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After 6 Vitality Blast and 3 Metro-Bank One Day Cup fixtures, 4 Essex players have been nominated for the July Player of the Month award.

Now, you once again have the chance to choose the one who stood out more than any other, by voting one of these four contenders as July’s wefinanceanycar.com Player of the Month at the bottom of the page.

THE CONTENDERS

1. Jamal Richards

Jamal featured in three Metro Bank One Day Cup fixtures at the end of July and has showcased numerous strong performances with both bat and ball. Richards has shone with ball in hand in particular and has ended the month as Essex’s leading wicket-taker in the competition. Against Leicestershire, he took 2 crucial wickets, dismissing both Indian star Ajinkha Rahane and all-rounder Liam Trevaskis.

2. Charlie Allison

Allison who has come through the Essex ranks, had an outstanding July with the bat shining in both T20 and List-A cricket.

After featuring for England U19’s earlier in the month against Sri-Lanka, Charlie Allison took his chance in the Essex first-team, starting with a mammoth 121 run partnership with Michael Pepper down in Hove to see Essex home in what was a must win clash for the Eagles. In the last four innings of the month, Charlie continued his fine form scoring over 200 runs, averaging over 50.

3. Luc Benkenstein

Following the announcement of Luc being rewarded with the captaincy of the England U19 national side, Benkenstein showcased his talent on the county circuit with both his leg-spin bowling and his attacking intent with the bat.

Picking up wickets in T20 games throughout July, ‘Benki’ showed control and multiple variations to dismiss high level batters. Slotting into the Essex middle-order, Essex fans were blown-away by his aggressive nature with the bat, averaging just under 36.

4. Michael Pepper

In what will go down as one of the greatest T20 innings in Essex history, Michael Pepper cemented his name as the leading run-scorer for Essex in the 2024 Vitality Blast. Hitting 9 sixes and scoring 120 runs off just 53 balls, Pepper saw Essex home chasing 210 against Sussex Sharks, coming out to bat with the score only on 2-1.

Vote for your wefinanceanycar.com Player of the Month for July

Jordan Cox has received his first call-up to the England Men’s Test squad following a stellar season with the bat.

Cox, 23, is named in a 14-strong squad for the three-match Rothesay Test series against Sri Lanka, starting at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday 21 August 2024. He has been involved in the England set-up previously, having toured Pakistan with the England white-ball squad in the autumn of 2022.

England Men’s Test Squad:

Ben Stokes (Durham) Captain
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Jordan Cox (Essex)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Dan Lawrence (Surrey)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)

Opening batter Zak Crawley will miss the series due to a fractured right little finger sustained in the third Test victory over the West Indies.

Seam bowler Dillion Pennington, who featured in the Test squad during the recent series victory over the West Indies, will also miss the series after sustaining a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred competition.

Nottinghamshire seamer Olly Stone returns to the Test squad for the first time since June 2021 and has an opportunity to add to his three Test caps.

Rothesay Test Series Versus Sri Lanka

• 1st Test: England v Sri Lanka, 21-25 August 2024, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester*

• 2nd Test: England v Sri Lanka, 29 August-2 September 2024, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

• 3rd Test: England v Sri Lanka, 6-10 September 2024, Kia Oval, London

Essex v Glamorgan

Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sunday 04 August, 11:00am

Having been edged out by three wickets against last season’s champions Leicestershire Foxes in midweek, Essex are back in action for another tricky test on Sunday as Glamorgan visit Chelmsford.

Sol Budinger’s century helped the visitors overhaul the target of 291 that the Eagles had set them, despite a late wobble caused by the hosts’ young attack that took the Foxes from 239-3 to 287-7.

Matt Critchley, on a one-game return from The Hundred, had top-scored in that target with 55, while young pair Charlie Allison and Noah Thain joined him in making half-centuries.

On Sunday, The Cloud County Ground will host a repeat of the 2021 semi-final at Sophia Gardens that saw Glamorgan emerge victorious on their way to winning the competition that year.

Anthony McGrath’s men will aim to seek revenge for that defeat, and in doing so, record a second win of the group stage in this year’s competition.

