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The glut of 50-over cricket in Chelmsford over the next month continues to gather steam, as Essex Women return to The Cloud County Ground for the first time in 2024 on Friday.

Paul Davidge’s side will take on rivals Kent in a London Championship 50-over encounter from 11:00am, with entry priced at just £5 for adults and free for juniors.

The Eagles recently defeated the very same opponents by a convincing nine wickets just under two weeks ago, chasing a modest target of 135 with a huge 26.1 overs to spare.

Now, captained by Kelly Castle, Friday’s hosts will be determined to repeat that result in their second London Championship outing of the season.

After winning this competition in 2023, Essex currently sit fourth in the standings, but having played fewer games than all those above them, including two matches in hand on Middlesex.

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 two Women’s London Championship matches during the summer holidays.

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Essex v Warwickshire

Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am

Team News

Essex: Nick Browne, Tom Westley*, Feroze Khushi, Robin Das, Charlie Allison, Luc Benkenstein, Noah Thain, Jamal Richards, Ben Allison, Aaron Beard, Simon Fernandes+.

Warwickshire: Rob Yates, Ed Barnard*, Will Rhodes, Hamza Shaikh, Michael Burgess+, Chris Benjamin, Theo Wylie, Jake Lintott, Michael Booth, Craig Miles, Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Match Details

Umpires: Neil Bainton & James Tredwell
Match Referee: Peter Such
Scorers: Paul Parkinson & Mel Smith
Toss: Warwickshire won the toss and elected to bowl first
Result: Warwickshire won by seven wickets

Scorecard: View here

Match Highlights

Match Reaction: Nick Browne

Match Report

Ed Barnard hit a masterful 173 not out as Essex fell to an opening day seven-wicket Metro Bank One Day Cup loss to Warwickshire at The Cloud County Ground.

Barnard hammered his runs off 140 balls and found valuable support in wicketkeeper Michael Burgess’ unbeaten 59 from 42 as the visitors, chasing 328, condemned the Eagles to defeat.

Charlie Allison and Nick Browne had both struck half-centuries, with the latter’s 75 the top score of the Essex 324-7, while the 19-year-old former once again displayed prodigious timing to hit a 72-ball 69.

However, Barnard’s mammoth knock underpinned the chase and saw Warwickshire home with 2.2 overs to spare.

An opening partnership of 51 between Browne and Feroze Khushi, brought up in just 52 balls, had thoroughly belied the fact that Essex had been put in to bat after the Bears had won the toss.

With the match just 1.1 overs old, Browne hit a gloriously straight driven four off Oliver Hannon-Dalby, before Khushi, in the two balls before being bowled for 22, pummelled Ed Barnard for four and six.

Khushi was deeply unlucky to become the victim of an inswinging jaffa from Barnard, but Tom Westley replaced him with aplomb, as he took the score to 64-1 after ten overs with three fours in a row.

That was as far as it got for Westley though, as Barnard struck again to have him lbw for 15, though the better news was that the rate kept motoring along at close to a run a ball.

At a rate of knots, Browne and Robin Das added 71 for the third wicket, rotating the strike efficiently and benefitting from some wayward lines from the Bears bowlers to post a 50 stand in 65 balls.

That partnership included Browne’s individual 50, brought up from 60 deliveries via a single off Michael Booth, though it was ended five overs later when Will Rhodes bowled Das for 35.

Shepherded by the experienced Browne, though, the churn of young talent continued, as Allison was one half of another half-century partnership that took the Eagles to the brink of 200.

Browne pulled Craig Miles to Hamza Shaikh to end his 90-ball stay with the total one shy of that mark, but some stylish hitting from Luc Benkenstein, who hammered 44 off 27, saw the hosts breeze past it.

The England Under-19 duo of Benkenstein, who hit two sixes, and Allison, who became the second half-centurion of the innings in just 58 balls when he jogged a single off Jake Lintott, added 50 in ten overs.

