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Dixon signs one-year contract extension

Posted on Tuesday 6 September 2016

Essex CCC are pleased to announce Matt Dixon has penned a one-year contract extension meaning he will stay with the club until the end of the 2018 season.

Having joined the club in March of this year, the Australian has previously represented Australia U17 & U19 and more recently played for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash. In the final group match he took 3/32, including the wickets of Luke Wright & Kevin Pietersen.

The Perth-born bowler has taken nine first-class wickets for the club in his brief experience so far and will look to add to that in 2017.

Dixon is grateful for the faith shown by Chris Silverwood and the Essex fans after what has proved a difficult season individually.

He said: “Obviously I am very pleased to extend my contract. It gives me a chance to spend a bit more time in Essex and repay the faith the coaching staff, chief executive and fans have shown in me.

“This season hasn’t quite been the season I planned for after various injury problems. I am looking to stay here over the winter and work extremely hard with Chris Silverwood so I can hit the ground running next year.”

Match Report | Leicestershire v Essex

Posted on Thursday 25 August 2016

Leicestershire v Essex | Specsavers County Championship | The Fischer County Ground, Leicester

Leicestershire team | Paul Horton (2), Angus Robson (8), Neil Dexter (17), Mark Cosgrove* (55), Mark Pettini (6), Ned Eckersley + (33), Lewis Hill (23), Ben Raine (44), Richard Jones (25), Dieter Klein (77), Charlie Shreck (4).

Essex team | Nick Browne (10), Alastair Cook (26), Tom Westley (21), Ravi Bopara (25), Dan Lawrence (28), Ryan ten Doeschate* (27), James Foster + (7), Will Rhodes (-), Graham Napier (17), David Masters (9), Jamie Porter (44).

Umpires | Nigel Cook and Billy Taylor

Toss | Uncontested and Essex chose to bowl

Result | Essex win by an innings and 10 runs

Day Three | Match Highlights 

Day Three | Close of Play Report

Table-topping Essex took a massive step closer towards Division One cricket in 2017 when they beat closest rivals Leicestershire by an innings and ten runs with more than a day to spare.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 185 runs, the Foxes were bowled out in 49.3 overs after David Masters and Jamie Porter shared 8 wickets with the latter taking his match tally to 8 for 99 and leaving him requiring one wicket for 50 Championship wickets this season.

The home side lost their first wicket when former Leicestershire seamer Masters found an excellent line outside off stump Paul Horton edged a catch to give James Foster the first of his five victims in the innings.

By lunch, the Foxes were 53 for 2 after Graham Napier had Angus Robson caught at first slip by Alastair Cook for 21 ending what proved to be the highest partnership of the innings and worth 46 runs.

The session between lunch and tea lasted just 7 overs because of rain and tea was taken early but by then, Essex had also captured the wicket of Mark Cosgrove when the Australian, on 27, walked in front of his stumps to be struck on the pads by Masters.

Alastair Cook left the action during the break to attend an ECB meeting to discuss the proposed England winter tour to Bangladesh and was replaced by Kishen Velani who was to play a role in two of the wickets to fall subsequently.

On the resumption, wickets fell at regular intervals with Porter accounting for Mark Pettini (6) and Ned Eckersley (12) who was caught by Velani at square leg before Neil Dexter was removed for 44 as the hosts reeled to 116 for 7.

Ben Raine and Richard Jones added 25 to delay the inevitable end but a horrendous mix-up saw Raine run out by Velani’s throw from mid-wicket to the striker’s end with both batsmen in close proximity at the non-strikers end of the pitch.

Porter, having been rested, returned to have Jones caught behind for 19 leaving Masters to claim the final wicket when Charlie Shreck was pinned in front of his stumps.

Masters finished with 4 for 39 and Porter 4 for 49.

Earlier in the day, Dan Lawrence and Graham Napier secured the fifth batting point for Essex after they resumed on 368 for 8 although it was to prove a nail-biting wait before the 400 was reached in the permitted overs. Seven runs were needed from the final available over and Napier collected a 2 and then a boundary before a scrambled single from the final delivery of the 110th over gave Essex the eighth bonus point of the match.

Napier was eventually caught for 31 before Dan Lawrence’s magnificent innings of 154 spanning 304 balls containing 19 boundaries and occupying 6 hours and 20 minutes was brought to an end as Essex were bowled out for 423.

Lawrence had played a crucial role in transforming the innings that, at one stage, appeared in trouble at 68 for 5 before he underpinned the telling recovery that was to pave the way for the memorable success.

Essex took 24 points from the match to extend their lead at the top of the league and bring the anticipation of top-flight cricket to The Essex County Ground ever closer.

Day Three | Tea Report

Despite a truncated session between lunch and tea when only 7 overs were possible, Essex claimed another wicket when Mark Cosgrave. The Australian was pinned in front of his stumps by David Masters for 27 before tea was taken, with the score 99 for 3 after rain had brought a halt to proceeding.

The dismissal of Foxes skipper Cosgrove, who had hit six fours in going to 26 from just 23 balls reduced Leicestershire to 88-3, still 97 runs short of making Essex bat again. Soon afterwards a shower saw umpires Billy Taylor and Nick Cook take the players off for an early tea, with a potential 53 overs remaining in the day’s play.

Former Leicestershire seamer Masters had made a quick breakthrough when Leicestershire started their second innings 185 runs adrift. He found movement to take the edge of Paul Horton’s bat as the opener pushed forward in defence, and shortly before lunch, Angus Robson pushed at a Graham Napier delivery and edged a straightforward catch to Alastair Cook at first slip.

Day Three | Lunch Report

Another excellent period of play for Essex in their County Championship top-of-the-table clash with Leicestershire saw the home side arrive at lunch on 53 for 2 in their second innings after Essex had been dismissed for 423.

David Masters and Graham Napier removed both openers to leave the home side trailing by 132 runs as Ryan ten Doeschate’s men moved a step closer to securing promotion as they looked to complete their fifth win of the summer in the competition.

The visitors have already taken maximum bonus points from this encounter against a side that started the match in second place in Division Two and it was Dan Lawrence and Napier that achieved the final batting point after they resumed on 368 for 8 at the start of play this morning.

When the final available over for bonus points commenced, the visitors still required a further seven runs but Napier collected two runs from the first ball before striking the third delivery to the boundary. However it took a scrambled single off the last ball to lift the total onto 400 and book the fifth and final batting point. It was a remarkable transformation to an innings that had seen Essex in trouble at 68 for 5 at one stage.

With his job done with the bat, Napier was finally caught at mid-wicket for 31 but Lawrence continued his outstanding innings to reach 154 before he drove to mid-off. He had batted for 6 hours and 20 minutes, faced 304 balls and struck 19 boundaries to transform the shape of the match.

With a lead of 185 runs and just over five sessions of play remaining, Essex wasted little time in making inroads into their opponents second innings.

David Masters found an excellent line just outside off and encouraged Paul Horton to flirt with a delivery that ended in the gloves of James Foster to send the opener back to the pavilion having scored two of the seven runs on the board.

Then in what proved to be the final over before lunch, Napier encouraged Angus Robson (21) to dabble outside off and Alastair Cook comfortably held the catch at first slip.

Neil Dexter will resume on 26 as the home side face an uphill battle to save the game.

Day Two | Close of Play Report

Dan Lawrence scored a highly impressive unbeaten century, whilst Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster both scored half-centuries for Essex on Day Two. Essex’s score of 368 for 8 leave the side in a commanding position at the half-way stage of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground.

