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Having fallen agonisingly short of dethroning champions Surrey last time out, motivation amongst the Eagles to go one step further will be high heading into the new campaign.

There was significant movement in the Essex camp during the off-season, with Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence leaving, though new faces Dean Elgar and Jordan Cox are ready to step into their shoes.

A trip to Trent Bridge will be an early opportunity for Anthony McGrath’s men to lay down a marker for the season ahead.

Squad

With a fully fit squad to choose from, Head Coach McGrath has named a 14-player squad for the trip to Nottingham, with new signings Elgar and Cox included in a competitive Eagles group for the first time.

The Inside Line: Anthony McGrath

The Opposition

Nottinghamshire finished sixth last season in what was their first campaign back in Division One for four years, having achieved promotion from the second tier in 2022.

They were somewhat inconsistent last season, failing to string together two consecutive wins but also never losing more than two back-to-back games either.

Coached by former England boss Peter Moores, and newly captained by Haseeb Hameed, the Green and Golds have made three key signings in their efforts to kick on in 2024.

Batter Jack Haynes, who is an especially eye-catching addition, and bowlers Josh Tongue and Dillon Pennington all made the move from Worcestershire in the winter.

Haynes is complemented in Notts’ top order by Hameed and Joe Clarke, with the latter having struck more than 1,000 runs in a season for the first time in his career last time out.

Meanwhile, Tongue and Pennington join a seam battery that already features Brett Hutton, the leading red-ball wicket-taker in the country in 2023 with 62 victims, and South African import Dane Paterson.

Nottinghamshire squad: Haseeb Hameed (c), Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Luke Fletcher, Calvin Harrison, Jack Haynes, Brett Hutton, Lyndon James, Matt Montgomery, Tom Moores (wk), Dane Paterson, Dillon Pennington, Toby Pettman, Ben Slater

Last Time We Met

A highly-competitive draw was played out the last time Essex travelled to Trent Bridge for a red-ball match, in May last year.

Having been inserted after losing the toss, the Eagles amassed 298 in their first innings, as Alastair Cook top-scored with 72 and Tom Westley added 66.

The hosts raced into a first-innings lead of 146 thanks to Matthew Montgomery’s 177 as well as fifties from Ben Slater and Joe Clarke, despite three wickets apiece for Sam Cook and Matt Critchley.

Cook and Westley, who were both dismissed in the 90s – the former in particular falling an agonising one run short of a first Trent Bridge ton – battled again in the second dig to halt Notts’ momentum.

By the time the Eagles declared their second innings on 362-8, with a lead of 216, the draw was the likely outcome, and the handshakes came just two hours later, with the hosts on 97-4.

Division One Previews

Click here for Part 1 of a team-by-team preview of each of this year’s Division One contenders, and click here for Part 2.

How To Watch

If you are not travelling to the East Midlands in person, the game will be streamed live on the Trent Bridge Live YouTube channel and available to watch via the Essex Cricket Matchzone.

Daily highlights will be available after each day’s play via the Club website, while live updates will be provided on the Club’s social media channels.

Tickets

A general admission ticket to any of the four days’ play at Trent Bridge entitles you to sit in any available and vacant seat anywhere in the ground, with the exception of Members’ areas.

Essex Members who are making the journey to Trent Bridge will need to buy a ticket, but once in the ground, will be able to join their Nottinghamshire counterparts in the Members-only seats in front of the Pavilion.

Tickets, which are priced at £23 for adults, £18 for seniors and for those aged between 16-21, and £6 for under-16s, can be purchased by visiting the link below:

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

With over 20,000 tickets sold and two Friday night fixtures already packed out, demand is running high, so there’s no time to waste to secure the best seats as the Eagles aim to go one better in 2024.

Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
 

With the 2024 season now just around the corner, the Club assembled a trio of county cricket pundits to give their thoughts on how Essex will perform in this season’s County Championship.

Those who contributed are presenter of BBC Radio Essex’s Around the Wicket Victoria Polley, freelance cricket journalist Ciaran McCarthy, and Aaron Viles of The County Cricket Podcast.

First up, how do you think Essex will perform in 2024?

Victoria Polley: Last season Essex fell at the final hurdle chasing Surrey for the County Championship title but to have kept the title alive going into the last couple of games of the season made for an exciting finish to the summer for county cricket fans in general I think.

But Sir Alastair Cook’s retirement and the departure of Dan Lawrence mean there will be changes to the Essex side for this season and it will be interesting to see how the batting line-up copes with those big losses and how the likes of Dean Elgar and Jordan Cox, who has signed from Kent, fit in. I have high hopes.

Ciaran McCarthy: The elephant in the room, or perhaps no longer in the room, is Dan Lawrence, and his departure for Surrey. It’s a significant one for Essex given he hit more than 800 runs last season. That the side has been gutted of his talent and that of legend Alastair Cook suggests this season will perhaps be a slightly worse one than last.

