It proved to be a weekend of mixed fortunes for Essex’s Hawks and Falcons, with the former on the wrong end of a heavy defeat at Surrey, while the latter overwhelmed Kent to enhance their position at the top of the table…
Surrey v Essex Hawks
D40 Quest
Byfleet Cricket Club
Sunday 23 June 2024
Surrey: U Khan, B Carter, A Abbasi, H Bishop, J Fisher, J Gale, J Grindrod, M Harris, J Khan, M O’Mahony, J Talmer
Essex Hawks: Ronnie Jackson, James Ward, Andrew Mowatt, Matthew Edwards, Asif Patel, Isaac Elles, Alfie Jeeves, Ben Aust, Benny Fryatt, Conor Berry, Joe Moss, Martyn Doe, Jack Gair.
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat Result: Surrey won by nine wickets
Match Report
Words: Brian Jeeves
Essex Hawks found themselves on the wrong end of a nine-wicket D40 Quest defeat at the hands of a strong Surrey side at Byfleet Cricket Club.
Indeed, only two Essex batters made notable scores against a potent Surrey attack. Ronnie Jackson was desperately unlucky to fall just short of a half-century. The England all-rounder reached 48 before falling to a ball from Talmer that wicketkeeper Gale snaffled.
Joe Moss provided a disciplined batting performance and finished unbeaten on 62 from 75 balls. Talmer, with 3/19, was the pick of the Surrey bowlers.
Essex utilised seven bowlers. However, despite their efforts, the home side made short work of the chase. Khan and Carter put on 114 for the opening wicket. The former was eventually dismissed for 39 by the dogged Jackson when Benny Fryatt displayed a safe pair of hands in the field.
Carter finished unbeaten on 85 off 81 balls. It was a tough day at the office for the Essex side who now occupy fifth place in the D40 Quest table.
Kent v Essex Kestrels
S9 Regional South East
Horton Kirby Cricket Club
Sunday 23 June 2024
Essex Kestrels: Bradley Donovan*, Stephen Denham+, Phil Law, Jack Flowers, Charlie Stack, James Cole, Amara Law, Krish Bhudia, Alex Scott, Harry Willis, Oliver Kennedy, Jack Williams
Toss: Kent won the toss and elected to bowl Result: Essex Kestrels won by 150 runs
Match Report
Words: Brian Jeeves
Essex Kestrels continued their rich vain of S9 Regional South-East form with a hugely impressive 150-run victory over their Kent counterparts at Horton Kirby Cricket Club.
Essex posted a formidable 198, with Phil Law carrying his bat and finishing unbeaten on 52*.
James Cole contributed 33, wicketkeeper/batter Stephen Denham 26, and Jack Flowers 21 in what was an eye-catching performance from the team with the bat.
And Essex carried that over into their bowling, with Kent dismissed for 48. Skipper Bradley Donovan led by example and returned figures of 3/11.
Meanwhile, Oliver Kennedy, Charlie Stack, and Law each claimed a wicket apiece, helping the visitors home with some to spare.
Sunday 23 – Wednesday 26 June 2024 | 11:00am start
Having taken in eight breathless games of Vitality Blast action at breakneck speed, the more serene surroundings of the Vitality County Championship are back at The Cloud County Ground on Sunday.
Essex will mark the return of red-ball cricket by welcoming Durham to Chelmsford, having ended the last block of Championship cricket with two consecutive wins over Warwickshire and Kent.
Both victories were earned over four days, with the home win over the Bears coming after a successful colossal chase of 330 while the points haul picked up in Canterbury followed a titanic bowling effort.
At the Spitfire Ground St Lawrence, Essex piled up 591-7 declared as former Kent man Jordan Cox struck a mammoth 207 while Michael Pepper contributed a swift 82 and Nick Browne hit 65.
In reply, the Eagles forced the follow-on by dismissing Kent for 394, with Matt Critchley collecting 5/88, before ripping through the hosts in the second innings to skittle them for just 101.
Now, Anthony McGrath’s side sit just two points behind Surrey at the summit of Division One with half of the season’s Championship action complete, and two crucial games coming up.
Squad
Head Coach McGrath has named a 13-strong squad for the match, with two changes to the last red-ball group that travelled to Kent a month ago.
New overseas signing Eathan Bosch is in for the injured Sam Cook, while Paul Walter returns in place of Noah Thain.
The Inside Line: Tom Huggins
The Opposition
Durham were promoted from Division Two in 2023 in utterly dominant fashion, racking up seven wins and 233 points to finish far clear at the top.
They were defeated just once all season, in their first match of the campaign away at Sussex, and subsequently went on a rampant unbeaten run that saw them easily promoted.
This is their first season back in the top flight since 2016, but recent inexperience has not counted against Ryan Campbell’s side, as they sit comfortably in mid-table with 83 points.
