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Semi-final tickets now on general sale!

Posted on Monday 22 May 2017

Tickets for the highly anticipated Royal London One-Day Cup Semi-Final match against either Somerset or Notts Outlaws are now on general sale online.

The match is scheduled for Friday 16 June at The Cloudfm County Ground and will begin at 1:30pm.

With members snapping up their tickets in droves, large crowds are expected in Chelmsford for what is expected to be a thrilling occasion.

The general public now have the opportunity to cheer The Eagles to a Lord’s final.

Tickets went on general sale online at 6pm on Monday and now also on sale in person and over the phone – 01245 254010 (Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm & Saturday, 9am-12:30pm). We are expecting this game to sell out so make sure you purchase today as tickets for Members and supporters are subject to availability.

Public ticket prices:

Adult Advanced | £15
Adult Gate | £20
Adult Second Innings | £12

Young Adult/Student Advanced | £10
Young Adult/Student Gate | £10
Young Adult/Student Second Innings | £5

Junior (Member & Public) | £1

To purchase your tickets online click here or call the Membership and Ticketing Office on 01245 254010 during opening hours.

 

 

Dan Lawrence selected for England Lions One-Day series against South Africa A

Posted on Sunday 21 May 2017

Essex batsman Dan Lawrence has been selected in the England Lions squad for the three-match one-day series against South Africa A next month.

James Vince will lead an experienced squad and Lawrence is involved in his first series for the Lions following an impressive England U19 stint last year.

The 19-year-old continues to go from strength to strength in the first-team and saved the game against Lancashire with a stunning hundred.

Vince is one of four players included with senior ODI experience in the last eight months, alongside Ben Duckett and Steven Finn – who were both included in the England squad for the recent Royal London One-Day Series against Ireland – and his Hampshire team-mate Liam Dawson.

The squad also includes Dawid Malan, the Middlesex opener who was a non-playing member of England’s T20 squad last summer, while six of the remaining eight players toured Sri Lanka with the Lions in the winter.

James Whitaker, the National Selector, said: “We wanted to select a strong and experienced Lions squad for this series, as it coincides with the early stages of the ICC Champions Trophy, and therefore provides us with the opportunity to keep our standby players in white-ball action.

“The quality of the squad we have selected reflects well on the strength in depth we now have in 50-over cricket which has emerged through the county game. All the players in this squad will have the 2019 World Cup in their sights, and playing for the Lions offers them the platform to show what they can do.

“In addition to his considerable captaincy experience with Hampshire, James Vince has led the Lions before, to an excellent series victory against South Africa A in early 2015 and again when they played 50-over and T20 series against Pakistan A in Dubai in the winter of 2015-16 – and he also impressed in captaining the South to victory in the North-South Series earlier this year. He is a good tactical reader of the game.

“We were also mindful in selecting this squad that the series coincides with an important round of matches in the Specsavers County Championship. As ever we are grateful to the counties for their support, and for appreciating the importance of the Lions programme in developing players for international cricket.”

Surrey, who are the only county with three players in the squad, do not have a fixture in the round of Championship matches starting on Friday June 2, and nor do Essex or Kent.

The Lions series starts at Trent Bridge the previous day with the remaining two games at Northampton on Saturday June 3 and Monday June 5, the latter a day-night fixture – with free entry to all three games.

The Lions also play a four-day game against South Africa A at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence from June 21-24, and then a three-day match against the senior South Africa tourists in Worcester from June 29 – July 1, with squads for those matches to be named next month.

England Lions squad – to play South Africa A in three-match one-day series at Trent Bridge (June 1) and Northampton (June 3 & 5).

Dawid Malan (Middlesex)

Ben Duckett (Northants)

Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent)

James Vince (Hampshire, captain)

Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)

Liam Dawson (Hampshire)

Ben Foakes (Surrey, wk)

Sam Curran (Surrey)

Tom Curran (Surrey)

Craig Overton (Somerset)

Steven Finn (Middlesex)

Dan Lawrence (Essex)

George Garton (Sussex)

MATCH PREVIEW | Kent Spitfires v Essex Eagles

Posted on Tuesday 16 May 2017

Essex Eagles conclude the qualifying matches in the Royal London One-Day Cup when they make the trip to Canterbury to take on Kent Spitfires in the latest Battle of the Bridge encounter between the two adversaries.