Essex will start the penultimate day with a lead of 130 runs and having secured 7 bonus points from the match so far.

Teenager Lawrence battled hard for his fourth century for the County facing 226 balls that included 11 fours, before he arrived at the milestone and when bad light brought a premature close with two overs still remaining. He had reached 123 thanks to a vigilant approach although always quick to pounce on the less deserving delivery.

He featured in two vital century partnerships after arriving at the crease with his side 60 for 4. This was after they had lost Nick Browne to the first ball of the day and then Ravi Bopara for 11.

Tom Westley had scored 35 when he was caught in the deep leaving ten Doeschate to join Lawrence in a stand of 125 in 30 overs before they were parted with the total 193 for 6.

Ten Doeschate played attractively, posting 86 off just 83 balls before he edged a ball to the wicket-keeper but James Foster maintained the improvement in the visitors fortunes with 54 out of 130 before he became another victim of keeper Ned Eckersley.

All the time, the 19 year-old Lawrence was growing in determined authority and by the end of the day, he had faced 254 balls and collected 14 boundaries.

The day began ideally for Leicestershire, with debutant Dieter Klein picking up a wicket immediately when a Yorker uprooted the off stump of Nick Browne to leave Essex 13 for 3.

However on a pitch where the ball continued to nip around, Lawrence proved masterful and with ten Doeschate and Foster offering excellent support, Essex will now have hopes of being able to go on and cause Leicestershire’s batsmen a host of problems for the second time around to put them on course for a fifth Championship win of the season.

Essex Captain Ryan ten Doeschate spoke to EssexTV after Day 2:

Day Two | Tea Report

Ryan ten Doeschate and Dan Lawrence contributed half-centuries in what proved to be a superb afternoon session for Essex who reached the tea interval on 223 for 6  trailing Leicestershire by just 15 runs at Grace Road.

Essex skipper ten Doeschate batted with authority refusing to allow the bowlers to get on top as he and teenager Lawrence resumed the session with their side 102 for 5. Lawrence played a vital support role to ten Doeschate as the pair combined responsible defence with some classic driving on both sides of the wicket.

Ten Doeschate arrived at his half-century from 55 balls which included six fours and immediately added to his boundary count by sending the next delivery from Dieter Klein to the ropes.

The 100 partnership arrived shortly afterwards when ten Doeschate steered a leg side delivery from Neil Dexter to the ropes. All the while, Lawrence was profiting from a responsible approach as the duo eased their side into a more agreeable position.

However, with his score on 86, ten Doeschate edged a delivery from Ben Raine into the gloves of wicket-keeper Ned Eckersley to bring a conclusion to a partnership worth 125 runs in 30 overs.

Lawrence though continued to play solidly and attractively to reach his half-century with a boundary from a stroke that flew over the wicket-keeper’s head and record the sixth four of his innings that had spanned 144 balls at that stage.

James Foster joined Lawrence in a period of re-entrenchment following the loss of ten Doeschate and by tea, the pair had ensured a batting point for the visitors during an unbroken stand of 30 runs. Lawrence is unbeaten on 53 and Foster 11 not out.

Day Two | Lunch Report

A difficult morning for Essex saw them reach 102 for 5 in reply to Leicestershire’s 238 all out at Grace Road in the Specsavers County Championship. Dan Lawrence is unbeaten on 12 and Ryan ten Doeschate will resume after the interval on 24 with the pair having posted 34 runs for the 6th wicket thus far.

That partnership ensured the visitors would avoid the follow-on during a session that saw them lose three wickets including opener Nick Browne to the first ball of the day.

Resuming on 13 for 2, the left-hander lost his off stump when facing Deiter Klein who later added Tom Westley to his list of four victims on Championship debut.

Westley and Ravi Bopara had posted 47 runs for the fourth wicket with Bopara playing watchfully during his one hour stay at the crease that came to a conclusion with his score on 11 when he lost his off stump to Charlie Shreck.

With the wicket still offering movement for the seam bowlers, Westley batted responsibly and collected five fours but with his score on 35 he pulled a ball from Klein into the hands of Paul Horton on the deep square leg boundary.

That left Essex 68 for 5 and still 21 runs away from avoiding the follow-on but Lawrence and ten Doeschate proved up to the task in demand playing resolutely whilst quick to punish the looser delivery. Lawrence produced the shot of the session when straight-driving Klein to the boundary.

At the interval, Essex still trailed by 136 runs.

Day One Review | Chris Silverwood encouraged by start

Day One | Close of Play Report

An absorbing opening day in the Specsavers County Championship promotion clash saw Leicestershire dismissed for 238 at Grace Road. This was before the Dieter Klein struck twice for the home side by removing Alastair Cook for 4 and night-watchman Jamie Porter without score as Essex replied with 13 for 2 by the close.

Porter started and ended the Foxes innings on his way to figures of 4 for 50 having started with two wickets in successive deliveries in the first over of the match before he bowled Dieter Klein to conclude the hosts effort.

The 23 year-old pace bowler made a stunning start trapping Paul Horton in front of his stumps with his 4th delivery before Neil Dexter was struck on the pads to record a first ball duck.

Mark Cosgrove avoided the hat-trick as the ball send down to the fine leg boundary for leg byes and it was the Australian, together with opener Angus Robson that rebuilt the early damage.

Both recorded half-centuries during a partnership of 129 but with the total on 131, Robson, who had just reached a 116-ball 50 with 7 boundaries, lost his middle stump to when facing Graham Napier.

That wicket signalled another downturn in the hosts fortunes as they lost eight wickets for 107 runs.

Former Essex Captain, Mark Pettini came up against his forer teammates was bowled by David Masters for 7. Captain, Mark Cosgrove, who had played and missed at Porter and Masters in the early part of his innings, was bowled for 70 when playing all round a Will Rhodes delivery.

Ravi Bopara trapped Lewis Hill lbw for 36, Ben Raine edged a rising Porter delivery into the gloves of James Foster then Napier added the wicket of Richard Jones with the new ball before Porter knocked back the middle stump of Klein.

Faced with 10 overs, Essex lost Cook who was bowled by Klein, playing his first match for Leicestershire when the England captain was undone by a swinging Yorker. Porter then came in as night-watchman but had still to get off the mark when he was adjudged caught behind facing Raine leaving Nick Browne (2) and Tom Westley (1) to reach the close without further problems.

Day One | Tea Report

A good afternoon session has given Essex the initiative on the opening day of the Championship match with Leicestershire at Grace Road after the Foxes arrived at the tea interval on 183 for 6 having lost four wickets for the addition of 99 runs after lunch.

The post-lunch wickets were shared between Graham Napier, Will Rhodes, David Masters and Tom Westley after the home side had reached 131 for 2.

Angus Robson lost his off stump on 52 when facing Napier to give the all-rounder his 52nd Championship wicket of the summer.

That brought an end to a productive 129 runs third wicket partnership with Robson and Cosgrove both completing half-centuries. Opener Robson had faced 116 balls with seven boundaries in reaching the milestone whilst Cosgrove’s 50 spanned 92 balls and was reached with the seventh boundary of his innings.

Former Essex skipper Mark Pettini had scored seven when David Masters was restored to the attack and breached the batsman’s defenses in his first over as Leicestershire slipped to 143 for 4.

Twelve runs later, the excellent Cosgrove’s innings of 208 minutes and 150 balls was concluded by Rhodes when the batsman played all round a delivery that came back into him.

With tea approaching, skipper Ryan ten Doeschate brought off-spinner Tom Westley into the attack and was rewarded when Ned Eckersley, on 11, played forward and could not prevent the ball from rolling onto his stumps.