They began with three draws from four in April, including a complete washout in their opener at home to Hampshire, but the exception was a 185-run win over Worcestershire at Kidderminster.
Since then, the North East outfit have recorded one of every result, with another draw against Hampshire followed up by a defeat to Lancashire and a crushing innings win over Somerset.
England Men’s Test captain Ben Stokes may have returned to the Durham fold to play in their last two matches, but he is absent for this game and it is David Bedingham, with 795 runs, and Ben Raine, with 17 wickets, who are their top performers so far in 2024.
Durham squad:Scott Borthwick (c), Colin Ackermann, David Bedingham, Graham Clark, Paul Coughlin, Michael Jones, Bas de Leede, Alex Lees, Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Ollie Robinson, Peter Siddle.
Last Time We Met
This is the return fixture between the sides this summer after Essex took a trip to the Seat Unique Riverside in late April, returning with 12 points after a washed-out third day forced a draw.
In the temporary absence of Tom Westley, who became a father for the second time during the game in Chester-le-Street, Sam Cook stepped up for his first match as Essex captain.
With Durham batting first on what looked a good pitch, an impressive bowling performance saw them all out for 358, with Colin Ackermann hitting 112 and Cook and Jamie Porter each taking three wickets.
In reply, Essex piled up 488 all out either side of a rained-off Day 3, as Nick Browne top-scored with a massive 184 on his first appearance of the season and Feroze Khushi also hit 107.
Cook, operating as a nightwatchman opener late on the first day, had also hit 25, prompting much discussion about the last Essex captain to simultaneously open the batting and the bowling.
Despite the sizeable first-innings advantage, the weather interruptions meant that a victory was improbable in the time that remained, and Durham had reached 131-2 before the draw was agreed.
Division One Table
How To Watch
If you are not able to make it to The Cloud County Ground in person, the game will be streamed live on the EssexCricketTV YouTube channel and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.
A report and reaction will be published on the Club website after each day’s play via the Club website, while live updates and daily highlights will be provided on the Club’s social media channels.
Tickets
Members of both counties are free to sit in any available and vacant seat, though the Doug Insole Pavilion benches and blocks 1-14 and 27-31 are reserved specifically for their use.
Meanwhile, general admission advance tickets are priced at £16 for adults, while young adults aged between 18 and 25 can buy at any time for £12 and under-18 tickets cost just £6.
A family ticket, covering two adults and two children, costs just £35, while a four-day ticket covering the entire match can be purchased over the phone for £44.
Please note that these two types of ticket are only available in advance of the fixture, and that individual adult tickets will rise in price to £20 if bought on the day.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 01245 254010 or by visiting the link below:
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex are now back in Vitality Blast action for 2024.
With the Eagles sitting fourth in the South Group and firmly in contention for another knockout match, demand for tickets remains exceptionally high.
As Essex continue to aim towards going one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
Kent Spitfires: Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Marcus O’Riordan, Sam Billings (C) (WK), Joey Evison, Harry Finch, Tawanda Muyeye, Beyers Swanepoel, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Gilchrist, Matt Parkinson
Essex: Adam Rossington (wk), Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper, Jordan Cox, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, Simon Harmer (C), Luc Benkenstein, Ben Allison, Aaron Beard
Match Details
Umpires: Martin Saggers & James Tredwell Match Referee: Simon Hinks Toss: Essex win the toss and bowl Result: Essex win by 5 wickets
Essex’ condemned the Kent Spitfires to a fifth consecutive Vitality Blast defeat on Friday night as they cruised to a five-wicket win at Canterbury.
Simon Harmer, Ben Allison and Matt Critchley all claimed two wickets as Kent were limited to 156 for seven, Sam Billings the highest scorer with 38.
It never looked like being enough on a typically batter-friendly St. Lawrence wicket and Michael Pepper blasted 76 from 42 balls as the visitors coasted home with five overs to spare, finishing on 157 for five.
Essex chose to bowl and got Daniel Bell-Drummond for 10, Allison duping him into a false shot that looped to Pepper at deep backward point.
Zak Crawley had made 20 when he hit Critchley to Allison on the deep-midwicket boundary and the umpires ruled his foot wasn’t in contact with the rope as he took a juggling catch.
Tawanda Muyeye hit Simon Harmer back over his head for six but was bowled off the next ball for 18, giving Harmer his first Blast wicket of the season.
Joey Evison went for seven, swatting Paul Walter to Allison at mid-off, but the real prize was Billings, who hit Critchley almost vertically before Luc Benkenstein took a steepling catch.
Marcus O’Riordan made 20 from 11 before playing on to Harmer, Allison bowled Beyers Swanepoel for two and it was left to Harry Finch to milk what he could from the tail, finishing on 24 not out.