Squad

Head Coach McGrath has named a 12-player squad for the visit of the Welsh side, with the only change seeing Matt Critchley drop out.

The Opposition

Glamorgan winning this competition in 2021 was only the fourth List A trophy in their history, and indeed only the seventh piece of silverware they have lifted in any format since their 1888 founding.

Their win over Durham in the Trent Bridge final three seasons ago was their first trophy since a brief period in the early 2000s, when the county won the 45-over National League twice in three years.

The Welsh side’s other white-ball trophy, their first ever, had been in the same competition in 1993, when, with the legendary Viv Richards as part of their team, they finished four points clear of Kent.

However, this year could prove to be the difference, as they currently sit atop Group B, having won all four of their matches so far, including two back-to-back successful chases at their Neath outground.

Dan Douthwaite’s 12 wickets mark him out as not just the team’s top wicket-taker, but also the best bowler in the entire competition, while Eddie Byrom leads the Welsh side’s run-scoring charts with 207.

Glamorgan squad: TBC

Last Time We Met

It is almost two years to the day that the sides last met in List A cricket, with Essex recording a thumping 103-run victory at The Cloud County Ground in August 2022.

Having opted to bat first on a gloriously sunny day, identical centuries from Tom Westley and Feroze Khushi, both of whom made 104, underpinned the Eagles’ total of 341 all out.

Luc Benkenstein, aged just 17 at the time, then shone with the ball in Glamorgan’s chase, claiming figures of 6/42 with his mesmerising leg-spin as the visitors were dismissed for 238 in 43.5 overs.

Only James Weighell and Prem Sisodiya had economy rates below 7.00 for the visitors, who, having conceded 254 in a T20 earlier that year, compounded a miserable season with the ball at Chelmsford.

Much like that Vitality Blast match, Glamorgan were simply unable to get going in their response, as although Sam Northeast fought hard with 70, Benkenstein’s wizardry spun the hosts to a big victory.

Group B Table

How To Watch

If you are not able to make it to The Cloud County Ground in person, the match will be live-streamed on the EssexCricketTV YouTube channel and will be available to watch through the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

A report will be published on the Club website at the conclusion of the game, while live updates and highlights will be provided on the Essex Cricket social media channels.

Tickets

As ever, Essex Members are able to access this fixture on presentation of a valid card, and blocks 1-11, as well as the Doug Insole Pavilion benches, are reserved for their use only.

Spectators with general admission tickets, which are still available for this game and when bought in advance are priced at just £18 for adults, £12 for 18-25-year-olds, and £6 for under-18s, are free to sit anywhere in the remainder of the ground.

To secure your seats, visit the link below:

School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer

The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.

With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.

Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Essex v Leicestershire Foxes

Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wednesday 31 July, 11:00am

Team News

Essex: Robin Das, Feroze Khushi, Tom Westley*, Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, Luc Benkenstein, Noah Thain, Shane Snater, Jamal Richards, Aaron Beard, Simon Fernandes+

Leicestershire Foxes: Harry Swindells, Sol Budinger, Lewis Hill*, Ajinkya Rahane, Peter Handscomb, Ben Cox+, Liam Trevaskis, Ben Mike, Tom Scriven, Chris Wright, Matt Salisbury

Match Details

Umpires: Hassan Adnan & James Tredwell
Match Referee: Mike Smith
Scorers: Paul Parkinson & Paul Rogers
Toss: Leicestershire Foxes won the toss and elected to bowl first
Result: Leicestershire Foxes won by three wickets

Scorecard: View here

Match Highlights

Match Reaction: Matt Critchley

Match Report

A trio of fifties from Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, and Noah Thain were not enough to prevent Essex falling to a three-wicket Metro Bank One Day Cup defeat at home to Leicestershire.

The returning Critchley top-scored with 55, while Thain struck a rapid 53 and Allison made 51, but the Eagles’ total of 290-9 was overhauled by the Foxes with 2.3 overs to spare.

