Search Results for: what

Essex v Lancashire | Specsavers County Championship | The Cloudfm County Ground

Essex | Nick Browne (10), Varun Chopra (6), Tom Westley (21), Dan Lawrence (28), Ravi Bopara (25), Ryan ten Doeschate* (27), James Foster+ (7), Paul Walter (22), Simon Harmer (11), Peter Siddle (64), Jamie Porter (44).

Lancashire | Liam Livingstone (C), Tom Bailey, Shiv Chanderpaul, Jordan Clark, Alex Davies, Haseeb Hameed, Keaton Jennings, Joe Mennie, Graham Onions, Matt Parkinson, Dane Vilas

Umpires | Rob Bailey & Neil Bainton

Toss | Uncontested, Lancashire elected to bowl first.

Result | Essex win by 31 runs

Day Three Match Highlights:

Day Three | Close of Play Report

Essex were to experience some nail-biting moments before they were able to celebrate a 31 run victory over Lancashire at The Cloudfm County Ground.

The champions looked set for a much more comfortable victory when the visitors lost their ninth wicket with the total on 246 in their quest to reach a victory target of 320.

But Joe Mennie condemned them to a jittery finale. With Matt Parkinson providing obdurate defence at one end, Mennie opened his shoulders at the other.

He smashed three sixes – two off Ravi Bopara and one against Simon Harmer – as he helped himself to 56 from 91 deliveries that also contained a couple of fours.

In the end, his valiant effort ended in failure with the total on 288 as Jamie Porter breached his defences going for another big hit.

That gave Porter his fourth wicket of the innings. His successes came at a cost of 54 to finish with a match haul of 9 for 80.

On a pitch which became slower and flatter as the game wore on, Essex whose opening game against Yorkshire was abandoned without a ball being bowled, were made to fight hard for their triumph.

It had promised to be a much easier when Porter and Peter Siddle removed openers Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings  early on with 32 on the board.

But Alex Davies, Jordan Clark and Mennie had other ideas. Davies led the fightback after Hameed had his off stump knocked out of the ground by Porter with a superb 71 from 85 balls that included 11 boundaries.

Davies was finally undone by a Porter yorker that trapped him lbw with the total on 139 and the visitors a long way from the winning post with only five wickets left.

But Clark was to show there was still plenty of fight left in Lancashire with a fine 59 from 81 deliveries that contained five fours. He too became an lbw victim of the impressive Porter leaving Mennie to step up a couple of gears and leave the nerves of Essex players and supporters jangling.

It was fitting  hat Porter  proved the match winner. He was the most impressive bowler on view, his ability to maintain  a good length  being a key factor  on a docile pitch.

In contrast Simon Harmer was unable to make his usual telling impression. It was not until his 25^th over  of the innings that the off-spinner collected his solitary wicket and his eventual 29 overs cost 109 runs.

Left-arm seamer Paul Walter was to play a decisive part in the county’s success when he removed Liam Livingstone and Shivnarine Chanderpaul within the space of six deliveries immediately after lunch. He finished with 2 for 21 from 6 overs while Siddle emerged with 2 for 55 from 20 overs – his first wickets for the county.

Essex claimed 19 points from the match whilst Lancashire settled for just 3 points as they experienced their second defeat in as many matches his season.

Day Three | Tea Report

The introduction of Paul Walter after Lunch met with immediate effect when he struck twice within the space of six deliveries.

Lancashire resumed on 84 for 2 but four runs later, Walter had Liam Livingstone caught behind in his first over. Then the tall left-arm seamer dispatched Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw for a single in his next over to leave Lancashire 98 for 4.

Alex Davies, however, continued to bat fluently and reached a deserved half-century from 66 balls with seven boundaries.

He had now been joined by Dane Vilas on a ground which harboured happy memories for both.

In the corresponding fixture last season, Davies made an unbeaten 140 and Vilas 92 in a drawn match but there was to be no repeat on this occasion.

Davies reached his half-century having faced 66 balls with seven boundaries and had moved onto 71 with the total on 139 when  he was lbw to a yorker sent down by Jamie Porter.

The visitors lost their sixth wicket with the score now on 172, when Peter Siddle returned to remove Vilas lbw for 22.

Siddle then turned the game squarely in Essex’s favour when he ran out Tom Bailey with a direct throw from the mid-wicket area. He was sent back by Jordan Clark only for the Australian, who was bowling, to swoop on the ball and beat the despairing  dive of the Lancashire batsman.

But Essex hopes of wrapping up the innings swiftly were frustrated by Jordan Clark and Joe Mennie.

The pair took their side through to the tea interval with an unbroken partnership of 36 as Lancashire reached the break on 231 for 7, still needing a further 89 runs for victory.

Day Three | Lunch Report

Essex were being met with gritty resistance as they went in search of their first win of the Championship season, having set Lancashire 320 runs for victory at The Cloudfm County Ground.

At Lunch, the visitors had reached 84 for 2, with Alex Davies unbeaten on 33 and Liam Livingstone 20 not out.