There is still a lot of talent in the squad, though, and Jordan Cox and Dean Elgar’s additions following the departure of Lawrence and Cook were some of the best that could have been made. Essex should still be in the fight for a top-four spot, but replicating last season’s second-placed finish may be difficult.

Aaron Viles: I fully expect Essex to be right back in the mix yet again. Although the batting line-up might be without the presence of legendary opener Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence, the signings of Dean Elgar and innovative wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox should provide the perfect cover in their absence.

Factor in the sheer strength of the seam attack, spearheaded by the potent new ball pairing of Sam Cook and Jamie Porter, as well as the dynamic spin duo of Simon Harmer and Matt Critchley, and Essex really do have all the makings of being a seriously strong title contender once more.

Who do you think will be Essex’s one to watch?

VP: I would like to see more of batter Feroze Khushi this season, in both red and white ball cricket. The 24 year-old was having a great Blast campaign in 2023 until he suffered a hand injury and having been offered a one year contract extension over the winter, I feel like this has to be his breakthrough season. He already has a County Championship century to his name, he just needs to nail down that permanent spot in the side by consistently scoring runs.

CM: Dean Elgar’s had five years away from county cricket, and it’s difficult to suggest he’s not impressed wherever he’s gone – 185 during South Africa’s demolition of India in a Test in December in case in point. Cook’s are big shoes to fill, but the former Protea should be able to do that just fine.

AV: I’ll go with Chelmsford’s very own Sam Cook. ‘Little Chef’ has a tremendously impressive First-Class record and is one of the most complete red ball bowlers in the country right now, combining a majestic mix of textbook in-swingers, looping out-swingers and wily wobble-seam deliveries to great effect.

How about the Eagles’ leading run-scorer and wicket-taker?

VP: I’d back captain Tom Westley, who finished as fourth highest run scorer in the CC last season, to lead by example again and steady the batting ship as it goes through a transitional period but wouldn’t it be great if overseas signing Dean Elgar came straight in and got to work scoring runs?

There’s one thing that hasn’t changed for Essex and that’s the potent bowling attack and I expect Simon Harmer, Sam Cook and Jamie Porter all to be battling away for the leading wicket-taker title both with Essex and in Division One as a whole once more.

CM: With the bat, it’s difficult to look past Tom Westley following on from a 1,130-run season. With the ball, Sam Cook really showed his quality last season, and he could follow on from a good winter in Johannesburg with some more big poles, though it would be crazy to suggest Simon Harmer won’t be up there.

AV: I’m choosing Tom Westley after he finished with a mightily impressive tally that was bettered only by Lancashire’s Josh Bohannon in Division One. Whilst I also believe that Dean Elgar and Matt Critchley will have notable campaigns with the bat, I just couldn’t look past Westley’s consistency and dependability.

As for the leading wicket taker, I’ll have to go with Simon Harmer. Given the additional usage of the Kookaburra ball in 2024, which should see even more emphasis placed on his bowling, as well as his ability to carve through opposition batting line-ups with clinical ease, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Harmer’s name right up towards the top of the Division One wickets column.

Which Essex youngster are you tipping to break through in 2024?

VP: The One Day Cup side was a very young one last season and that showed in results but it will be good to see more of the likes of Noah Thain, Charlie Allison and Luc Benkenstein, who all featured for England Under 19s at the World Cup this winter.

I think they’re all exciting prospects but Noah Thain in particular has all the attributes to go on to be a great Essex all-rounder. He’s already been compared to Graham Napier quite a lot…which I’m sure he’ll get bored with soon! But what potential to have!

CM: After starring in last season’s One Day Cup, if Charlie Allison is given opportunities in first-class cricket, his talent and style suggests he should be able to make the step up and put together as good a run in red-ball cricket as he did in limited overs last time out.

AV: 19-year-old leg spinner Luc Benkenstein is one of the brightest spin-bowling prospects in the entire country, and I expect to see a lot more of him in an Eagles shirt this year after injury ruled him out of a large chunk of the 2023 season. If you’re a fan of phantom-like drift, mystical wrong ‘uns and troublesome top spinners, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy seeing Benkenstein in action; he really has got a tremendously high ceiling.

Who is your player to watch out for from Division One overall?

VP: I watched James Rew play a really classy knock at Chelmsford last summer and there’s so much more to come from him. I’m looking forward to watching Nathan Lyon v Simon Harmer too this season… let the spin battle commence!

CM: It’s hard to think anywhere beyond Alex Lees, after he was the best batter on the county circuit last season, in a Durham side that have a point to prove this season after returning to the heights of Division One.

AV: With an embarrassment of riches to choose from, I’m going to opt for an all-rounder who probably deserves a little bit more recognition, Warwickshire’s Ed Barnard. I expect him to play an even greater role in the Bears’ red ball side than he has done previously, especially with the bat in hand. I have a feeling that this will be a big year for him in all departments of the game.