Hannon-Dalby ensured Warwickshire fought back somewhat in the latter stages as he saw Allison caught by Lintott in between having Benkenstein caught behind and Noah Thain held by Rob Yates.

Those three wickets left the hosts 288-7 with 20 balls remaining, but Allison’s elder brother Ben hammered the nine of them he faced for 22 runs in an exhibition of hitting at the death.

In conjunction with Jamal Richards, who made an unbeaten 14 off 12, Allison hit four of those nine deliveries to the boundary to haul Essex to 324-7.

In response, Barnard and Yates subjected the Eagles to similar treatment that they had earlier dished out with an opening stand of 97, before Westley scored the breakthrough in trapping Yates lbw for 42.

However, a century stand between Will Rhodes, who made 41, and the evergreen Barnard broke the back of the chase, carrying the Bears past 200 with 16.3 overs still to go.

Within that was contained Barnard’s century, which he posted in 89 balls via turning Westley’s spin into the leg side.

The young Eagles attack did hit back twice in quick succession as Richards saw Rhodes caught behind by Simon Fernandes, before Benkenstein had Hamza Shaikh held by Robin Das for a four-ball duck.

That was, though, to be the last ounce of joy for the hosts from the game, as Barnard passed 150, bringing the milestone up in 120 balls via an almighty straight six, as the Bears cantered to the target.

Victory, which was ultimately inevitable for most of the innings, was eventually secured in the 48th over, shortly after Burgess, playing the supporting role, had smashed a 34-ball half-century.

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 two Women’s London Championship matches during the summer holidays.

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Essex v Warwickshire

Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am

 
With school well and truly out for summer, the third and final competition for Essex in the 2024 summer gets underway at The Cloud County Ground on Wednesday with the return of the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

The competition has proven to be a lottery in recent years, with its parallelity to The Hundred opening the playing field to the point that all 18 entrants have strong belief in their chances of emerging victorious.

Last year’s winners Leicestershire Foxes were unfancied before the tournament began, as were Glamorgan in 2021 and Kent Spitfires in 2022, underlining the fact that the road to the Trent Bridge final presents a huge opportunity.

Essex warmed up for the competition with a 28-run win over Suffolk in the annual NCCA Showcase Match at Woolpit CC on Sunday, as Feroze Khushi hammered 181 off 142 and Robin Das hit a fluent 68-ball 62 in the Eagles’ total of 347 all out.

In response, the hosts fell short on 319-4 in spite of Darren Ironside’s 108 and half-centuries for Jack Beaumont and Alex Oxley, as wickets were evenly shared by Aaron Beard, Shane Snater, Ben Allison, and Noah Thain.

Now, the competition proper gets up and running from Wednesday, with Anthony McGrath’s men facing three of last season’s four semi-finalists in Group B in a bid to win a first domestic List A trophy since 2008.

Squad

Head Coach McGrath has named a 12-strong group to take on Warwickshire.

The Inside Line: Simon Fernandes

Having signed a short-term contract with Essex for the duration of the 2024 competition, wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes spoke to EssexCricketTV ahead of the Eagles’ first game.

Watch the full interview below.

The Opposition

Warwickshire have won 12 domestic List A titles in their history, with the most recent coming in 2016 when they triumphed in this competition, then known as the Royal London One-Day Cup.

The Bears’ most successful period in the format came in the five seasons between 1993 and 1997, when they won five of their 12 trophies.

That run also included the famous 1994 season, when the county lifted two List A trophies – the Benson & Hedges Cup and the Sunday League, as well as winning their fourth County Championship crown.

The modern-day Warwickshire, who fell at the semi-final stage in 2023, have lost nine players to The Hundred, though they retain the services of some key men.

Keeping hold of the likes of last season’s leading run-scorer Ed Barnard and wicket-taker Oliver Hannon-Dalby should give the Edgbaston outfit plenty of faith they can go deep in this competition.