The Essex innings was just an over old when the umpires took the players off because the sun was apparently “too bright,” prompting the DJ to play “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.
They were almost at the rope when a cloud appeared and they were called back. Adam Rossington lasted just three more balls before he chipped Xavier Bartlett to Nathan Gilchrist.
A second light delay followed before Gilchrist had Dean Elgar caught by O’Riordan for seven, leading to an eventful Jordan Cox cameo against his former county. He walked out to a mixture of booing and applause and responded with three successive fours off Bartlett. He then dumped Gilchrist for consecutive sixes, only to sky his next ball to Billings, falling for an eight-ball 26 and walking off to cries of “Judas” and worse from an unforgiving handful of home fans.
After nine overs it was 99 for three and the WASP predictor suggested Essex were 99 percent likely to win. That was absurd as Walter immediately holed out to Matt Parkinson and was caught by an inrushing Bartlett for 15, but Pepper was playing with such ease that any realistic home hopes had faded long before swished at Evison and Parkinson couldn’t cling on at short third man.
With fans streaming for the exits Gilchrist had Pepper caught on the boundary by Finch, leaving Critchley to score the winning runs with an inside edge that went for four.
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
South African fast-bowling all-rounder Eathan Bosch has signed for Essex on a short-term deal covering four Vitality County Championship matches.
The 26-year-old hails from KwaZulu-Natal on South Africa’s east coast, and has represented his home province as well as its franchise form Dolphins, in 38 first-class matches since his debut in 2017.
He possesses a bowling average of 27.18 in the format, having claimed 92 wickets, while he has proven himself a handy batter too, notching a century and seven fifties on his way to 1,053 runs at 22.89.
Bosch has also represented his country at Under-19 level, playing two Youth Tests and two Youth ODIs, and turned out for Pretoria Capitals in both the 2023 and 2024 editions of the SA20 competition.
With Essex once again challenging for the Championship title at the halfway stage, Bosch will be available for matches at home to Durham and Worcestershire and away to Surrey and Hampshire.
“I’m super excited to be here,” said Bosch. “It was a pretty easy deal to accept, and I’m looking forward to my time with the Eagles. It will be nice to play outside of South Africa, and to see what my skills can bring to the table.”
“It will definitely be a learning experience, but I’m looking forward to experiencing a bit more of the country, and especially Chelmsford!”
Essex Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, added: “Eathan is a terrific addition for us, and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team.
“There’s huge value in a well-stocked seam bowling cupboard, and with his experience of bowling in different conditions, he will add a new dimension to our attack.
“He will also be able to push everyone around him to new heights, which will be extremely beneficial as the Championship season heads towards its finale.”
Essex: Adam Rossington*+, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper, Jordan Cox, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Daniel Sams, Luc Benkenstein, Shane Snater, Ben Allison, Aaron Beard.
Sussex Sharks: Daniel Hughes, Harrison Ward, James Coles, John Simpson+, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Tom Alsop, Danny Lamb, Nathan McAndrew, Jack Carson, Ollie Robinson, Tymal Mills*.
Match Details:
Umpires: Chris Watts & David Millns Match Referee: Steve Davis Toss: Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to bowl first Result: Sussex Sharks won by eight wickets
Fifties from Dean Elgar and Michael Pepper were unable to prevent Essex falling to defeat at the hands of Sussex Sharks in the Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground.
Pepper blasted a 26-ball 51 and Elgar top-scored with 54 from 39, but their efforts were in vain as the Eagles’ ultimate total of 178-9 was overhauled.
Sussex reeled off the target with 4.2 overs to spare, as openers Harrison Ward and Daniel Hughes racked up a first-wicket stand of 99, individually making 68 off 36, and 47 from just 18, respectively.
Elgar, who was dropped second ball by Tom Alsop in the slips, gave Essex a confident start first alongside stand-in captain Adam Rossington, and then Pepper, after the hosts had been inserted.
The openers put on a quickfire 50 in 31 balls before Rossington was dismissed, caught behind by John Simpson off Ollie Robinson for 16, but that only served to bring the in-form Pepper to the crease.
He smoked four sixes during his stay, passing 50 for the second time in his last three home matches, as the Eagles flew to 114-1 midway through the 12th over.
The team hundred was neatly also the second 50 partnership of the match, with Pepper and Elgar bringing it up just before the halfway mark.
However, things from there began to go downhill for the Eagles, as Pepper was caught by Jack Carson off Nathan McAndrew two balls after posting 50, before Jordan Cox followed a delivery later.
This was despite Elgar marching to his own half-century shortly afterwards, lofting Carson for six to post a 35-ball 50, though his departure shortly afterwards was the beginning of a substantial slide.