After removing the openers for 32, Essex were frustrated by an unbroken third wicket partnership of 52 to leave the match very much in the balance.

Jamie Porter claimed Essex’s first success in his second over when he sent the off stump of Haseeb Hameed cartwheeling out of the ground with just 7 runs on the board.

Then Peter Siddle picked up his first wicket for the County in his seventh over, after going wicketless while sending down 13 overs in the first innings.

The Australian owed his success to a fine catch low down at first slip by Varun Chopra to get rid of Keaton Jennings, who like Hameed, is being touted for a place in the England test side.

Jennings had completed a useful 24 before his departure but that proved the home side’s last success before the interval.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer was brought into the attack after only 10 overs but although the batsmen never looked entirely comfortable against him, they managed to keep the South African bowler at bay.

Davies and Livingstone were forced to adopt a cautious approach against bowlers who gave very little away until Davies suddenly upped the tempo tasking three boundaries in an over when Porter returned for another spell.

Day Two Match Highlights:

Day Two Reaction | James Foster:

Day Two | Close of Play Report:

An 8th wicket stand between James Foster and Simon Harmer leaves Essex favourites to win the Specsavers County Championship duel against Lancashire at The Cloudfm County Ground.

It yielded 103 runs as the reigning Champions were bowled out for 313 just before the scheduled close to leave their opponents going in the third day with a victory target of 320.

Foster, who has often come up trumps when the county need him to perform, was last man out for 69 while Harmer followed up his five-wicket haul with a valuable 49.

It represented a superb effort on their part as they seized the initiative with a mixture of determination and aggression.

They came together with the game seemingly evenly poised at 208 for 7.

Essex had earned a slender first innings lead of six runs after bowling their opponents out for 144.

The day started with the home side requiring just nine deliveries to claim the remaining two Lancashire wickets.

Jamie Porter shattered the stumps of Graham Onions with just three runs added to the overnight 141 for 8 to finish with 5 for 26 from a dozen overs, the eighth five-wicket haul of his career.

Then Harmer picked up his fifth wicket when he brought the innings to a close by bowling Jordan Clark. His haul came at a cost of 46 in 15.1 overs.

Varun Chopra was soon scoring freely when Essex went in again, collecting seven boundaries while contributing 32 in an opening stand of 48 with Nick Browne.

He departed when Graham Onions breached his defences and two more wickets fell quickly in somewhat controversial circumstances with the dismissals of Browne and Dan Lawrence.

Both initially stood their ground questioning whether the ball had been carried, in Browne’s case to Dane Vilas in the gully while Lawrence had played the ball to Liam Livingstone in the slips.

Umpires Neil Bainton and Rob Bailey conferred before confirming their dismissal verdicts, Browne departing for 17 and Lawrence 5.

Following their exits, Tom Westley batted responsibly and with authority to make 49 before driving leg-spinner Matt Parkinson into the hands of short cover while Ravi Bopara and Ryan ten Doeschate both fell in the 20’s when looking well set.

Paul Walter became a victim of Joe Mennie but that was to pave the way for what could prove a match-winning stand.

The new ball was taken with the score on 270 for 7 but it failed to curb the collection of runs for the hosts

Foster struck eight fours in completing his half-century from 80 balls while Harmer had moved to within one run of his 50 having collected 5 fours when Tom Bailey had him caught behind with the total on 311.

One run later, Peter Siddle, who top-scored in the first innings with an unbeaten 33 fell lbw to Bailey for a duck while the same bowler ended Foster’s fine innings when he trapped him in front of his stumps. The Essex stalwart had faced 125 deliveries and collected 10 boundaries during his 169 minutes stay at the crease.

Bailey finished with 3 for 73 while Onions and Mennie also picked up three wickets at a cost of 57 and 47 respectively.

Day Two | Tea Report:

After starting the post-lunch session on 82 for 3, Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara both caught the eye after lunch with attacking strokes on either side of the wicket while putting together a half-century stand.

But it was brought to an end after it had produced 57 runs to carry Essex to 127. It was then that the fourth wicket fell as Bopara provided a slip catch to Liam Livingstone having scored 26.

Another useful stand featured Westley and Ryan ten Doeschate, it advancing the total by 39.

It ended disappointingly when Westley drove tamely to short cover against leg-spinner Matt Parkinson when one run short of his 50. His innings contained six boundaries.

Next to go was ten Doeschate, an lbw victim of Graham Onions with the score on 174. The Essex skipper made 25 and his departure left the match delicately poised.

Much now was likely to rest on the shoulders of James Foster if Essex were to pat a challenging total and he and Paul Walter carried them through to the tea interval at 194 for 6, a score that gave them an overall lead of 200 runs.

Foster reached the break on 12 while Walter was 8 not out.

Day Two | Lunch Report:

Essex needed just 9 deliveries to capture the last two Lancashire wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 144 that earned the title holders a first innings lead of 6 runs in the County Championship clash as The Cloudfm County Ground.

Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer took a wicket apiece to finish with 5 for 25 and 5 for 46 respectively.

Essex scored freely as they sought to build on the narrow advantage as they arrived at lunch on 82 for 3 with Tom Westley unbeaten on 17 and Ravi Bopara 3 not out.

Porter claimed the eighth 5-wicket haul of his career when he scattered the stumps of Graham Onions with three runs added to the overnight 141 for 8.

Without addition, off-spinner Harmer brought the innings to a close by bowling Jordan Clark.

Nick Browne and Varun Chopra put together the highest partnership of the match when the home side went in again.

Chopra led the way with seven boundaries in an aggressive 32 before he lost his off stump when facing Graham Onions with 48 runs on the board.

Ten runs later, Browne followed him back to the pavilion amid an air of controversy.

He was caught low down at gully by Dane Vilas off Joe Mennie but while the Lancashire fielders celebrated, Brown stood his ground awaiting confirmation that the ball had carried.

After the umpires consulted, Browne was sent on his way and remarkably the same situation emerged with the total on 70.

This time, Dan Lawrence was reluctant to go after being taken at second slip by Liam Livingstone and it took another meeting between umpires Neil Bainton and Rob Bailey before the batsman headed for the Doug Insole Pavilion.

Day One Reaction | Simon Harmer

Day One | Close of Play Report:

After an absorbing day’s play in which 18 wickets fell, Essex and Lancashire just about shared the honours in the Specsavers County Championship clash at The Cloudfm County Ground.

On a pitch where the ball seamed and swung enough to make batting difficult, Essex, the defending champions, were bowled out for a modest 150 in 50 overs.

But they fought back through their dynamic duo of Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer to reduce their opponents to 141 for 8 by the close.

The match was the county’s first taste of action in the competition following the abandonment of their opening fixture against Yorkshire at Headingley when not a ball was bowled.

And the lack of action in the middle showed as they struggled to make progress when Lancashire asserted their right to bowl first.

Against a four-pronged attack of Joe Mennie, Tom Bailey, Jordan Clark and Graham Onions, the home side lost wickets at regular intervals and it was only a last wicket stand of 37 between Porter and Peter Siddle that gave them an air of respectability.

Their partnership was the highest of the innings and included the top-score of the innings with Siddle contributing 33 not out.

He opened his shoulders to despatch fellow Australian Mennie and leg-spinner Matt Parkinson for a six apiece and played with a confidence throughout his 38-ball innings.

The partnership ended when Porter was run out diving full length attempting to complete a single but failing to beat the throw from Dane Vilas from mid-wicket. But he had provided a solid defence while keeping Siddle company.

Nick Browne was the county’s second highest scorer with 23 before he was bowled by Mennie who emerged as Lancashire’s most successful bowler with 3 for 52 while his pace colleagues picked up two wickets each.

However, it was not long before the visitors found themselves in trouble as Porter, one of Wisden’s five ‘Cricketers of the Year’, showed just why he was deserving of such recognition.

In his first five overs, he removed Keaton Jennings, Alex Davies and Haseb Hammed at a personal cost of 11 runs to leave the Red Rose county 19 for three.

A partial recovery came from Liam Livingstone and Vilas who carried the total to 65 before off spinner Harmer struck with the fifth ball of his opening over to have Livingstone snapped up by Ryan ten Doeschate stationed at forward short leg after the batsman had made 33.

Harmer was to get rid of Vilas, again with the skipper’s assistance. It was ten Doeschate’s third catch of the innings having held on to a chance in the covers to get rid of Davies.

Porter returned to claim his fourth wicket of the innings when he had Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught behind.

Clark and Mennie batted with great determination taking the total onto 141 before Harmer struck again to remove Mennie for 12 in the final over of the day.

Porter has so far returned figures of 4 for 25 from 11 overs while Harmer’s four successes have arrived from 14.4 overs at a cost of 44 runs.

Day One | Tea Report:

Essex were bowled out for 150 on the opening day of the County Championship match with Lancashire.

The highest partnership of the innings came from their last wicket when Peter Siddle dictated a stand with Jamie Porter as 37 runs were added in 9 overs before Porter was run out for 4.

That left his partner unbeaten on 33 which was the highest contribution in the Essex total.

Resuming on 65 for 4 after Lunch, the home side lost wickets at regular innings.

Dan Lawrence was the first to go when he was caught at first slip off the bowling of Jordan Clark for 14 to the fourth ball of the afternoon session to leave Essex 68 for 5.

James Foster and Ryan ten Doeschate added 17 before the former flashed outside off stump edging a catch to wicket-keeper Alex Davies having scored seven.

Then ten Doeschate and Paul Walter fell in three overs. Walter was caught at gully for 7 off Australian pace bowler Joe Mennie who then removed the Essex skipper for 14 when he was trapped in front of his stumps.

That left the hosts 105 for 8 and eight runs later, Simon Harmer was walking back to the Pavilion having been caught at second slip for 10 off the bowling of Tom Bailey.

