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The Eagles have added Overseas batter Grant Roelofsen to the squad for the Royal London Cup.

The 26-year-old, who represents the Dolphins in his native South Africa, has been playing club cricket for Billericay and has made three appearances for the Essex Second XI Team.

Roelofsen has an excellent record in all three formats of the game, averaging over 40 in first-class cricket and 35.56 in T20, but it’s in List A cricket where he boasts his best record, averaging 42.94 in his 38 appearances with a best of 147*.

After representing South Africa Schools XI and then South-Africa Under-19s, his domestic record has seen him talked about as a future South Africa player.

Since joining Billericay at the start of the 2022 season he has dominated, scoring 1553 runs in 17 games at an average of 103.53 with five 100s and eight 50s and is the leading run-scorer in the Essex League.

His three appearances for Essex Second XI came in the Second XI Championship where he made 364 runs in 6 innings at an average of 60.67 and impressed the Essex coaches.

Educated at the prestigious King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, Roelofsen joins a long list of sporting alumni which includes current CSA Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith, former South Africa batter Neil McKenzie and rugby and golfing legends, Bryan Habana and Gary Player.

Identified as a talent at a young age, he represented South African Schools as a 17-year-old, playing alongside Kagiso Rabada after a series of strong performances for Gauteng Under-19s.

Roelofsen went on to make his debut for South Africa Under-19s against England Under-19s at Fenner’s in Cambridge. He achieved immediate success, scoring 149 in the first innings against a bowling attack including Matt Fisher and Luke Wood.

His maiden first-class appearance came in 2016 for Gauteng against his current side KwaZulu-Natal Coastal and after top-scoring in the first innings with 51, he has been a staple of domestic cricket in South Africa since.

In the 2019/20 season, he was the leading run-scorer in the Momentum One Day Cup and won the CSA Momentum One Day Cup Player of the Year as well as the CSA Domestic Players’ Player of the Year and Dolphins Player of the Season.

On signing for the Eagles, Roelofsen said: “It has been a whirlwind 48 hours, but as soon as I found out there was a chance to represent Essex in the Royal London Cup I was desperate to grab that opportunity.

“Having played with a few of the guys in the Second XI in the past month I know they’re a great bunch and I hope that I can contribute towards a strong campaign.”

Head Coach, Anthony McGrath added: “Grant’s a player who has been on our radar for a while and his track record speaks for itself.

“Everyone is trying to manage depleted squads as best they can so to be able to add a player of his quality into the batting line-up is a massive coup for us.”

Simon Harmer has been named as one of the four men’s domestic players have been announced with voting now open for the PCA’s Player of the Month award for July.

Harmer is joined by Glamorgan’s Sam Northeast, Leicestershire’s Colin Ackermann and Gloucestershire’s Zafar Gohar after topping the Men’s rankings for their performances in July. Western Storm’s Sophie Luff, Sunrisers’ Grace Scrivens, Southern Vipers’ Georgia Elwiss and Central Sparks’ Eve Jones have been nominated for the Women’s award.

The players are selected by the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings, which picks out the game’s top performers across each competition, as well as a month-by-month table and overall rankings. The MVP takes into account batting, bowling and fielding contributions as well as match-defining contributions using a unique algorithm developed with CricViz.

The PCA Player of the Month is decided by public vote on thepca.co.uk – with the poll closing on Wednesday 3 August at 11am.

Vote for the PCA Player of the Month across the men’s and women’s games here.

Men’s Player of the Month

Below is a breakdown of the achievements of the top four men’s players in the table for the month of July:

• Simon Harmer (Essex)
Sitting just two points behind the leader, Harmer continued his fantastic summer taking another 19 wickets in the County Championship and five in the Vitality Blast giving him an average of 21.1 for July.

The 33-year-old won the Match MVP award against Gloucestershire taking a five-fer in both innings and ending the game with incredible figures of 13/156 including 8/112 in the second innings, earning him 58 points.

The Essex spinner also showed his capabilities with the bat scoring 50 and 38* against Surrey alongside taking four wickets.