They earned a big win in their NCCA warm-up game on Sunday, as Barnard’s 143 helped them pile up 316-7 in a 122-run win over Staffordshire, with Michael Booth and Jake Lintott each taking three wickets.

Warwickshire squad: Tazeem Ali, Ed Barnard, Chris Benjamin, Michael Booth, Michael Burgess, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Jake Lintott, Craig Miles, Will Rhodes, Hamza Shaikh, Theo Wylie, Rob Yates

Last Time We Met

It has been almost eight years since the last time Essex faced Warwickshire in a List A encounter, when the Bears prevailed by 70 runs at Edgbaston in the 2016 quarter-final.

Having opted to have first use of the pitch after winning the toss, the Bears posted 283-7 from their allocated overs, with Jonathan Trott’s 101 leading the way.

A strong home line-up that day also included Ian Bell and Chris Woakes, though they only made four runs between them as the next highest scores were Laurie Evans’ 53-ball 70 and 60 from Tim Ambrose.

Graham Napier took three wickets for the Eagles, but the target proved beyond the visitors despite Tom Westley’s 61 and 53 off 52 for Ryan ten Doeschate.

Essex were ultimately bowled out for 213 in 42.1 overs on a track that proved increasingly conducive to spin as twirlers Jeetan Patel and Josh Poysden equally split six wickets.

In a small comfort for the Eagles, the all-conquering Bears went on to win the competition that year, seeing off Somerset in the last four before thrashing Surrey by eight wickets in the Lord’s final.

Group B Preview

Click here for a team-by-team preview of all the Group B contenders in this year’s competition.

Anthony McGrath Update

Ahead of the start of the competition, Director of Cricket Anthony McGrath offered an update on key members of the squad.

Watch his interview below.

How To Watch

If you are unable 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

Seating is unallocated for this match in general admission areas and tickets are still available, with prices starting at £18 for adults, £6 for juniors, and £40 for a family of four.

General admission areas are from Block 12 in the Greene King Stand to Block 31 in the Kenton Group Stand, with all other areas reserved for Members and their guests.

Members are, as ever, permitted access to this fixture on production of a valid card and can sit in any vacant seat in the ground.

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

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am: Essex v Warwickshire – buy here
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 two Women’s London Championship matches during the summer holidays.

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here
 

Director of Cricket Anthony McGrath has expressed his confidence in the Essex squad that will take to the field for this month’s Metro Bank One Day Cup and emphasised their motivation to put on a show.

While McGrath gave an update on the members of the squad who will not feature in the 50-over format, he underlined his belief in the players who will wear the Essex badge over the next three weeks.

“Excitement is the main feeling in the team,” said McGrath. “I do feel as though the players we’re going to be able to put on the field are determined, they’re excited about the chance.

“We really want to go into this competition and not just take part, we really want to compete and put up a good performance.

“We’ve got a good mixture of youth and experience. We’ll have a good squad, and hopefully everyone gets behind us and we can repay that with some really good performances.”

A thoughtful McGrath reflected on Essex’s campaign in this competition last season, when the Eagles suffered a tough time on their way to missing out on the quarter-finals.

“I think everyone was really disappointed last year,” said the 48-year-old. We’ve seen the last couple of years, the standard is high, and we’re going to have to be better than we’ve been in previous years.

“This is a competition where you can look for excuses and say ‘we’ve lost so-and-so’ but it’s about the squad.

“We talk about squad depth, and while we haven’t got maybe the numbers of other teams, we certainly have quality, and whichever XI we put out, I expect us to win, absolutely.”

McGrath went on to discuss the availability of some members of his squad, and offered explanations as to the potential absence of some faces.

“Jamie Porter is injured. He broke his finger and did an abdominal muscle in the Surrey game. His finger’s fine but the ab muscle will just take a while.

“Hopefully he’ll be back at some point, but we still have the Championship to go so we have to be really careful with him.