However, Siddle took the fight to the Red Rose county with an aggressively responsible innings that included two sixes, one off fellow countryman Mennie and the other when facing leg spinner Matt Parkinson.

Having taken the total to 150, the last wicket pairing finally succumbed when Porter was run out running to the strikers end and failing to beat the throw from Dane Vilas from mid-wicket.

Day One | Lunch Report:

Essex found it tough going in defence of their title in the first session against Lancashire at The Cloudfm County Ground.

After an uncontested toss, they struggled to 65 for 4 by Lunch against a pace attack that gave very little away while underlining the merits of line and length.

The county went into action after their opening fixture against Yorkshire fell victim to the weather without a ball being bowled.

Varun Chopra opened with Nick Browne and was removed in the sixth over when Graham Onions trapped him leg before wicket  with only 12 on the board.

Tom Bailey beat the bat or found the edge on three occasions without reward, before giving way to Joe Mennie and the Australian was soon to make an impact when Browne, following a couple of fluent drives, was bowled for 23 with the total on 38.

The return of Bailey was to account for Tom Westley 10 runs later, an edge finding the hands of Haseeb Hameed at first slip after he had made 17.

Worse was to follow for the home side because in the final over before Lunch, Ravi Bopara pushed forward outside the off stump against Jordan Clark and edged a catch to Liam Livingstone in the slip cordon.

At the break, Dan Lawrence was unbeaten on 12, with Essex desperately needing him to provide the type of innings he put together when the two counties met at Chelmsford last season.

There was blow for the County Champions before the match started when it was learned that promising fast bowler Sam Cook had sustained a fractured finger in training on Friday. The injury is likely to keep him sidelined for around two weeks.

It was a special day for Simon Harmer and Varun Chopra during the Lunch break on the second day of play at The Cloudfm County Ground, which saw them awarded their County Cap.

The Chairman of the Cricket Advisory Group, Ronnie Irani, presented the pair with their caps, which included some glowing words about them both in front of the Chelmsford crowd.

Chopra, who has been at the Club since he was 8 years old, expressed his delight in being honoured after his return to Essex from Warwickshire in 2016. Harmer, described as Essex’s adopted son, said how proud he is to receive the cap and what it means to play week in, week out for the county.

Essex Cricket TV spoke to both players after the presentation as they proudly wore their new prized possession.

Yorkshire v Essex | Specsavers County Championship | Emerald Headingley, Leeds

Umpires | Ian Gould & Richard Illingworth

Result | Match Drawn

Day Four Report:

The match between Yorkshire and Essex was abandoned without a ball being bowled leaving both teams with 5 points apiece from the non-event.

Umpires Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth called the match off following their 10am pitch inspection although ironically, the Headingley ground was enjoying sunshine and clear skies.

The problem areas throughout the four days has been the sodden state of the outfield at the end where the new South Stand is being erected although for a Test match with supposed excellent drainage facilities, the lack of improvement in the underfoot conditions since the opening day was of some concern.

Indeed, on day three, the umpires issued an edict stating that the media were banned from entering anywhere on the playing arena and so, it was impossible to gauge just how bad the underfoot conditions were.

Essex Head Coach Anthony McGrath said that he and his players were bitterly disappointed that not a ball had been bowled. “It’s not only frustrating for the players but the supporters as well who have spent money on hotels and everything that goes with that.” he said.

“We’ve had two days of glorious sunshine and not a ball has been bowled and it is very, very disappointing.”

Listen to more of Anthony McGrath’s reflections and also those of captain Ryan ten Doeschate on the Essex website.

The last time that Essex had been involved in a total wash out was also against Yorkshire and that was back in May 1985 when a violent thunderstorm left the ground at Abbeydale Park, Sheffield under water.

Attention now turns to The Cloudfm County Ground in Chelmsford where the weather forecast is fine for the start of the Specsavers County Championship match with Lancashire on Friday.

Day Three Report:

For the third successive day, not a ball was bowled at Headingley in the scheduled Specsavers County Championship match between Yorkshire and Essex.

Yet again, the state of the outfield at the end where the new stand for Rugby League football is being built is the area that is causing most concern.

Umpires Richard Illingworth and Ian Gould carried out their latest inspection at 1.40pm and at that stage, no rain had fallen on the day but within minutes of their call off, rain arrived bringing on the covers once more.

With one more day remaining, there is a chance that this game might yet be abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Yorkshire’s Groundsman, Andy Fogarty has described “The worst pre-season I’ve known in 30-odd years”.

He said: “It’s just freak conditions. This weather seemed to start in January right up until now.

“We’re trying to prepare pitches and the outfield, and you get one good day in between seven or eight days of rain. And there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s really frustrating for us, as well as players and spectators.

“It’s just in certain areas that it’s stopping us.

“It’s not the whole of the bottom end, only certain areas where the players will be running in and fielding. The last thing we want is players getting injured.

“We usually have some warmth at this time of year, but we’ve not been getting that. They’re cold days. There’s just no drying weather.”

