With both the Women’s and Men’s Ashes in full swing and heading towards tantalising finale’s, fans can look forward to seeing England Women in action at Chelmsford later this summer as they take on Sri Lanka Women in a IT20.
Following record-breaking attendances during the Women’s IT20 series against Australia, the series against Sri Lanka will be your last chance to see England Women, including World Number 1 bowler Sophie Ecclestone and ICC Women’s Player of the Year Natalie Sciver-Brunt, in action this summer.
As the nation embraces cricket fever, tickets for England Women’s match against Sri Lanka in September are selling fast. Whilst many allocated seats have already been sold, there are a limited number remaining so now is your chance to snap up the best seats in the house.
We’ve increased our capacity to include the Eagles Area, our on-pitch seating which allows fans to be inches from the action as some of the best women’s cricketers in the World take to the field.
At a cost of just £16 for an Adult ticket and £5 for Juniors, it’s the most affordable way to watch International cricket at The Cloud County Ground.
Chelmsford to host England Women in 2024
With anticipation for this year’s game building, fans of England Women already have another date in the diary to look forward to, as next year’s International fixture has been confirmed.
England Women will host Pakistan Women in a One Day International on Wednesday 29 May.
Tickets are not yet on sale for this fixture, but if you want to be the first to hear of any ticket updates then you can register your interest by signing up below.
Dan Lawrence has once again been named in in England Men’s 14-player squad for the fourth LV= Insurance Men’s Ashes Test match against Australia starting at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday 19 July 2023.
England Men’s Fourth Ashes Test Squad:
Ben Stokes (Durham) Captain
Moeen Ali (Warwickshire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire) Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Josh Tongue (Worcestershire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
LV= Insurance Men’s Ashes Series
1st Test: England v Australia, 16-20 June, Edgbaston, Birmingham (Australia won by two wickets)
2nd Test: England v Australia, 28 June-2 July, Lord’s, London (Australia won by 43 runs)
3rd Test: England v Australia, 6-10 July, Headingley, Leeds (England won by three wickets)
4th Test: England v Australia, 19-23 July, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
5th Test: England v Australia, 27-31 Kia Oval, London
Essex: Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Tom Westley (c), Dan Lawrence, Matt Critchley, Paul Walter, Simon Harmer, Will Buttleman (wk), Doug Bracewell, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.
Lancashire: Keaton Jennings (c), Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon, Dane Vilas, Rob Jones, Phil Salt (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Tom Hartley, Jake Blatherwick, Tom Bailey, Will Williams.
Match Details:
Umpires: Peter Hartley and Steve O’Shaughnessy Match Referee: Will Smith Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat Result: Essex won by 43 runs
“It’s an unbelievable win – because the points for the draw have been taken away we did expect them to keep going for the win for a long time and testament to them they did – even when [Tom] Bailey came out they were looking to hit boundaries. Credit to them for wanting to force the win.
“It was an outstanding team performance from Essex and it puts us in a nice position with five games to go.
“We’ve been blessed for a number of years now that Simon Harmer will take six or seven wicket in the fourth innings but he didn’t take one today and that’s the way it goes sometimes so for the other lads to stick their hands up and chip in with wickets is outstanding.
“Lancashire are a very good team and we know how dangerous they are – we’ve had some great matches with them in recent times so it’s a huge win for the Club.”
Day Four Report:
A battling century from Lancashire’s Rob Jones took his side to within 47 runs off pulling off a record-breaking run chase against victors Essex on a thrilling final day of this LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash at Blackpool.
An overnight declaration from the visitors on 292 for eight left Lancashire requiring an unlikely 430 runs to win – their highest ever to win a county game and a considerable improvement on their first innings total of just 145.
As it was, Jones’ brilliant 111 along with half-centuries from Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon, made for an enthralling contest in which all results were possible going into the last hour and which ended with Essex fielders crowded around the bat as Lancashire finally succumbed with 11 balls to go when a heartbroken Jones edged Doug Bracewell to Dan Lawrence.