• Sam Northeast (Glamorgan)
With an incredible 701 runs and two hundreds from just five innings in July, it’s no surprise that Northeast leads the MVP Rankings for the month.

Clearly, the standout performance from July was Northeast’s incredible 410* off 450 balls against Leicestershire which earnt him the Match MVP award and 67 points.

The 32-year-old scored 571 runs in the LV= Insurance County Championship and 130 runs in the Vitality Blast and was only out twice giving him an incredible average of 350.5.

Northeast picked up another Match MVP award in the Vitality Blast against Essex scoring 97* with a strike rate of 173 including 10 fours and four sixes.

• Colin Ackermann (Leicestershire)
In third place with 133 MVP points is Leicestershire’s Colin Ackermann. He scored 461 runs across both First-Class and T20 cricket during July giving him an average of 153.7. He also took six wickets at 35.8.

Ackermann won three Match MVP awards in the month, the most impressive of which coming against Sussex where he earnt 51 points for scoring a brilliant 277*.

He also picked up two Match MVP awards in the Vitality Blast scoring 72* and taking 2/21 against Yorkshire and scoring 85 with a strike rate of 193.2 against Northamptonshire.

• Zafar Gohar (Gloucestershire)
Completing an impressive top four is Gloucestershire’s Zafar Gohar with 127 points thanks to three First-Class five-fers.

He also scored 169 runs at an average of 33.8, whilst taking 17 wickets at 24.8 with the ball.

Gohar won the Match MVP award against Northamptonshire taking fantastic match figures of 10/196 and scoring 57 with the bat.

Women’s Player of the Month

Sunrisers’ Grace Scrivens is also in contention for the women’s PCA Player of the Month award.

• Sophie Luff (Western Storm)
Leading the way in the Women’s rankings with 70 MVP points is the Western Storm skipper Sophie Luff.

Scoring 251 runs at an average of 83.6 it’s easy to see why she tops the rankings. Luff won two Match MVP awards, the first against Sunrisers where she scored 100* and earnt 32 MVP points and the second coming against South East Stars for scoring 95.

• Grace Scrivens (Sunrisers)
Just one point behind the leader is Sunrisers’ Grace Scrivens. With an impressive 182 runs at an average of 45.5 and 10 wickets at a fantastic average of 12.3, Scrivens had a month to remember as she moved to the top of the Overall Domestic Women’s MVP.

The 18-year-old won the Match MVP award against South East Stars scoring a run a ball 74 and taking 4/42 from her 10 overs earning her 30 points. She also scored 69 against Storm and took 4/20 against Diamonds.

• Georgia Elwiss (Southern Vipers)
In third spot with 58 points is Southern Vipers’ Georgia Elwiss, thanks to scoring 121 runs at an average of 40.3 and taking four wickets at an average of 32.

She won the Match MVP award against South East Stars scoring a run a ball 115 which included nine fours and a six and earnt her 42 MVP points.

• Eve Jones (Central Sparks)
In the top four for the second month in a row, Jones scored 200 runs with an impressive average of 50 earning her 55 points on the rankings.

The left-hander picked up two Match MVP awards in July, the first coming against Northern Diamonds for scoring 91 and earning 20 points and the second against Southern Vipers scoring 39 runs in a low-scoring game.

Cambridgeshire v Essex Eagles

National Counties Showcase Match

Saffron Walden Cricket Club, Sunday 31 July

Team News:

Essex Eagles: Josh Rymell, Feroze Khushi, Tom Westley (c), Robin Das, Will Buttleman (wk), Aaron Beard, Aron Nijjar, Luc Benkenstein, Jamal Richards, Jamie Porter, Charlie Allison.

Cambridgeshire: Ben Seabrook, Jack Potticary (wk), Nikhil Gorantla, Noah Thain, Lee Thomason, Wayne White, Ben Clilverd, Mohammed Danyaal, Mark Smith, Alex Hancock, Josh Porter.

Match Details:

Umpires: Ben Debenham & James Tredwell
Toss: Essex, who elected to bat
Result:

Scorecard: View Here

Match Report:

The build-up to the Royal London Cup included the return of this year’s National Counties fixture with the Essex Eagles taking on Cambridgeshire at an overcast Saffron Walden Cricket Club.