Headingley is currently going through some redevelopment, with a new South Stand being built to replace the old Football Stand.

However, Yorkshire say that has had no impact. Fogarty added: “No. We’ve just been unfortunate and hit a bad spell of weather and not escaped it. Everybody is suffering around the country.”

Ryan ten Doeschate also spoke after another frustrating day in Leeds, saying: “It’s so soft on that side, they are reluctant to do anything to the ground.

“There’s hardly been a drop of rain for the three days and we haven’t looked at getting out there. It is frustrating, but that’s the umpires’ call.

“If we have any more rain, I think that will be it for the game unfortunately.”

Essex have been involved in 16 complete washouts in first-class matches and the last time that Essex were involved in a complete wash out was back in May 1985 when, coincidentally, Yorkshire again provided the opposition.

Essex arrived as County Champions when the teams were due to meet at Abbeydale Park, Sheffield but a violent thunderstorm the previous night left the ground flooded.

The most recent time that Essex were involved in a wash out on home soil was in May 1981 when Gloucestershire were the visitors to Chelmsford.

Day Two Reaction | Anthony McGrath

Day Two Report:

For the second consecutive day, Essex were left frustrated in attempts to start the defence of the County Championship title when play was abandoned at Headingley without a ball bowled.

The outfield down at the Rugby end of the ground was a particular problem area, with a significant amount of standing water remaining following recent wet weather.

Although there was no rain today and the sun was shining when no rain umpires Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth made a 2pm inspection, outfield conditions were still impossible.

Essex coach Anthony McGrath said: “I’m fully behind what the umpires have got to say. I’m just bitterly disappointed that, given we’ve got a sunny day, we’re not playing cricket.

“I believe these are the only two days without rain they’ve had in the last four weeks. You can understand that, and it’s been the same countrywide.

“It’s a shame because the crowd’s building nicely ready for some cricket. We’ll come back in the morning and see what happens.

“They can’t get the water hog on there because it would keep bringing the water up, and they don’t think it will dry in time for the rest of the day.

“If the bowlers run up on it and the fielders stand in it, it will make it much worse and be a bit of a quagmire.

“It’s just really frustrating, but the umpires have got to do what’s right for the ground and both teams.

“We could wait here for another four hours, keep everyone here and we’d still not be guaranteed to play. It’s one of those unfortunate periods of weather we’ve been in.”

Day One Report:

The County Champions suffered frustration in the quest to retain the Championship crown.

Not play was possible on the scheduled opening day of the fixture with Yorkshire at Headingley. After the umpires inspected conditions at 10am, they decided to have a further look after the scheduled lunch interval.

Officials Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth spent some time surveying the situation, but with the outfield still sodden following two weeks of inclement weather in Leeds and further overnight and early morning rain, the decision to abandon proceedings for the day was altogether predictable.

Neither team had confirmed their line-ups and the toss has still to take place.

A prompt start for day two is already in significant doubt but when play does get underway, Essex are expected to give a debut to Australian seamer Peter Siddle, who is with the Club until next month when he will be replaced by New Zealand quick Neil Wagner.

Yorkshire have a seam bowling unavailability and injury crisis, and have ruled Ben Coad (hip flexor) out of this match despite naming him in a 12-man squad.

The White Rose county are without Liam Plunkett and David Willey, who are at the IPL, Matthew Fisher and James Wainman (both side problems), Ben Coad, and Steve Patterson who broke his finger in training on Wednesday.

Head Coach, Anthony McGrath said: “We half expected it given the forecast and the way the weather’s been up here for the last three or four weeks. But it’s not ideal.

“We had a quick walk out when we came to drop our bags off (on Thursday evening), and it was really wet then. Just talking to a few of the Yorkshire lads, they say the wet weather keeps topping up what they’ve had all winter and it’s got nowhere to go.

“We’ve been quite lucky at Chelmsford.

“We managed somehow to get outside netting for four days from March 1 before we went to Barbados. That was a remarkable effort from our ground staff.

“We’ve also been outside for the last week, but only with bowlers off shortened run-ups.

“We’ve made the best of it and are pretty happy with what we’ve done.”

Anthony McGrath has named a 13-man squad for the first game of the 2018 County Championship season, with Peter Siddle due to make his Essex debut in the match against Yorkshire at Headingley.

The 33-year-old Australian fast bowler has joined Essex for the first five matches of the season and will spearhead the pace attack until the return of New Zealander, Neil Wagner.

Siddle plays his State cricket with Victoria and recently was a key member of the Adelaide Strikers team that won the Big Bash. Although he won the last of his 62 Test caps back in November 2016, his current form has led to many calling for him to return to the Australian Test side.

Essex Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, is delighted to have the presence of the influential bowler in his squad and said: “We are really excited to have Peter Siddle with us for those early matches given all the quality that he brings. We are confident after what we achieved last year and I’m sure that he will add to what we are trying to deliver in 2018. ”

Meanwhile Anthony McGrath starts his tenure as Essex Head Coach with a nostalgic return to his former stomping ground, Headingley.