At tea, Lewis Hill was unbeaten on 14 and Ben Raine 9 not out.

Day One | Lunch Report

Jamie Porter gave Essex a sensational start with two wickets in as many deliveries in the opening over of the day before Leicestershire recovered to 84 for 2 at lunch on the first day of the Specsavers County Championship promotion clash at Grace Road.

Porter struck with his fourth and fifth deliveries to remove Paul Horton and Neil Dexter for one and a first ball duck respectively as both batsmen were trapped in front of their stumps to leave the second placed home side reeling on 2 for 2.

Mark Cosgrove survived the hat-trick delivery which went for four leg byes and with Angus Robson dropping anchor at the other end, they steadily improved the Foxes fortunes.

On a green-tinged and previously used pitch offering some early seam movement, Cosgrove and Robson posted a 50 runs stand in 16 overs although both survived periods of uncertainty in the initial stages of their innings playing and missing against Porter and his new ball partner David Masters.

Second-placed Leicestershire started the match trailing their visitors by 23 points both teams having four matches to play this season. An uncontested toss saw the home side, who were missing bowler Clint McKay, revived by Australian Cosgrove who started the match with 925 Championship runs to his name and by lunch, he had scored 42 whilst Robson was 32 not out.

At lunch Porter, who has now claimed 43 Championship wickets this summer, had figures of 6-2-14-2.

Essex left Ashar Zaidi and Paul Walter out of their original 13-man squad which saw Will Rhodes given his second game since his on-loan move from Yorkshire.

Match Preview | Warwickshire v Essex Eagles

Posted on Tuesday 16 August 2016

Essex Eagles travel to Edgbaston for a quarter-final tie against Warwickshire on Wednesday in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Both teams reached this stage having won four group games, the Bears in the North Group that saw them complete the qualifying stages in second place whilst Essex completed their round of qualifying games in the South Group in third position.

The Eagles are anxious to erase the memory of a poor batting performance at Trent Bridge last week that saw them eliminated from the NatWest T20 Blast competition as Head coach Chris Silverwood explained.

“I’m looking for us to bounce back after that defeat at Trent Bridge,” he said. “We have played some excellent white ball cricket this year and so that game against Nottinghamshire was a disappointment.

“But the good thing is that we have the opportunity to put things right although we do have a tough task on our hands against what is an excellent one-day side.

“I have said before that I believe if we bring our A game to the table, then we are a match for any side in the country in white ball cricket and if we stick to our game plans and produce the skill levels we are capable of, then it could be a very exciting match at Edgbaston.

”We would all love to play in a Lord’s Final but you have to earn that right and know our players are determined to put in the type of performance that could take them one step nearer to the Final.”

The Eagles have named a 14-man squad but they are without teenage batting talent Dan Lawrence who will be sidelined for 4 weeks with a hamstring injury sustained last week at Trent Bridge whilst fielding.

Squad:

Ravi Bopara (25) captain
James Foster (7) wicket-keeper
Kishen Velani (8)
David Masters (9)
Nick Browne (10)
Graham Napier (17)
Tom Westley (21)
Paul Walter (22)
Ryan ten Doeschate (27)
Jaik Mickleburgh (32)
Tom Moore (33)
Jamie Porter (44)
Jesse Ryder (77)
Ashar Zaidi (99)

Match Report | Derbyshire v Essex

Posted on Monday 15 August 2016

Derbyshire v Essex | Specsavers County Championship | The 3aaa County Ground

Derbyshire team | 1. Billy Godleman*, 26. Ben Slater, 18. Alex Hughes, 77. Wayne Madsen, 4. Neil Broom, (-) Charlie MacDonell, 20. Matt Critchley, (-) Alex Mellor +, 8. Tom Milnes, 28. Tony Palladino, (-) Callum Parkinson

Essex team | 10. Nick Browne, 32. Jaik Mickleburgh, 21. Tom Westley, 25. Ravi Bopara, 27. Ryan ten Doeschate*, 8. Kishen Velani, (-) Will Rhodes, 7. James Foster +, 17. Graham Napier, 22. Paul Walter, 44. Jamie Porter.

Umpires | Stephen Gale & Jeremy Lloyds

Toss | Contested, Essex won the toss and elected to bat.

Close of Play Reaction | Ryan ten Doeschate reflects on Derbyshire victory

Day Four | Close of Play Report

Essex tightened their grip as leaders in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship when they completed a comprehensive victory by an innings and 62 runs against Derbyshire.

Ryan ten Doeschate’s charges took 23 points from the match to extend their advantage at the head of affairs in the race for promotion after taking the remaining five wickets for 90 runs when their opponents resumed on 213 for 5 at the start of the final day.

Graham Napier claimed two of the wickets taking his tally for the Championship campaign to 51 in his final season.

But it was Ravi Bopara that struck the first two blows in what proved to be the final session of the game when he removed Callum Parkinson with the fourth ball of the morning and two deliveries later, sent Alex Mellor back to the pavilion without addition to the overnight score.

Parkinson popped up a catch to ten Doeschate at square leg before Mellor’s attempted cut ended in the hands of Nick Browne at first slip.

The first runs of the day came in the third over thanks to cover drive to the boundary by  Matt Crichley who, together with the determined Charlie MacDonell added 72 for the eighth wicket to hold-up Essex’s victory quest for an hour.

The second new ball was taken at 259 for 7 and was six overs old when Jamie Porter encouraged Critchley to pick out Napier at deep fine leg to end an innings of 43 from 52 balls that included eight boundaries.

Four overs later, Napier had Tom Milnes caught off an edge by Browne at first slip for eight and in his next over, he ended the match when Tony Palladino walked in front of his stumps to be leg before wicket without score leaving Macdonell 35 not out.

Napier ended with 4 for 50 and a match haul of 8 for 78 whilst Ravi Bopara returned figures of 3 for 39 in the Derbyshire second innings.

Essex had been in control from the start of the game when Browne batted his way into the record books becoming only the fourth batsman in Championship history to post a double century twice in one season against the same opposition.

Day Three | Match Highlights

Day Three | Close of Play Report

Essex will be confident of completing their fourth win of the season in the Specsavers County Championship after Derbyshire reached the close of day three on 213 for 5 still requiring a further 152 runs to make their opponents bat again.

The home side, who have not won a home match in the competition since 2014, were dismissed for165 in their first innings and although one-time Essex batsman Billy Godleman then completed his 3rd century of the season, two wickets for Graham Napier and one apiece for Paul Walter, Will Rhodes and Ravi Bopara ensured the visitors tightened their grip on proceedings.

Godleman and his opening partner Ben Slater posted 75 in 22 overs before Napier had the latter caught by Tom Westley at second slip for 29. Alex Hughes also played with a straight bat facing 99 balls as he contributed 23 out of 76 runs partnership spanning two hours until he chased a wide delivery from Walter and edged the ball into the gloves of James Foster.

Soon after, Godleman arrived at the 12th century of his career but having batted for 221 minutes during which he struck a 6 and 14 fours in his 100, he was trapped in front of his stumps by a full-length Napier ball.

That victim took the bowler’s tally of Championship wickets to 49 for the season with the home side now 167 for three.

Wayne Madsen and Neil Broom added 43 during which time Madsen became the first player from Division Two to complete 1,000 Championship runs this season but having scored 37, he fell victim to a sharp catch by Jaik Mickleburgh to give Will Rhodes his first Essex victim in his first match since joining from Yorkshire on loan.