In a game where opening batters had struggled, Keaton Jennings and Wells got Lancashire off to an encouraging start with Wells quickly shrugging off the burden of being on a pair with an attacking knock that had the Lancashire support dreaming of the Red Rose’s biggest ever fourth innings chase.
Taking the attack to Simon Harmer, Wells swept the South African for six, and laid down a template for what became a near perfect morning session for the hosts in which Jennings was the only wicket to fall, caught spectacularly one-handed by wicketkeeper William Buttleman off Bracewell for 30.
At lunch and with excitement growing around this beautiful ground, the hosts were 140 for one with Wells going nicely on 69 not out and Bohannon unbeaten on 32.
Record books were checked and we began again after lunch as the game titled back towards Essex with Wells only able to add six more runs before he reverse swept Matt Critchley into the hands of a diving Paul Walter.
Two down quickly became three down with the horribly out of form Dane Vilas completing a pair in the match when he walked all around a Critchley wrong ‘un to give the Lancashire-born all-rounder two in the over and leave the home side 155 for three.
Jones joined Bohannon in the middle for what felt like a pivotal partnership and so it proved as the pair not only staged a recovery but also upped the run rate and took the attack to Essex before the latter was caught pulling by Porter off Walter for a well-made 68 that included three sixes.
The incoming Phil Salt took over as he and Jones continued the run-chase with a degree of calm urgency that belied the situation. Jones, so often a bit-part player in Lancashire’s four day side, rose to the occasion, playing the situation perfectly as the fifth wicket pair constructed a crucial partnership of 85.
Critchley was beginning to make a difference bowling round the wicket into the rough from the North End and Salt became his third victim when he top-edged to Sam Cook on the fine leg boundary for 41 to make it 279 for five.
Colin de Grandhomme came and went for just nine after hooking Walter to Porter while Tom Hartley hung around long enough to hit 17 and further raise hopes of improbable victory before he edged Cook to Buttleman.
While Jones remained so did the chance of a win but with Jack Blatherwick and Tom Bailey adding just nine runs between them the situation suddenly worsened especially when the latter fell to a brilliant diving catch in the deep by Harmer off Bracewell with 54 runs still needed and just one wicket required for an Essex win.
For the first time throughout the day Lancashire finally dug in as Jones and a steadfast Will Williams battled to see out the remaining 44 balls with the final stand ending in the penultimate over as Essex clinched a last-gasp 46 run victory through Bracewell who ended with three for 50.
Day Three Highlights:
Day Three Report:
A century for Dan Lawrence and a disastrous morning session for the hosts in which Lancashire lost eight wickets for 45 runs put Essex in complete control at the end of the third day of this LV=Insurance County Championship Division One game at Blackpool.
Resuming on 37 for one after a 45 minute delay for rain and replying to Essex’s first innings total of 282, the Red Rose’s hopes of batting all day and building a lead were scuppered by Sam Cook and Paul Walter who took four for 42 and three for 20 respectively as Lancashire crumbled to 145 all out.
Will Williams’ removal of both Essex openers, including Sir Alistair Cook, without scoring, did give Lancashire a glimmer of hope as the southern outfit began their second innings, but the visitors rallied superbly and brutally to close on 292 for eight with a lead of 429 runs going into the final day thanks to a brilliant century from Lawrence who was out to the last ball of the day for 135 having scored eight fours and nine sixes.
It was Cook who sparked the collapse when he induced Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings to edge to Matt Critchley for 29 and 76 for two quickly became 76 for three when Dane Vilas failed to make ground running for a quick single and was out without scoring.
Rob Jones wafted at a wide one from Doug Bracewell before the introduction of the giant Walter brought the key wicket of Josh Bohannon who was pouched by a well-placed Simon Harmer at leg slip for 44.