The Eagles have named a 14-man squad that includes Neil Wagner although fellow pace bowler Matt Quinn is rested as part of his recovery plan from injury.

The visitors need only one point to secure a semi-final home tie although they are guaranteed at least a place in the quarter-final regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s match. Victory or a point from a tied match or no-result would be sufficient to take the Eagles just one game away from a place in a Lord’s Final for the first time since 2008.

Essex have recorded six wins from their seven matches in the competition so far, the latest being a 72-run success over Somerset at Taunton on Sunday. That result allowed the Eagles to leapfrog the West Country side and take over top-spot in the Group after a performance that left Head coach Chris Silverwood justifiably lauding his players for their efforts.

“We knew it was always going to be a tough game down there and it proved to be all the way through,” he reflected. “You could see why Somerset have had such a good season in 50 overs cricket and we had two good teams going at each other which made for a super game.

“But once again, we had people put their hands up to see us through. Cooky, not for the first time, was very good at the top of the order for us; it was great to see Tom Westley back in the runs with a very nice hundred and I thought that Ravi played particularly well. He came in and nurtured the middle order and got us through to a big score so that was excellent. Ashar played a little cameo and overall, it was a very satisfying performance.

“Johann Myburgh was given a let-off when Somerset replied and went on to get a decent score but that’s what happens in sport, when you get a chance, you make people pay. He played some fantastic shots and made life very difficult for us for a while but what I liked was the fact that at no point, did we sit back.

“We kept pushing forward, got his wicket and then started to build the pressure on our opposition. Our bowling attack then did the business and all credit to our captain. Tendo made some brave decisions at various times during their innings and worked his bowlers well.

“Now we take on Kent in our final group match. At the start of the competition, our first aim was to reach the knockout stages and we’ve done that in some style winning six out of seven matches. All credit to the boys for that but now we want to try and ensure a home semi-final. Our approach will be the exactly the same as it has been so far. We’ll get stuck in, follow the same pattern and hopefully get the same results as we have done.”

Somerset now occupy second place and are the only side that can deny Essex a home tie at The Cloudfm County Ground. However, they would have to beat Middlesex in their remaining group match with Middlesex at Lord’s on Wednesday whilst relying on Kent to overturn the Eagles.

Essex Eagles squad:
Varun Chopra (6) (Ilford)
James Foster (7) (Wanstead)
Simon Harmer (11)
Neil Wagner (13)
Tom Westley (21) (Mildenhall)
Paul Walter (22) (Billericay)
Ravi Bopara (25) (Hainault & Clayhall)
Alastair Cook (26) (Maldon)
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) (Harwich) Captain
Dan Lawrence (28) (Chingford)
Adam Wheater (31) (Woodford Wells)
Jamie Porter (44) (Chingford)
Callum Taylor (67) (Swardeston)
Ashar Zaidi (99) (Ilford)

Kent Spitfires squad: 17 Sam Northeast (c), 23 Daniel Bell-Drummond, 58 Sean Dickson, 16 Zak Crawley, 24 Adam Ball, 10 Alex Blake, 12 Adam Rouse (wk), 25 Calum Haggett, 11 Imran Qayyum, 22 Charlie Hartley, 14 Matt Hunn, 5 Ivan Thomas.

This fixture is the first time the two Club have faced each other this season and the Battle of the Bridge rivals will be travelling to Chelmsford in August (Thursday 17) for the NatWest T20 Blast competition. Tickets for this match, plus the other 6 home games in the competition are on sale now and selling fast!

Find out more information and details on how to purchase – here.

 

Eagles require one point for home semi-final

Posted on Monday 15 May 2017

After a thrilling 72-run victory against Somerset on Sunday, Essex sit just one point away from automatic qualification for the Royal London One-Day Cup semi-finals.