With the next ball of the innings and sent down by Ravi Bopara, Neil Broom was bowled for 13 in the penultimate over of the day to leave Essex closing in on victory.

Derbyshire began the day on 116 for 6 and although Alex Mellor and Matt Critchley frustrated the Essex attack by extending their seventh wicket partnership to 70 runs, before Napier and Ravi Bopara shared the final four wickets.

Napier had Mellor caught by James Foster for 44 and then uprooted the middle stump of Tom Milnes with his next ball before Tony Palladino denied the bowler and former team mate his hat-trick.

Napier finished with 4 for 28 and Bopara 2 for 15 and with Ryan ten Doeschate enforcing the follow-on, Derbyshire commenced their attempts to save the game with 5 overs remaining ahead of the lunch interval.

Patience then became the name of the game for Essex as they went in search of the victory that would enhance their position as league leaders.

Nick Browne joined an Elite list when he scored 229 not out in the Essex first innings. He became only the fourth player in the history of the County Championship to score a double century against the same team in two matches in the same season. The Essex left-hander scored 255 against Derbyshire at Chelmsford back in May before his substantial innings in the current match at Derby.

W.G.Grace was the first player to achieve the feat when he scored 243 at Hove and 301 at Bristol in 1896 when playing Sussex. Then C.B.Fry scored 201* at Hove and 233 at Trent Bridge in 1905 when playing against Nottinghamshire. P.Holmes took 209 at Birmingham off the Warwickshire attack in 1922 before plundering 220* for Yorkshire later that season for the White Rose county.

Now the name of Nick Browne is added to the distinguished list.

Day Three | Tea Report

Derbyshire lost just the one wicket in the afternoon session whilst scoring 90 runs to arrive at the tea interval on 121 for 1, still trailing Division Two leaders Essex by 244 runs in the Specsavers County Championship clash at Derby.

Opener and one-time Essex batsman Billy Godleman is 78 not out whilst Alex Hughes has nine, as the pair combined to frustrate their opponents hopes of adding to their sole success of the post-lunch session.

The hosts were forced to follow-on 365 runs behind.

The home side had resumed on 31 without loss and Godleman and Ben Slater had taken the score onto 75 before Graham Napier had the latter well-taken at second slip by Tom Westley for 29.

The watchful Hughes though proved a dependable ally for the vigilant Godleman and at one stage, the duo became becalmed facing 7 maidens in an 11-over period.

Godleman, who has so far batted for 2 hours and 45 minutes, reached his half-century from 83 balls with the help of ten fours and by tea, had found the ropes on a further three occasions

Skipper Ryan ten Doeschate has so far used seven bowlers in this innings with Napier, having claimed his 5th wicket of the match, conceding just 11 runs in his second innings overs.

Essex had run through Derbyshire’s first innings in under 66 overs but found it much harder going on a flat pitch under cloudless skies second time around with just the single success so far in 41 overs.

Day Three | Lunch Report

Essex enforced the follow-on after dismissing Derbyshire for 165 and, trailing by 365 runs on first innings, the home side reached lunch on 31 without loss on Day Three.

It took the Essex attack an hour and 25 minutes to take the remaining Derbyshire first innings wickets after their opponents resumed on 116 for 6.

Graham Napier and Ravi Bopara shared the four outstanding wickets to finish with figures of 4 for 28 and 2 for 15 respectively.

Alex Mellor and Matt Critchley frustrated the Essex bowlers taking their seventh wicket partnership to 70 and the total onto 149 before Napier had Mellor caught off an edge by James Foster for 44, the wicket-keeper’s third catch of the innings.

With his next delivery, Napier plucked out the middle stump of Tom Milnes who departed for a ‘golden duck’ but Tony Palladino  prevented the hat-trick.

With the total on 161, Bopara had Critchley caught in the gully by Jaik Mickleburgh for 36 and soon after, the bowler breached Callum Parkinson’s defences to set up the follow-on.

Billy Godleman and Ben Slater safely addressed the five overs before lunch sent down by Jamie Porter amd Paul Walter ending the session on 16 and 13 respectively.

Nick Browne became only the fourth player in the history of the County Championship to score a double century against the same team in two matches in the same season. The Essex left-hander scored 255 against Derbyshire at Chelmsford back in May before hitting an unbeaten 229 in the current match at Derby.

W.G.Grace was the first player to achieve the feat when he scored 243 at Hove and 301 at Bristol in 1896 when playing Sussex. Then C.B.Fry scored 201* at Hove and 233 at Trent Bridge in 1905 when playing against Nottinghamshire.

P.Holmes took 209 at Birmingham off the Warwickshire attack in 1922 before plundering 220* for Yorkshire later that season for the White Rose county.

Now Browne joins the elite list.

Day Two Review | Debutant, Paul Walter takes 3 wickets on Day Two

 

Day Two | Close of Play Report

Nick Browne scored an unbeaten double-century as Essex reached 530-9 declared before the visitors reduced Derbyshire to 116 for 6 by the end of Day Two of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Derby.

The match is also proving a memorable first-class debut for 22 year-old Paul Walter who picked up three wickets at a cost of 23 in 9 over to add to his 47 runs as Essex took a stranglehold on proceedings.

Browne batted for 9 hours and twenty minutes to post 229 not out, facing 417 balls with 24 boundaries, two of which cleared the ropes. He had been dropped on the opening day with his score on 60 and was given another let-off when Charlie Macdonell spilled a straight-forward catch at square leg with the left-hander on 144.

Derbyshire paid heavily for their indiscretions as Browne took 200 plus off the Midlanders attack for the second time this summer. At Chelmsford in mid-may, he collected 255 and in six Championship innings against Derbyshire, he has aggregated 794 runs at an average of 264.66 that includes two other unbeaten centuries.

Walter joined Browne in a ninth wicket stand worth 83 in 13 overs and struck 8 fours in his 55-balls innings before he was bowled by Tony Palladino.

At the start of the day, Browne and Ryan ten Doeschate had resumed on 291 for 4 and they carried the total to 392 – and a fourth batting point – before the Essex skipper became one of 6 wickets for Tom Milnes when he was bowled for 60 to end a stand worthy 140 runs in 28 overs.

Milnes also claimed the wickets of James Foster (13), Will Rhodes (1) and Graham Napier (4) to end with 6 for 93 having taken a couple of wickets on the opening day.

The hapless home side were in immediate trouble when they started their reply losing Ben Slater to the second ball of the innings when he was trapped in the crease by Jamie Porter without a run on the board.

Left-arm paceman Walter, who had shared the new ball, struck in his second over when he uprooted the leg stump of Billy Godleman before following up in his next over by striking Wayne Madsen on the pads with a delivery of full-length as the home side capitulated to 16 for three.

Napier added to Derbyshire’s misery when, with the score on 34, he had Alex Hughes superbly caught one-handed down the leg side for 13 by a diving James Foster.

Neil Broom and MacDonell offered resistance or just over an hour but Napier brought an end to a stand of 40 when Broom drove off the edge and into the hands of Browne at first slip.

The return of Walter when had MacDonell caught by Foster for 21 to give Essex their second bowling point and leave the home side deeper in trouble.

Alex Mellor and Matt Critchley defied their opponents for an hour as they combined for an unbroken stand of 37 runs at the end of the day with Mellor 20 and Critchley 17 not out.

Napier has so far taken 2 for 13 and Jamie Porter 1 for 35.

Day Two | Tea Report

Paul Walter has enjoyed a stunning start to his first-class career. The 22 year old followed up his 47 in the Essex first innings total of 530-9 declared with two wickets as Derbyshire capitulated to 39 for 4 in reply.