“Simon Harmer has had some ongoing back problems, so we feel this is a really good time to get a second opinion on that and give him some rest.

“If it needs treatment, then again, hopefully he’ll be fit for the remainder of the Championship.

“Dean Elgar won’t feature. A little bit like we managed Alastair Cook, the amount of cricket he’s played, internationally, and he’s played every game this year in Championship and T20.

“We need him to have a little break to refresh for the end of the season, but more so, the bigger picture is that we want him to be here for a number of years.

“We’ve seen the success he’s had already, and we just want to make sure he’s fresh and we’re looking after him.

“Apart from that, everyone else will be available. We’ve got a good mixture of youth and experience.

“We’ll have a good squad, and hopefully everyone gets behind us and we can repay that with some really good performances!”

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

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am: Essex v Warwickshire – buy here
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 two Women’s London Championship matches during the summer holidays.

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here
 

Young leg-spinning all-rounder Luc Benkenstein has committed his future to Essex after signing a contract extension until the end of the 2027 season.

Benkenstein, who still does not turn 20 until November, has extended a stay at The Cloud County Ground which began with his debut against Durham in 2021.

He has taken 11 List A wickets at 17.90 apiece since, and this year has broken into the Eagles’ T20 side too, making 11 appearances and scoring his maiden half-century in the format against Hampshire Hawks.

Towards the end of last season, Benkenstein earned international honours with selection for England Under-19s, eventually earning a place in the Three Lions’ squad for the Under-19 World Cup in January.

He has scored 342 Youth ODI runs for his country, with two half-centuries and a top score of 102, while his leg-breaks have brought him ten international wickets at an average of 28.90.

“I’m delighted to extend my contract here,” said Benkenstein. “It’s been a fantastic experience so far, and I’ve loved being able to show everyone what I can do while developing my skills at the same time.

“Earning a spot in the T20 side was particularly special recently, and I’ve always looked to repay the faith shown in me with the performances I know I’m capable of.

“Now, my focus is on keeping going to ensure I can become the best cricketer I can, and I’m confident in saying this is the right place for me to do that!”

Essex Director of Cricket, Anthony McGrath, added: “It’s very pleasing to be able to extend Luc’s stay here. He’s an extremely promising young cricketer with a strong skill-set.

“His performances in the 1st XI have more than merited this extension, and as a coaching group, we’re excited to keep working with him to mould him into an even better player than he is already.”

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

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am: Essex v Warwickshire – buy here
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

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

As the school holidays approach, the return of 50-over cricket to The Cloud County Ground at the height of summer inches closer.

Essex have been placed in Group B of this season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, with a testing line-up that includes three of last season’s four semi-finalists lying in wait.

Read on for a team-by-team preview of each of the Group B contenders.

Essex

Captain: Tom Westley
2023 finish: 9th in group
2023 leading run-scorer: Beau Webster (260)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Beau Webster (14)
Domestic List A titles: 13 (most recent in 2008)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Matt Critchley, Michael Pepper, Adam Rossington (London Spirit), Paul Walter (Manchester Originals), Jordan Cox (Oval Invincibles), Sam Cook (Trent Rockets)

The big question: Can Essex improve upon last year’s showing? The 2023 edition of this tournament was a chastising time for the Eagles, winning just one game on the way to a ninth-place group stage finish. Anthony McGrath’s side will be determined to give a better account of themselves this time around.

Key players: The absence of Beau Webster, who was the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker last time, is an opportunity for someone to step up. Young trio Charlie Allison, Noah Thain, and Luc Benkenstein are all a year older, cover many bases, and now have England Under-19 World Cup experience too.

Glamorgan

Captain: Kiran Carlson
2023 finish: 4th in group
2023 leading run-scorer: Eddie Byrom (352)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Ben Kellaway (13)
Domestic List A titles: 4 (most recent in 2021)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Chris Cooke, Mason Crane (Welsh Fire)

The big question: Can Glamorgan get over the line and into the knockout stages? A strong finish to the 2023 group stage that included three wins from their last four was not enough for the Welsh outfit to overcome a poor start of just one victory in their first four, and they fell just short of the quarter-finals.