McGrath won four Test caps and spent 17 years with the White Rose, but admits that there will be no room for sentiment when he walks back into the ground.

“No there won’t be any, cricket is my profession and my job,” he said. “I’m in my third year now with Essex and feel an Essex boy. I’ve really enjoyed my time since I moved down here.

“Yes I see old friends when I go back up there and my family will all be there, they live up there and so from that point of view, it’s great to catch up with people. But in terms of the game, it’s business as usual.”

Twelve months ago, Essex were the bookies, and many pundits, favourites to be relegated, but they shocked the critics by proving invincible in the red-ball game, collecting ten wins along the way.

“Being defending Champions comes with its own pressure because people now expect of us, but within our own dressing room, nothing has changed, it’s business as usual,” McGrath insisted.

“We look to control what we can control, look to improve as individuals, stay together as a team and stick to our game plans. I know that is a bit of a boring message but the teams that normally do the basics really well come out on top in four-day cricket.

“We beat Yorkshire twice last year and we’ll be looking to do the same this year. We want to start well, we know this game will be tough because Yorkshire are very good at Headingley. They’ve had a great record in recent years in four-day cricket so we are certainly not under-estimating how tough the game will be.”

Yorkshire will be desperate to put on a better show than they did when the sides met in 2017. They were rolled over in two days at Scarborough in August where Mohammad Amir grabbed match figures of 10 for 72, and then fared little better in the return at Chelmsford in the final fixture of the season capitulating to defeat by 376 runs inside three days.

Essex batsman, Varun Chopra, and young seamer, Sam Cook, have passed fitness tests to be involved in the travelling squad to Yorkshire.

Essex squad
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) Captain
James Foster (7) Wicket-keeper
Ravi Bopara (25)
Nick Browne (10)
Varun Chopra (6)
Sam Cook (16)
Simon Harmer (11)
Dan Lawrence (28)
Jamie Porter (44)
Peter Siddle (64)
Paul Walter (22)
Tom Westley (21)
Adam Wheater (31)

Essex County Cricket Club is thrilled to announce global logistics business, Woodland Group, have signed a three-year extension to their partnership agreement.

As long-term partners of the Club, Woodland Group will continue their sponsorship of Essex’s official One-Day Cup shirt and develop their existing branding around the ground.

The Eagles will look to go one better in 2018 and reach a Lord’s final, after losing out in the semi-finals in their Woodland branded kits in 2017.

Darrell Fox, Essex CCC Commercial Manager, is delighted to see Woodland commit their long-term future to the Club and said: “It is exciting news for the Club that Woodland Group have decided to extend their partnership with the County Champions.

“This is another show of commitment from one of our long-term partners that Essex County Cricket Club is a premium sporting Club to be a part of. All the staff at Woodland Group really buy into the Essex way, and understand what the Club is looking to achieve over the coming years.

“Hopefully this agreement can be celebrated by more success in the 2018 season and our partnership with Woodland Group will continue to grow over the coming years. Everyone at the Club would like to thank them for their continued support.”

Kevin Stevens, Chairman and CEO of Woodland Group, commented: “We are proud partners of Essex Cricket and very much look forward to continuing to support the club in growing its success and achieving its keen ambitions for 2018 and beyond.

“This long-standing relationship is built on a true passion for the sport, the team and our local grounds so close to Woodland’s UK Headquarters in Chelmsford. Our involvement with and support of Essex Cricket has become part of the Woodland culture and together, we look forward to further building on last year’s success.”

Essex team | Nick Browne (10), Aron Nijjar (24), Tom Westley (21), Dan Lawrence (28), Adam Wheater (31), Ryan ten Doeschate (27) (C), James Foster (7) (WK), Matt Coles (1), Callum Taylor (67), Aaron Beard (14), Jamie Porter (44).

MCC team | Daniel Bell-Drummond (C), Brett D’Oliveira, Paul Collingwood, Sam Northeast, Sam Hain, Delray Rawlins, John Simpson (WK), Dom Bess, Matthew Fisher, Richard Gleeson, Fidel Edwards.

Umpires | D Millns & J Lloyds

Result | MCC won by an innings & 34 runs

View Scorecard

Day Three | Match Report

It was always going to be a tall order for Essex heading into the penultimate day’s play of the Champion County match but it was the MCC who were victorious by an innings and 34 runs in Barbados.

Some heavy rainfall over the Kensington Oval did it’s best to delay proceedings and maybe give the County Champions a glimmer of hope that the match could head into a fourth and final day. However, it wasn’t to be.

With a run deficit of 195, play finally got underway with Aron Nijjar and Tom Westley resuming their overnight scores of 5 and 19, respectively.

The pair started well and put on a partnership of 51 before Nijjar found Northest to give Richard Gleeson a second wicket of the innings. Up until this point the opener had been playing freely, finding the boundary on four occasions on his way to 30.