Nick Browne batted throughout the visitors innings and had reached 229 when the declaration was made after he and Walter had posted 83 in 13 overs. This was before the latter was bowled by former Essex paceman Tony Palladino.

Essex lost three wickets in 25 balls in the post-lunch session with James Foster going for 13, Will Rhodes for 1 and Graham Napier 4, all falling to Tom Milnes who ended with figures of 6 for 93.

Browne though was outstanding as he completed his second double-century against Derbyshire this season. In total, he faced 417 deliveries and struck 24 boundaries including 2 sixes.

The home side were in immediate trouble when they batted, with Jamie Porter trapping Ben Slater leg before to the second ball of the innings without a run on the board.

Then Walter uprooted the leg stump of Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman for 10 and in his next over. Wayne Madsen was next to be on his way, for a duck when the batsman failed to contend with a Yorker.

Porter was replaced after 4 overs by Napier who had Alex Hughes brilliantly caught down the leg side by a diving James Foster for 13 to leave the hosts 34 for 4 in the 11th over.

At tea, Neil Broom was 15 not out and Callum MacDonell 1.

Walter has figures of 5-2-19-2, Porter 4-1-17-1 and Napier 3-1-3-1.

Day Two | Lunch Report

Nick Browne continued to pile on the runs against Derbyshire on day two of the Specsavers Division Two match reaching lunch on 191 as the visitors arrived at the interval on 427 for 5 wickets.

Essex added a further 136 runs in 29 overs with Ryan ten Doeschate joining Browne in the run-fest. The Essex captain reached his entertaining half-century form 61 balls with the assistance of 4 fours and 2 sixes.

He and Browne had taken their fifth wicket partnership to 140 in 28 overs when ten Doeschate played a ball from Tom Milnes onto his wicket having scored 60. He ensured that his side had taken their tally of batting bonus points to 4 and left the opposition with just a single bonus point.

Browne, who was dropped on 144 when Charlie McDonell spilled a simple chance at square leg off Matt Critchley, arrived at his 150 with the 12th four of his innings, this a sublime cover drive off Critchley having faced 325 balls.

On ten Doeschate’s departure, James Foster joined Browne through the remaining 7 overs until lunch claiming 10 of the pair’s 35 runs whilst Browne is on course for his second double hundred of the season against Derbyshire.

Day One | Close of Play Report

Something about playing against Derbyshire brings out the best in Nick Browne and the Essex opener punished his favourite opponents again on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match.

The 25-year-old’s only previous century in the Championship this season came when he hit 255 against Derbyshire at Chelmsford and he added a second to give Essex control at 291-4 on a docile 3aaa County Ground pitch.

Although he began to be more aggressive against the young Derbyshire spinners in the final session, it was a largely risk-free, patient innings from Browne and he earned the right to carry on at the start of day two on 116 not out.

He passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season on 57 and his hundred came off 266 balls with six fours and a six. It was his fourth century in six innings against Derbyshire, at an average of 227.

The home side blew one golden chance to dismiss Browne when he was on 60 but, off the fifth ball after tea from Milnes, Neil Broom spilled a regulation catch at second slip.

Chances of any sort were rare for Derbyshire but they did a good job of containing and trying to frustrate Essex on a surface that gave them very little help. If they had taken that chance straight after tea, they would have been able to consider it a decent day.

They took a wicket in the 10th over when Jaik Mickleburgh clipped Tom Milnes off his legs straight to Alex Hughes at midwicket to make it 14-1 but second-wicket pair Browne and Tom Westley let them know they were set for a long day in the field with a stand of 128.

There were very few loose balls to allow the pair to score easily and it took both a long time to bring up their half-centuries. Westley’s came first, off 113 balls with three fours, and Browne finally completed his in the 51st over, off 141 balls with four fours.

Westley finally went, caught by wicketkeeper Alex Mellor off the second ball of leg-spinner Matt Critchley’s spell, for 72 at 142-2.

Ravi Bopara showed his intent by lashing his second ball straight down the ground for the game’s first six and he moved smoothly to 44 before driving loosely at slow left-armer Callum Parkinson, on his home debut, and was well taken by Mellor at 217-3.

The third over with the second new ball brought a second wicket for Milnes, who finished with a very respectable 2-48 in 19 overs, as Kishen Velani (19) stepped across his stumps and was lbw trying to glance the ball to fine leg but Browne was unmoved.

He completed a seemingly inevitable century by turning Milnes to midwicket for three and was still there at the close with Ryan ten Doeschate (15 not out).

Day One | Lunch Report:

Essex have made slow progress against some disciplined Derbyshire bowling on the opening morning of the match at the 3aaa County Ground.

After electing to bat first on a slow pitch, the visitors were 67 for 1 from 31 overs at lunch with Jaik Mickleburgh the only wicket to come, falling to Tom Milnes in the 10th over.

Despite going into the match with a depleted attack, Derbyshire bowled tightly and limited Essex to only four boundaries in the first session.

Mickleburgh hit one of them before he clipped a half volley into the hands of midwicket but that was Derbyshire’s only success as Nick Browne, 30, and Tom Westley, 22, batted carefully through to the interval.

Aaron Beard excited for home comforts

Posted on Thursday 11 August 2016

Aaron Beard hopes familiar surroundings in Chelmsford will help him and the rest of the England Under-19s team bounce back against Sri Lanka in the second match of the Royal London One-Day Series this weekend.

Beard was left unbeaten on 17 as England crumbled to 149 all out, and a 108-run defeat, in the first game of the series in Wormsley on Wednesday – which followed Sri Lanka’s victory in the second four-day match between the teams in Northampton.

But the Essex seamer is relishing the prospect of representing his country in his home town on Saturday.

“Definitely I’m looking forward to going back home after a good three and a half weeks on the road,” said Beard, who took four for 62 against the senior Sri Lankan team at Chelmsford on his first-class debut earlier this season.

“It will be good to see all the Essex boys and all my friends in Chelmsford and play at my home ground. I’m a five minute drive away – when I didn’t drive it was a 20-minute walk which is how I got to the ground.”

Beard hadn’t even started driving lessons when he first pulled on an England shirt at Chelmsford – in the four-day match they arranged against Essex to finalise preparations for the 2013 Ashes series, when he found himself fielding as 12th man as a 15-year-old schoolboy.

He has taken major steps forwards in his professional career this summer, making two appearances in the Specsavers County Championship after that memorable debut against Sri Lanka.

But he has still enjoyed the fresh experience of being in camp with the England Under-19 squad for the last few weeks, and following in the footsteps of Dan Lawrence and Callum Taylor who have become regulars in the Essex senior set-up this summer.

“I’m quite good friends with them both,” he added. “I look up to them because they’re both Essex lads and if you ask them questions about it they give you a clear and honest answer. They’ve obviously done well at this level so they’re very good people to talk to.

“It is different being in camp with England compared to playing for your county, and the cricket is different as well playing against the Sri Lankans.

“Some of the lads in our squad haven’t got professional contracts so they don’t train week in week out, so it’s a stepping stone to get them into that frame of mind for what they have to do and the levels they have to be at. It can be quite challenging at times which we’ve found out the last couple of games.

“250 was probably just below par on that pitch – if we batted first we were looking at 270, 280 as a good score. So we thought we kept them down to a reasonably good total. Obviously they had a couple of good partnerships which increased their score slightly but we thought coming into the next half of the game that we were in pole position ready to get a win under our belts.”

Andy Hurry, the head coach of the England Development Programme, identified the collapse against Sri Lanka’s spinners as the failing that the youngsters most urgently need to address.