Finally, who are your tip to be 2024’s county champions?

VP: Looking at the Surrey squad, it does feel like their County Championship title to lose but Essex ran them close last season and despite the changes in the batting line-up, it has often been the bowling that has seen them over the line before.

I think competing in the top three and settling the batting line-up is the priority but this is an ambitious club and they will be gunning for silverware anywhere possible.

CM: Durham have a genuine chance at going all the way given the wealth of talent in their ranks, but Surrey are a juggernaut, and one that will be seriously hard to contain yet again this season.

AV: Considering the presence of five or six teams that have a legitimate shot of winning the division, this really is anyone’s guess. With this sheer amount of choice in mind, I’ll lean with my heart and go with Warwickshire.

The 2024 season is now beginning to creep ever closer, with less than a week to go until the first balls are bowled up and down the country.

Essex’s match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge is only one of nine games set to take place on the opening weekend, which starts on Friday, 05 April.

Following the Eagles’ opener in the East Midlands, Anthony McGrath’s men return to Chelmsford for their first home fixture against rivals Kent.

Read on for the second half of a team-by-team preview of this year’s Division One candidates, and you can click here for part one.

Nottinghamshire

Captain: Haseeb Hameed
Overseas players: Dane Paterson (South Africa), Will Young (New Zealand)
2023 finish: 6th
2023 leading run-scorer: Joe Clarke (1,053)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Brett Hutton (62)
Championship titles: 6 (most recent in 2010)

 
The big question: After a season of consolidation in 2023, can Nottinghamshire kick on? Promoted in 2022, the Green and Golds were somewhat inconsistent in their first season back in Division One, and may have been sweating at one point after going on a run of just one win in eight. They did, though, ultimately secure a mid-table finish, and the challenge now will be to ensure a squad with some eye-catching recruits can improve upon that.

Key players: Seamer Brett Hutton was the leading wicket-taker in red-ball cricket in the country last summer, claiming 62 victims, while South African Dane Paterson picked up 50 scalps for the third season in a row. More players will have to step up with the bat to push Nottinghamshire on from sixth place, but the likes of new red-ball captain Haseeb Hameed and Joe Clarke, who struck 1,000 runs in a season for the first time in his career in 2023, certainly have the ability to do so.

Wildcard watch: All-rounder Tom Loten has yet to play a first-class match for the Green and Golds since moving from Yorkshire last winter, but he shone in the Second XI Championship, hitting 638 runs at an average of 42.53 to finish fifth in the overall rankings. Seamer James Hayes, who is still only 22, picked up 26 wickets at 28.30 in the same competition and is also one to watch out for.

Final thought: Given their winter signings of batter Jack Haynes and seamers Josh Tongue and Dillon Pennington, Nottinghamshire’s squad is extremely talented. A strong season would see them pushing for the top three, but on the flip side, a poor campaign could have them in relegation trouble. The key to being closer to the former will lie with being more consistent.

Somerset

Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas player: Matt Renshaw (Australia)
2023 finish: 7th
2023 leading run-scorer: James Rew (1,086)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Lewis Gregory (34)
Championship titles: 0

 
The big question: How will Somerset fare under the command of a new captain? Tom Abell, a man widely admired across the circuit for his leadership abilities, stepped down from the role over the winter to be replaced by T20 skipper Lewis Gregory. Having led the Taunton outfit to their second Vitality Blast title last season, the onus will now be on Gregory to improve on a disappointing seventh-place finish in the red-ball arena.

Key players: James Rew burst onto the scene last summer, hitting 1,086 runs at an average of 57.15, including five centuries. An extremely talented operator with both bat and wicketkeeping gloves, the 20-year-old left-hander is justifiably touted across the board as having a very bright future. Meanwhile, Craig Overton and new captain Gregory remain serious bowling threats, with the latter in particular having impressed in 2023, taking 34 wickets at a miserly 21.55 apiece.

Wildcard watch: In the absence of Rew, who can hardly be considered a wildcard any more given his breakout 2023 campaign that turned him into a lynchpin. However, another worth keeping an eye on is 23-year-old all-rounder Kasey Aldridge, who has both a five-wicket haul and an unbeaten century to his name. Last season, he struck 451 runs at 41.00, and was included in the England Lions squad to tour India this winter.

Final thought: The major aim for Somerset will be to start the season better than they managed in 2023, when it took until their sixth game to secure their first win. How quickly the new captain beds in could be crucial in determining if they will get that stronger start. In Gregory, though, they have selected a skipper with proven winning experience, and with Abell still in the side to impart wisdom if needed, the transition should be smooth, and hopes of a better season feel justified.