There was still time just before lunch to see the back of Colin de Grandhomme, trapped in front second ball by Cook, Tom Hartley, well caught at slip by Sir Alistair Cook first ball, and Jack Blatherwick, lbw to Walter, again without scoring.
Suddenly Lancashire had lost four wickets for two runs and any thought of a lead or even parity had gone out the window with Essex pondering an unlikely following on invitation as the players departed for the interval.
While the carnage occurred at the other end Phil Salt was acquitting himself well and together with Tom Bailey, the wicketkeeper, who finished unbeaten on 35, managed to get Lancashire beyond the follow on target but only just as Cook took the wickets of Will Williams and Bailey to dismiss the hosts for 145.
A lead of 137 ensured Essex were in total command but a degree of jeopardy was introduced when first Nick Browne and then Sir Alistair Cook departed without scoring, quickly followed by skipper Tom Westley who became Williams’ second wicket of the innings as the visitors were reduced to 27 for three.
Quick runs were needed and Lawrence and Critchley obliged as the fourth wicket pair put on 95 runs before the latter was bowled sweeping by Hartley for 40.
Walter swung the bat for his 24 before he fell to Bailey with Harmer becoming the seamer’s third wicket when he was brilliantly caught one-handed by Jennings for four.
Hartley picked up another with William Buttleman lbw for four and it was left to Bracewell, who hit a very effective half-century of his own off just 29 balls, to safely usher Lawrence to his third century of the season which the England hopeful brought up with a towering six over long on.
With the brakes off and a demoralised Lancashire on the metaphorical canvas, Lawrence proceeded to hit four more sixes, taking Essex to an unassailable lead while sending a timely message to the England selectors.
Day Two Highlights:
Day Two Report:
Tom Westley’s 28th first-class century and his record-breaking century partnership with Paul Walter rescued Essex from a poor start on the second day of this LV= Insurance County Championship encounter at Blackpool before a late fight back by Lancashire saw the visitors bowled out for 282.
Skipper Westley made 135, his third century of the season, to put Essex in a strong position at tea but Tom Bailey, with six for 59, led a good reply by the hosts who closed on 37 for one to be behind by 245 runs.
A day played mainly in glorious sunshine, in sharp contrast to the wet conditions twenty-fours earlier, began with Lancashire enjoying the better of the opening hour as Essex, resuming on 12 for one, lost three wickets for 35 runs.<
Two fine opening spells from Bailey and Will Williams had the visitors in early trouble, starting when Alastair Cook was caught for 11 edging Williams to Keaton Jennings at first slip.
Bailey then had Dan Lawrence dropped at slip, but caught for one from the following delivery in bizarre circumstances. The Essex batter’s fierce drive flew straight back at the bowler who inadvertently deflected the ball to Bohannon at mid-off.
Having made 13, Matt Critchley became the third wicket of the day to fall, when he edged a beautiful seaming delivery from Williams to wicketkeeper Phil Salt to put the hosts firmly on top.
Westley and Walter slowly but surely turned the innings around either side of lunch with Walter hammering two sixes off left arm spinner Hartley in the last over before the interval.
The pair dominated the afternoon, Westley reaching his fifty with a sweetly timed on drive for four just after the resumption, and he produced some stylish shots across the session to reach his third century of the season from 166 balls, with his 15th four also breaking the Essex fifth wicket record partnership of 147 against Lancashire – set coincidentally at Blackpool – by Sonny Avery and Tom Pearce in 1948.
The only blemish of a fine innings came when Westley was on 78, with Hartley unable to cling to a sharp chance at midwicket off Colin de Grandhomme.
Walter went to his 80-ball half century in style, pulling Jack Blatherwick over midwicket for his third six. His crisp striking of the ball was a feature of his controlled, slightly more aggressive approach that had brought the left-hander 76 runs before he was spectacularly caught one-handed by Blatherwick at midwicket off de Grandhomme just before tea with Essex 210 for five.
Essex continued to prosper after the break as Simon Harmer (24) lent good support to Westley with 65 runs added for the sixth wicket before Lancashire hit back with the second new ball, taking the last five wickets for seven runs inside seven overs.
