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County Champions spread festive cheer at Broomfield Hospital

Posted on Tuesday 19 December 2017

Members of the Essex first-team and Women’s squad visited the Phoenix Children’s Ward at Broomfield Hospital yesterday to spread the festive cheer ahead of the Christmas period.

County Champion stars such as Jamie Porter, Nick Browne and Sam Cook were all in attendance, while Kelly Castle visited on behalf of the Women’s team.

The visitors played the role of Santa for the afternoon, giving out Essex Cricket goody bags and posing for photo opportunities with the Division One trophy.

Essex and Loughborough MCCU opening bowler Cook was more than happy to make the trip and said: “We are in a very privileged position to be able to do what we do, and having the opportunity to give back to the community is something we are more than happy to do.

“Being in hospital is never nice, especially around the Christmas period, and being able to put a smile on the kids faces was very rewarding.

“To be honest, I think the parents were just as happy to see us and it was a great visit all round and one we hope we can make for many years to come.”

Bopara commits future to the County Champions

Posted on Thursday 7 December 2017

Essex County Cricket Club is delighted to announce that all-rounder Ravi Bopara has signed a one-year contract extension with the County Champions.

Bopara has committed his future to his home County until the conclusion of the 2018 season.

The 32-year-old has appeared in 161 first-class, 140 List A and 131 T20 matches in his 16 years as a professional with the Club so far, and will look to play an integral part in Essex’s title defence next year.

Commenting on his contract extension, Bopara said: “I am very happy to sign for another year and had no hesitations at all. I have been with the Club since I was 11 years old and have loved every minute of it.

“The 2017 season was incredibly special and I believe we are in a good place to build on our Division One title. Hopefully we can continue to win trophies in the coming years and I believe personally I can continue to play a big part in that.”

Essex Head Coach Anthony McGrath is thrilled to see the all-rounder sign for a further year and added: “Ravi is still an integral part of what we are trying to achieve as a Club moving forward.

“He is an Essex man and is an excellent person to have around the dressing room with his years of cricketing experience around the world.

“He also made contributions across all formats last year with both bat and ball, and we hope he can continue to do that moving forward into 2018.”

Westley to return from Australia after suffering finger injury

Posted on Tuesday 28 November 2017

Essex batsman Tom Westley will fly home from Brisbane tomorrow (Wednesday) for scans and a probable finger operation, after suffering an injury in the field in the Lions’ game against a Queensland Select XI.

Westley had been due to bat at number three, but an initial diagnosis on the middle finger of his left hand ruled him out of playing any further part on the Lions training camp, which continues for a fortnight in Perth with a focus on white-ball skills.

“Given what we suspect about the injury, we think it’s important to get Tom back to a specialist in Leeds as soon as possible to have a further scan and then for any surgery that’s necessary,” explained Ben Langley, the ECB’s lead physiotherapist.

Paul Coughlin, Nottinghamshire’s recent signing from Durham who limped out of the game with a hip problem sustained fielding on the first day, has responded well to treatment, and there are no plans for him to return home early at this stage.

Cook excited for opening Ashes Test

Posted on Tuesday 21 November 2017

Essex and England batsman Alastair Cook is excited and ready for the opening Ashes Test in Brisbane on Thursday.

England head into the series having played three warm-up matches in Perth, Adelaide and Townsville and Cook has had a timely return to form.

Cook started the tour with a second ball duck, but scored a fluent 70 in the draw against a Cricket Australia XI in Townsville, and feels he is hitting form at the right time.

The 32-year-old said: “It was an important innings in Townsville. Obviously, the tour hadn’t started off exactly as I would have liked but it was nice to get some runs under the belt and find a bit of fluidity.

“In an ideal world you will spend lots of time in the middle, but if you score a lot of runs in warm up games that doesn’t always translate to matches.

“I feel my movements and rhythm are good, so I am in a good place going into the First Test and excited for what is ahead.”

The left-hander believes although England’s preparation has gone under the radar, the team will be ready for Australia on Thursday at the Gabba.

He added: “The guys are ready. It has been quite a low key build up for us but we are looking forward to getting going on Thursday. We have spent a lot of time talking and there has been a lot of hard work but we will be ready for the challenge Australia throw at us.