A tie, no-result or victory against Battle of the Bridge rivals Kent on Wednesday will be enough for Chris Silverwood’s side to be one step from Lord’s.

A quarter-final place has already been secured, should the Eagles not clinch top spot on Wednesday, but a semi-final spot is the prize all counties are striving for.

Top spot in the South Group will be fought out between Essex and Sunday’s opponents, Somerset, who travel to Middlesex.

Somerset will hope the Eagles slip up but with 6 wins out of 7 so far, Ryan ten Doeschate takes a side full of confidence to Canterbury.

Third spot in the group is more complicated, with four counties having the opportunity to clinch the last knockout place.

Surrey are in the ascendency and if they beat Gloucestershire in Bristol, they will qualify no matter what other results are.

Sussex Sharks host Hampshire with the winner hoping Surrey slip up against Gloucestershire but the West Country side do not achieve a better net run rate.

The situation is much simpler for the Eagles though, a win and Essex top the group.

Match Preview | Essex Eagles v Middlesex

Posted on Thursday 11 May 2017

Essex Eagles continue the Royal London One-Day Cup involvement on Friday when they entertain Middlesex in a Day/Night contest at The Cloudfm County Ground with play scheduled to start at 2pm.

Somerset and Essex, who meet at Taunton on Sunday, are level on points with identical records having played five and won four of their qualifying matches thus far, with only a superior run-rate allowing the West Country side to top the table.

The prize for each of the two Group winners is a guaranteed place in the semi-finals whilst the runners-up and third place teams will meet in a quarter-final to decide the remaining two teams in the last four stage.

The Eagles have named a 15-man squad for Friday’s match. All-rounder Ravi Bopara, who was forced to sit out Wednesday’s victory with a slight groin strain, will undergo a late fitness test.

Eagles batting coach Anthony McGrath admits that, although the county has only suffered one defeat in all competitions this season, they have not yet been firing on all cylinders.

“It was a narrow win over Sussex but that has been the trend of our season so far,” he said.

“We are nowhere near our best yet and I think that everyone can see that. We do tend to make things more difficult than they should be but at the end of the day, we’ve won again and that makes it four wins out of five in the Royal London One-Day Cup and that has put us into a terrific position.

“Before the start of the game, Sussex were up there with us in the table, Somerset also lost on Wednesday and so it really was a good day for us.

“Having said that, there are still three matches left and anything can happen. But, as I said, we are in a really good position to build on from here. We could pick out quite a few things that didn’t go so well for us on Wednesday but I’d rather talk about the positives. Those two innings from Ryan (ten Doeschate) and Alastair (Cook) were absolutely phenomenal really to get us up to 290 odd from 29 for three.

“They really set up the game for us and then we bowled well up to the 40th over and we all know what happened then. But we have won four out of five in the competition and that’s the most important statistic. A win is a win and we are delighted with that.

“There is a lot of improvement to come and I can’t wait to see what we can do when we get it right!”

Essex Eagles squad:
Varun Chopra (6) (Ilford)
James Foster (7) (Wanstead)
Nick Browne (10) (South Woodford)
Simon Harmer (11)
Tom Westley (21) (Mildenhall)
Paul Walter (22) (Billericay)
Ravi Bopara (25) (Hainault & Clayhall)
Alastair Cook (26) (Maldon)
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) (Harwich) Captain
Dan Lawrence (28) (Chingford)
Adam Wheater (31) (Woodford Wells)
Jamie Porter (44) (Chingford)
Callum Taylor (67) (Swardeston)
Matt Quinn (94) (South Woodford)
Ashar Zaidi (99) (Ilford)

Middlesex squad: James Franklin (Captain), Nick Compton, Stephen Eskinazi, Steven Finn, James Fuller, Nick Gubbins, Tom Helm, Ryan Higgins, Dawid Malan, Ravi Patel, Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones, John Simpson (Wicket Keeper), Adam Voges.