Surrey

Captain: Rory Burns
Overseas player(s): Kemar Roach (West Indies), Sean Abbott (Australia)
2023 finish: 1st
2023 leading run-scorer: Dom Sibley (746)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Jordan Clark & Daniel Worrall (48 each)
Championship titles: 22 (most recent in 2023)

 
The big question: Can Surrey become the first county in more than 50 years to win three back-to-back titles? Despite being pushed all the way by Essex, the all-conquering Brown Caps finished 20 points clear at the top of the tree to lift their second successive title. They head into 2024 as the favourites to be the first team to seal a hat-trick of titles since Yorkshire achieved the feat between 1966 and 1968.

Key players: Openers Dom Sibley and Rory Burns represented England’s exact new-ball pair for 15 Test matches and combined for 1,377 runs last summer, with Ben Foakes adding 716 more. The bowling workload was similarly shared around evenly, and both Jordan Clark and Daniel Worrall, who claimed 48 wickets apiece to lead the way in those charts, will hope to break the 50-scalp barrier in 2024.

Wildcard watch: Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, who hit his 736 runs at an average of 40.88, is very much one for England’s future, but for now is a mainstay of the Surrey side. When it comes to a wildcard for the Brown Caps, though, it is another wicketkeeper who is worth watching, in Josh Blake. The 25-year-old led the way in the entire 2023 Second XI Championship run-scoring charts with 729, and numbers like that will do his efforts to finally make his first-class debut no harm whatsoever.

Final thought: What was instrumental to Surrey’s success last year was the fact that every player contributed in one form or another. Lower-order partnerships with the bat helped them pick up vital bonus points and extend innings to score crucial runs. That bodes exceptionally well heading into 2024, with no one player having to bear the mental weight of expectation with either bat or ball. It feels difficult to see past the Three Feathers making it three in a row.

Warwickshire

Captain: Alex Davies
Overseas player: Hasan Ali (Pakistan)
2023 finish: 4th
2023 leading run-scorer: Sam Hain (706)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Oliver Hannon-Dalby (54)
Championship titles: 8 (most recent in 2021)

 
The big question: Will new captain Alex Davies be able to steer Warwickshire into Division One’s top three? The Bears were ‘best of the rest’ in 2023 after finishing fourth, 13 and 17 points behind Surrey-chasers Hampshire and Essex, respectively. It was a huge improvement on the relegation battle of 2022 that saw them dramatically stay up on the last day, but a tendency to fall to too many heavy defeats derailed any possibility of establishing themselves amongst the title contenders.

Key players: Sam Hain displayed his consistent class again in 2023 by scoring over 700 runs at an average of 47.06. Solihull-born Rob Yates is another talented operator with the bat, and should improve upon his 2023 return of 583 at 34.29. With the ball, it is hard to look beyond veteran seamer Chris Rushworth, who moved to Edgbaston ahead of the 2023 campaign after 12 consecutive seasons with Durham, and marked his first summer in a Bears shirt by taking 53 wickets at 20.26.

Wildcard watch: Batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell was born in Barbados but first came to the attention of Warwickshire when he accepted a scholarship at Rugby School. He played four Championship games last summer to add to the five appearances he already had under his belt, and has a first-class top score of 61. Bethell is well thought of both domestically and at international level, having played a key role in England’s run to the Under-19 World Cup final in 2022.

Final thought: Two of Warwickshire’s losses in 2023 came by nine wickets, another by an innings and 97 runs, and the final one by eight wickets. That affliction of rolling over with the bat hit them once too often, and cost the Bears dearly when it came to chasing a place in the top three. Solving that issue will be high on the agenda for new captain Alex Davies, but with the talent in their squad, there is no reason to think the Edgbaston outfit cannot crack the top three if they do make progress in that area.

Worcestershire

Captain: Joe Leach
Overseas players: Nathan Smith (New Zealand)
2023 finish: 2nd in Division Two (promoted)
2023 leading run-scorer: Jake Libby (1,153)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Joe Leach (48)
Championship titles: 5 (most recent in 1989)

 
The big question: Can promoted Worcestershire defy the odds and stay in Division One? In beating Sussex and Leicestershire to the runners-up spot, the Pears made sure of a return to the top flight for the first time since 2018. It was driven by their bowling attack, as they still managed to secure promotion despite recording the lowest number of batting bonus points. The battle for the New Road side now will be to make sure they don’t make an immediate return to Division Two.

Key players: Jake Libby has been one of the circuit’s most consistent openers in recent years, and last season struck 1,153 runs at 57.65, marking the second time in the last three seasons he has hit four figures. The Pears were reliant on him, with no other batter averaging above 37, but Brett D’Oliveira at least enjoyed some success with a return of 661, including four half-centuries. Captain Joe Leach – who is also handy with the willow – leads the bowling attack, and claimed 48 wickets last summer.