There was a good crowd at the Anglo American Playing Fields to watch the showcase match and it was Essex Eagles who were tasked with setting a score after Tom Westley won the toss and elected to bat.

Feroze Khushi and Josh Rymell opened the batting and they got the innings off to a good start with positive intent to race the score to 34-0 after just four overs.

The Academy pair continued to pile the pressure onto the Cambridgeshire bowlers with a partnership of 68, before Khushi was the first batter to depart. He was out lbw to Ben Clilverd and next in was the skipper, Tom Westley.

Westley brought his vast experience to the partnership and the batters continued to rotate the strike to put on a highest partnership of the innings with 74 off just 79 balls. It was Westley who was next to go after being superbly caught on the long-off boundary by former Derbyshire and Leicestershire player, Wayne White. His impressive 47 off 45 helped to keep the run rate to almost 9 runs an over after 23 overs.

Westley’s partner, Josh Rymell was to go soon after and just one run shy of his half century. This gave Josh Porter his second wicket in the over with the score 143-3.

Three wickets was soon four as new batter, Will Buttleman was caught on the boundary sweeping off his first delivery.

Aaron Beard was next in to join Robin Das and he continued the attack, hitting the first maximum of the match off his fourth ball faced.

Das was the next Eagles player to head back to the Pavilion as he slipped when attempting a second run and was subsequently run out for 10.

Aaron Beard’s innings ended five balls later with 26 off 17 balls. After Nijjar was out 13, Luc Benkenstein and Jamal Richards looked to steady the innings and build a partnership in the back end of the innings with 16 overs remaining. Their 50-run partnership came to end when Benkenstein was caught by Essex Academy and Cambridgeshire player, Noah Thain from the bowling of Mohammed Danyaal (2/56).

From then on it was down to Jamal Richards alongside, Jamie Porter (7) and Charlie Allison (brother of Essex’s Ben Allison) to continue building pushing up the runs total. The Eagles’ finished on 288 after Allison (3) was caught and bowled by Mark Smith, leaving Jamal Richards on 44 not out, which included five 4s and one 6.

In reply, Ben Seabrook and Jack Potticary started the Cambridgeshire run chase. The pair came up against an Essex attack of Porter and Beard and started relatively slow in comparison to their counterparts.

It was Beard who took the first Cambridgeshire wicket in the 8th over as Potticary was caught at cover by Josh Rymell for 6. Essex Academy player, Nikhil Gorantla was the new batter for the hosts and joined Seabrook in the middle. The pair struck 10 runs in the 10th over before Gorantla was out to Richards for 11.

Seabrook continued to build a fine innings, hitting Richards for 16 runs in the 18th, which included a 6 and two 4s. After Thain was Aron Nijjar’s first victim of the match, Seabrook’s time in the middle came to an end at the 30.3 over mark on 79 off 92 balls.

This was Westley’s first wicket of the afternoon with the score on 147-4 and he followed it up with the wicket of Lee Thomason two overs later.

Thereon, it was was Wayne White who looked to keep the chase alive with a knock of 45 off 43 deliveries. However, with 4.4 over remaining, Jamie Porter delivered the winning blow for the Eagles taking the wicket off Alex Hancock.

Jamal Richards was the pick of the Essex bowlers with figures of 3/55, whilst Aron Nijjar caused the Cambridgeshire batters problems all innings, taking 2/33 off his 10-over allocation. Westley ended the match with figures of 2/26, 1/32 for Beard and 1/31 for Porter.

Next week sees the return of the Royal London Cup where Essex will look to go one better than last year, which saw an Eagles side packed with a mix of new faces and experienced heads reach the Semi-Finals.

The Format

The group stages of the tournament will run from Tuesday 02 August, when Essex travel to Sedbergh to face Lancashire, until Sunday 21 August when the group stages conclude with a trip to Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl.

