Essex Women welcome 7 time 50-over and 3 time T20 champions Kent Women to The Cloud County Ground for a T20 friendly on Thursday 19 May, meaning another instalment of the renowned ‘Battle of the Bridge’ rivalry.

With wins against Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and Norfolk, Essex will be looking to continue their fine form against one of the best sides in the country.

Last season the team faced off twice in T20 cricket, with Kent claiming one victory and the other ending with no result due to persistent rain.

Entry is free with gates opening at 6pm and play scheduled to start at 7pm. Visitors can make use of the facilities in The Doug Insole Pavilion, where a range of drinks and snacks will be available.

After a week without a game, Essex make the journey to Manchester to play a high-flying Lancashire team.

Essex’s last game finished in a draw against Yorkshire in a match where the batters once again flourished at Chelmsford. A debut first-class hundred for Paul Walter and twin centuries for Alastair Cook were the highlights of a game that left Essex on 54 points.

While Essex remain unbeaten at home this season, fortunes on the road have been mixed with a remarkable victory at Somerset and defeat at Warwickshire.

Squad:

Dan Lawrence has made a full recovery from the hamstring injury he sustained in Essex’s last away game at Warwickshire. He returns to the squad alongside Aaron Beard, who impressed during his short loan stint with Sussex.

Mark Steketee will miss what was scheduled to be the final game of his spell with the Club due to an injury he picked up in Essex’s last game against Yorkshire.

The Opposition:

Lancashire enjoyed an excellent start to the 2022 campaign, winning their opening two matches in convincing fashion. They have drawn each of their three fixtures since, despite being in a strong position last time out against Yorkshire. Their early season form has left them sat second in the LV= Insurance County Championship Division One table on 85 points with only Surrey in front of them.

They have benefitted from strong batting performances from the likes of Keaton Jennings (348 runs at 174), Captain Dane Vilas (362 runs at 72.40) and Josh Bohannnon (308 runs at 61.60). While their bowling unit, at it’s strongest, comprises of James Anderson, Hassan Ali, Saqid Mahmood and the legspin of Matt Parkinson.

Saqib Mahmood, however, has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022 season with a stress fracture to his back.

Lancashire squad: Dane Vilas (c), James Anderson, Tom Bailey, George Balderson, Jack Blatherwick, Josh Bohannon, Steven Croft, Hassan Ali, Keaton Jennings, Matt Parkinson, Phil Salt (wk), Luke Wells, Luke Wood.

Last time out:

Somewhat surprisingly, Essex haven’t played Lancashire in first-class cricket in 4 years.

The last time these two teams met was at Manchester in June 2018. Essex ran out winners by 5 wickets thanks to 7-wicket match hauls for Simon Harmer (7/69) and Jamie Porter (7/98).

Batting first, Lancashire managed 301 all out in their thanks to half-centuries for Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jordan Clark. Wickets for the Essex bowlers were spread between Sam Cook (3), Simon Harmer (3), Jamie Porter (2) and Neil Wagner (2).

Essex one-upped Lancashire’s first-innings effort with a score of 302 all out. Alastair Cook top-scored with 58, but there were contributions from Tom Westley, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater and the Lancashire bowlers, who added 42 in extras.

It was in Lancashire’s second-innings when Porter (5/30) and Harmer (4/34) sprung into action, routing their batting line-up for 105. This left Essex requiring 104 to win, which was managed for the loss of 5 wickets.

How To Watch:

Our hosts will provide a live Stream service that will be available across all four days of this game from 10:30am, which also includes player stats, scorecards and clips throughout the day.

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

Mark Steketee’s spell with Essex has come to a premature end after the bowler picked up an injury during the match against Yorkshire.

The upcoming fixture against Lancashire was scheduled to be the last of his six fixtures during his overseas stint but an injury to his ankle has cut this short.

The Australian took 10 wickets in five games, which included his best innings figures of 4/130 against Warwickshire.

The Club would like to thank Mark for his efforts and time at the Club, and wish him well for the season ahead back in Australia.

Two weeks today, the Eagles will make their long-awaited return to The Cloud County Ground for the opening home match of this year’s Vitality Blast. First up are away trips to Kent Spitfires and Somerset, but just four days later, they’ll walk out under the floodlights at Chelmsford in front of the home faithful to face Hampshire Hawks.

This year sees the 20th anniversary of T20 cricket and so you can expect a celebration of every thrill, spill and soaring six from the past 20 years. The 2022 tournament promises to encapsulate everything that T20 cricket has brought to our game.

The first chance fans will have to see the Eagles at the Cloud County Ground in 2022 is during the half-term at the end of May when two-time T20 Champions Hampshire Hawks visit on Tuesday 31 May.

Tickets are available from £25 for Adults with cheaper tickets on offer for Members, students, young adults and juniors.

The Opposition:

Remind yourself of the schedule and block the dates out in your calendar as the first home game is only just over one month away. Tickets are still available for every game, but we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.  

There have been some great players to represent the Eagles in T20 cricket since its inception in 2003.

From the likes of Gough, Irani, Bichel and the Flowers to Foster, Napier, Pettini, Bopara, Tendo. The list goes on…

But who would make your all-time Eagles XI? Who would get the team off to a flyer? Who would navigate the tricky middle overs? And who would you rely on to get the Eagles over the line?

These questions will have formed heated conversations between Eagles fans, but now is the chance to put those debates to bed.

Between Monday 16 and Monday 30 May, fans will be able to vote for their all-time Eagles XI from positions 1 to 11.

