the domestic Sunfoil Series in his native South Africa during the winter, where he finished top wicket-taker. He is not surprised. “It sounds like exactly what happens to the ball out there,” he says. “So I’m used to it.

“It doesn’t move as much as the Duke ball. But for me as long as it turns, and as long as it bounces, I’m happy. I think it will be a tougher ask for the seam bowlers, so hopefully I can make a contribution with my spin.”