He and Paul Walter fell to James Coles and Jack Carson, respectively, before a wicket in each of the next four overs repeatedly stunted any attempt to fight back, with no other batter able to pass 11.
Ben Allison did at least allow the Eagles to finish with a flourish by hitting Australian Nathan McAndrew, who was the pick of the visitors’ bowlers with 3/33, for two fours from the final two balls.
The target was, though, instantly made to feel somewhat light in the powerplay, as an enormous over from Hughes off Daniel Sams saw the Sharks get off to a flier at 92-0 after six.
Matt Critchley recovered from being hit for two sixes by Ward to remove Hughes, caught by Shane Snater, but Sussex continued to cruise ominously at 129-1 halfway through their overs.
Essex drew blood again as Ward edged Allison to Rossington behind the stumps five deliveries later, though Simpson and Coles were able to confidently guide the visitors to victory without further loss.
Simpson finished unbeaten on 45 from 28, while Coles made 18 not out off 12 as the Eagles were uncharacteristically defeated at Chelmsford for the first time in any format this season.
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
It’s been another unmissable week of Vitality Blast action, with the South Group remaining eye-wateringly competitive.
With most sides having played four times and a bumper few days coming up before the end of the group stage’s first block, just four points separate top from bottom.
THE STATE OF PLAY
Surrey remain as one of three sides at the top of the table, though a first defeat has seen the Brown Caps lose their advantage, with Sussex Sharks and Somerset joining them on six points.
In actual fact, that Surrey loss, which was to Sussex, and a pair of big Somerset wins has seen the Oval side drop to third on net run rate, with the defending champions taking over at the top.
Meanwhile, the chasing pack in the middle of the table is also near-inseparable, with four further teams, headed up by Kent Spitfires, sitting on four points.
The Canterbury outfit currently occupy the final knockout spot and have the best overall NRR in the group, with Glamorgan, Essex, and Hampshire Hawks possessing identical records.
Finally, even a first win for Middlesex over Kent on Sunday was not enough to lift them off the foot of the table, where they sit below Gloucestershire, who also have just two points.
Sussex are the most in-form team, winning both of their games this week, while Gloucestershire are the most in need of new ideas, even more than basement side Middlesex, after losing two from two.
THE BIG-HITTING BATTERS
Jamie Smith of Surrey’s 211 runs, hit at an average of 52.75, mean he still leads the way with the bat in the South Group, and his already-stunning strike rate has climbed again to now stand at 208.91.
However, impressive weeks for Sussex’s Australian man Daniel Hughes and Somerset stalwart Tom Abell have seen them jump up the table to second with 177 runs and third with 167, respectively.
Abell hit an unbeaten 96 from 47 against Hampshire, but it was the 106 off 58 struck by Kent’s Sam Billings – that Somerset were on the receiving end of – that earns the title of the week’s highest score.
Ollie Pope also came within a whisker of hitting a century, his first in T20 cricket, but had to settle for an unbeaten 99 from 59 deliveries in Surrey’s defeat by Sussex.
Meanwhile, Smith remains the South Group’s leading six-hitter with 19, a long way clear of the 10 maximums blasted by Somerset’s Will Smeed and the eight of Essex’s own Michael Pepper.
THE IN-FORM BOWLERS
Having finished second in the entire competition’s wicket-taking charts last season, Ben Green of Somerset has continued his impressive form with the ball and has picked up 13 scalps already.
He took the South Group’s first five-wicket haul in a big win over Hampshire on Sunday, picking up figures of 5/29 in what was the best single bowling performance of the week too.
Green’s teammate Riley Meredith, playing his first season in the Blast, ripped through Middlesex on Tuesday night to pick up 4/12, while Glamorgan’s Mason Crane also collected 4/25 this week.
Crane now sits second behind Green in the list of overall wicket-takers with 10, level with Tymal Mills of Sussex and one ahead of Meredith, Surrey’s Tom Curran, and Gloucestershire’s David Payne.