Wildcard watch: Worcestershire’s pathway has often been widely praised for its consistent ability to produce talented players, and one of the brightest prospects at the moment is Rehaan Edavalath. The 20-year-old had a sterling season in the Second XI Championship last summer, hitting 544 runs in 15 innings, including a mammoth unbeaten 169* away to Somerset. He also made his first-class debut at home to Derbyshire, and should be in line for further recognition in 2024.

Final thought: Remaining in Division One is going to be tricky on paper for Worcestershire, but if there is one thing the Pears have demonstrated over recent seasons, it is that they love to upset the odds. Alan Richardson’s men were undefeated at New Road last summer, in fact losing just two of their last 14 games at home, and they will be relishing the opportunity to cause some surprises against the big beasts of the top flight.
 

This is the fifth part of a series, with a look back at a memorable game from the past against each of Essex’s 2024 home Vitality Blast opponents. This latest instalment looks back to a dramatic win against Hampshire on the south coast from 2016.

Essex (153-6) beat Hampshire (150-7) by three runs
The Rose Bowl, 08 July 2016

Scorecard: View Here

The news that a Pakistani-born all-rounder had dominated a match in which Shahid Afridi was playing would lead to many naturally assuming a link between the two.

However, on the occasion of Essex squeaking out a nail-biting win away to Hampshire in July 2016, it wasn’t ‘Boom Boom’ who stood out in Hampshire yellow, but in fact Ashar Zaidi for the visitors.

Zaidi, who was born in Karachi but qualified as a local player during the three seasons he spent with Essex, glued the Eagles’ innings together with 47 off 43, before taking 2/16 from four overs with the ball.

He was supported while batting by Tom Westley, who hit a swift 18-ball 33, and then in the visitors’ defence of their total by Matt Quinn, who also took two wickets, including the huge scalp of Afridi.

 
In the early stages of the contest, observers could have been forgiven for assuming they were about to see Essex, who had won the toss and opted to bat, hit a far bigger total than they eventually posted.

Overcoming the early loss of Kishen Velani, Westley and Jesse Ryder took the attack to the Hampshire bowlers in the powerplay, striking a combined ten fours in the opening six overs to reach 67-1.

It was the introduction of Liam Dawson at that point, however, that derailed things somewhat, as both fell to the spinner and the Eagles were only able to add a further 16 before the halfway point.

Zaidi, who had been brought to the crease after the departure of Ryder, grafted away against Dawson and fellow spinners Afridi and Brad Taylor alongside Ravi Bopara, adding 49 for the fourth wicket.

 
Those runs came off 48 balls, reflecting the pressure being applied by the home twirlers, though Zaidi did free his arms to smash Taylor for the innings’ sole six midway through the 16th over.

He followed it up by hitting Gareth Andrew for Essex’s final boundary 15 balls later after Bopara had fallen to Afridi for 17, though he fell short of posting 50 when he was run out in Andrew’s final over.

That 20th over totalled nine balls after Andrew sent down three wides, which was enough to push Essex past 150 and give them something defendable, especially with the pitch behaving in the way it had.

In fact, what no-one knew at half-time was that those three final-over extras would prove to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the contest.

Not that that was even being thought about as the hosts began their chase, and Michael Carberry ensured it kicked off in similar fashion to how Essex had set out, hitting 24 off 18 up front.

 
That, alongside the eternally classy James Vince amassing a similarly-paced 23, helped Hampshire into the driving seat at the end of the powerplay at 52-2, needing another 102 to win.

However, just as Essex had found out, the end of the fielding restrictions brought about a slowdown in the scoring, with Vince and Sean Ervine only able to add another 25 in the ensuing four overs.

Within those four overs was the introduction of Zaidi to the bowling attack too, and he continued his impressive individual night with the scalp of Dawson, caught by Bopara in the covers for eight.

At the halfway point, Vince had 34 of Hampshire’s total of 77-3, which was exactly level with the required rate and the first sign that a very tense finish might be on the cards.

 
The home skipper looked to dispel that notion with a 16-run over off Quinn to push his side beyond the required rate, and posted his fifty in 37 balls with a single off Zaidi at the start of the 13th over.

Two wickets in 13 balls, one of which was the dangerous Afridi miscuing back to Quinn off his own bowling to cue a wild celebration, brought the match back into the balance.

When Graham Napier then uprooted Vince’s middle stump for 62, things were tense with Hampshire requiring another 31 from 22 with four wickets in hand.

Taylor and Lewis McManus combined for three boundaries and a total of 23 runs over the next 16 deliveries to ratchet up the tension, with McManus in particular looking rather free-flowing.

 
Two of those boundaries, one of which was Hampshire’s only maximum, came off the bat of McManus in successive Napier deliveries during the penultimate over.

That left Bopara with seven runs to defend from the final set of six balls, but it was from the second delivery that he struck a hammer blow to Hampshire’s chances by removing McManus for 18.