Lawrence joined Westley in the middle but struggled to find his rhythm and was out for 7 off 40 balls after finding Gleeson at backward point, off the bowling off Dom Bess.

Westley meanwhile was still going strong and looked at ease on his way to his half century through successive fours. However, the number 3 batsman soon found himself out to Bess as he was caught and bowled for 62.

The Essex wickets continued fall at regular intervals and it was the skipper, Ryan ten Doeschate to depart next for 4 in the 39th over, as Matt Fisher sent his poles flying.

Adam Wheater and the new batman, James Foster, brought some much-needed stability heading into the first break of the day but their partnership over 14 overs only brought 35 runs, before Wheater was caught at backward square leg off that man Gleeson again, for 23.

Taylor soon followed for 0 and it was Foster who was the final recognised batsman. After he was stumped by John Simpson for 29, Dom Bess completed his 5-wicket haul as Beard was given out lbw after facing just two balls.

There was still time for Jamie Porter to score 10 for the second successive innings coming in at 11 but Coles was left on 10 not out as Dom Bess claimed a sixth victim.

Dom Bess ended with figures of 6-51 and along with a first innings century, rightly picked up the Man of the Match Award.

Essex now head to Fenner’s on next week to face Cambridge MCCU with the final opportunity for time in the middle before the trip to Headingley on April 13 where the reigning Champions will face Yorkshire.

Day Two | Match Report

It was a tough day in the field for the County Champions on Day Two as the MCC took the control with two scheduled days remaining at the Kensington Oval.

The MCC’s two Sam’s, Northeast and Hain, resumed play at the Kensington Oval but it was Essex’s Aaron Beard who got to work 10 overs into the day by removing Hampshire’s new signing, Northeast, for 44. The former Kent man playing on the off-side and only finding Callum Taylor at point.

With Hain looking set and reaching his 50 off 139 balls, the Warwickshire man saw both Rawlins and Collingwood head back to the Pavilion after Essex’s main spin options, Aron Nijjar and Dan Lawrence took a wicket apiece.

As the sun faded and the artificial light started to play a part, it was Tom Westley who made the next breakthrough after some juggling by Adam Wheater at short leg dismissed John Simpson for 5.

Just seven balls later, Matt Fisher was soon heading back to the Pavilion for 0 after edging Callum Taylor through to the wicket-keeper, James Foster.

However, the expected collapse never came and Hain continued to push on, ably supported by Dom Bess. The Warwickshire batsman became the first player in the match to reach three figures and the milestone came off 211 balls, in what was a very classy innings.

After some brief rainfall during the Tea break, the MCC reached 299-7 heading into the final session with Bess on 32 and Hain 109. There was also the extraordinary statistic that every one of the 7 Essex bowlers had taken a single wicket so far in the innings.

From then on, it was all about Hain and Bess who continued to pile on the runs for the MCC. Bess soon followed Hain’s triumph in reaching the century mark, however the Somerset man reached it in just 101 balls, including 17 fours. This was his maiden First Class century but he was soon out for 107, after being bowled by Dan Lawrence and subsequently ending the 172-run partnership.

Only 13 more runs passed before the MCC declared on 408-8, bringing Nick Browne and Aron Nijjar back out to the middle under the difficult night conditions for the final 8 overs of the day.

Chasing down the 221-run deficit, Essex found themselves a man down in the second over of the innings as Nick Browne found Brett D’Oliveira at square leg. Richard Gleeson got the early wicket and after a frustrating day, Essex were 26-1 at the close. Aron Nijjar and Tom Westley will resume play on 5 and 19, respectively.

Day One | Match Report

There was certainly a sense of anticipation as the curtain raiser to the 2018 season drew ever closer. After Ryan ten Doeschate won the toss and chose to bat first, it was Nick Browne and Aron Nijjar who opened the batting for Essex.

The match is Nijjar first appearance for the Club since he featured against West Indies last in 2017. A thigh injury to Varun Chopra during the tour saw the 23 year old given a chance to show his skills with the bat in the vacant opening spot.

The morning session started slowly as the players got used to the pink ball and it was Nick Browne who kept the scoreboard ticking along and looked comfortable. Nijjar eased himself into the innings and started to grow in confidence, especially after two hooks shots found the boundary.

Nijjar was the only wicket to fall before the first break of the day after he was caught by Fidel Edwards for 20, off the bowling of Dom Bess.

Nick Browne took his score to 46 before the break, joined by Tom Westley who began his innings in a confident manner. It was the opener, Browne, who was next to depart just two runs short of his half century after edging Barbadian paceman, Fidel Edwards to give John Simpson the first of 4 catches on Day One.

Veteran all-rounder, Paul Collingwood dismissed Westley playing forward, adjudged lbw for 32 as the sun start to set at the Kensington Oval.

The introduction of the floodlights sparked a flurry of wickets for the MCC in tough batting conditions. This was primarily down to a devastating spell from Northants’ Richard Gleeson, after he had already had Lawrence strangled down the leg-side for 23.