Votes can be cast by dragging and dropping to rearrange the players in the form below. Voting will be split into the following sections:
Opening Batters
Numbers 3 & 4
Numbers 5 & 6
Wicket-keeper
Spinner
Fast Bowlers (numbers 9, 10 and 11)

Essex Eagles All-Time XI

We are excited to share the Ambassador Cruise Line Prize Draw for 2022. Last month, Ambassador successfully launched, becoming the first UK cruise line in over a decade.

Their new flagship, Ambience, provides an effortless and sustainable cruise experience to a variety of destinations.

Departing from the convenient port of London Tilbury you can explore anywhere from The British Isles and Nordic Treasures to Cuba & The Canaries.

WIN HOSPITALITY FOR TWO

By entering the monthly prize draw, you are in with a chance to win two free tickets to the LV= Insurance County Championship game Essex v Lancashire on Tuesday 20^th September at The Cloud County Ground.

WIN TICKETS TO THE CRICKETING LEGENDS CRUISE

On Tuesday 20 September a final prize draw will take place that will include all five winners from the monthly competitions across the season. The lucky winner will be given two tickets to The Cricketing Legends Cruise, setting sail for 5 nights in December 2022.

This is coupled with a visit to the ever-popular German Christmas markets, perfect for shopping and sightseeing!

Enjoy 5 nights onboard Ambience in the company of the cricketing greats including David Gower OBE, Mike Gatting MBE, our very own Graham Gooch OBE, John Lever MBE, and Ray East to name just a few. This promises to be a memorable cruise in the run-up to Christmas and all aboard Ambience.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

For further details on the Cricketing Legends Themed Cruise click here.

Terms & Conditions Apply

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

The Cloud County Ground host Sunrisers once again in 2022 with four fixtures being played in the Charlotte Edwards Cup (T20) and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (50-over).

First up is Sunrisers v South East Stars for the opening match of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, which takes place on Saturday 14 May (2:30pm) at Chelmsford and here is all you need to know about the competition this year.

The 2022 Charlotte Edwards Cup starts on 14 May, with the eight regional teams playing for a place at Finals Day on 11 June in Northampton.

Which games are being hosted at The Cloud County Ground?

• Sunrisers v South East Stars: Saturday 14 May, 2:30pm
• Sunrisers v Western Storm: Wednesday 18 May, 7pm
• Sunrisers v Western Storm: Saturday 16 July, 10:30am
• Sunrisers v Lightning: Sunday 11 September, 10:30am

When will the Charlotte Edwards Cup start?
The 20-over competition begins on Saturday 14 May with all eight women’s regional team in action on the opening day.

The month-long competition will conclude with Finals Day at the County Ground, Northampton, on Saturday 11 June.

What are the groups and format?
The format is the same as last summer, when South East Stars were the inaugural champions, with the eight teams split into two equal groups.
Group A: Central Sparks, South East Stars, Sunrisers, Western Storm
Group B: Lightning, Northern Diamonds, Thunder, Southern Vipers

Each team will play six group-stage matches – three at home and three away. The best group winner progresses immediately to the final of Finals Day.

The semi-final on Finals Day will be contested by the other group winner and the best second-placed team. The winner of that match will progress to the final.

How can I follow the matches?

Tickets for the games hosted at Chelmsford are on sale now via essexcricket.org.uk priced at just £10 for Adults and £5 for Students/Young Adults (18-24)/Juniors (U18s).

All Charlotte Edwards Cup matches will be live-streamed and you can find the streams via the sunriserscricket.com or on YouTube.

What is the background of the eight teams playing in the Charlotte Edwards Cup?

The eight teams are formed of First-Class Counties and National Counties – and Loughborough University – who work together at the elite end of the women’s domestic game to support a squad of professional and semi-professional players, as well as an academy.

The eight regions are:
• Central Sparks (Warwickshire CCC & Worcestershire CCC, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire)
• Lightning (Loughborough University, Derbyshire CCC, Leicestershire CCC, Nottinghamshire CCC, Lincolnshire)
• Northern Diamonds (Yorkshire CCC, Durham CCC, Northumberland)
• Thunder (Lancashire CCC, Cheshire, Cumbria)
• South East Stars (Surrey CCC, Kent CCC)
• Southern Vipers (Hampshire Cricket, Sussex CCC, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire)
• Sunrisers (Middlesex CCC, Essex CCC, Northamptonshire CCC, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk)
• Western Storm (Glamorgan CCC, Gloucestershire CCC, Somerset CCC, Cricket Wales, Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire)

Cast your vote for the DeVines Player of the Month for April. This period saw the Essex team compete in the opening four rounds of the LV= Insurance County Championship, including a remarkable victory at Somerset, two draws at home and a loss away at Warwickshire. The team welcomed new faces in Matt Critchley, Adam Rossington and Mark Steketee, who all debuted for Essex in April.

The four players nominated for the award are:

Alastair Cook

England’s all-time leading run-scorer has been in fine form at the top of the order, scoring a century in the opening game of the season and picking up crucial runs in a low-scoring encounter with Somerset.

Sam Cook

Opening the bowling, Sam Cook has shown great control with the ball, taking 12 wickets at an average of 20.80. He played an important role in Essex’s win at Somerset, taking match figures of 5-49.

Matt Critchley

Critchley’s Essex career got off to a flying start in his debut against Kent in April. He became the first player to score a century on debut since Indian opener Murali Vijay achieved the milestone in his first appearance for the county in 2018. Critchley has also taken 7 wickets at 38.50 and his legspin has provided a different angle of attack for the Essex bowling unit.

Shane Snater

Snater has continued his good form in 2021 into the early stages of this season. His 12 wickets have come at 23.25 and his including 6-36 in the second-innings at Somerset was arguably the deciding contribution of the match. He has also become a secret weapon with the bat, recording a stunning career-best 79* in the draw against Northants.