Sol Budinger’s run-a-ball 120 underpinned the bulk of the Leicestershire chase, as despite three wickets for Critchley, contributions from Lewis Hill and Ajinkya Rahane helped the visitors over the line.

Having been inserted after losing the toss, Essex initially made serene progress towards a platform, with some hefty blows, first from Robin Das and then Tom Westley, putting the score at 100-2.

The loss of both, with the latter departing for 31 to bring Critchley to the crease, put something of a spanner in the works, though the leg-spinning all-rounder and Allison added 73 for the fourth wicket.

Thain’s late blows from, who hammered 53 off just 30 balls with four big sixes, helped pull Essex to a competitive total on a pitch showing signs of turn.

Despite Leicestershire initially feeling their way into the chase, opener Budinger’s mammoth innings held the chase together.

Indian international Rahane made 37, allied to 42 from captain Hill, as in spite of economical spells from Jamal Richards and Critchley, the Foxes timed their chase well to reach their target late on.

There was some potential nervousness in the stands when a late clatter, including the scalp of Budinger by Tom Westley, set up an interesting finish.

However, the visitors’ lower order held their nerve to see themselves over the line and condemn Essex to defeat.

School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer

White-ball action at The Cloud County Ground continues into July and August as the Metro Bank One-Day Cup gets underway.

The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.

With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.

Wednesday 31 July, 11:00am: Essex v Leicestershire Foxes – buy here
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Alongside the offering of men’s Metro Bank One Day Cup action, The Cloud County Ground will also host one more Women’s London Championship match during the summer holidays.

Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Essex v Leicestershire Foxes

Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wednesday 31 July, 11am

 
Having kick-started the 2024 Metro Bank One Day Cup with victory over Gloucestershire in Bristol, Essex return home for another midweek match, this time against defending champions Leicestershire Foxes.

The eventual victory margin in the West Country was 63 runs, sealed after the Eagles, defending 262-8, bowled the hosts out for 199.

There were multiple contributions with the bat on a pitch that proved difficult at times, with Luc Benkenstein’s 63-ball 67 and 52 from Robin Das being the standouts.

In reply, Gloucestershire stammered to 33-4 and 78-8 as the pitch’s demons grew more prevalent, with Shane Snater taking 3/39 and Jamal Richards and Ben Allison evenly sharing four more.

Ajeet Singh Dale at least offered the hosts some respectability with a late half-century, but victory was confirmed when Allison brought an end to his breezy 63 off 34 in the 37th over.

That confirmed a first win in the 2024 competition for Anthony McGrath’s side, and provides an ideal thrust moving forward ahead of a showdown with the holders.

Squad

Head Coach McGrath has named a 13-player squad, with the one change from Sunday’s clash being the return of Matt Critchley.

The Opposition

Leicestershire’s 2023 title win, which came via a nail-biting two-run win over Hampshire in the final at Trent Bridge, was only their sixth List A trophy, and first in 38 years.

It harked back to the Foxes’ heyday in the 1970s, when under the captaincy of Ray Illingworth, the county won both the Benson & Hedges Cup and the John Player League twice in seven years.

Another B&H Cup in 1985 was the East Midlands outfit’s most recent triumph in the format before Lewis Hill lifted the trophy last September.

The breakout star of that victorious campaign, tall fast bowler Josh Hull, was recruited into Manchester Originals’ squad for this year’s edition of The Hundred, along with Rehan Ahmed and Rishi Patel.

Despite only losing those three players, the second-fewest in Group B, Leicestershire have made an indifferent start to their title defence, winning one and losing one of their two matches so far.

Opener Sol Budinger leads the way with the bat, having scored 93 runs at 46.50, while Tom Scriven has claimed three wickets at 13.66.

Leicestershire Foxes squad: TBC

Last Time We Met

It was only last summer that Essex met Leicestershire in List A cricket most recently, with Kibworth Cricket Club to the south-east of Leicester city centre seeing a two-wicket win for the hosts.

After calling correctly, Tom Westley elected to bat first and Essex put up 250-8, with Charlie Allison’s 85 and 75 off 71 from Noah Thain the eye-catching standouts.