The groups are allocated by a draw, unlike the North and South Groups which the Vitality Blast comprises. The Eagles will play each side in Group B once, playing 4 games at home and 4 away. Joining Essex in Group B are Derbyshire, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and Yorkshire.

The top side from each group will automatically qualify for the Semi-Finals, which will be played on 30 August. The teams which finish in second and third place in each group will progress to the Play-Offs, which will be played on 26 August and will see the winners going through to the Semi-Finals. The Final is scheduled to be played on 17 September.

The Squad

Essex fans can expect to see a core of senior players lead a team packed with academy graduates compete in this year’s competition. The team will be skippered by Club Captain Tom Westley who will be joined by fellow senior players in the form of Jamie Porter, Paul Walter and Shane Snater.

After impressing last year, fans will have a chance to see more of Josh Rymell, Feroze Khushi and Luc Benkenstein, while Will Buttleman will take the gloves.

Players who have been drafted for the Hundred and will therefore be unavailable for selection are Sam Cook, Matt Critchley, Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper and Adam Rossington. Simon Harmer will be the other notable absentee as he joins up with the South Africa squad for their Test Series against England.

The Coaches View

Head Coach Anthony McGrath recently sat down with Essex Cricket TV to run through his hopes and plans for the Royal London Cup campaign.

The Fixtures

Last Time Out

The Eagles faired well in last year’s competition, falling just short of the Final. The campaign also gave Eagles fans a look at young players in the Eagles’ squad with Josh Rymell, Luc Benkenstein, Feroze Khushi, Will Buttleman, Ben Allison and Jack Plom all featuring.

Essex got off to a flying start, winning 4 of their first 5 matches including 2 dramatic victories at Southampton and Bristol. Aron Nijjar produced lower-order heroics with the bat in both fixtures, sharing a 50-run stand for the 8th and 9th wicket respectively to see the side home.

Essex fans also enjoyed two emphatic 9-wicket victories at Chelmsford as the Eagles ran out winners against Kent and Middlesex. On both occasions, Alastair Cook and Tom Westley put on century stands, which was an indicator of things to come as both batters finished the season averaging over 50 and in the top 5 run-scorers in the competition.

The early stages of the season also saw Shane Snater and Simon Harmer lead the way in the wicket-taking stakes. Snater picked up 13 wickets in the opening 6 games in the competition and was the leading wicket-taker in the competition when he sustained an injury and unfortunately took no further part in the campaign. Harmer, on the other hand, played all 10 games and finished as the second highest wicket-taker in the competition with 18 scalps.

Essex travelled to Chester-le-Street to face Durham to play the first of their final 3 group stage fixtures. Despite losing, there were positive signs as Feroze Khushi struck his maiden century for the Club and Luc Benkenstein made his debut at the age of just 16 years old.

There was time for one final thriller in the group stages as Essex and Lancashire played out an extraordinary tie in Manchester. Chasing 251 to win, the Eagles found themselves 229-8 at the beginning of the final over. Cue a Harmer special as the talismanic figure struck 20 from the final 4 balls, including 3 sixes in succession to seal a dramatic tie. Unfortunately for Lancashire and the bowler Steven Croft, the tie meant they wouldn’t progress to the next round.

After finishing the group in second place, the Eagles eased past Yorkshire in the Play-Offs with a 129-run victory led by Josh Rymell’s sensational 121. That score capped off a dreamlike start to his professional career which saw him average 55.16 after 6 innings.

Sadly for Essex, that would be as far as it would go as a Semi-Final loss to Glamorgan in Cardiff spelled the end of their campaign.

Tickets

Tickets are available to purchase online for Royal London Cup fixtures at The Cloud County Ground with a discount available when purchased in advance. Ticket prices range from £15 for Adults to £10 for Students and Young Adults and £5 for Juniors. Members of Essex County Cricket Club are able to attend the four home fixtures for free of charge.

The Shirt

You can now show your support for the Eagles and purchase your 50-over shirt both online and in person, with prices starting from as little as £30 for Infants, £35 for Juniors and £45 for Adults.

Cast your vote for the DeVines Player of the Month for July.