The England all-rounder then impressively held his nerve to concede just three more runs, including a final two dot balls sent down to Andrew, sealing a win that handed Essex a priceless two points.

Ultimately, the Eagles ended up sneaking into the knockout stages by a single point ahead of Surrey, underlining the old adage that every game really does count.

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

With demand running high across the board for this year’s competition, there’s no time to waste to secure the best seats as the Eagles square up to last year’s vanquished semi-final opponents.

Click below to buy your Hampshire general admission tickets now:

Essex’s Vitality Blast fixture against Somerset has become the second T20 of 2024 to sell out, two weeks after the sell out of the clash with Sussex Sharks.

Tickets were in high demand for the fixture, which is a re-run of the 2023 Vitality Blast Final, as Essex seek to get the better of Somerset in a head-to-head between two heavyweights of domestic T20 cricket.

If your heart is set on watching the rematch of last year’s final between Essex and Somerset, you can join the waiting list to ensure that you’re first to be notified if seats become available.

With two Friday night Vitality Blast fixtures at The Cloud County Ground already sold out, the only remaining Friday night with availability is Essex’s fixture against Glamorgan on 07 June.

There is limited allocated seating available for the Glamorgan fixture with pairs of seats free in Tom Pearce and Felsted School Stands. Larger groups can still book in the unallocated Eagles Area and take advantage of the cheapest tickets in the ground at just £25 with the added benefit of on-pitch seating bringing you closer to the action.

To join the waiting list for the Somerset fixture, just let our Ticketing Team know your name, phone number, customer number and how many tickets you want.

Hospitality: Unforgettable matchdays

While tickets for the Somerset fixture have sold out, there is still limited hospitality remaining, and what better way to watch the re-run of last year’s Final than from the best seats in the house?

  Hospitality at Essex Cricket is powered by Seat Unique

Vitality Blast Matchday Availability

The Vitality Blast may still be two and a half months away, but tickets at The Cloud County Ground are selling fast and those who want to experience the magic of the Blast at Chelmsford will need to book soon to secure their seats.

With two games now sold out and a number of others with increasingly limited availability, take a look at the fixtures below and book your ticket for a summer of cricket.

This is the seventh and final part of a series, with a look back at a memorable game from the past against each of Essex’s 2024 home Vitality Blast opponents. This last instalment recalls an unbelievable batting display against Surrey in 2019.
 
Essex (226-4) beat Surrey (174-7) by 52 runs
Chelmsford County Ground, 19 July 2019
 
Scorecard: View Here
 
Highlights:

When the scorecard reads that all but one member of the opposition bowling attack conceded respective economy rates of at least 12.6, it becomes very clear that something special unfolded.

Records aplenty were rewritten on a barely believable evening in Chelmsford in July 2019, when Cameron Delport, making his home debut for Essex, pummelled a colossal 129 from just 49 balls.

The South African’s century, which arrived in 38 deliveries, remains the fastest ever by an Essex player in T20 cricket, and his stunning innings was ably backed up by Dan Lawrence, who hit 57 from just 22.

Lawrence’s knock was also a record, with his half-century coming off just 17 balls to represent the fastest Eagles fifty in the format, as the hosts racked up an enormous score.

 
What made the final score of 226-4 all the more remarkable was that it came in just 15 overs, with the match initially having been delayed due to a passing shower.

Thankfully, play was able to begin after a mopping-up operation with a quarter of the scheduled overs lost, and having won the toss, Surrey captain Jade Dernbach asked Essex to bat first.

It was an understandable decision given the venue and the favourability given to the chasing team in a reduced-overs encounter, but a little over an hour later, it had backfired on Dernbach horribly.

The initial stages gave no clue of what was about to happen, though, with Essex moving to an unremarkable 23-1 after three overs, but it was then that Delport took matters into his own hands.

 
He cracked 14 off five balls of Sam Curran’s second over, but that was only the warm-up for what followed against his brother Tom, as Delport struck three sixes in a row to take 26 off his next five.

Two more just prior to Tom Westley falling in the sixth over brought up his fifty in just 19 deliveries, and he continued to pepper the crowd with maximums in each of the next four overs.

That included two in three balls off Imran Tahir and three more in four against Gareth Batty, before he brought up his ton in just about the only way he knew how, with his 11th six of the night off Tom Curran.

Amid that carnage, Lawrence was wreaking havoc of his own, lofting Tahir for three more consecutive sixes and taking 24 off the South African spinner’s second over to send Essex flying past 170.

 
Having added a scarcely-believable 135 for the fourth wicket in just seven overs, a stand that included 19 boundaries, the duo were finally parted when Delport’s fireworks ended in the last over.

That partnership had taken Essex comfortably beyond 200, a landmark which naturally had been brought up by Delport striking Tom Curran for another six.