Tickets are on sale now for this match, priced £15 Adults, £10 Students/Young Adults and £5 Juniors (U18s). Get a discount when purchasing in advance here or buy on the gate from 1pm, priced £20 for Adults.

 

Cook enters Top 10 in MVP Rankings

Posted on Thursday 11 May 2017

Alastair Cook has moved into the top 10 of this season’s Professional Cricketers’ Association Most Valuable Player Rankings after back to back centuries.

Cook has enjoyed a productive week with The Eagles in the Royal London One-Day Cup following up his first List A century in five years against Gloucestershire with another in yesterday’s 10 runs home win over Sussex Sharks.

Cook is enjoying an inspired run of form for the Club. and has demonstrated that he is also a lethal asset to have in limited-overs cricket, contributing 40 per cent of Essex’s runs against Gloucestershire and 37 per cent against Sussex.

His 109 yesterday helped Essex recover from losing Varun Chopra, Tom Westley and Adam Wheater to a Jerome Taylor hat-trick with Cook at the non-striker’s end.

The PCA MVP Rankings system identifies the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic season.

The formula takes into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike-rates as well as runs scored and wickets taken.

Cook’s rich vein of form in 50 overs cricket followed consistent performances in the Specsavers County Championship including a century in the win over Somerset at Taunton last month.

His 110 made up 43 per cent of Essex’s second innings total and helped Cook earn 28 PCA MVP points and a match haul of 48 points.

Cook is also Essex’s highest-ranked player in the PCA MVP for this season’s One-Day Cup in 12th place with 71 points, 27 behind Glamorgan all-rounder Colin Ingram, the new leader.

Ravi Bopara is in 25th place with 58 points, eight places and five points above Ryan ten Doeschate.

Bopara is third in the all-time rankings for 50 overs cricket with 509 points, 43 behind Nottinghamshire’s Samit Patel and 83 adrift of Somerset’s Peter Trego.

But Bopara can still boast the best match return in 50 overs cricket since the PCA MVP system was introduced in 2007.

He took 49 points from the seven wickets win against Lancashire at Chelmsford in 2015, 31 of them for his 101 from 98 balls after he had taken four for 31.

The full PCA MVP Rankings table can be viewed here

 

What are the PCA MVP Rankings?

The PCA MVP Rankings system was introduced in 2007 and was designed by the players to identify the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic season.

The formula gives full credit to those players whose performances improve their team’s chances of winning. Points are accrued for all runs scored and wickets taken, these are then adjusted within the context of the match to take into account strike rates and economy rates.

Runs gain more points if they are scored quickly or in low-scoring contests. Top order wickets are judged more valuable than those that fall later.

 

Chopra keen for Eagles to bounce-back this week

Posted on Tuesday 9 May 2017

Varun Chopra is the very model of a team player: the erstwhile opener has slotted uncomplainingly into the No4 batting berth in the first half of Essex’s Royal London Cup campaign, and his adaptability has been rewarded with his first century since returning to the county.

Not only was Chopra’s enterprising knock in Cardiff his first three-figure score for more than a year – since hitting 107 in the Specsavers County Championship against Yorkshire last April before it all went sour for him at Warwickshire – the 124 against Glamorgan was also his highest total in one-day cricket.

Unfortunately it was not enough to prevent Essex slipping to their first defeat of the season, albeit by one run. They now have the opportunity to revive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the 50-over competition with back-to-back, day-night matches at Chelmsford against Sussex today and Middlesex on Friday.

The 29-year-old Chopra says: “It’s a long season and we’re not going to go unbeaten the whole year. We were on the wrong side of things on Sunday, which was a shame, but we’ve got a big chance now with two home games. It is important we show some character and bounce back.”

The former Warwickshire captain has shown the requisite character by overcoming the disappointment of being the opener omitted from the Championship side to accommodate England’s record run-scorer Alastair Cook, and has bounced back with valuable contributions lower down the order in white-ball cricket.