Veteran left-arm seamer Payne also has the lowest economy rate of anyone to bowl more than one over in the South Group, at 5.68, while Shane Snater’s 5.00 holds the group’s best bowling average.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS
06 June: Middlesex (173 all out) lost to Glamorgan (177-7) by three wickets
07 June: Gloucestershire (124 all out) lost to Hampshire Hawks (128-5) by five wickets
Kent Spitfires (198-6) beat Somerset (197-6) by four wickets
Surrey (177-7) lost to Sussex Sharks (213-7) by 36 runs
Essex (168-8) beat Glamorgan (166-8) by two wickets
09 June: Gloucestershire (160-8) lost to Sussex Sharks (208-6) by 48 runs
Somerset (241-5) beat Hampshire Hawks (178 all out) by 63 runs
Kent Spitfires (173-8) lost to Middlesex (178-6) by four wickets
11 June: Middlesex (78 all out) lost to Somerset (82-1) by nine wickets
UPCOMING FIXTURES
13 June: Middlesex v Essex (Lord’s)
Glamorgan v Hampshire Hawks (Sophia Gardens)
14 June: Somerset v Kent Spitfires (Cooper Associates County Ground)
Surrey v Gloucestershire (Kia Oval)
Essex v Sussex (The Cloud County Ground)
Hampshire Hawks v Middlesex (Utilita Bowl)
15 June: Sussex Sharks v Surrey (1st Central County Ground)
16 June: Somerset v Glamorgan (Cooper Associates County Ground)
Kent Spitfires v Gloucestershire (Spitfire Ground St Lawrence)
20 June: Glamorgan v Gloucestershire (Sophia Gardens)
Essex v Hampshire Hawks (The Cloud County Ground)
Middlesex v Surrey (Lord’s)
Sussex Sharks v Kent Spitfires (1st Central County Ground)
21 June: Gloucestershire v Somerset (Seat Unique Stadium)
Kent Spitfires v Essex (Spitfire Ground St Lawrence)
Surrey v Glamorgan (Kia Oval)
Hampshire Hawks v Sussex Sharks (Utilita Bowl)
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
Essex: Adam Rossington+, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper, Jordan Cox, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Daniel Sams, Simon Harmer*, Shane Snater, Luc Benkenstein, Aaron Beard.
Glamorgan: Eddie Byrom, Kiran Carlson*, Sam Northeast, Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Ingram, Chris Cooke+, Dan Douthwaite, Timm van der Gugten, Andy Gorvin, Mason Crane, Jamie McIlroy.
Match Details:
Umpires: Mark Newell & Paul Pollard Match Referee: Dean Cosker Toss: Essex won the toss and chose to bowl Result: Essex won by two wickets
Luc Benkenstein displayed a maturity beyond his years to star with the bat as Essex fought back to record a nail-biting two-wicket win over Glamorgan at The Cloud County Ground.
Benkenstein hit 35 and Shane Snater made 20 as Essex, having earlier suffered a middle-order stumble, valiantly sealed their second Vitality Blast victory in a row by chasing down Glamorgan’s 166-8.
Colin Ingram top-scored for the visitors with a fifty, while Daniel Sams and Paul Walter equally shared six wickets.
The chase was very far from straightforward, but a thoroughly admirable late effort from Snater and Benkenstein was enough to tick off the runs and see the Eagles over the line with a little more than one over to spare.
Having chosen to allow the Welsh visitors first use of the pitch, Daniel Sams made an immediate impact when he bowled Eddie Byrom for a five-ball duck as the opener attempted to scoop.
That was the highlight of a wicket maiden to kick-start proceedings, and the hosts enjoyed a dominant powerplay, restricting Glamorgan to just 31 runs off the opening six overs.
Within that, another wicket fell, with Sam Northeast departing for five via a Matt Critchley catch at short third off the bowling of the returning Shane Snater.
Glamorgan’s apparent inability to time the ball continued to afflict them, as it took until the end of the ninth over, and two Marnus Labuschagne swept fours, until the scoreboard showed 50.
Indeed, they were still scoring at less than a run per ball at the ten-over mark, as Simon Harmer rotated his attack frequently to restrict them to 58-2 at exactly halfway.
Two sixes from captain Kiran Carlson did provide some impetus, but the return of Critchley for his third over put the brakes back on as Carlson top-edged to Luc Benkenstein running behind square for 36.
Walter then continued to turn the screw as he did for Labuschagne, with the Australian star offering up a catch to a diving Jordan Cox at mid-off to depart for a 27-ball 34.
That brought big-hitting South African Ingram to the crease, and he did provide the lift Glamorgan were desperately searching for with a series of boundaries to haul the score past 100.
He ended up striking 52 from 29, adding 48 with the similarly pugnacious Chris Cooke before the latter skied Sams to Benkenstein in the 18th over.
Two further wickets, those of Dan Douthwaite and Timm van der Gugten – both caught – bookended Walter’s last over, with Glamorgan still short of 150.
They did sneak past that milestone in Sams’ final over as Ingram went to fifty, but his wicket ensured the Eagles ended the stronger, restricting the visitors to what felt like a significantly below-par total.
Byrom’s tough evening then continued to kick off the Essex chase, as he shelled a Dean Elgar flick at fine leg and allowed the ball through for the hosts’ first boundary.
From there, Adam Rossington demonstrated exactly how a powerplay should work, blasting van der Gugten’s opening over for 19 and following up with a further big pulled maximum off Jamie McIlroy.
The Essex 50, brought up a full four overs faster than the counterpart one in the first innings, was followed up by a rare passage of four overthrows to result in five runs coming off one ball.