Key players: The 2021 champions will have to make the most of being one of the counties less affected by The Hundred, as Welsh Fire take just two of their players. Eddie Byrom enjoyed a prolific season last year, scoring 352 runs at an average of 50.28, while off-spinner Ben Kellaway took 13 wickets at 22.92 apiece.

Gloucestershire

Captain: James Bracey
2023 finish: Semi-finalists
2023 leading run-scorer: Ollie Price (575)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Paul van Meekeren (17)
Domestic List A titles: 10 (most recent in 2015)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Marchant de Lange (Oval Invincibles), David Payne (Welsh Fire), Matt Taylor (London Spirit)

The big question: Could Gloucestershire be genuine contenders to win the competition? The West Country side fell at the penultimate hurdle last season, suffering a six-wicket loss to eventual champions Leicestershire. They will only lose three players to The Hundred, and could realistically hope to improve on last year.

Key players: In Ollie Price, Gloucestershire possess last season’s third-highest run-scorer in the entire competition, and their entire batting stocks are unaffected by The Hundred. There is much hope that Price, as well as wicketkeeper-batter James Bracey, could again enjoy prolific seasons.

Leicestershire Foxes

Captain: Lewis Hill
2023 finish: Winners
2023 leading run-scorer: Peter Handscomb (401)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Chris Wright (18)
Domestic List A titles: 6 (most recent in 2023)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Rishi Patel, Louis Kimber (Birmingham Phoenix), Josh Hull (Manchester Originals), Rehan Ahmed (Southern Brave)

The big question: How likely are Leicestershire to defend their 2023 title? The man who was key to last year’s triumph, breakout fast bowler Josh Hull, has been called up to Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred. Someone will have to step up with the ball if Leicestershire are to have a chance of mounting a strong defence.

Key players: Veteran seamer Chris Wright feels the most likely to fill the gap left by Hull, but off-field issues have left him short of match practice. With the bat, Wiaan Mulder is back after an impressive 2023, while the Foxes’ other overseas man, Australian Peter Handscomb, will aim to build on his 401 runs at 57.28.

Notts Outlaws

Captain: Haseeb Hameed
2023 finish: 5th in group
2023 leading run-scorer: Matthew Montgomery (286)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Brett Hutton/Dane Paterson (both 11)
Domestic List A titles: 5 (most recent in 2017)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Ben Duckett (Birmingham Phoenix), Olly Stone (London Spirit), Dillon Pennington (Northern Superchargers), Alex Hales, Calvin Harrison (Trent Rockets), Joe Clarke (Welsh Fire)

The big question: Will the prospect of a home final spur on Notts? The Outlaws are the only county that know they will have home advantage should they reach the showpiece. If they can tidy up the poor finish to the group stage that affected them last year, the East Midlands outfit should be in with a shout.

Key players: Matt Montgomery had a fine individual 2023, scoring 286 runs, and remains a quality player, having deputised for England’s Ben Duckett in a full-strength Nottinghamshire team on several occasions in recent years. Young all-rounder Lyndon James is also still highly regarded at Trent Bridge.

Surrey

Captain: Rory Burns
2023 finish: 8th in group
2023 leading run-scorer: Ryan Patel (330)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Cameron Steel (10)
Domestic List A titles: 7 (most recent in 2011)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Jamie Smith (Birmingham Phoenix), Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Dan Worrall (London Spirit), Jamie Overton (Manchester Originals), Jordan Clark, Tom Lawes, Jason Roy, Reece Topley (Northern Superchargers), Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks (Oval Invincibles), Laurie Evans, Chris Jordan (Southern Brave)

The big question: How do Surrey overcome the loss of so many players? The South London side will lose a staggering 15 players to The Hundred, severely testing their depth. They struggled to adapt to a similarly-huge personnel change in 2023, finishing eighth, so the challenge will be to make the transition smoother.