Westley’s excellent innings came to an end after five and a half hours at the crease when he edged Williams to Rob Jones at second slip and Bailey then ran through the tail, taking the remaining four wickets in 20 balls.
Lancashire lost Luke Wells for a duck, playing on against Jamie Porter but Jennings (13 not out) and Josh Bohannon (20 not out) survived to reach stumps safely.
Day One Highlights:
Day One Report:
The first day of Lancashire’s match with second-placed Essex in the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Blackpool was badly affected by the weather with just 28 balls possible in which time Essex made 12 for one.
Both teams came into the fixture with enforced changes, Essex opener Feroze Khushi having sustained a sore hand last week in the Vitality Blast while Lancashire rested Daryl Mitchell to help the overseas all-rounder manage a groin issue.
The day was split into two short tranches of play that book-ended this unusual day.
After a misleadingly sunny morning, Essex won the toss and elected to bat under increasingly gloomy skies, a mood probably shared by Nick Browne after he edged the fourth delivery of the day from Tom Bailey to Colin de Grandhomme at third slip without a run on the board.
In the 25 balls bowled in the morning there was time for Alastair Cook to punch a four off the back foot from Will Williams and Essex skipper Tom Westley to glance Bailey to fine leg for four off the first ball of the fifth over.
At that point the rain arrived to take the players from the field for more than six hours, and it was a testament to the Blackpool club that their outfield, re-laid three years ago, coped admirably with the deluge that fell during the day.
That allowed umpires Peter Hartley and Steve O’Shaughnessy to restart play at 5.30pm following several inspections, but only three balls had been bowled in Bailey’s interrupted over before bad light halted play once again, with more rain minutes later ending a very frustrating day.
Cook (4 not out) and Westley (8 not out) will resume the Essex first innings tomorrow.
We are please to announce dates for the Essex Cricket in the Community Coach Development Programme covering the period of September 2023 through to July 2024.
We will be running the following ECB Coach Development Courses and they will be available to book from Friday 14th July 2023
ECB Foundation Coach Course
ECB Core Coach Course
ECB Support Coach Course
Please follow the link below to book your place and Inspire the next generation of cricketers at your club, school or organisation.
Supporters travelling up to Edgbaston for Finals Day can join fellow Essex fans with a coach travel package now available to book.
Places are £40 per person with the coach departing The Cloud County Ground at 7am on Saturday 15 July and returning at the conclusion of the Final.
To book your place, contact the Essex Cricket Membership & Ticketing Office by phone on 01245 254010 and spaces are available on a first come, first served basis.
Please note that this does not include entry to Finals Day and a match ticket will need to be booked separately via Edgbaston.
Essex Ability XI v Dorset/Hampshire Ability XI D40 Pursuit South Bournemouth CC Sunday 09 June 2023
Essex Falcons: Martyn Doe, Matthew Hazel, Joe Moss, Glyn Thomas, Lee Wheeler, Jack Flowers, Isaac Elles, Alfie Jeeves, James Cole, Matthew Thomas, Benny Fryett, Billy Gibbons
Dorset/Hampshire: S Graham, S Marks, A Humber, M Judson, T Best, R Franks, J Courtenay, L Richer, H Rixon
Match Details:
Toss: Essex Falcons won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Hampshire/Dorset 127-5 (40.0 overs)
Essex Falcons 128-1 (20.1 overs)
Essex Falcons won by 9 Wickets
Match Report:
Matthew Hazel and Joe Moss scored impressive half-centuries as Essex Falcons eased to a nine-wicket victory over Dorset/Hampshire and clinched the D40 Pursuit South title with a game to spare.
Hazel hit 50 off 68 balls, while Moss continued his great form with 55 from 63 as Essex comfortably chased down the home sides’ 127 for five with just shy of twenty overs to spare.