“I am still enjoying the challenge of playing for England. It doesn’t get any easier once you have played 140 games because you are playing against the best players in the world but we are all excited for the series and can’t wait to get going on Thursday now.”

If you want to see England’s greatest ever batsman in an Essex shirt next season, get your Essex Cricket membership here.

Foster signs one-year contract extension

Posted on Friday 10 November 2017

Essex County Cricket Club is delighted to announce James Foster has signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at the Club until the conclusion of the 2018 campaign.

The experienced wicket-keeper batsman has committed his future to the County Champions and will look to be an integral part in Essex’s title defence next season.

The 37-year-old has featured in 283 first-class, 223 List A and 170 T20s matches over a 17-year period for his home County.

Foster is thrilled to extend his contract for a further year and commented: “I am delighted to be signing a new contract with Essex. The 2017 Championship season was such an exciting and emotional season, and to see the happiness on so many people’s faces was incredible.

“A real highlight for me was when the team walked out to field during the last game of the season to a standing ovation from the Chelmsford crowd.

“It is also a huge credit to the work put in by all the backroom team, coaches and staff at the Club and it has been a pleasure working with Chris Silverwood and I wish him every success for the future in his new role with England.”

Foster will also fly to Bangladesh today to join up with Bangladesh Premier League side Khulna Titans as an Assistant Coach.

Commenting on the opportunity, Foster added: “Since the end of the season I have been busy coaching and now have an exciting month coming up as an Assistant Coach with the Khulna Titans, working alongside Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene.

“I am looking forward to tapping into his knowledge, as well as the other coaches, and passing on what I learn to both Essex and Forest School when I return.”

See Foster and the County Champions in action next year and purchase your Membership when they go on sale this Monday!

Chris Silverwood departs Essex Head Coach Role

Posted on Wednesday 1 November 2017

Essex Cricket can confirm that Chris Silverwood will leave his position as Head Coach to take up the role as England’s Fast Bowling Coach in early 2018.

Chris has been an instrumental part of the Club’s success in recent seasons, since stepping up to become Head Coach in December 2015. He led the team to consecutive Specsavers County Championship titles, after winning Division Two in 2016, and leaves as a County Champion following Essex’s first Championship title in 25 years this season.

Essex County Cricket Club Chairman, John Faragher, said: “The Club congratulates Chris on his appointment as the England Fast Bowling Coach, this is a great honour for him and his family. In his time with Essex County Cricket Club, his outstanding leadership and interpersonal skills have been a major factor in taking our cricket to the next level.

“He can look back at his time with us with great pride and satisfaction. Winning the Specsavers County Championship Division Two title last year and then Division One this year was beyond our wildest dreams. He has started the next chapter in Essex Cricket’s history and has installed a mentality for winning and continuous improvement into the squad.

“The foundations are now in place for our cricket to continue to grow and we thank Chris for his time, commitment and energy that has helped make Essex the Club that it is today. We wish him all the very best in his new role, and look forward to him coming back to Chelmsford whenever possible.”

Chris joined the Essex coaching staff in 2010, developing the likes of Tymal Mills, Reece Topley and Tom Westley, who have all since represented the full England team. During his time at Essex, Chris worked closely with the Club’s Academy and Performance Programme to oversee player development, which includes the significant progression of the current young First Team players, including Jamie Porter, Dan Lawrence, Paul Walter and Sam Cook.

Essex Cricket Chief Executive, Derek Bowden said: “We never could have imagined the Club’s success over the past two years but a large proportion of that has been down to Chris’s efforts on and off the field of play.

“We must also see this as another positive achievement for the Club. Essex are not only consistently producing England cricketers, but also producing England coaches, and this Club is proud to provide our staff with a platform to attain higher honours.

“Since taking up the role of Head Coach, Chris has worked very closely with myself and the Cricket Advisory Group to help build and execute our Cricket Strategy and it’s with great sadness that he leaves us before our objective of retaining the County Championship title has begun.

“However, we wish Chris every bit of the success that he deserves in his new career with England and he will always be welcome back at Chelmsford in the future.”