This period saw the Eagles’ qualify for the Vitality Blast Quarter Finals. Their game against Glamorgan on Saturday 02 July was particularly special for Simon Harmer, as he took his 1000th professional domestic wicket of his career. An astounding achievement that lead to an incredibly key shift in the tournament, powering the team through to the quarter finals.

The Essex Eagles fought hard for a place at the Vitality Blast Finals Day. Although they battled admirably, but sadly their efforts were not enough to deter Lancashire Lightening, who won by 7 wickets.

The Essex team shifted their focus back to the LV= Insurance County Championship once again as they faced Gloucestershire on Monday 11 July. On Day One, after Harmer had tortured the visitors on a scorching hot day at Chelmsford, Alastair Cook and Tom Westley carried Essex to 127-1 at the close with Cook posting a 126-ball half-century.

On Day Two, Alastair Cook achieved his fourth century of the season on his way to 145 out of Essex’s 310 all out. By Day Three, Simon Harmer was the talk of the town, producing yet another scintillating demonstration of spin bowling in Gloucestershire’s second innings returning 8/112 and match figures of 13/156 as Essex beat Gloucestershire by 9 wickets inside 3 days at Chelmsford.

As the team moved forward to face Surrey at the Oval on Tuesday 19 July attention shifted to Adam Rossington who rushed to a century with an exhilarating assault on the second new ball, in Essex’s 271 all out.

On 25 July, the Essex team returned home to play against Somerset. Nick Browne took centre stage, scoring his second LV= Insurance County Championship century of the season as Essex assembled 281-3 against Somerset on Day One at Chelmsford. But he didn’t stop there. On Day Two, Browne continued his streak, scoring a powerful double century, the fourth in his career so far.

The four players nominated for the award are:

Simon Harmer

Adam Rossington

Nick Browne

Alastair Cook

Please vote via the poll below!

Essex County Cricket Club are seeking to fill eight Board vacancies this year at the Annual General Meeting, with one of the nine appointed Directors then to be assigned the role of Chair.

The Essex County Cricket Club Board is collectively responsible for the success of the Club by directing its affairs, and constructively challenging and helping develop strategy. They direct the decision-making process of the senior management team, acting as a critical friend, assessing the performance of management in meeting agreed goals and objectives.

Joining us as a Non-Executive Director affords you the opportunity to play a key role in the strategic oversight and leadership of Essex County Cricket Club as we pursue our vision for the region and support the widening of ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategic plan. We are seeking a variety of skills and perspectives to ensure we capitalise on the benefits of a diverse and representative board, and to stimulate robust check and challenge. All candidates will have a strong appreciation for the role of contemporary governance and the responsibilities of non-executive directors. They will have the ability to work in a highly complex stakeholder environment. They will bring strong empathy for the wider culture of the Club and cricket communities, and an inclusive leadership style.

Priority/Essential Skills:
• Finance
• Legal
• Safeguarding
• Performance Sport/Cricket
• Facilities/Estate/Property

Desired Skills:
• Community engagement/development
• IT/Digital
• Marketing/Communications
• Commercial
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Governance
• HR
• Audit/Risk
• Education

We would be delighted to hear from those who share our vision and who have the ambition and expertise to enable us to deliver a bright future. We are seeking Board members who are representative of the communities we serve, who are committed to the board’s aim to tackle discrimination and racism, passionate about excellent governance, and willing to offer their professional skills and experience in a Non-Executive capacity.

Members’ Committee

The Club is also welcoming applications for a Members’ Committee which will run in parallel with the Board application process. The role of the Members’ Committee will be to assist the Board and CEO to develop communication channels between the Club and its membership and provide information to the Board to enable it to reach decisions that affect the membership.

Areas of responsibility will include facilities at The Cloud County Ground, Membership categories and fees proposals, Members’ catering, events, as well as liaison with the management committees of the Peter Edwards Museum and Library, the Essex Boundary Club, the Essex Cricket Society and any other ad hoc organisations having an interface with the Club.

Applications are now being taken for the Members’ Committee via the link below.