The England Under-19 duo put on 105 for the sixth wicket to help the Eagles recover from a potentially precarious 95-5, before Will Buttleman struck 22 off 15 to hoist the score to something defendable.

Aaron Beard struck twice early on to reduce the hosts to 48-2, but a 113-run third-wicket stand between Sol Budinger and Peter Handscomb guided the Foxes back to dominance.

Regular wickets did continue to go down thanks to Aron Nijjar claiming 3/34 in the Eagles’ standout bowling performance, but the runs were also continuing to flow.

Despite Leicestershire still needing ten more to win when Beau Webster took the eighth wicket, a resistant 11 from Louis Kimber helped shepherd the Foxes over the line.

Group B Table

Correct prior to the start of Surrey v Gloucestershire on Tuesday 30 July.

How To Watch

If you are not able to make it to The Cloud County Ground in person, the match will be live-streamed on the EssexCricketTV YouTube channel and will be available to watch through the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

A report will be published on the Club website at the conclusion of the game, while live updates and highlights will be provided on the Essex Cricket social media channels.

Tickets

As ever, Essex Members are able to access this fixture on presentation of a valid card, and blocks 1-11, as well as the Doug Insole Pavilion benches, are reserved for their use only.

The remainder of the ground is available for general admission tickets, which are still available for this game and when bought in advance are priced at just £18 for adults, £12 for 18-25-year-olds, and £6 for under-18s.

To secure your seats, visit the link below:

School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer

White-ball action at The Cloud County Ground continues into July and August as the Metro Bank One-Day Cup gets underway.

The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.

With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.

Wednesday 31 July, 11am: Essex v Leicestershire Foxes – buy here
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Alongside the offering of men’s Metro Bank One Day Cup action, The Cloud County Ground will also host one more Women’s London Championship match during the summer holidays.

Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here
 

Matt Critchley has returned to the Essex squad for tomorrow’s Metro Bank One Day Cup match against Leicestershire Foxes after being temporarily released by London Spirit in The Hundred.

Leg-spinning all-rounder Critchley, 27, retained his place in the Spirit squad for this year’s competition after previously representing the Lord’s-based outfit in all eight of their matches last season.

However, he is yet to feature in their starting XI this time around, having not been selected in either their opener away to Southern Brave or their first home game against Birmingham Phoenix last week.

The Hundred rules dictate that a player in the men’s competition can be made available for optional release back to his county after missing two successive matches.

Critchley will return to Spirit after the clash with the Foxes, ahead of Trevor Bayliss’ side welcoming Welsh Fire to Lord’s on Thursday.

School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer

White-ball action at The Cloud County Ground continues into July and August as the Metro Bank One-Day Cup gets underway.

The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.

With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.

Wednesday 31 July, 11:00am: Essex v Leicestershire Foxes – buy here
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Alongside the offering of men’s Metro Bank One Day Cup action, The Cloud County Ground will also host one more Women’s London Championship match during the summer holidays.

Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Gloucestershire v Essex

Metro Bank One Day Cup

Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol

Sunday 28 July, 11am

Team News

Gloucestershire: Miles Hammond, Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Price, James Bracey (wk), Ben Charlesworth, Jack Taylor (c), Graeme van Buuren, Tom Smith, Josh Shaw, Dominic Goodman, Ajeet Singh Dale.

Essex: Nick Browne, Feroze Khushi, Tom Westley (c), Robin Das, Charlie Allison, Luc Benkenstein, Noah Thain, Shane Snater, Jamal Richards, Ben Allison, Simon Fernandes (wk).

Match Details

Umpires: James Tredwell & Bilal Shafayat
Match Referee: Helen Pack
Scorers: Adrian Bull & Andy Thurogood
Toss: Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Essex win by 63 runs

Match Highlights

Match Report

Shane Snater played an incisive role as Essex defeated Gloucestershire by 63 runs in a one-sided Metro Bank One Day Cup contest at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.

Called into the side after missing the competition opener against Warwickshire four days earlier, the 28-year-old seamer took three wickets in 13 deliveries in a devastating new-ball burst that fundamentally undermined Gloucestershire’s top order.