“I’ll go in where the team needs me to bat,” he says. “I feel like I’m experienced enough and adaptable in my game. So I don’t mind coming in against spin, or if we’re two for two like we were on Sunday. It’s an exciting new role for me. It’s a challenge and one I look forward to. Wherever the team needs me to bat, whatever the team needs me to do at that particular time, I’m confident I can do it.”

In fact, it was almost like being an opener again when he went in to join Cook just nine balls into Essex’s latest innings. The pair put on 104 for the third wicket following a stand of 99 together in the win over Gloucestershire on Thursday – though there were already 101 runs on the board by the time Chopra reached the wicket then.

“I guess it was like opening against Glamorgan in terms of the bowlers still being fresh and the ball still new and hard,” Chopra admitted. “But it is a very different mentality going in at two for two rather than none for none. The bowlers are charged up and the momentum is with them. On Sunday it was important we counter-punched for a bit, just to try and get a bit of the initiative back. I’m just disappointed that in our last 10 overs we didn’t quite see it home.”

With Nick Browne struggling for runs so far, it may not be long before Chopra returns to the top of the order. He says: “We are a tight squad here. We all know that we’ve got a strong batting line-up and at times two batters are going to be left out. That is the nature of our squad. The main thing is that we’re all pulling in the same direction. Competition is never a bad thing in cricket. I’m happy with it. If it’s my time, or someone else’s, we have to make the most of it.”

 

MATCH PREVIEW | Glamorgan v Essex Eagles

Posted on Saturday 6 May 2017

Three matches and three victories. That’s the proud record that the Essex Eagles carry down to The SSE Swalec on Sunday when they meet Glamorgan in the next South Group match in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Only an inferior run-rate to Somerset denied the Eagles top-placing in the Group following their latest success achieved on Thursday against Gloucestershire at The Cloudfm County Ground.

Chris Silverwood has made one change to the 14-man squad that has seen duty for the first three matches in the competition.

“We are going to rest Matt Quinn purely because of the injury he had and we are trying to look after him and so Paul Walter joins up with the squad,” he explained.

Despite their 100 per cent start, the Eagles Head Coach is determined that his side keep focussed. “One-day cricket is about who plays best on the day and we have to make sure that we go down to Cardiff with the right attitude and make sure that we are the team that plays the best cricket,” he said.

“We need to stick to our game processes and follow our game plan.”

“One of the aspects of our game that I’m really enjoying is the heart and fight our boys are showing. What that means is that we are constantly finding solutions as to how to win a game.”

On a bitterly cold Thursday evening, there were – perhaps understandably – a few errors in the field but Chris is anxious that those are eradicated.

“We can’t look away from the faults, we have to look at them and put things right,” he insisted. “If we want to be the best team, we have to keep trying to improve but overall, I thought our performance was very good.

“Especially with the bat, everything went to plan and we did exactly what we said. It was a good deck and Stuart (Kerrison) prepared a good wicket for us. Gloucestershire have got one or two very dangerous players so it was always going to be difficult for us and the game went to and fro. On paper, 315 looked a good score but with a very good wicket and short boundary on one side, it was always going to be a challenge.

“But we did the job.”

Essex Eagles squad:
Varun Chopra (6) (Ilford)
Nick Browne (10) (South Woodford)
Simon Harmer  (11)
Neil Wagner (13)
Tom Westley (21) (Mildenhall)
Paul Walter (22) (Billericay)
Ravi Bopara (25) (Hainault & Clayhall)
Alastair Cook (26) (Maldon)
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) (Harwich) Captain
Dan Lawrence (28) (Chingford)
Adam Wheater (31) Wicket KeeperK (Woodford Wells)
Jamie Porter (44) (Chingford)
Callum Taylor (67) (Swardeston)
Ashar Zaidi (99) (Ilford)

Match Preview | Essex Eagles v Gloucestershire

Posted on Wednesday 3 May 2017

Unbeaten Essex Eagles have retained the same 14-man squad that was on duty for the first two matches in the competition that saw victories carry the team into second place in the South Group.