“It is a different challenge for our players, facing high-quality spin – the sort of challenge that makes Under-19 international cricket so valuable,” he said.

“In the first one-day game at Wormsley, we obviously failed to make the adjustments, or to cope with the pressure being exerted by the Sri Lankans. So over the next 48 hours we’ll be challenging and working with all the players to think about their approach.”

The games starts at 10:30am and entry will be via donation to The Essex Cricket Foundation with all supporters urged to turn out and support the next generation of England cricketers.

The series then concludes on Tuesday at The Spitfire Ground, Kent with the game being broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Safeguarding

Posted on Monday 25 April 2016


 

POLICIES
SAFEGUARDING COURSES
DBS INFORMATION
LOCAL CONTACTS
CLUB UPDATES
SAFEGUARDING REFERRAL FORM

 
Essex Cricket is committed to ensuring that all children, young people and adults at risk who take part in cricket have a safe, positive and fun experience whatever their level of involvement. Everyone who is involved in cricket has a shared responsibility to support this by promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk and individually and collectively, we are signed up to the ECB Safe Hands Policy and are committed to delivering the ECB Safeguarding Standards as set out in the ECB’s County Partnership Agreement.

All full-time staff, part-time staff and volunteers have read the Staff Handbook and have signed and agree to abide by the content and the Codes of Conduct.

We recognise our collective and individual safeguarding responsibilities and accountabilities. We commit to:

  • Implementing preventative safeguarding measures and creating safe and enjoyable cricket settings.
  • Having clear, simple process in place for reporting concerns.
  • Ensuring safeguarding concerns regarding children and adults at risk are managed appropriately and thoroughly in conjunction with the ECB, Statutory agencies and other organisations as appropriate.

    •  

    COUNTY SAFEGUARDING LEAD

    If you have any Safeguarding or Child Abuse issues or concerns, please contact:

    Phil Knappett – County Safeguarding Officer for Essex Cricket

    07717 728725
    [email protected]


    Kate Morphew – County Safeguarding & EDI Officer

    [email protected]
     

    Adam Milne

    Posted on Thursday 28 January 2016

    New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne signed for the second half of the Eagles’ NatWest T20 Blast Group Stage campaign in 2016. Milne will join the team at the end of June, and feature in seven T20 Blast clashes.

    Milne’s main attribute is his express pace, which has seen him pick up 58 wickets in all Twenty20 cricket at an average of 24.00. The 23 year old made his Twenty20 debut for his country in 2010, and has gone on to play 14 T20Is. A key figure in Limited Overs cricket for the Black Caps, Milne has a Twenty20 International bowling average of 20.83. His best Twenty20 figures, of 4/37, were achieved against Pakistan on January 15 this year.

    Head Coach Chris Silverwood commented at the time of the signing; “Adam is a young bowler with plenty of international experience already. He is exactly what we were looking for from an overseas player, with his real pace offering something different to our attack.”

    Date of Birth: 13/04/92
    Squad No: 20
    Nationality:
    Debut –
    Capped –
    Role in Team: Bowler
    Batting: Right-Hand
    Bowling: Right-Arm Fast
    @AdamMilne19

     

    History

    Posted on Tuesday 15 December 2015


     

    Early Years

    Essex CCC was formed in 1876 as a result of a meeting held at the Shire Hall, Chelmsford on 14 January of that year.

    A ground was acquired at Brentwood and a number of matches were played, some against First-Class opposition. However, it was not until 1894 that Essex were accorded official First-Class status and they competed in the County Championship for the first time in 1895.

    In 1886, the Club moved from Brentwood to Leyton and this remained the headquarters until the 1933 season. During this impecunious time, Essex developed a policy of taking cricket around the County, venturing to Clacton, Southend, Chelmsford, Colchester, Westcliff and Romford as well as continuing to play at Brentwood and Leyton. Because of pressure on the Club’s finances and a need to serve the rapidly expanding centres away from London, the Club had to sell the Leyton ground in 1933 – offices were set up in Chelmsford and Ilford was added to the festival weeks.

     

    The Dominant Years

    In 1979 the Club won its first honours – the Benson & Hedges Cup and the County Championship. These successes heralded relative prosperity and further success for the Club, making it a cricket force to be reckoned with in the eighties, nineties, and beyond.

    Keith Fletcher built a team in the late 1970s that dominated domestic cricket from 1979 to 1992, when Essex won six of thirteen County Championship titles. Two cricketers wrote their names into club history and earned legendary status. Both were integral in the side of 1979 that lifted the County Championship title just a few weeks after they had won the Benson & Hedges Cup to secure their first piece of silverware in the club’s history. East had a memorable career during which he took nearly 1300 and scored more than 8,300 runs ensured he was an influential force in four more title achievements for the County until he retired.

     

    Limited Overs success in mid 2000s

    Essex found a winning formula in limited overs cricket in the mid-2000s with the signings of David Masters, Chris Wright and Jason Gallian. They lifted the Totesport League trophy in fine style in 2005 and followed that up by retaining the crown in 2006. Essex continued their impressive Limited Overs form in 2008 with the Friends Provident Trophy and NatWest Pro40 Division Two titles.

    In the Friends Provident Trophy Essex were runners up to Kent in the group stage, but comfortably qualified for the quarter-finals. Essex inflicted a crushing defeat on Leicestershire in the quarter final with a margin of 118 runs. Ravi Bopara scored a memorable 201 not out off just 138 balls to lead Essex into the semi-finals much to the delight of the Essex fans. The Eagles then beat Yorkshire at Chelmsford before winning the Battle of the Bridge contest at Lord’s against Kent in front of 30,000 people.

    Essex clinched the Pro40 Division Two title and sealed the Limited Overs double in 2008 with a victory against arch rivals Kent again. Needing a win away, the Essex fans turned out in force at Canterbury cheering The Eagles onto the victory target of 247. Mark Pettini was given out first ball of the innings before an unbeaten 68 from Grant Flower and fifties from Jason Gallian and Ravi Bopara helped Essex pick up the Pro40 Division 2 title.

    Although Essex did not win the Twenty20 tournament in 2008, making the finals at The Rose Bowl with a young team was a success. The tournament also saw the emergence of club legend Graham Napier as a big-hitting batsman (hitting a world record 16 sixes in his 152 not out off just 58 balls against Sussex at Chelmsford).

     

    One point promotion in 2009

    Essex secured top flight cricket for the first time since 2003, beating Northamptonshire to promotion by a single point. Ryan ten Doeschate smashed a stunning 108 off just 59 balls as Essex snatched a shock five-wicket win at Derby to earn promotion back to Division One. Dutch international ten Doeschate hit eight sixes in an unbroken stand of 156 with Mark Pettini (85) as Essex won the match with five overs to spare.

    All-rounder ten Doeschate spoke following promotion and said: “The belief in the camp is very strong and it was a must- win game, so there wasn’t really any other choice. Whatever Derby had set us we would have given it our best try.”

    Although Essex would only stay in Division One for a season, some of the younger players gained valuable experience of the highest level in the game which would only stand the club in good stead going forward.

     

    Coaching changes bring Championship success

    Three consecutive third place finishes in the County Championship, plus two years of Quarter-Final appearances in both Limited Over competitions, saw Paul Grayson leave his position as Head Coach towards the end of the 2015 season. In December, Chris Silverwood was announced as his replacement and the County embarked on a fresh start. A considerable focus on youth ensued with players such as Jamie Porter, Dan Lawrence and Tom Westley forming the backbone of the side for 2016. Chris Silverwood was looking to claim the one promotion slot on offer in his first season in charge.. He did it and Essex were crowned Specsavers County Championship Division Two Champions.