Chasing a victory target of 263, the home side lost wickets with indecent haste thereafter, five top or middle-order batsmen falling in single figures as last season’s beaten semi-finalists were dismissed for 199 in 36.2 overs, Snater claiming 3/39 and Jamal Richards 2/33.

Ajeet Singh Dale struck a defiant career-best 25-ball half century and dominated a stand of 85 for the last wicket with Tom Smith, but tail-end resistance arrived too late to save Gloucestershire.

Put into bat, Essex had earlier posted 262-8, thanks in the main to half centuries from Luc Benkenstein and Robin Das, who staged a restorative partnership of 88 in 17 overs to rescue the visitors from 86-4. Das contributed 52 from 71 deliveries and Benkenstein raised a career-best 67 from 62 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Gloucestershire seamer Dom Goodman returned impressive figures of 4/43, his best in List-A cricket, while Singh Dale generated express pace to claim 2-50 from nine overs and Tom Smith took 2-51 with his slow left arm.

Beaten in their opening two fixtures, Gloucestershire face back-to-back away games against Surrey on Tuesday and Yorkshire on Thursday and will very likely need to win both if they are to remain in contention for a place in the knockout stages. Buoyed by their first win in the 50-over competition, Essex will attempt to strengthen their position when they embark upon successive home matches against Leicestershire and Glamorgan on Wednesday and Sunday respectively.

A heavy defeat in front of their home crowd appeared an unlikely scenario when Gloucestershire won the toss and Singh Dale removed Nick Browne in the first over. But Feroze Khushi and Tom Westley weathered the storm and mustered eight fours and a six between them in a second wicket partnership of 59 in 61 balls, their burgeoning alliance only foundering when Khushi pulled a short delivery from Singh Dale to mid-wicket and departed for a 29-ball 31. Goodman struck with his first delivery to bowl Westley for 23 and, when Charlie Allison edged behind off Smith, the visitors were 86-4, their innings in the balance.

Eschewing risk to begin with, Das and Benkenstein combined clever placement and hard running to rebuild the innings, the fifth wicket partnership realising 50 via 52 balls. Initially the more aggressive of the two, Das went to his half century from 64 balls as the innings gained crucial momentum during the middle overs. Smith eventually broke the partnership, Das hitting him high to long on where Cameron Bancroft parried the ball a split second before stepping over the rope to enable Ollie Price to complete a remarkable catch.
Although Benkenstein raised his 50 in style, slog-sweeping Smith for six, he was unable to convert a substantial score into a truly meaningful one, lofting Goodman to deep cover and becoming part of a mini-collapse that saw Essex slip from 174-4 to 211-7 in six overs. Goodman accounted for Noah Thain and Shane Snater on his way to career-best figures, after which Essex were indebted to Ben Allison and Richards, who staged a useful unbroken stand of 23 for the ninth wicket.

Any suggestion that Essex might have fallen short with the bat was quickly dispelled as Snater took a wrecking ball to the top order, pinning Miles Hammond lbw, bowling Price and then having James Bracey caught behind to reduce Gloucestershire to 28-3 in seven overs.

The only one among the top-order batsmen to reach double figures, Bancroft then nicked a catch behind off Ben Allison as the hosts subsided to 33-4, summoning memories of the dramatic collapse that served to hand victory to Glamorgan in their previous outing. That soon became 43-5, Jack Taylor chopping on as Richards claimed a wicket with his third ball from the Bristol Pavilion end.

Charged with the task of rebuilding, Graeme van Buuren and Ben Charlesworth added 30 runs in 7.4 overs before Gloucestershire suffered a further body blow. On this occasion, it was self-inflicted, van Buuren pushing a ball from Thain to mid-on and setting off in pursuit of a single, only to be run out by Das for 21. When Charlesworth holed out to deep square leg later in the same over, Gloucestershire were 76-7 and heading for a second defeat in four days.