Key players: Even in losing an entire starting XI and more, Surrey can still select former England Test players Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, and Ben Foakes. If those three set an example to what is likely to be a young group, and Cameron Steel carries on his Championship bowling form, the Brown Caps might just be OK.

Sussex Sharks

Captain: Tom Haines
2023 finish: 9th in group
2023 leading run-scorer: Cheteshwar Pujara (384)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Jack Carson (12)
Domestic List A titles: 8 (most recent in 2009)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Jofra Archer, James Coles, Tymal Mills (Southern Brave), Tom Alsop, Ollie Robinson (Trent Rockets)

The big question: What can Sussex do to improve? The Sharks suffered a dreadful campaign last year, losing seven of eight matches. However, their T20 fortunes have turned around in style this season after a couple of indifferent campaigns, and now their challenge will be to do the same in the 50-over format.

Key players: The form of Sussex’s batters in the aforementioned Blast, with Harrison Ward and captain John Simpson seeing the ball especially well in the shortest format, should give reason to hope. Last season’s leading wicket-taker Jack Carson will also hope to improve upon his 12 wickets in 2023.

Warwickshire

Captain: Ed Barnard
2023 finish: Semi-finalists
2023 leading run-scorer: Ed Barnard (616)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Oliver Hannon-Dalby (24)
Domestic List A titles: 12 (most recent in 2016)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Moeen Ali, Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley, Chris Woakes (Birmingham Phoenix), Richard Gleeson (London Spirit), Danny Briggs, Alex Davies, George Garton (Southern Brave), Sam Hain (Trent Rockets)

The big question: Might Warwickshire’s big names put them in trophy contention? In Ed Barnard, the Bears possess arguably the premier all-round talent not poached by The Hundred, and his status as last year’s competition leading run-scorer backs that up. The West Midlands outfit should be firmly in the mix.

Key players: Not only do Warwickshire have Barnard, but they also have the 2023 leading wicket-taker too in Olly Hannon-Dalby, who took 24 scalps. The issue last year was finding anyone who could back that duo up, but the likes of Will Rhodes, Rob Yates, and spinner Jake Lintott have the talent to impress this year.

Yorkshire Vikings

Captain: Shan Masood
2023 finish: 6th in group
2023 leading run-scorer: Shan Masood (217)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Matthew Revis (10)
Domestic List A titles: 5 (most recent in 2002)
Absentees due to The Hundred: Harry Brook, Adil Rashid (Northern Superchargers), Dawid Malan (Oval Invincibles), Adam Lyth, Joe Root, Jordan Thompson (Trent Rockets), Jonny Bairstow (Welsh Fire)

The big question: Can Yorkshire improve their consistency? Three successive heavy defeats to end the 2023 season derailed any hopes of making the knockout stages. The White Rose will hope to finish more strongly as they bid for a first trophy of any sort in almost a decade.

Key players: Captain Shan Masood is the sort of elder statesman who could reasonably be expected to profit in this competition’s current format, as he did last season. Wicketkeeper Harry Duke, formerly of Essex earlier this year, also maintains a very healthy List A average, while Matt Revis took 10 wickets last year.

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

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am: Essex v Warwickshire – buy here
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 two Women’s London Championship matches during the summer holidays.

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here
 

Wicket-keeper Simon Fernandes has signed a short-term deal with Essex covering the duration of the 2024 Metro Bank One Day Cup.

Fernandes, 24, was born in Colchester, and having been a member of the Essex Pathway since Under-14 level, made his Second XI Championship debut against Hampshire in August 2021.

He has played Second XI cricket on a more regular basis this year, appearing in five Championship and eight T20 matches, totalling 448 runs across both formats.

Of that amount, 227 have come in T20 cricket at an average of 32.43, with the 24-year-old hitting a top score of 92 off 52 balls against Hampshire earlier this month.