It started with the wicket of Adam Wheater who played a straight bat, sending the ball back into the bowler’s hands for 7. Three noughts closely followed as Callum Taylor’s off-stump was struck.

This brought Matt Coles to the crease, making his First Class debut for the Club, but he quickly followed Taylor after playing across the line and finding Sam Northeast at point. Gleeson then clinched two in two as Beard was out lbw.

The wicket gave Gleeson his 5-wicket haul but also a hat-trick, after Taylor’s dismissal was from the final delivery of his previous over.

Number 11, Jamie Porter came to the middle with a tricky task ahead of him but commendable knock of 10* with James Foster (34) put on last wicket partnership of 45 as Essex reached 187.

Jamie Porter and Matt Coles opened the bowling for Essex and quickly put the pressure on the MCC openers, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Brett D’Oliveira, with the latter playing some nice strokes; three of which found the boundary early on.

Porter soon got his wicket tally up and running for the season when Bell-Drummond edged behind to James Foster for 3.

Sam Northeast joined D’Oliveira and continued to try and play positive cricket before the latter was caught and bowled by Matt Coles for 30.

Northeast and Sam Hain concluded the opening day’s play on 35* and 5*, respectively, and the MCC resume play at 2:30pm on Wednesday trailing by 115 runs on 73-2.

Live coverage of the match is available on https://http://essexcricket.org.uk/ with Live Stream service and updates via Twitter and Facebook.

The squad stepped up pre-season training by getting under the floodlights at the 3 Ws Oval on Saturday evening. After the first week of training approached, there was an opportunity to get the pink balls out and have a night net, in preparation for the Day/Night encounter against MCC on Tuesday.

The players will be fighting for a place in the 11-man team, in what is set to be a great encounter against an MCC side featuring familiar faces such as Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond and Hampshire’s new signing, Sam Northeast.

The match is scheduled to take place at the Kensington Oval at 2:30pm on Tuesday 27 – Friday 31 March with coverage available via the Club’s Facebook and Twitter channels plus www.https://http://essexcricket.org.uk/.

Travelling to Barbados? Tickets for the match can be purchased in advance – here.

Four months into his role as Essex Head Coach and Anthony McGrath is straining at the leash. He has yet to oversee a ball bowled in anger and the confines of his office on the balcony of the Chelmsford pavilion feel like a prison cell.

So the present pre-season tour to Barbados – culminating in the four-day County Champion match against MCC, starting on Tuesday – is like the days before release. It is also a chance for McGrath to get his voice heard by a squad reconvening after a lengthy winter break.

“Barbados is very important because we’re into match-play,” he says. “It’s three weeks till the season starts, so it becomes that little bit more real.

“The problem we have in this country is that the off-season is so long. People can get good at being indoors and it becomes a safety net. We’re lucky that we’ve sent quite a lot of guys away, so they’ve been playing a lot of games.

“But I think it is important to be together as a group and get a couple of my ideas over. You can do a bit more fielding, more preparation, tactics, but the most important thing is the guys getting outside into match practice because when we come back we’re pretty quickly into Cambridge and Yorkshire. It’s really starting to be the business-end of pre-season.”

McGrath was promoted when Chris Silverwood moved on to England duties. The handover has been almost seamless and there will be no discernible change in philosophy; the two men worked together for the last two seasons in which Essex finished top of Division Two and then top of Division One.

“We set out genuinely to win every competition, not to prioritise at all,” he says. “Ten wins out of 14 last year [in the Championship] … unless you’re aggressive and play with that intent you can’t win that amount of games.

“So with the ball we bowl really attacking lengths, and with the bat we look to score. When you play that way you’re going to fall on your face sometimes; as yet we haven’t, but I’m sure we will, without a doubt. But the lads are confident with that, and have been for the last two years, so it would be silly to change.

“There is a different kind of pressure this season; I guess it’s an expectation from the outside for us to repeat last year. But from within the dressing room it’s very similar. We’ve got to get at least to the mark of last year because other teams will improve.”

McGrath, 42, knows the two sides to the season after the season before: in 2001 he was a member of the champion Yorkshire team who were relegated the following year; conversely, three years ago, he was coaching at Yorkshire when they won back-to-back titles. He is equally aware of what happened to Middlesex in 2017: from champions to Division Two in 12 months.

“I think to win this league you do so many good things, it’s silly to ignore them. So what we’ve got to do is focus on what we did well and then, obviously, improve on what we didn’t do well. If we do that I’m confident we can become competitive in each form.”

So what is the difference in stepping up from assistant coach to head honcho? “You’re never off the phone,” McGrath laughs, continuing to list: “Emails, meetings, a lot more planning, agents, don’t see the missus as much, that kind of stuff. But I knew what the extra responsibilities were; they go with the territory.

“I like to be hands-on, and I like to be out there in the nets. That was my main reason for getting into coaching. There will be some off-the-field stuff I’ll have to do, but once the cricket starts it takes care of itself. I’ve enjoyed it since I’ve taken over, so I’ve no complaints.”