Meanwhile, Gloucestershire lost to Glamorgan before overcoming Middlesex. Essex Eagles go in search of the third successive victory in the Royal London One-Day Cup when entertaining Gloucestershire at The Cloudfm County Ground on Thursday where play is scheduled to start at 11am.

Eagles Head Coach Chris Silverwood admitted that his side’s latest success, a one-wicket win over Surrey on Tuesday, was a little too close for comfort.

“It gave me a few more grey hairs but it was worth it,” he said. “From a spectator point of view, it must have been fantastic to watch and the closer we got, the more exciting it became. We kept scrapping away against Surrey and got the points in the end. It was a good game of cricket.

“We did make it hard work for ourselves at times and I told the boys afterwards that I don’t think we’ve really fired properly yet. But we are still grinding out the results and that’s the thing I am genuinely enjoying at the moment. It’s been the same in the Championship, regardless of the situation we’ve found ourselves in, we are finding ways of getting over the line, which is great and that shows the character in the group.

“There is no divine right to win any game of cricket, you have to go out and fight for every inch and that’s what we’ve been doing.

“Also, it is different people who are sticking their hands up and that’s a very positive sign. We saw that against Surrey where Simon Harmer played a great knock, Ryan ten Doeschate batted well along with Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara and not forgetting Matt Quinn right at the end. He had a very important role to play and he did it. People were out there all scrapping for Essex.

“Simon played a great knock against Surrey and since he’s been with us, he’s worked tremendously hard and shown what a good cricketer he is. But there is more to it than that with him, it’s the character he brings to the dressing room and the way he’s fitted in so well with the lads.

“He’s really bought into everything we are trying to do at Essex and that’s why he was rewarded the other day with a two-year contract extension.

“Now we start all over again against Gloucestershire, it’s another tough fixture but hopefully we can keep our unbeaten run going.”

Essex Eagles squad:
Ryan ten Doeschate (27) (Harwich) Captain
Adam Wheater (31) (Woodford Wells) Wicket-Keeper
Varun Chopra (6) (Ilford)
Nick Browne (10) (South Woodford)
Simon Harmer  (11)
Neil Wagner (13)
Tom Westley (21) (Mildenhall)
Ravi Bopara (25) (Hainault & Clayhall)
Alastair Cook (26) (Maldon)
Dan Lawrence (28) (Chingford)
Jamie Porter (44) (Chingford)
Callum Taylor (67) (Swardeston)
Matt Quinn (94) (Harlow)
Ashar Zaidi (99) (Ilford)

Gloucestershire squad | Michael Klinger (Captain), Phil Mustard (WK), Chris Dent, Ian Cockbain, Graham van Buuren, Jack Taylor, Benny Howell, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Tom Smith, Craig Miles, Liam Norwell, Matt Taylor, Chris Liddle.

Tickets are on sale now for this match, priced £15 Adults, £10 Students/Young Adults and £5 Juniors (U18s). Get a discount when purchasing in advance or buy on the gate priced £20 for Adults.

Match Report | Surrey v Essex Eagles

Posted on Tuesday 2 May 2017

Surrey v Essex Eagles | Royal London One-Day Cup | The Kia Oval

Surrey | Mark Stoneman (23), Dom Sibley (45), Kumar Sangakkara (11), Rory Burns (17), Ben Foakes (7), Scott Borthwick (6), Sam Curran (58), Tom Curran (59), Gareth Batty (13), Ravi Rampaul (14), Jade Dernbach (16).

Essex Eagles | Alastair Cook (26), Nick Browne (10), Tom Westley (21), Varun Chopra (6), Ravi Bopara (25), Adam Wheater+, Ryan ten Doeschate* (27), Ashar Zaidi (99), Simon Harmer (11), Neil Wagner (13), Matt Quinn (94).

Umpires | NJ Llong & MJ Saggers

Toss | Surrey won & chose to bat

Result | Essex Eagles won by 1 wicket

Match Highlights

Match Report

Simon Harmer carried The Eagles to a 1-wicket victory against Surrey at The Kia Oval with an unbeaten 44 to leave his side with a perfect start in their Royal London One-Day Cup campaign, and a record of two wins from two matches.