Terms of Reference for the Members’ Committee can be viewed here

During this week’s LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Somerset, Jamie Porter is making his 100th first-class appearance for the County.

In what has been an illustrious first-class career so far, where he has also represented England Lions on 7 occasions, he sits just 2 shy of 400 wickets at an average of 24.35.

For Essex, he has led the attack for 2 County Championship-winning sides as well as titles in the Vitality Blast and Bob Willis Trophy.

During this period of great success for the Club, he excelled with the ball and no player still playing the game has taken more than his 379 first-class wickets for Essex.

Porter sat down with Essex Cricket TV on the first day of the Somerset game to discuss the milestone and his career to date.

Essex will be looking to bounce back after a rare defeat to Surrey in the LV= Insurance County Championship last time out.

In a game that ebbed and flowed throughout, Surrey came out victors by 6 wickets at The Kia Oval after Tom Westley’s side dominated for the first two days.

It was a result that dented the Club’s title aspirations, with Surrey extending their lead at the top of the Division One table, but this week’s game against Somerset gives the squad the chance to get back on track sharpishly.

The opposition are having an uncharacteristically inconsistent red-ball campaign so far, and find themselves in 8th place in the Division One table.

With 5 games left to go, Tom Abell’s side will be desperate to pick up some wins and secure their status in the top flight for next season.

Squad:

Essex have named a 13-man squad for the visit of Somerset.

Sam Cook misses out with a hamstring niggle, whilst Ben Allison is unavailable due to a side strain.

The Opposition:

Somerset have had a disappointing season so far by their high standards, winning just 2 LV= Insurance County Championship games and loitering in the relegation spots.

Alongside their 2 wins are 2 draws and 5 losses, which has left them on 87 points, 12 behind 2021 County Championships Warwickshire in 7th, although they have a game in hand.

Tom Abell’s side have struggled on the road this season, winning just once in their 4 away games so far. That victory came against relegation-rivals Gloucestershire in a comprehensive win at Bristol, whilst there have been losses against Surrey and Hampshire and a draw with Lancashire.

Somerset haven’t beaten Essex in red-ball cricket since 2018 and it’s a rivalry which has intensified in recent years, with both the 2019 County Championship and 2020 Bob Willis Trophy Final going right to the wire between the pair.

Craig Overton is showing why he’s been in and around the England squad with 26 wickets at 16.88 this season, the most of any Somerset bowler and the lowest average of any player with more than 20 wickets in the Championship this year.

Skipper Abell has led from the front with the bat, scoring 623 runs at an average of 47.92. Of his 3 centuries this season, 2 of them have been away from Taunton.

Last time out:

The last time these two sides met in red-ball cricket, Essex claimed a nail-biting victory in front a packed out Taunton.

Tom Westley won the toss and elected to field first, with Sam Cook, Simon Harmer and Mark Steketee all recording 3 wickets as the hosts were bowled out for 109.

In response, Essex reached 180, with Alastair Cook top-scoring with 59. Shane Snater, who went wicketless in the first innings, was lethal second time around, taking 6/36 as the hosts were bowled out for 150, setting Essex a target of 84 for victory.

Westley’s side however found themselves 4-4 inside the first 4 overs, with Craig Overton and former Chelmsford man Peter Siddle accounting for both Cook’s, Nick Browne and Dan Lawrence.

Matt Critchley and Westley went cheaply to reduce Essex to 28-6, leaving it to Adam Wheater and new signing Adam Rossington to mount a recovery.

Their partnership was worth 29 and Essex were 57-6 by the time Wheater was trapped leg before by Overton.

Harmer was also trapped leg before, to his good friend Siddle, for 3, leaving Essex 60-8, 24 runs short of the target with 2 wickets remaining.

Rossington however showed his composure, and now alongside Snater, the pair nudged and nurdled their way to 83-8, levelling the scores.

With 1 run needed, Snater was caught at long on by Tom Lammonby and it was then down to Steketee to finish the job. He and Rossington ran a leg bye, with Essex securing their first win of the season in dramatic circumstances.

Overton finished the game with career-best first-class match figures of 13/87.