Chairman of the Essex Cricket Advisory Group, Ronnie Irani, added: “Chris has become a major part of the Club’s history in a short amount of time as Head Coach of Essex County Cricket Club.

“Not only is he a great guy, but he has also shown what a superb Coach he is, which is proven through the young talent he’s developed and by the way he has helped to ingrain a winning mentality throughout the squad.

“Chris brought a new and refreshing ethos to coaching when he joined Essex, which was evident in the way the team has played over the past two years. I’m sure he will go on to be a great success with England and I wish him well.”

Chris Silverwood expressed his sincere appreciation for the Club. “First of all, I just want to say a massive thank you to Essex and everyone who works at the Club. The support I have received from the members, supporters and staff over my two years as Head Coach at the Club has been incredible.

“The way everyone came together to get behind my vision, and the vision of the Club is special, and ultimately why I am in the position I am in now. It has been a real pleasure working with every single person at the Club.

“From the moment I joined the Club I have enjoyed every minute of it. Getting the Head Coach role and being able to achieve what we have in the last two years, it has been an incredible journey, and one I feel privileged to have been a part of.

“It was a special moment to take a step back and see the smiles on the players faces after we had won the County Championship. To see the young lads succeed and show what good cricketers they are is always extremely pleasing but also to see the older squad members’ achieve their dreams is something that will live long in the memory.

“Alongside that, to see what bringing that trophy back to Chelmsford meant to the members and supporters was amazing. It really is a special Club, and to be a small part of history and what the Club has achieved is something I feel proud of.”

Everyone at Essex Cricket would like to wish Chris the best of luck in his new role with England and thank him for the incredible service he has given the Club over the last 8 years.

Lawrence extends stay with County Champions

Posted on Wednesday 18 October 2017

Essex County Cricket Club is delighted to announce Dan Lawrence has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Club until the conclusion of the 2019 season.

The 20-year-old has become one of the Club’s finest talents and earned a place on the England Lions tour to Australia this winter, after an impressive season in Division One.

Lawrence scored 761 runs at an average of 44 including a stunning 141 not out to save the opening game against Lancashire.

The Chingford man is thrilled to commit his future to his home County and said: “I had no hesitation signing an extension as it has been an unbelievable season both from a personal and team point of view.

“For my first taste of Division One cricket, I thought I had a good season and to play a part in winning a first title in 25 years was incredible. To win the Championship with your close friends and guys you have grown up playing with is special, now we must work hard to replicate that success next year.

“The England Lions call up and trip to Australia caps off a whirlwind 2017, hopefully 2018 can be just as good, if not better, and I can continue to score loads of runs in the Club’s success.”

Head Coach Chris Silverwood is equally delighted to see Lawrence sign a new contract and added: “Dan is an integral part of what we are trying to achieve at the Club and has gone from strength to strength ever since he has been in the First-Team environment.

“He is an inspiration to our younger players that if you work hard, opportunities will come in the First-Team, but he also underlines the talent we have at our disposal in the Academy. I am delighted he has been selected for the England Lions and that will further develop him, both as a player and a man.”

East London Multi-Faith Team Set for Vatican Trip

Posted on Thursday 12 October 2017

This week, Essex Cricket will embark on a trip to play a very special and memorable cricket match in the Vatican City.

The trip came about through talks with St Peter’s Cricket Club, the Pope’s cricket team from the Vatican City, to support them with their proposed cricket tour to the UK in September 2016, called the Tour of Light.

With over 50% of the Club’s core cricket work being run in very diverse and multi-faith cricket communities, a match against an East London Multi-Faith team was organised soon after the team landed at Stansted Airport on Sunday 11 September.

St Peter’s CC were very impressed by the whole experience as they played a game against a team that represented 5 different faiths and the hosts, Walthamstow Cricket Club, went out of their way to put on great hospitality. The day was topped up with two former Essex Captains in attendance, Graham Gooch and the late Doug Insole.

During this summer, Essex Cricket were contacted by Father’s from the Vatican Cricket Team and asked about the possiblity of reciprocating the offer of a Essex Multi-Faith team trip visiting the Vatican, which was gratefully accepted. The team will depart on Thursday (12 October) with the match against St. Peter’s Cricket Club taking place on Saturday (14 October).