It all combined to give the hosts a barnstorming start to the chase as the powerplay totalled 73, and Michael Pepper picked up where he had left off against Middlesex to keep the momentum going.
He was unperturbed by the loss of Rossington for 48, caught on the straight boundary by Jamie McIlroy off Labuschagne for a fiery 24-ball 48 that included three sixes, and Cox, to hit six boundaries.
The Eagles did, however, have work still to do when Pepper was bowled by Crane for 31 from just 14 and Walter followed at the hands of Labuschagne.
Snater and Benkenstein looked to get the chase back on course, and bit-by-bit, they did so, allowing more freedom as their partnership built.
On a night of the highest tension, the Eagles were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when Benkenstein, after several balls of hesitance, lifted Labuschagne for the winning runs in the 19th over.
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex are now back in Vitality Blast action for 2024.
Demand remains exceptionally high, and two out of the five remaining home matches are already sold out.
With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
Somerset: Tom Banton†, Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Sean Dickson, Lewis Gregory*, Ben Green, Craig Overton, Roelof van der Merwe, Jake Ball, Riley Meredith.
Essex: Adam Rossington+, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper, Jordan Cox, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Daniel Sams, Simon Harmer*, Luc Benkenstein, Ben Allison, Aaron Beard.
Match Details:
Umpires: Robert White & Ian Blackwell Match Referee: Mike Smith Toss: Somerset won the toss and elected to bowl Result: Somerset won by four wickets
Dean Elgar struck his first T20 fifty in Essex colours but Tom Abell and Lewis Gregory’s stand of 60 in 30 balls saw Somerset take a nail-biting four-wicket victory against Essex at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Abell top-scored with 55 from 36 balls and Gregory smashed 44 from 22 deliveries as Somerset reached their target of 194 with five balls to spare in a repeat of last year’s final.
Tom Banton, Will Smeed and Sean Dickson also made useful contributions in front of the Sky TV cameras to leave Essex and Elgar, who made a 51-ball 77, crestfallen.
Playing against his former county, Elgar top-scored on his return to the West Country, accruing eight fours and two sixes and sharing in stands of 67 and 58 with Adam Rossington and Jordan Cox for the first and third wickets respectively as Essex posted 193-6.
Rossington contributed 32 and Cox 30, while Gregory returned figures of 3-42 off four overs in what was an excellent individual performance with bat and ball.
Determined to make a better fist of batting first following defeat to Gloucestershire at Bristol in their opening fixture 24 hours earlier, Essex made a reassuringly solid start on this occasion, Rossington and Elgar staging a stand of 67 in 7.3 overs.
With big shoes to fill after replacing Matt Henry as overseas pace spearhead, Australian Riley Meredith at least managed to keep things tight during three overs from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End that cost 16 runs.
But Craig Overton proved significantly more expensive at the other end, the former England bowler conceding five fours and a six in going for 32 in three overs as the visitors raised 56 without loss from the powerplay, big-hitting Rossington proving especially destructive.
Having already harvested five fours, Rossington greeted Roelof van der Merwe with a towering six hit straight back over the spinner’s head, only to then lose his off stump to Gregory in the act of swinging in the next over.
His swashbuckling innings of 32, made from 24 balls, at least afforded the visitors a platform from which to launch.
Michael Pepper came and went quickly, attempting to reverse sweep van der Merwe and offering a straightforward catch to Ben Green at short third man with the score on 74 in the ninth.
If home supporters sensed an opportunity to turn the tide, they were quickly disabused of the idea as Cox went on the attack.
He first lifted Jake Ball over deep backward point for a maximum and then pulled the next ball for four as the eleventh over yielded 14 runs to propel Essex into three figures.
Setting himself to bat through, the redoubtable Elgar found acceleration at the right time to go to 50 via 35 balls, reaching that landmark courtesy of his fifth four, a flowing off drive at the expense of Green.
Somerset needed a break and it arrived in the fifteenth over, Cox miscuing to extra cover off the bowling of Gregory and departing for a 23-ball 30.
He and Elgar had added 58 in 5.5 overs and set the stage for the big-hitting Paul Walter, who announced himself with a brace of fours and a six in the same Gregory over.
Back came the home side, Ball bowling Walter for 18 and Green making a mess of Daniel Sams’ stumps to partially redress the balance.
But Elgar was not finished, the veteran South African campaigner plundering 15 runs off the eighteenth to spoil Green’s figures on his way to a superb 77, and only succumbing to Gregory in the final over.
Somerset required a flying start and Tom Banton displayed aggressive intent by driving Aaron Beard over long-on for six and then collecting sumptuous cover-driven fours at the expense of Sams and Ben Allison.
Not wanting to appear tardy in comparison, Will Smeed pulled Allison to the boundary and then mustered a brace of sixes in plundering 20 from Walter’s first over to bring a packed audience to life.