As he strode off with his bat aloft, the innings’ magnitude was sinking in: Delport’s knock was, and remains, the second-highest individual Essex T20 score, behind only Graham Napier’s legendary 152*.

There was little time remaining for new man Ravi Bopara to have much of an impact, though he and Lawrence put the cherry on top of the innings in the final four balls to cap off an unforgettable display.

 
The total now sits fifth on the all-time list, but then, it represented the second-highest T20 score by Essex, and the Surrey dressing room was especially sombre at half-time.

If they were to achieve an even more remarkable feat of overhauling the target they had just been set, they would need a fast start, but just to introduce a few nerves, that is exactly what they got.

Will Jacks struck four fours off the first four balls, and followed it up with back-to-back sixes in the second over to put himself on 29 off just seven and give Surrey a start of 31-0 in just 1.2 overs.

However, it was at that point that Essex struck back, as the second half of a remarkable second over, bowled by Matt Quinn, reduced them to 32-3.

 
Jacks was first to go, skying to Ravi Bopara in the covers the ball after his second successive maximum, before Sam Curran and Ben Foakes were both caught to depart for first-ball ducks.

Adam Zampa then followed up with a wicket maiden to Rikki Clarke, bowling five successive dot balls before the veteran miscued to Tom Westley to also go without troubling the scorers.

Amidst Aaron Finch’s efforts to at least give Surrey some pride, with the Australian hoisting his compatriot Zampa for consecutive boundaries, Tom Curran fell too, caught off Shane Snater for four.

That left the visitors reeling at 57-5, and the Chelmsford crowd hit new decibel levels when Bopara snuck one past a driving Finch to bowl him for 40.

 
Jordan Clark, now with Rory Burns for company, aimed to take up the mantle and struck Bopara for back-to-back sixes just after the halfway point to push Surrey into three figures.

However, a relatively tight next six overs, which saw just one boundary per over and a total of 60 runs – fast without perspective, but in context of this game, somewhat slow – decisively settled the match.

In all, Burns and Clark added 79 off 43 balls, but the contest was long gone by the time Snater parted them with the second ball of the final over, seeing Westley snaffle Clark for 45.

Victory was formally secured four balls later, with Essex taking a massive net run rate swing and a pair of points that proved vital in their sneaking through to the last eight in fourth place.

As far as Essex fans are aware, there wasn’t anything particularly special about what followed in the knockout stages and at Finals Day…

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

Fresh from squeaking out the most dramatic of wins over Surrey in the Blast group stage last summer, Essex take on the Brown Caps again at The Cloud County Ground on Sunday 14 July.

With demand running high across the board for this year’s competition, there’s no time to waste to secure the best seats as the Eagles square up to their London rivals.

Click below to buy your Surrey general admission tickets now:

Essex’s Paul Walter, Jordan Cox, and Catherine Dalton have all qualified with their respective teams to the playoffs of the ongoing Pakistan Super League.

Walter’s Peshawar Zalmi currently sit atop the six-team league with 13 points and have guaranteed their place in the Qualifier.

They could, however, still be overhauled by Multan Sultans, whose fast bowlers are being coached by Dalton and have one league game left to play, against Quetta Gladiators today from 4:00pm GMT.

Should the Sultans win that game, they will ensure a first-place finish and set up a Qualifier clash with the Zalmi on Thursday.

However, a loss would see them slip to third, in turn teeing up an Eliminator meeting on Friday with Cox’s Islamabad United, who are in the Eliminator whatever happens.

United have also played all ten of their league matches and currently sit third, a position they will retain if the Sultans see off the Gladiators.

If Quetta win, though, it will mean a fourth-placed finish for United and in turn, an Eliminator fixture against Dalton’s Sultans.

The winner of the Qualifier will progress straight to the Final, which is set to take place in Karachi on Monday, 18 March.

Meanwhile, the Qualifier’s loser will face the winner of the Eliminator in a last-chance game, from which the winner will then become the second team in the Final.

Click here for the full results, fixtures, and statistics from this year’s PSL.

The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground

Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex are back in shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.

With over 20,000 tickets sold and one Friday night fixture already packed out, demand is running high, so there’s no time to waste to secure the best seats as the Eagles aim to go one better in 2024.

Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
 

As part of Essex Cricket’s continued efforts to champion women and girls in the sport, the Club have proudly entered into a partnership with anti-sexism campaign organisation Her Game Too.

The campaign was originally founded by 12 female football fans in May 2021, before branching into cricket a year later, with the message that sexism cannot, and will not, be tolerated within the sport.

Her Game Too aims to tackle sexism in cricket, promote inclusion, and encourage women and girls to participate in any capacity, with the target of promoting the message that cricket is Her Game Too.

The organisation also uses their own channels to champion women and girls within the sport, highlighting achievements and encouraging people to get involved themselves.