In an absorbing low-scoring contest, the visitors had been set 211 for victory but were in deep trouble when they slumped to 128 for 7 in the 34th over.

But former South Africa Test all-rounder Harmer, who signed a two-year contract extension with Essex this week, proved up to the daunting task of securing victory for his side.

Surrey had been bowled out for 210 but what had seemed a modest score, appeared a daunting figure by the time Harmer, who joined Essex as a Kolkak player at the start of the season, strode to the middle with his side 128 for 7 and 16 overs left.

He and Ryan ten Doeschate set about restoring the Eagles interest in proceedings and they swelled the total with a half-century partnership spanning 8 overs before skipper ten Doeschate was caught behind the wicket for 45.

Neil Wagner scored 4 out of 14 for the penultimate wicket and when last man Matt Quinn arrived at the crease, Surrey looked favourites to succeed.

But the last wicket pair had other ideas and Quinn, who finished with 7 not out, played an admirable support role as Harmer picked off the runs.

The final over arrived with 4 runs needed and Harmer on strike. Sam Curran sent down a wide with the first delivery and after a ‘dot’ ball, a leg side delivery was steered backward of square to the boundary to complete the narrow success.

Ravi Bopara had earlier scored 36 and Tom Westley 34 but with wickets falling at regular intervals, Surrey held the initiative until Harmer’s intervention.

He had also returned figures of 2 for 45 when the home side opened proceedings having won the toss but they too struggled to make significant progress.

They were indebted to former Essex batsman/wicket-keeper Ben Foakes who struck an unbeaten 77 and figured in the only two worthwhile stands of the innings; 73 with Scott Borthwick and 57 with Tom Curran.

But with Quinn (3-34) and Bopara (3-46) well-supported by Neil Wagner (2-51) and Harmer (2-45), together with some keen fielding and excellent keeping from Adam Wheater that earned him four victims, the home side were bowled out in 47.4 overs.

Photo Gallery


Photos | Nick Wood (www.unshaken-photography.co.uk)

Interval Report

The Eagles dismissed Surrey for 210 in their Royal London One-Day Cup clash at The Kia Oval with Matt Quinn and Ravi Bopara sharing 6 wickets whilst Neil Wagner and Simon Harmer both claimed two wickets apiece.

Had it not been for a fine innings by former Essex player Ben Foakes, Surrey’s effort would have looked particularly miserable. Wicket-keeper batsman Foakes scored an unbeaten 77 as he held the innings together facing 92 deliveries of which he sent five to the boundary.

The home side won the toss but were soon in trouble against the new ball attack of Wagner and Quinn who reduced the opposition to 24 for 2 within 7 overs. Quinn had Mark Stoneman caught by Varun Chopra at cover for 3 whilst Wagner removed Kumar Sangakkara for 6 when Adam Wheater claimed the first of his four victims.

Wheater was quick to stump Dominic Sibley for 19 when the batsman stepped out to drive Simon Harmer   and the keeper added Tom Curran to his list of casualties when Quinn found a leading edge late in the innings and departed for 33.

Wheater’s finest dismissal though was to account for Sam Curran for a duck when he dived to his left to hold the ball inches from the ground as Ravi Bopara claimed his second wicket in as many deliveries.

That left the home side 119 for 6 with 15 overs remaining.

Foakes had arrived a the crease at 41 for 3 and played sensibly, driving selectively. He and Scott Borthwick added 73 in 19 overs before Bopara ended the stand that had lasted for just over an hour when he bowled Borthwick.

Tom Curran and Foakes added 57  in 10 overs for the 7th wicket but those two partnerships were the only stands of any significance.

In gathering gloom for the home side and the weather, Gareth Batty and Ravi Ramapul went for 7 and 2 respectively and although Jade Denbach clubbed a 6 off Quinn, it was the bowler who had the final word when Dernbach drove to Ryan ten Doeschate soon afterwards to leave the gallant Foakes out of partners.