In parallel fashion, his top score in red-ball Second XI cricket is also 92 against Hampshire, as part of 221 runs he has hit in the Second XI Championship at an average of 44.20.

Away from Essex sides, Fernandes has represented the First XI of his home town club of Colchester and East Essex since 2017, and played for his alma maters Oundle School and Durham UCCE.

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

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am: Essex v Warwickshire – buy here
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

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here

Hampshire Hawks v Essex

Vitality Blast

Utilita Bowl, Southampton

Friday 19 July, 7:00pm

Team News

Hampshire Hawks: James Vince*, Ben McDermott+, Tom Prest, Joe Weatherley, Toby Albert, Benny Howell, Liam Dawson, Eddie Jack, Chris Wood, Brad Wheal, John Turner.

Essex: Adam Rossington+, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, Simon Harmer*, Luc Benkenstein, Eathan Bosch, Shane Snater, Sam Cook.

Match Details

Umpires: Robert White & Mike Burns
Match Referee: Jason Swift
Scorers: Fiona Newnham & Paul Parkinson
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Hampshire Hawks won by seven runs

Scorecard: View here

Match Highlights

Match Report

Hampshire Hawks fast bowler John Turner’s best T20 figures knocked Essex out of the Vitality Blast.

The Eagles, who were losing finalists in 2023, only needed a point at Utilita Bowl to overtake Gloucestershire into fourth but were undone by Turner’s four for 23.

Ben McDermott’s exquisite 64, together with 41s for James Vince and Tom Prest got Hawks to a defendable 181.

Essex looked out of it at 58 for five but teenagers Luc Benkenstein and Charlie Allison crashed maiden T20 half-centuries in an 86-run stand.

But Turner’s return at the death ended their hopes of a quarter-final place as Hawks secured a fourth win of an otherwise poor competition by seven runs.

Vince and McDermott got Hawks off to a flyer after being stuck in, as the opening partnership finally clicked in 2024 to put on a highest first wicket stand of 97.

Before this innings, Australian McDermott has only scored 173 runs across this season’s Blast but came alive with a mix of the brutal and inventive for a 39 ball fifty – his 10th across three seasons at Hampshire.

Vince fell nine short of following McDermott to the milestone when Benkenstein bowled him, but Tom Prest entered to thump Paul Walter for 18 off an over.

The Hawks were on for 200, but Shane Snater put a spanner in the works with a double wicket over in the 16th – which saw the back of McDermott for 64 and Benny Howell.

Two overs later, Walter ended Prest’s sensational 41 off 21 ball knock before Liam Dawson identically pulled to deep fine leg.

Joe Weatherley and Toby Albert bashed 25 off the final two overs to drag the hosts to 181 for five – a total Essex would have felt comfortable chasing.

However, things never got going, especially when Adam Rossington tickled the first ball of the innings behind before Chris Wood also found Dean Elgar edging to snare two wickets in the first over of the reply.

Wood passed the flame to Turner – who also began with two wickets in an over.

Michael Pepper skied a caught and bowled, Walter pulled to shirt third before Matt Critchley gave Turner figures of three for six after two overs.

A rescue act was needed for Essex, and two 19-year-olds stepped up.

Benkenstein had already almost single-handedly beaten Glamorgan during a collapse earlier in the season but it was Allison who took control.

His whipped six and hammering over long on were the stands out from a 37-ball fifty – his first in T20 having only previously had 50 runs to his name.

Benkenstein also reached his maiden format half-century – four balls quicker than his contemporary – as the partnership extended to 86.

But with 38 required off 18, Benkenstein scooped straight up to end his fun before Turner clean-bowled Harmer for his fourth.

Turner’s penultimate over only went for six, which left 15 needed off the last, which Wood defended brilliantly – despite Allison ending up on a valiant 69.

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

Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am: Essex v Warwickshire – buy here
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

Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here