Earlier, Dorset/Hampshire’s Sam Graham had top-scored with 46, while Tom Best chipped in with 37. However, some economical bowling from Essex restricted the home side, while Benny Fryatt, Isaac Elles and Lee Wheeler were amongst the wickets for the triumphant visitors.
The result left Essex top of the D40 Pursuit South table, with a seventy-five-point buffer over second-placed Surrey. Essex only needs to avoid defeat in their final D40 Pursuit South match against Northamptonshire at Harlow Town Cricket Club on Sunday, August 6 to complete an unbeaten league campaign.
Delighted Essex Head Coach, Patrick Ward, enthused: “I am really proud of the players and delighted at how they have gone about things this year.
“They’ve all worked hard over the winter and have transferred that onto the pitch. We have had to work hard in every game with the bat and ball as the league is extremely competitive and all teams have played to a high standard but everyone has given their all and it’s been a great team performance with everyone contributing through the season.
“Hopefully, we can win our last match and go through the season unbeaten.”
Thank you to our long-standing partners Allen Ford for their continued support of the Essex Ability Team and kindly providing a mini-bus for team travel to away fixtures this season.
LANCASHIRE V ESSEX
LV= INSURANCE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
STANLEY PARK, BLACKPOOL CRICKET CLUB
MONDAY 10 – THURSDAY 13 JULY
11AM START
With Essex navigating their way to the Vitality Blast Finals Day on Thursday evening, the 20-over competition takes a brief respite for Round 10 of the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Essex come up against Lancashire and head to the coast for fours of Outground cricket at Blackpool Cricket Club.
Monday’s opponents were knocked out at the Vitality Blast Quarter-Final stage by Surrey on Friday evening but it was the Red Rose who inflicted a first defeat of the season over the Brown Caps in the previous round of red-ball fixtures in late June.
Bowler, Tom Bailey was the hero taking 5/56 in the first innings, followed up by 4/16 in the second as Surrey were bowled out for 84.
Meanwhile, Essex also come into the fixture on a high following a vital 9-wicket win over Warwickshire in Round 9 at Chelmsford. Heroics from Simon Harmer was once again the key to success, with Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence both hitting centuries in fine all-round performance.
This round of matches will continue to use the Kookaburra ball, as part of the ball trial over two rounds of Championship fixtures.
Squad:
Essex have named a 13-player squad for the trip to Blackpool this week.
The match welcomes the return of red-ball specialists, Nick Browne, Alastair Cook, Jamie Porter and overseas player, Doug Bracewell.
Progression into the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast has meant the fixtures have continued to come thick and fast. Will Buttleman is set to keep wicket after a string of good performances behind the stumps in the County Championship.
Adam Rossington is rested for this game, whilst Feroze Khushi will also not make the trip due a sore hand sustained in the match against Birmingham Bears on Thursday.
The Opposition:
Lancashire come into this fixture buoyed by their victory over Surrey in the last round of games.
However, the Old Trafford outfit have endured an indifferent season so far in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Lancashire remain the only side in Division One to have not lost a game but a record of two victories and five draws means they currently sit in sixth position on 87 points.
Last week, the Club announced an injury setback to bowler Saqib Mahmood who remains sidelined with back stress fracture injury. Stalwart, Tom Bailey (28 @ 20.57) and overseas bowler, Will Williams (26 @ 20.14) will continue to lead the bowling attack, along with the likes of Balderson, Blatherwick and Kiwi Daryl Mitchell.
Josh Bohannon is the in-form batter coming in at number three for Lancashire and 26-year old is currently fourth in the run-scoring charts with 590 runs, averaging 49.16.
Division One Standings:
Last Time We Met:
Essex and Lancashire faced each other in a hard-fought clash at The Cloud County Ground to mark the first home match of the 2023 campaign.
The game ended in a draw but not without many ebbs and flows across the four days.