Within the partnership, the Club is committed to working with the campaign to achieve the mutual aims of increasing women and girls’ participation and championing female role models.

The partnership will also extend to the local community, with an aim of tying it into the work already being done to promote women’s safety and encourage the growth of women’s recreational cricket.

John Stephenson, Chief Executive at Essex Cricket, said: “We are very proud as a club to partner with a trailblazing organisation like Her Game Too.

“The women’s game in England has grown exponentially over the last few years, and we remain committed to ensuring that continues as we move forward.

“This partnership underlines our continued dedication to promoting, growing, and championing women and girls’ cricket, and we are excited about the future with it in place.”

Paige Caunce, Director of Cricket, and Lucy Ford, Director and Co-Founder for Her Game Too, added: “Her Game Too Cricket are delighted to be partnering with Essex County Cricket Club.

“As the game moves towards a more inclusive future, it is important for the cricketing community; from fans and volunteers to players and counties, to come together.

 
“In partnering with Essex CCC, this marks a huge moment for Her Game Too Cricket as we continue to foster alliances with clubs across the game and strive to make cricket a safer and more welcoming environment for all.

“The county has been doing incredible work within the community to encourage women and girls to get involved in cricket and recognising the importance of creating a safe environment for them at Chelmsford.

“Together, we hope we can build on that work and elevate the game even further. We want to thank the Club for their ongoing support, and we are excited to begin working together, sharing Her Game Too Cricket’s message that cricket is for all.”

Essex Cricket have a dedicated system in place for reporting any incidences of discrimination. If you experience sexism/misogyny anywhere within the county, Essex Cricket has a confidential email address – [email protected] – for reporting discriminatory instances.

Alternatively, if you would like to register your concerns anonymously, the Club has an anonymous reporting facility. You can also report discrimination, including sexism/misogyny, via a form on the Club’s website or through the ECB’s reporting channel.

Click here for more information on Her Game Too Cricket

Women’s cricket at The Cloud County Ground in 2024

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Essex Cricket are running a not-to-be-missed offer on women’s cricket in Chelmsford this summer.

The first 500 people who purchase a ticket today for the England v Pakistan ODI on 29 May will be able to claim free tickets to every other day of women’s cricket at The Cloud County Ground in 2024, of which there are eight.

Take advantage of this offer by securing your seats for what promises to be a thrilling ODI between Heather Knight’s Three Lions and Nida Dar’s Women in Green:

Essex’s fixture against Sussex Sharks becomes the first T20 in the country to sell out in 2024!

Even though it’s only February and the rain’s still coming down, Essex’s Vitality Blast fixture against Sussex Sharks has already sold out of public match tickets and hospitality, becoming the first Vitality Blast fixture nationwide to sell out in 2024.

Thank you to all of the Eagles supporters who have come out in force and in doing so are ensuring that yet again Essex receives the best home support in the country in 2024.

There is still limited availability for Essex’s remaining T20 fixtures, but if you want to be the first to know if extra tickets are released for the Sussex match then you can join our waiting lists for match tickets and hospitality.

The best chance of securing tickets as a group for the remaining Friday fixtures against Glamorgan (07 June) and Somerset (05 July) is to buy in the Eagles Area, our on-pitch unallocated seating area. These are also the most affordable tickets, at £25 for adults and £10 for juniors.

There are 150 seats left in the Eagles Area for the Glamorgan fixture and just 50 remaining for Somerset. Alternatively, there are still a handful of allocated single seats available if you act fast.

To join the waiting list for the Sussex Sharks fixture, just let our team know your name, phone number, customer number (tickets only) and number of places you want to book.

Tickets waiting list | Hospitality waiting list

Hospitality: More than just a matchday

There have been plenty of unforgettable T20s at Chelmsford over the years but as is the way with sport, you never know what’s going to happen. With hospitality, you can take what happens on the pitch out of the equation and ensure a memorable matchday experience no matter the outcome.

Our hospitality packages start from £120 per person and include specially tailored menus for each fixture, private seating areas and the best views in the ground.

There is limited availability for the remaining Thursday and Friday night fixtures, so make sure to book soon to avoid missing out.

  Hospitality at Essex Cricket is powered by Seat Unique

More Friday night cricket at The Cloud County Ground in 2024

That’s not all for Friday night T20 cricket at The Cloud County Ground in 2024 with both Middlesex and the Sunrisers playing at the ground this season.

Middlesex begin their Vitality Blast campaign in Chelmsford against Kent Spitfires on Friday 31 May. Tickets for this fixture are £25 for adults and £10 for juniors.

A week earlier, Sunrisers – boosted by the signing of Dané van Niekerk – will play Southern Vipers in a floodlit match at Chelmsford. Tickets for this fixture are £10 for adults and £5 for juniors.

Click here to purchase Middlesex tickets…

Click here to purchase Sunrisers tickets…