Singh Dale and Smith at least restored a vestige of pride, scoring 63 and 29 not out respectively in a stand of 85 in eight overs, a Gloucestershire record for the last wicket in List-A matches, eclipsing the previous mark set by David Graveney and John Mortimore in a contest against Lancashire at Tewksbury in 1973.

School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer

The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.

With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.

Wednesday 31 July, 11:00am: Essex v Leicestershire Foxes – buy here
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Essex v Kent

Women’s London Championship

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Friday 26 July, 11:00am

Team News

Essex: Tilly Callaghan, Jasmine Westley, Jess Bird*, Jess Olorenshaw, Bella Howarth, Scarlett Hughes+, Katherine Speed, Grace Poole, Sophia Mitchell, Sally Chapman, Hannah Davis

Kent: Ella Darlington, Isla McCulloch, Daisy Brandon, Coco Streets, Kaya Clark, Reese Nash+, Megan Belt*, Zeena Bilal, Anna Roche, Naomi Scott, Lucy Blincoe

Match Details

Umpire: Angela Tuff & Paul Richardson
Scorers: Joanna Johnson & Lin Martin
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bat first
Result: Essex won by 125 runs

Scorecard: View here

Match Report

Hannah Davis starred with figures of 4/37 as Essex returned to The Cloud County Ground for the first time in 2024 in style with a 125-run thrashing of rivals Kent.

Davis bowled her ten-over allocation in one spell, helping to take Kent from teetering at 34-4 when she came into the attack to comprehensively beaten at 90-9 by the time she had bowled out.

With the visitors having been chasing the Eagles’ 240 all out, set after captain Jess Bird had top-scored with 43, their eventual total of 115 all out was a country mile short.

Bird’s knock was helpfully backed up by Bella Howarth, who made a patient 39, while Katherine Speed lived up to her name with some impressive running to notch 39 in 47 balls.

Prior to Speed’s score, a partnership of 67 between Bird and Howarth had laid the groundwork for the Eagles’ eventual total, guiding them from a potentially tricky 61-3 to the calmer waters of 128-4.

Lucy Blincoe claimed four wickets for Kent, though Speed and Grace Poole reined in the Horses’ attempts to run through the hosts’ lower order with a seventh-wicket stand of 56 in 8.4 overs.

If there was any concern that the Eagles being dismissed would lead to a close chase, that notion was quickly dispelled in a magnificent 12th over from Sophia Mitchell.

Ella Darlington had been bowled by Grace Poole for the first Kent wicket, but they had progressed to 24-1 after 11, before Mitchell struck three times in five balls to leave the top order smouldering at 28-4.

The visitors never recovered from that position, as spinner Davis came into the attack three overs later, and took the first of her quartet with only her sixth ball.

Three more followed before she bowled her last over, the 33rd of the innings, a little more than an hour later, by which time Essex were one wicket away.

It followed 11 balls later, with Sally Chapman finally ending Zeena Bilal’s resistant knock of 38 from 58 via a Scarlett Hughes catch, consequently confirming a thumping Essex win.

School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer

White-ball action at The Cloud County Ground continues into July and August as the Metro Bank One-Day Cup gets underway.

The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.

With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.

Wednesday 31 July, 11:00am: Essex v Leicestershire Foxes – buy here
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Alongside the offering of men’s Metro Bank One Day Cup action, The Cloud County Ground will also host one more Women’s London Championship match during the summer holidays.

Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Gloucestershire v Essex

Metro Bank One Day Cup

Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol

Sunday 28 July, 11am

 
Following defeat to Warwickshire in Wednesday’s Metro Bank One Day Cup opener, Essex are back in action this weekend seeking a response away to Gloucestershire.

The Eagles were beaten by seven wickets at The Cloud County Ground in midweek, as Bears captain Ed Barnard’s unbeaten 173 saw the visitors chase down the 325 target they had been set.

Nick Browne had earlier top-scored for the hosts with 75, while Charlie Allison hit a fluent 69 and Luc Benkenstein contributed a rapid 44. However, the score was chased down with 2.2 overs to spare and secure a win for the Bears.

Jamal Richards, Tom Westley, and Benkenstein all took a wicket apiece, but the chase, underpinned by Barnard’s almighty knock, proved to be decisive.