    Graham Napier and David Masters embarked on their final seasons in professional cricket looking to claim silverware and go out on a high. Napier went on to have his most successful season ever being the leader in all three formats, including 63 wickets in his final County Championship season. Jamie Porter backed up 50 wickets in a Championship season again, claiming 55 wickets to continue to show maturity beyond his years. Tom Westley and Nick Browne both scored 1000 runs again whilst captain Ryan ten Doeschate was to prove to be the leader Silverwood expected and score over 1100 runs with the bat in Championship cricket.

    Essex clinched the title after the second day against Glamorgan at Chelmsford attaining the 5 bonus points required to be promoted. Although Chris Silverwood’s team went on to lose the game, they claimed a draw against rivals Kent and lifted the trophy in front of jubilant fans at Canterbury.

    Championship promotion was the number one aim at the start of the year but The Eagles also had some success in the shorter forms of the game. Essex reached the quarter-finals of both the NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London One-Day Cup before being knocked out by Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire respectively.

    With the return of Essex academy players’ Adam Wheater and Varun Chopra who have proven Division One credentials, and the influx of some exciting signings over the winter, Essex will look to maintain their position in Specsavers County Championship Division One in 2017.

     

    DIVISION ONE CHAMPIONS 2017 & 2019

    After being promoted from Division Two as champions the previous season, not many would have predicted what was to happen over the following months.

    Essex drew their first game of the season at home to Lancashire in April, a match which most notably saw Daniel Lawrence save Essex with his second innings score of 141 after a first-innings collapse saw the side all out for 159.

    The teams first win came the following week, when they beat Somerset by 8 wickets and Alastair Cook made 110 whilst Roelof van der Merwe took 3 wickets for 26 runs.

    Lawrence scored a respectable 75 in the following match in which Essex drew with Middlesex at Lord’s.

    Essex then beat Hampshire by an innings and 97 runs with Cook again making a century and Jamie Porter taking 5 wickets for 24 runs, but they couldn’t make it back to back wins and drew the next match with Surrey, with Lawrence knocking up 107 and Porter taking 9 wickets for 160 runs over the two innings.

    Essex then found some consistency and momentum and unexpectedly to most won five consecutive games in a commanding fashion.

    The first saw them beat Surrey by 8 wickets with both Ryan ten Doeschate and Tom Westley recording centuries. In the following match, Ravi Bopara top-scored with a huge 192 whilst Simon Harmer took 14 wickets for 128 runs over the two innings as Essex beat Warwickshire by an innings and 164 runs.

    Harmer’s form with the ball carried on into the next match against Middlesex as he took 9 wickets for 95 runs whilst Nick Browne scored 221, making him the first Essex player to record a double century that season and resulted in Essex winning by an innings and 34 runs.

    Mohammad Amir took 5 wickets for 18 runs against Yorkshire, a match Essex won by 8 wickets, which was followed up by another emphatic victory against Somerset. Porter recaptured his form and took 12 wickets for 95 runs over the two innings and Essex won by a comfortable 179 runs.

    The five-game win streak had lasted three months and finally came to an end in August. The match with Lancashire was heavily interrupted by the weather and with no play possible on day one, the game resulted in a draw.

    It wasn’t long before Essex were back to winning ways and Simon Harmer took 8 wickets for 72 runs over two innings in a match Essex won by an innings and 56 runs against Warwickshire.

    Essex made it two wins in a row in the penultimate game of the season as Sam Cook took 5 wickets for 18 runs and Lawrence again recorded over a ton against Hampshire.

    Going into the final game of the season, the Division One title was long-secured, and Essex were still unbeaten (winning 9 and drawing 4). Yorkshire were the visitors and were now the only team standing in-between Essex and a historic undefeated season.

    Yorkshire elected to field first and Simon Harmer made 64 as Essex were all out for 227. Essex replied quickly and Neil Wagner took 3 wickets for 21 runs as Essex bowled Yorkshire out for just 111. Lawrence top scored with 83 for Essex as they declared on 334 for 7 in their second innings and set the visitors a target of 451 to win. Yorkshire’s second innings lasted just 28.5 overs, as Cook took 5 wickets for 20 runs and Yorkshire were bowled out for a low 74.

    This completed a near-perfect season for Essex, which saw them lift the Division One title after many tipped them as potential relegation candidates just five months earlier.

    Much of their success was built around a home-grown product – Daniel Lawrence was particularly impressive with the bat whilst Jamie Porter finished with 75 wickets (with an average of 16.83) making him the leading wicket-taker in the country.

    Essex repeated the feat in 2019 by successfully fending off strong competition from Somerset. The season went down to the wire with Ryan ten Doeschate’s men taking on Somerset at Taunton for a final match showdown. After heavy rainfall disrupted the first two days, it came down to the final day where Alastair Cook guided Essex to a draw in Marcus Trescothick’s final appearance for the hosts.

    The match was broadcasted on Sky Sports as Tendo lifted the County Championship trophy for the second time in three years.

    INAUGURAL T20 TRIUMPH

    The 2019 season will forever be synonymous with Essex’s double trophy triumph. The competition started with a 7-wicket defeat to Middlesex but the opening home match of the campaign was a memorable one. After rain restricted play versus Surrey to 15 overs aside, opener Cameron Delport announced himself to the Chelmsford crowd by hitting 129 off 49 balls. The South African was duly supported by Dan Lawrence who struck an 18-ball half-century to help the Eagles to a 52-run victory.

    Three wins in the final four games of the campaign saw the Eagles sneak into a qualification place where Lancashire Lightning awaited. With Emirates Old Trafford hosting Test cricket, the game took place at Durham’s Emirates Riverside ground. Fireworks from Ravi Bopara and Ryan ten Doeschate set up a thrilling finale to win the match by 6 wickets.

    Essex Eagles went into Finals Day with a clash against Derbyshire Falcons. A half-century from Cameron Delport and career-best figures of 4/19 from Simon Harmer helped to book a place in the Final against Worcestershire Rapids.

    The Vitality Blast Final did not disappoint after Simon Harmer won the toss and elected to bowl first. More magic from Harmer saw the spinner take 3/16 to record the best-ever bowling figures witnessed at Finals Day. After restricting the Rapids to 145 runs it was Tom Westley (36) who got the Eagles off to a good start after Delport fell early for 1.

    In a low-scoring game, it came down to Ravi Bopara (36) and Simon Harmer to try and see their team over the line. The victory came in a dramatic fashion with 11 runs required off the final over. Following his heroics with the ball, Harmer was the man to strike the winning blow off the final ball with just one run needed to win, sending the Essex faithful into raptures.