A number of high profile people have supported the trip and cricket in the region:

Prime Minister, Theresa May said:

“Championing the positive impact that sport can have on people’s lives is the something about which we should remain passionate. We should never underestimate the community connections that sport encourages and I am heartened that a shared love for cricket is bringing people of all faiths together in East London. I hope Essex Cricket enjoys the trip to the Vatican. I wish everyone involved the very best of luck.”

Essex County Cricket Club Chairman, John Faragher said:

“I am equally delighted that our friends at the Vatican have extended an invitation to send a team to reciprocate the success of the previous trip. It will be a very powerful opportunity to continue the message of ‘faith’. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone representing the Club and our hosts, for making this possible. No doubt everyone involved will have a wonderful experience and return with long-lasting memories, created by the power that cricket has to connect communities across the world.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said:

“In London, we respect, embrace and celebrate our diversity. What better way to showcase London as a beacon of diversity than through a cricket team that is representative of five different faiths. I hope the trip is a great success and that we can host the Vatican Cricket team in London in the not too distant future.”

Our Club Captain, Ryan ten Doeschate said:

“I continue to take a high interest in the community work we support at Essex Cricket. I was delighted to understand that we have a representative team visiting the Vatican to play the game we love, as well as share a platform to celebrate so many things we have in common.

“My simple message to everyone that represents Essex Cricket on the trip is to ensure you enjoy this opportunity, wear the shirt with pride and a big thank you for the continued hard work you do for cricket, as it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Professor Lord Patel of Bradford, ECB Director and attending the trip said:

“In a world full of conflict and at a time when people can seem so distant from one another, it is a joy for me to see cricket, a game I love so much, bringing unity and harmony. Sport of all kinds plays a vital role in the life of communities – people enjoy sport for the fun, the rivalry,  team work, leadership, skills and the lifelong friendships that it enjoins. But sport also has much wider value to the wellbeing and cohesion of our world, and none more so than cricket.”

“This Multi-Faith Tour says so much about what can be achieved, when we focus on those things that unite us rather than keeps us apart, and in these troubled times bringing hope out of despair. Cricket is a powerful tool in overcoming hatred between different groups and people as they watch and play a game that so many millions across the world love.

To have this tour in Rome, at the heart of the Vatican City is a great honour, but even more importantly it is an opportunity. An opportunity to shed a light on how conflict can be turned into collaboration and how the spirit and enthusiasm that cricket creates can overcome any and all barriers.

Fr. Eamonn O’Higgins, L.C. (St. Peter’s Cricket Team Manager) said:

“The Inter-Faith tour will bring people of major religious faiths together in Rome. In this way, we will express together the belief that there is an order and purpose to all things, and that the way of human life is to seek and to experience the Real Source of all that is noble, true and good. This is what religion is, the human response to the source of all things, and the discovery that we are sons and daughters, and therefore all brothers and sisters. The world today needs to see this authentic religious experience.

Andrew Mindenhall, Chief Executive at Agilisys, said:

“Agilisys is delighted to have the opportunity to provide enabling sponsorship to this unique event, bringing together sport and multi-faith communities. We look forward to seeing the updates from the tour, and wish the team every success in their matches.”

A special thanks to the tour partners Ganidor Sports and Agilisys for supporting the trip.

The Tour Party:

Professor Lord Patel of Bradford England & Wales Cricket Board | Director and Player
Forhad Hussain (Essex Cricket) | Director and Player
Robyn Hulley (Essex Cricket) | Tour Manager
Arfan Akram (East London Cricket Co-Coordinator) | Assistant Tour Manager & Tour Captain
Jawar Ali (Essex Cricket & Operations Director at London Tigers)

The Player:

Emdad Ahmad (Community Support and Scintilla Cricket Club)
Michael Arnold (East London Cricket Coach)
Simon Cooper (The Mayor of London’s Office)
Qam Farooq (Sales Manager at Ganador Sports)
Kashif Haroon (Councillor London Borough of Barking & Dagenham)
Shiraz Kothia (Community Leader in East London)
Vince Mulholland (Chairman Ilford Catholic Cricket Club)
Saba Nasim (Essex Women’s Cricket Ambassador & Coach)
Mukesh Patel (Councillor London Borough of Newham)
Kam Rai (Councillor London Borough of Redbridge)
Kanan Thiyagarajah (East London Cricket Coach & Barking Cricket Club)
Dominic Twomey (Councillor London Borough of Barking & Dagenham)

Officials:

Annanth Kumar (Chairman Cavaliers Cricket Academy) | Umpire
Sheela Sethu (Secretary Cavaliers Cricket Academy) | Scorer

Exciting week of On-Pitch Marquee events comes to a close

Posted on Wednesday 11 October 2017

The Cloudfm County Ground was a hive of activity this morning as the On-Pitch Marquee was closed down for this year.

A number of outstanding events have taken place over the last week with Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor bringing proceedings to a close last night in front of a sell-out Chelmsford crowd.

The Essex End of Season Gala Dinner began the week with sponsors, supporters and players all celebrating a truly memorable 2017 season and reflecting on the Division One title success.

Essex legend Graham Gooch hosted an evening which included player awards, auctions and special thank you messages from Simon Harmer in South Africa and Varun Chopra in Indonesia!

Jamie Porter was the star of the show scooping the DeVines Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and Bowler of the Year among others, while Sam Cook received two accolades after a whirlwind month for the First XI.

An Evening of Boxing was the next event on the calendar with the ABA Regional Finals being held in the On-Pitch Marquee at The Cloudfm County Ground.

What a spectacle it was, with hundreds of people in the Marquee enjoying food and drink while being entertained by some of the best amateur boxers in the region.

Three darts legends then made their way to Chelmsford for An Evening of Darts to close the week of events. Taylor, Wayne Mardle and Bobby George entertained the crowd, while MC John McDonald led the event with his famous dulcet tones.

Guests were treated to a special speech from Matchroom Sport’s Barry Hearn, who reflected on the special achievement of his home County winning the Championship with the involvement of such a young squad.

The successful week of events would not have been possible without the support of our main event sponsors D & A Media, Greene King IPA, Fenwick, Scrutton Bland and Woodland Group.

We would also like to thank Centreplate, Dynamic Fireworks, Moulsham Electronics, Simply Loos, Tangent Electrical and Undercover Events for their integral involvement in putting the events on.

Thank you to our guests across all the events for your support and we aim to be back bigger and better next year with even more events for everyone!

Porter celebrates with two PCA awards

Posted on Wednesday 4 October 2017

Jamie Porter has been named as the PCA Young Player of the Year & Specsavers County Championship Player of the Year at the PCA Awards evening this evening. Porter fought off competition from Jofra Archer (Sussex), Ben Coad (Yorkshire) and Craig Overton (Somerset) to win the Young Players’ award.

Simon Harmer joined Jamie in the PCA Team of the Year, after finishing second in the Championship wicket takers rankings this season.

However, after being nominated, Jamie Porter wasn’t triumphant in the NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year voting with Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel picking up the accolade.

Patel was presented with the Reg Hayter Cup at the 48th NatWest PCA Awards at the Roundhouse in London, one of 13 awards presented on the night.

Patel faced competition from Surrey’s retiring former Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara, Glamorgan all-rounder Colin Ingram and Essex seamer Jamie Porter for the NatWest PCA Players’ Player Award but Porter did collect two prizes, winning the John Arlott Cup for the NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year Award and the Specsavers County Championship Player of the Year.

Patel said, “I’m a little bit surprised actually. To be up there with a world class player like Sanga, with the amount of runs that he scored in a short amount of time, is a privilege in itself.

“Jamie has had a wonderful year. Essex have won Division One and he has been the stand-out bowler in the First Division.

“It’s a great achievement for all four shortlisted nominees so I’m very pleased. I’ve never been up there for Players’ Player before so to win it is unreal really. I’m really happy and chuffed to bits.”

Porter, who faced competition from fellow seamers Jofra Archer (Sussex), Ben Coad (Yorkshire) and Craig Overton (Somerset) for the NatWest PCA Young Player Award, took 75 wickets to help Essex, who were promoted as Second Division champions 12 months ago, win their first Specsavers County Championship title in 25 years.