Now, Anthony McGrath’s side will be looking to bounce back in the West Country on Sunday, when Gloucestershire will be the hosts at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.

The two sides have an extensive history in List A cricket, having met 61 times, though Essex hold the edge with 32 wins to the Shire’s 24, and will hope to increase that margin in the pair’s latest encounter.

Squad

Head Coach McGrath has named an unchanged 12-strong group from Wednesday’s match with Warwickshire.

The Opposition

While they may not have ever won the County Championship or the T20 Blast, for a period around the turn of the millennium, Gloucestershire were the dominant force in English domestic List A cricket.

Under the captaincy of Mark Alleyne, now the Head Coach of the county and a man adored by Shire supporters, the West Country outfit won seven trophies between 1999 and 2004.

That included a clean sweep of all three white-ball trophies on offer in 2000 – the Benson & Hedges Cup, the C&G Trophy, and the Sunday League – as well as two out of three the year before.

No side has ever matched that treble feat, but despite more success in the 2003 and 2004 editions of the C&G Trophy, Gloucestershire have only won one piece of silverware since, in 2015.

That was in 2015, and since then, they have only made the knockout stages twice, though one of those, and indeed their best performance since, was last year when they reached the semi-finals.

The Shire were defeated in their opening match on Thursday, falling to a surprising 27-run defeat at the hands of Glamorgan, despite having earlier been 157-5 chasing 188 to win.

Gloucestershire squad: Jack Taylor (c), Zaman Akhter, Cameron Bancroft, James Bracey, Graeme van Buuren, Ben Charlesworth, Don Goodman, Miles Hammond, Ed Middleton, Joe Phillips, Ollie Price, Josh Shaw, Ajeet Singh Dale, Tom Smith.

Last Time We Met

Back in 2021, it was a nail-biting encounter the last time Essex met Gloucestershire in List A cricket, with Shane Snater the star turn as the Eagles snuck over the line to win by two wickets in Bristol.

Put in, the hosts totalled 204 all out, with Snater and Ryan ten Doeschate combining for miserly figures of 6/82 from 20 overs to dampen the half-centuries hit by Jack Taylor and George Scott.

In fact, it was only thanks to Taylor and Scott’s sixth-wicket stand of 99 that the Shire, who were 73-5 at one point, got to anything competitive, as they lost their last four wickets in five balls for no runs.

A close game began to develop when Essex slipped to 57-3 in the 20th over of the chase, though a stand of 63 between Tom Westley, who made 71, and Josh Rymell glued the innings back together.

However, another collapse, including Westley being run out by Matt Taylor, left the Eagles 153-8 and needing a challenging 52 to win in 38 balls, which then became 30 off 18 as the end approached.

In dramatic fashion, though, the ninth-wicket pair of Snater and Aron Nijjar rapidly reeled in the runs, before Snater sparked celebrations by cutting Jared Warner for the winning four off the very last ball.

Group B Table

How To Watch

If you are not joining the Eagles in Bristol in person, the match will be live-streamed on hosts Gloucestershire’s YouTube channel and will be available to watch through the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

A report will be published on the Club website at the conclusion of the game, while live updates and highlights will be provided on the Essex Cricket social media channels.

Tickets

Tickets for the game in Bristol can bought in advance priced at £21 for adults, £19 for concessions, and £8 for juniors.

Tickets purchased at the gate on the day are priced at £23 for adults, £21 for concessions, and £9 for juniors.

Please note that the Gloucestershire ticketing system will add a £1.50 booking fee per ticket on top of the advance prices at checkout, and you will be required to create an account before buying.

To secure your seats, visit the link below:

School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer

White-ball action at The Cloud County Ground continues into July and August as the Metro Bank One-Day Cup gets underway.

The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.

With all matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.

Wednesday 31 July, 11am: Essex v Leicestershire Foxes – buy here
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here

Alongside the offering of men’s Metro Bank One Day Cup action, The Cloud County Ground will also host one more Women’s London Championship match during the summer holidays.

Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here