     

    Club Honours

    County Championship – Division 1
    1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2017 & 2019
    County Championship – Division 2
    2002, 2016 & 2021
    John Player Special League
    1981, 1984 & 1985
    Totesport League – Division 1
    2005
    NatWest Pro40 – Division 1
    2006
    NatWest Pro40 – Division 2
    2008
    Refuge Assurance Cup
    1989
    Benson & Hedges Cup
    1979 & 1998
    NatWest Trophy
    1985 & 1997
    Friends Provident Trophy
    2008
    Twenty20 Finals Day
    2006, 2008, 2010, 2013 & 2019
    Twenty20 Champions
    2019
    Bob Willis Trophy
    2020

     

    Sponsors & Partners

    Posted on Thursday 5 February 2015


     

    Principal Partners

     


    Ambassador Cruise Line is a brand-new cruise line and the first to be launched since 2010. Its purpose is to inspire and delight every guest to enjoy an authentic cruise experience effortlessly, and sustainably.
    Ambassador sails for the British market from London Tilbury, Essex with a focus on premium-value. It is adult-focussed and age-inclusive but primarily aimed at the 50-plus market.
    Ambassador will deliver distinguished cuisine, fascinating voyages on classic cruise ships, great entertainment, visiting treasured destinations with like-minded guests.
    Ambassador’s fleet of ships include Ambience, carrying 1,400 guests and Ambition carrying 1,200 guests. Both of these smaller to mid-sized classic cruise ship offer a higher space to guest ratio, making cruising more relaxed and providing guests with reassurance.

    Cloud won the Queens’ Award for Enterprise Innovation for our work in leading in the development of industry-changing facilities management technology.
    We use intelligent systems and client apps, to ensure that engineers are on site quickly and able to fix the job first time. Our installed smart devices monitor energy consumption and asset performance that gives our clients powerful real-time insight into how their buildings are operating. Our teams work across Europe, helping to drive business performance at some of the world’s most successful brands, including KFC, Pizza Express, TUI, Grupo Suez, Wolseley, and many others.

    D&B Scaffolding offer a complete scaffolding service for commercial, industrial, and domestic projects. It is a service that is competitively priced, fast, safe and reliable. D&B Scaffolding have divisions in in St Ives, Cambridgeshire and Chelmsford, Essex.

     

    Whitehall Resources was founded with one goal – to be the biggest and best recruiter globally, in the markets we deliver to.
    Since inception, we’ve defied the economic downturn and achieved double-digit growth, year on year. Today we’re not only a major niche SAP and Oracle recruiter with a multi-million-pound turnover, but we’re also one of the fastest-growing IT recruitment specialists with offices in the UK and Germany.
    We succeed because we truly understand our market and are passionate about it. We put our clients and our candidates first, and our client retention remains at over 99%.
    When it comes to SAP, Oracle and specialist IT recruitment, our team is driven by results. We deliver the best candidates, most suited to any given role – and we never put forward any person who can’t deliver. That means our clients trust us and return to us time and time again.

    Woodland Group create opportunity and deliver sustainable supply chains through personalised logistics solutions worldwide. More than 600 expert team members in owned offices and warehouses across the globe are dedicated to providing innovative, bespoke logistics, e-commerce and supply chain management services, dedicated customs consultancy, and the very best in customer experience. We care. We connect. We deliver.

     

    Official Partners

     

    The Essex and Southend Sports Trust (EASST) provides charitable grants in support of sport and in particular football and cricket. The geographical area in which it operates is strictly limited to the County of Essex (including the unitary authorities of Southend-on-sea and Thurrock and the London boroughs of Havering, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Waltham Forest).

    Greene King is a leading pub retailer and brewer founded in 1799. Greene King operates over 3,000 pubs, restaurants and hotels across Britain and brews some of the UK’s best-loved ales from its Bury St. Edmunds and Dunbar breweries, including Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale and Belhaven Best.

    Industrial Chemicals Ltd was established in March 1976, in Essex County. Headquartered in Grays, they have nine operations throughout the UK and one in the USA. The company employ more than 500 people across its operations, they have a global client base, handling more than one million tonnes of specialist chemicals annually. Supplying an extensive product portfolio including both bulk and packed chemicals to a variety of industries, with many of their customers recognisable household names.

     

    Connectivity through innovation. These words express the very essence of the Kenton Group. It is not just a slogan, it is our way of seeing the world and our history of innovation continues into the 21st Century. Our portfolio extends from simple connectivity products through to complex optical and fibre technologies and managed service delivery solutions for the telecoms market.

    Masuri is dedicated to cricket…and to producing stronger, safer protection for players at every age, and at every level of the game. The Product Development Team at Masuri is engaged full-time in advancing the technology that builds better helmets, StemGuard neck protectors, gloves and pads.

    With over 100 years of history, Price Forbes is a widely respected authority in open market insurance, with a bold and progressive agenda to better meet clients’ needs. Price Forbes is part of Ardonagh Specialty, the largest independent specialty broker in the London market. It has offices around the globe and expert teams in energy, casualty, property, aviation & space, marine, professional & financial lines, cargo, specie & fine art, and construction.

     

    Oaks Hospital (Colchester), Rivers Hospital (Sawbridgeworth) and Springfield Hospital (Chelmsford), are part of Ramsay Health Care, a healthcare provider celebrating 60 years of global expertise in healthcare. The hospitals have been instrumental in supporting and keeping the local community safe and healthy. Get in touch for fast access to diagnosis and treatment.

    Scrutton Bland is a leading provider of financial services to both business and private clients. With offices in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, Scrutton Bland provide specialist tax, accountancy, insurance, employee benefits and independent financial planning advice to clients throughout the UK.

    Surridge Sport are a trusted clothing provider to professional clubs, grassroot clubs, Universities, Colleges, and Schools. With more than 150 years’ experience, we can offer a wide range of apparel to enhance your offering. We are here to provide the best quality garment, whether you are looking for robust leisurewear or something that little more bespoke.

     

    Tees is a Legal 500 top tier firm, providing expert legal services and independent financial advice all under one roof at Tees. All our people are highly knowledgeable in their fields and offer a friendly and efficient approach to arriving at the best possible outcome for your situation. Our specialist lawyers and financial advisers are based in Chelmsford, Brentwood, Bishop’s Stortford, Cambridge, Royston and Saffron Walden.

    Tiptree is the home of the Wilkin family, who have farmed there for nearly 300 years. The very first Tiptree conserves were made in 1885 and, to this day, they specialise in fruit-growing on the Tiptree estates.

    Since 1929, Toomey Motor Group (part of MJT Securities) has been delivering automotive excellence throughout Essex. We continue to achieve growth each year and bring new expertise in both sales and service to our award-winning dealerships in Southend, Basildon, and Brentwood. Toomey Motor Group ensures every customer has a welcoming, attentive, and caring experience when visiting our sites and aims to make every experience memorable. Our long history has developed our passion for automotive excellence putting us in the pinnacle position to exceed customers’ expectations at every visit. With our commitment to quality and serving the community, we have built a foundation of trust with our customers, making us a go-to choice for their next car, van or service.

     

    WBS Logistics takes a personal approach to delivering sustainable supply chain solutions to tomorrow. We provide full domestic and international transportation, warehousing and fulfilment, customs consultancy, and fully optimised supply chain solutions. Our close-knit team of local supply chain specialists deliver sustainable growth across the globe and make complex logistics processes easy. We believe in consistently delivering reliable services whilst building strong, long-lasting relationships that support continued progression for all. Delivering your potential.

    We have years of experience in car finance, an extensive lending panel & a team that is set up to get you the car you want at the best finance rate. Already found a car & just need the finance? Great! If you need help finding a car then we are here for you as well with access to over 300,000 cars. We take the hard work out of the car finance process. From soft search application to completion, our team is with you through the journey, here to do the heavy lifting, provide support & best options. We do all types of finance including HP & PCP so you have choice of car, finance & peace of mind.

    WOW HYDRATE is the latest innovation in fitness with protein and electrolyte waters and their patented push-technology delivering fresh, fast hydration. The ingredients are kept at their most powerful in their push-cap and do not degrade in the water over time which can occur in premixed drinks. You also get to see what exactly you are drinking! Find out more on www.wowhydrate.com and follow them on their socials @wowhydrate