He returned career-best innings and match best bowling figures – seven for 55 and 12 for 95 – against Somerset at Chelmsford in August and also won the Specsavers County Championship Player of the Year Award.

“For other players around the country to give their seal of approval means a lot to me and makes this award special,” Porter said.

Porter will head to Australia with England Lions next month but it is only three years since his dreams of playing county cricket appeared to be over when he was not picked up by a county after he had finished with the MCC Young Cricketers so he went to work for a recruitment company.

“I spent six months working in recruitment and I thought that’s where I would be for a long time,” he said.

“I enjoyed it but, coming back into cricket, it means that I don’t play with any fear now. There are a lot of guys who are afraid that if cricket doesn’t work out they don’t know where they are going to go.

“If I get injured or have a bad season I would be more than happy in the outside world. I want to play cricket for as a long as I can but I know that I can survive if that fails.”

The PCA’s 50th Anniversary was also celebrated with the presentation of the PCA Lifetime Achievement Award to founder Fred Rumsey.

An organisation to represent the players’ interests was the brainchild of the former England, Worcestershire, Somerset and Derbyshire left-arm paceman and it was Rumsey who was the driving force behind the first meeting of what became the Cricketers’ Association in London on September 4 1967.

The Investec Test and Royal London One Day International Players of the Summer were also presented with Jimmy Anderson ending a memorable summer with the Test award and Joe Root winning the 50-over prize after they finished top of the PCA MVP Rankings in the respective formats.

Patel, Porter, Ingram, Sangakkara and Overton were all included in the PCA Team of the Year, which comprised the top performers in red and white ball domestic cricket according to the PCA MVP Rankings.

“The 2017 NatWest PCA Awards are a fitting finale to what has been an exceptional summer of cricket in the PCA’s 50th Anniversary year. From a team perspective, Essex winning the Specsavers County Championship in the first year back in the top division and Nottinghamshire winning both major one-day trophies, while gaining promotion after relegation last year, have been fantastic achievements,” said David Leatherdale, PCA Chief Executive.

“The international summer proved to be another successful one with Joe Root, in his first year leading the Test side, and Eoin Morgan leading England to impressive victories over South Africa and the West Indies. However, our England Women’s team winning the World Cup in front of a sell-out 27,000 home crowd at Lord’s will live long in the memory as the highlight of the cricketing summer.

“All our individual winners fully deserve the accolades and praise they will receive and there is no higher praise than to be voted for by all your team-mates and your peers. Each winner should rightly be proud of their achievements.

“In our 50th Anniversary year it is only fitting that our Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to one of our founding members, Fred Rumsey. His courage and determination some 50 years ago has enabled the PCA to become the respected organisation it is today.”

The full list of the 2017 NatWest PCA Awards winners
Reg Hayter Cup for the NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year: Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
John Arlott Cup for the NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year: Jamie Porter (Essex)
NatWest Women’s Player of the Summer: Natalie Sciver
Investec Test Player of the Summer: James Anderson
Royal London One Day International Player of the Summer: Joe Root
PCA Team of the Year:
1. Alex Hales(Nottinghamshire)
2. Mark Stoneman (Surrey)
3. Colin Ingram (Glamorgan)
4. Kumar Sangakkara (Surrey)
5. Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
6. Darren Stevens (Kent)
7. Ben Cox (Worcestershire)
8. Kyle Abbott (Hampshire)
9. Craig Overton (Somerset)
10. Simon Harmer (Essex)
11. Jamie Porter (Essex)

Specsavers County Championship Player of the Year: Jamie Porter (Essex)
NatWest T20 Blast Player of the Year: Wayne Madsen (Derbyshire)
Royal London One-Day Cup Player of the Year: Colin Ingram (Glamorgan)
Greene King PCA England Masters Player of the Year: Owais Shah
PCA Lifetime Achievement Award: Fred Rumsey
ECB Special Award: Heather Knight and Mark Robinson
Harold Goldblatt Award for the PCA Umpire of the Year: Michael Gough