Sam Cook took his first 5-wicket haul of the season to help restrict Lancashire to 207 in the first innings. George Bell eventually succumbed to Cook but not before the wicket-keeper batter struck 60 off 109 balls and produce the only notable score for the visitors.
In reply, Matt Critchley followed up his two half-centuries in the first match of the season at Lord’s with a third successive 50 as Essex took a slender lead of 11 runs heading into the second innings.
The battle between Alastair Cook and Jimmy Anderson was in full swing at Chelmsford with England’s record wicket-taker ending with first innings figures of 4/70.
The Lancashire batting was far more fruitful second time round as 96 from Keaton Jennings helped apply the pressure on Tom Westley’s side.
A destructive 73 off 50 balls by Tom Hartley duly assisted another half-century from George Bell (63) to push a declaration of 351-7 and set up an intriguing conclusion.
Essex had a target of 340 runs from 68 overs but with the win growing more and more tricky, the home side soaked up the Red Rose attack for two sessions thanks to Tom Westley’s resilient knock of 43 off 120 balls.
How To Watch:
If you’re unable to attend, the game will be streamed live from Blackpool and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.
Miss the action? Highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website and social media channels.
Tickets:
While T20 cricket won’t be returning to Chelmsford in 2023, there is no shortage of white-ball action at The Cloud County Ground over the course of the summer.
In under a month’s time, the Eagles will play the first home match of their One Day Cup campaign against Notts Outlaws.
With four One Day Cup fixtures set to be staged at Chelmsford, all during the school summer holidays, and an England Women’s ODI to look forward to, there’s plenty to look forward to at The Cloud County Ground.
Matt Critchley has been voted PCA Players of the Month for June following his fantastic run of form in domestic cricket.
The all-rounder was shortlisted through the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings for his performances in the month of June as the top four players according to the unique algorithm in the men’s and women’s game faced a public vote to decide the winner.
In the men’s category, the voting was extremely close with Critchley taking 43.6% and Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond just behind in second with 39.6%. Hampshire captain James Vince was third with Essex’s Daniel Sams in fourth. Critchley joins Ryan Higgins and Matthew Montgomery as Player of the Month winners this year so far.
South East Stars’ Briony Smith was voted the winner for the women’s award, and the outcome was even tighter with Smith securing 41.3% and Southern Vipers’ Danni Wyatt narrowly missing out with 40.8%. Vipers skipper Georgia Adams was third with The Blaze all-rounder Erin Burns in fourth. Smith joins fellow teammates Paige Scholfield and Phoebe Franklin as the third member of the Stars side to win Player of the Month this season.
Critchley impressed during June putting on strong displays in both First-Class and T20 cricket amassing 223.6 MVP points.
Critchley scored 450 runs in the month with an average of 40.9, 230 runs coming in the LV= Insurance County Championship and 220 in the Vitality Blast.
The 26-year-old also took 23 wickets with a fantastic average of 19.5 bowling leg-spin.
Critchley also managed to secure two Match MVP awards in the month with one each in the Blast and County Championship.
Critchley will receive a bespoke Mappin & Webb trophy for winning the PCA Player of the Month for June and described his surprise at winning the award.
“It’s a cool one to win but I think DBD (Daniel Bell-Drummond) probably deserved it more than me having scored almost a thousand runs but it’s a really nice accolade to win.
“It’s nice for it to go my way and it’s recognition that I must be doing something right, I’m happy with my overall game at the moment and I’m just trying to contribute to us winning games and hopefully winning trophies and I feel a bit more settled now in my second year with Essex.
“June is always a bit of a mad month fixtures wise, I think I played 14 games, but I love it so much I just want to be out there. It’s a good time because there’s a lot of cricket but when you get on a roll it’s even better.
“In the County Championship we’re playing some good cricket and the drier it gets the more it plays into our favour with the amount of wickets Harmy (Simon Harmer) gets. It was disappointing when our game with Surrey was heavily rain effected because we were in a good position but I’m confident we can chase them down and it’s going to be exciting with a few others trying to catch them too.”
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