Matt Critchley joined the Club at the end of 2021 after consistently impressing for Derbyshire in all formats, averaging over 32 with the bat and taking over 100 wickets for the northern side.

The leg-spinning allrounder started his Essex career in great fashion, hitting a debut century (132 off 179 balls) in his first innings for the club, in the first County Championship game of the 2022 season against Kent. Becoming the first player to score a century in their first innings for Essex since ex-Indian test opener Murali Vijay, in 2018. He backed this up with the ball, in a lengthy 46-over stint which saw him take 4-114.