How To Watch:

A free live stream of the game will be provided on The Essex Cricket Matchzone, which includes player stats, scorecards and clips throughout the game.

The broadcast can be accessed via the Essex Cricket Matchzone here.

This week’s match marks the end of a three-game block of red-ball fixtures before 50-over campaign gets underway next weekend.

Essex are going in search of a fifth win in this year’s LV= Insurance County Championship against a Somerset team who have a stop/start season to date and currently sit in ninth position.

Gates Opening Times:

From 10am via the Main Entrance on New Writtle Street or the Tees River Gate which is the closest entrance from Chelmsford City Centre and Chelmsford Bus/Train Stations.

Scheduled Hours of Play:

Toss (Day One): 10:30am
Morning Session: 11am-1pm
Afternoon Session: 1:40pm-3:40pm
Evening Session: 4pm-6pm
Scheduled Close of Play: 6pm

Members Entry & Matchday Tickets:

The LV= Insurance County Championship is part of the 2022 Membership and Members are required to scan their card on the gate.

We encourage supporters to purchase tickets in advance of the game to speed up your entry into the ground and also to save you money with reduced-priced tickets available at £13 Adults, £10 Students/Young Adults (18-25) and £5 Juniors (U18s).

These can be bought online via the following link or alternatively by phone (01245 254010) in person at The Cloud County Ground.

Tickets will also be available on the gates from 10am each day and this is strictly card sales only. Post-lunch tickets are available priced at £10 Adults, with entry free of charge after the scheduled Tea break.

Matchday Purchases:

The Cloud County Ground is a cashless ground, which includes purchasing tickets on the gates, scorecards on the gates, and on food and drink purchases in the Doug Insole Pavilion and concourse areas. Find out more – here

Please note that the Essex Cricket Store is the only location on-site which accepts cash payments.

Scorecards will be available using contactless payment on the entry gates priced at £1, however cash sales will be accepted in the Essex Cricket Store if required.

Accessibility:

Accessible parking:
Spaces are located at The Cloud County Ground and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Accessible Seating:
Accessible seating can be found in the Hayes Close End of the ground with a wheelchair-accessible platform located in Block One of the Tom Pearce Stand.

Carers can enter the ground on a companion ticket which is free of charge. This is upon the presentation in the Membership & Ticketing Office or on the gate with proof of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people under 16 years old.

We can also accept a Blue Badge and Access card.

Accessible Toilets:
Wheelchair-accessible toilets are located behind the main scorecard (Red Area), rear of the Doug Insole Pavilion (Blue Area) and adjacent to Block 25 at County Corner (Green Area).

Ahead of Your Visit:

We want to make sure supporters are all set ahead of visiting the ground. COVID-19 safety measures have been removed for the 2022 season but spectators are welcome to wear facemasks in the seated areas and whilst walking around the concourse if they choose.

In the event of adverse weather conditions on the day of the match, please keep up to date with the prospects of play via the Club’s Twitter and Facebook channels or from our automated phone line on 01245 254049.

Travel:

Parking:
• Spectators travelling by car will need to locate a public car park in the proximity of the ground as there is no parking available on-site at The Cloud County Ground.

• The High Chelmer multi-storey will be open across all four days and closes at 10pm on Monday-Thursday.

• Meteor Way will be open for Members and open three hours before the start of play and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Public Transport:
• Chelmsford Bus Station is situated on Duke Street, next to Chelmsford Train Station, with connections to all over the County. Alternatively, bus numbers 42 and 100, which are operated by First Group, stop on New London Road, which is approximately a two-minute walk to the Ground, via New Writtle Street.

• Chelmsford Railway Station is operated by Greater Anglia and is an approximate 10-minute walk from The Cloud County Ground. Regular direct train services depart from Chelmsford to London, Stratford, Shenfield, Romford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich. Chelmsford is situated on the Liverpool Street to Norwich mainline.

Ground Entry:

Spectators are able to enter the ground via the Main Gate located on New Writtle Street or through the Tees River Gate.

Members:
• The Doug Insole Pavilion is open for Members upon the presentation of a valid Membership card and accessible by entering the ground through the Main Gate.