Beard afforded Essex some relief, having Banton held at mid-wicket for a 14-ball 21 with the score on 49 in the fifth, but Smeed continued to trade in boundaries, smiting Sams for two successive maximums.
His mercurial innings came to an abrupt halt when he drove the very next ball to cover and departed for a 16-ball 39, having mustered 3 fours and a quartet of sixes as the home side reached 64-2 at the end of the powerplay.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore fell to Critchley in the next over, brilliantly caught by the diving Simon Harmer at mid-off, as Essex deployed spin at both ends in an attempt to apply pressure.
Somerset reached halfway on 90-3, requiring a further 104 runs at 10.4 an over, and Dickson brought up three figures with a straight-driven six off Critchley.
Meanwhile, Abell found the boundary often enough to keep the chase on track during the middle overs, smashing two fours and a six off the thirteenth, sent down by Luc Benkenstein, to bring up the 50 partnership in 36 balls.
But Beard returned to have Dickson caught in the deep for a 19-ball 26 as an enthralling contest took another twist.
New batsman Gregory injected immediate excitement, pulling Allison for a huge six, at which point the home side required a further 54 runs from 30 balls.
Crucially, the fifth wicket pair were able to keep the rate at around ten an over, Abell going to 50 via 31 balls with his first six.
Somerset needed a big over and Gregory provided it by smashing three sixes off the seventeenth, bowled by Critchley, to bring the rate under a run a ball for the first time.
Abell contributed 5 fours and a six before being caught at the wicket off the bowling of Walter, while Gregory mustered 4 sixes and a brace of fours to put the outcome beyond doubt as Somerset’s renowned batting line-up came good at the death.
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex return to shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.
Demand remains exceptionally high, and there are now only 15% of tickets remaining across all seven home fixtures, with two already sold out.
With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.
Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here(LAST FEW TICKETS) Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
It is with sadness that the passing of Nigel Fuller has been announced. For numerous years, Nigel was the doyen of the Essex Press Box and nobody who was introduced to him during the course of their work, would forget him.
Before joining the Evening Echo in Basildon in 1969, he worked for a number of other regional papers including the Nottingham Evening Post, Birmingham Mail and South Wales Echo before decamping to Essex.
Apart from covering Southend United, Nigel’s other chief assignment was to provide features and match reports of Essex Cricket, a task he undertook assiduously as he did with the local football club.
Nigel soon built up a list of contacts and no story concerning either of the two clubs escaped his attention. He upset the hierarchy of the clubs on a number of occasions by publishing information that they preferred not to be disclosed but brushed off any of their ensuing ire with a shrug of the shoulders and the knowledge that what had been written was totally true.
Nigel was a trusted figure by the players and certain officials of the two clubs. He so befriended members of the Essex teams in the 70’s and 80’s that he would share hotel rooms and socialise with them. He would also travel to Southend away matches on the players and officials coach, naturally striking up friendships. A plus point of those relationships was that he would gain inside information which allowed him to write headline stories whilst, naturally, never revealing the source of his information.
As lead figure of the Essex Press Box for more than four decades, Nigel came into contact with so many fellow journalists and he both enjoyed their company and provided them with so many entertaining stories. A superb operator who, once met, would never be forgotten. He will be sorely missed.
A highly-talented journalist, Nigel decided to retire after the 2022 season, the ink in the biro finally drying up.
He passed away on Sunday night at the age of 83 following a short illness.
The thoughts of everyone as Essex Cricket are with Nigel’s wife, Jan, son Neil and his family during this time.
The Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Thursday 30 May 2024, 6:30pm | Friday 31 May 2024, 6:30pm
Having experienced heartbreak in last season’s final, Essex are back in Vitality Blast action this week with the aim of overcoming that final hurdle and earning the tag of double T20 champions.
Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams is back among the Eagles’ ranks after winning the Blast’s MVP award in 2023, while Jordan Cox and Dean Elgar are among the new faces set for their Essex T20 bows.
Following a strong start to the season in County Championship cricket, a pair of trips to the West Country await Anthony McGrath’s men as the shortest-format competition begins this week.
A meeting with Gloucestershire in Bristol is first up, before Essex take on Somerset in Taunton on Friday night as the Sky Sports cameras capture a rematch of last season’s showpiece.
The Inside Line: Daniel Sams
Squad
Head Coach McGrath has named a 15-man squad for the trips to Bristol and Taunton, with Sam Cook missing the trip to the West Country.
Cook sustained a hamstring injury during the last Vitality County Championship match away at Kent, and is currently being assessed by the Club’s medical team following a scan to find out the extent of the injury.
The Opposition: Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire are one of five counties never to have won the domestic English T20 title, with their closest effort coming in 2007, when they finished as runners-up to Kent.