• The Woodland Group Premier Marquee will not be open to Members on Day Two (Tuesday) due to an event taking place.

• Members are not required to pre-book a match ticket and can enter by scanning their Membership card on the gate. If you require a replacement card, please get in contact with the Membership & Ticketing Office before the fixture to arrange a replacement or this may cause delays on entry for you and other spectators.

• Entry to this fixture are included in 2022 Membership and encourage Members to arrive in plenty of time to secure your seat. All seating for Championship games is Unallocated and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• The Members’ seated areas are located in the Doug Insole Pavilion Benches, Tom Pearce Stand, and Areas 1-14 in the River End of the ground. Members are also welcome to sit in Block 30 & 31, which is accessible via the Hayes Close Gate.

General Public Seating:

• Supporters who have purchased tickets can enter the ground by scanning the QR on your tickets that has been sent to you via email following your purchase. If you choose to print out your ticket, please ensure that the match details (including name and seat details) are included as per the image below. Make sure you have your match ticket available on your phone or printed out so it is easily accessible for ticket scanning on arrival. Please do not take a ‘screen grab’ of your QR code as that will not be read by the scanners.

• Ticket holders for this game are welcome to sit in the Unallocated Areas numbered 15-26, which includes covered seating in Areas 22-24.

• In the event of rain forecast on the day of the match, spectators can bring a small umbrella into the ground but metal spiked umbrellas are not permitted.

Around the Ground:

• Spectators are welcome to enter the pitch during the lunch & tea breaks when instructed over PA or by a member of the Club’s stewarding team. Please follow the guidance to the specific areas permitted to enter and please respect the playing surface. We encourage spectators to play on the outfield but please use softballs.

• Spectators are permitted to move behind the Doug Insole Pavilion but please respect the players’ area and walkway.

• The Club Store and Membership & Ticketing Office will be open for spectators for the duration of your visit.

• The Peter Edwards Museum & Library is located on-site adjacent to the Essex Cricket Store and will be open for the duration of the game.

• If you experience any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour during your visit to The Cloud County Ground then, please contact your nearest steward. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or text ‘CROWD’ including your stand and issue to 60066.

Food & Drink:

• The Doug Insole Pavilion will be serving a wide range of hot and cold drinks from the bar. A choice of snacks will also be available to purchase.

• The Members’ £10.00 meal deal returns for 2022 which includes a one-course hot meal and drink of your choice (up to the value of £5). This can be purchased in the Doug Insole Pavilion with meals served 30 minutes before the lunch break.

• Anne’s Pantry will be offering a choice of home-cooked meals, cakes/snacks, and drinks from their refreshment kiosks located in the Hayes Close End and River End.

They will be serving a range of meals suitable for all dietary requirements including vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free, as well as children’s portions.

• Other refreshment kiosks include bar areas located at either end of the ground in County Corner and Spinner’s Bar.

• Spectators can bring food and drink into the ground for this fixture. A limit of four cans of beer/lager or one bottle of wine per person but there’s strictly no glass or sharp objects permitted into the ground.

• Please note that The Cloud County Ground is now a cashless ground for 2022, so please make sure you bring a suitable method of payment for your visit.

Leaving the Ground:

At the conclusion of the day’s play, we ask spectators to leave the ground in a safe and patient manner. Stewards will be on hand to help direct you safely out of the ground.

We hope you have an enjoyable visit to The Cloud County Ground and further information regarding the match, including squad announcements and a full match preview will be available on essexcricket.org.uk ahead of the match.

Get in touch with us by email if you have any further questions at [email protected] or via the Club’s official Twitter and Facebook channels.

Watch The Action On the Move

Our Live Stream will be available for spectators with multi-angled ball tracking, replays and commentary courtesy of BBC Essex. Head to the Essex Cricket Matchzone to watch the action live ahead of the toss on Day One, plus view an interactive scorecard, stats and individual match clips.

>> Visit Matchzone

Law Changes for 2022:

A number of new cricket rules have been introduced for the professional game in 2022, which can be viewed here