Last season was something of a struggle, as the Bristol outfit picked up only five wins from their 14 matches to finish in seventh, six points behind the fourth-placed Eagles.
In particular, Gloucestershire found batting difficult, with Ben Charlesworth finishing as their leading run-scorer despite totalling only 299 runs, a tally that put him 53rd in the overall competition standings.
Bowling was a little more productive, with Tom Smith’s 17 wickets leading the way from David Payne’s 15 and the 10 that Ollie Price claimed.
Gloucestershire squad:Jack Taylor*, Cameron Bancroft, James Bracey+, Ben Charlesworth, Marchant de Lange, Miles Hammond, Ed Middleton, David Payne, Ollie Price, Josh Shaw, Ajeet Singh Dale, Tom Smith, Matt Taylor, Graeme van Buuren, Beau Webster.
Last Time We Met: Gloucestershire
Many recent meetings between these two sides have been weather-affected, but the rain held off long enough last May at The Cloud County Ground to allow Essex to complete a three-wicket win.
In the Eagles’ opening match of the 2023 tournament, Simon Harmer opted to insert the visitors after winning the toss, and they responded by posting a competitive-looking 195-7.
Charlesworth top-scored with 52 from 20 balls, while Sams and Paul Walter picked up two wickets apiece, before opener Robin Das blasted 69 off 33 to set the Eagles well on their way.
Feroze Khushi also struck 34 off 14 as, despite two scalps each for Payne and Price, the hosts got over the line off the first ball of the final over as Tom Westley, who notched a 23-ball 31, hit the winning four.
The Opposition: Somerset
After winning their second Blast title with a nail-biting final victory over the Eagles in 2023 to go with a previous triumph in 2005, Somerset head into this season with their hopes high.
They are shorn of last year’s tournament-leading wicket-taker Matt Henry, who is away at the World Cup with New Zealand, and have opted to replace him with Australian speedster Riley Meredith.
Whether Meredith will be able to replicate the form of Henry that contributed to Somerset winning 15 of their 17 matches last year remains to be seen, but the rest of the title-winning squad remains intact.
Craig Overton, Lewis Gregory, and Ben Green – who finished behind Henry in 2023 with 30 scalps – are all game-changers, while Will Smeed, Tom Banton, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore are destructive batters.
Somerset squad:TBC
Last Time We Met: Somerset
While many Eagles fans may want to forget last year’s final after Somerset edged out a 14-run win in a low-scoring clash, it would be harsh to disregard what was a spirited Essex showing.
Having seen off Hampshire in the last four prior to Somerset overcoming Surrey, the sides met for the showpiece as Harmer won the toss and opted to chase.
At halfway, it looked a good decision with Sean Dickson’s 35-ball 53 the only innings of note in Somerset’s 145, as Shane Snater returned career-best figures of 3/13 and Walter also took three scalps.
However, Somerset’s strangling bowling attack suppressed the Eagles, as despite Sams’ counter-attacking 45 off 26 balls, he was the last man to fall to confirm an Essex total of 131 all out.
South Group Preview
Click here for a team-by-team preview of each of this year’s South Group contenders.
How To Watch
If you are not making the journey westwards for either fixture, there are slightly different ways to watch each game.
The opener against Gloucestershire will be streamed live on the hosts’ YouTube channel and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.
Meanwhile, Friday night’s repeat of the 2023 final will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from 6:00pm.
A report will be published on the Club website after each match, while live updates and highlights will be provided on the Essex Cricket social media channels.
Tickets
For anyone joining the Eagles in Bristol, tickets bought in advance are priced at £26 for adults and £9 for juniors (with a 10% discount if you are buying at least 10 tickets), with these prices increasing to £31 for adults and £12 for juniors if bought on the gate.
While seating is unreserved, spectators are able to book specific tickets in either the no alcohol area (block B1 of the Jack Russell Stand) or the low alcohol area (block B3 of the Jack Russell Stand) if they would like.
Tickets for the Gloucestershire match can be purchased by visiting the link below:
Meanwhile, the Somerset fixture is more oversubscribed, with only Category C tickets (in the Somerset Stand, the Ondaatje Alcohol Free Stand, and the Trade Nation Stand) or restricted view tickets left available, and all family tickets sold out.
Category C tickets are priced at £37 for adults, £19 for students, £10 for young adults aged 16-18, and £7 for juniors aged 15 and under, with restricted view seats available at £30 for adults, £15 for students, £7 for young adults, and £5 for juniors.
Tickets for the Somerset game can be purchased by visiting the link below:
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex return to shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.
Demand remains exceptionally high, and there are now only 15% of tickets remaining across all seven home fixtures, with two already sold out.
With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.
Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here(LAST FEW TICKETS) Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
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