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MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE WINTER 2019 | ISSUE 33

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YOUR CLUB. YOUR COUNTY. YOUR PASSION.

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Welcome to the Winter Edition of the Essex Cricketer Magazine, which marks the end of the 2019 playing season.

I would like to begin by congratulating Chris Silverwood on his appointment as the England Men’s Head Coach. Chris played a major role in Essex winning the Division Two Championship in 2016 and the Division One title the following year, and he laid the foundations for current Head Coach Anthony McGrath. Everyone at Essex Cricket wishes Chris all the very best in his new role and we look forward to welcoming him back to Chelmsford whenever his time permits.

Well, 2019 will certainly be remembered for years to come as Essex became the first Club to complete the T20 Blast and County Championship double in the same season. This is an outstanding achievement by the whole group of players and is just reward for the commitment and passion shown throughout the summer. We are indeed fortunate to have an outstanding team off the field as well, those members of staff who rarely get a mention but without whom Essex Cricket would not flourish. This is team Essex, one team, one dream.

After our success in 2017, we were disappointed in our failure to bring further silverware to the Club in 2018. Finishing third behind Surrey and Somerset demonstrated that we deserved our place in Division One, but looking at our squad we knew that we were capable of so much more. At the start of this year’s campaign, I said we were focused on winning all three trophies, but we will settle for two this year! However, in 2020, we will look to dream, dare and deliver all three. Why not? We have the talent and the belief to make further history. Peter Siddle will again be back for the Championship campaign as our Overseas player and hard-hitting Cameron Delport has committed for a further season in the Vitality Blast. We won’t stop here though, and we’ll look to strengthen even further.

During the winter, a number of the players will be abroad. This provides the ideal opportunity for them to continue along the path of continuous improvement and is excellent preparation for the new English season. We wish all those players travelling this winter the very best and look forward to seeing them back at Chelmsford ready for the 2020 season.

At the end of the season, Matt Coles left the Club, and it’s always a difficult time when a player leaves us. It is a great shame that the move to Essex did not work for Matt, and we wish him well for the future.

Another departure was Ravi Bopara, an outstanding cricketer with immense talent. We thank him for his service to Essex Cricket, both as a player and as an ambassador of the Club. He is without doubt a star of his generation and someone who represents everything that Essex Cricket is all about - high quality, passionate and a winner. I know he is particularly keen to explore further opportunities in the world of T20 cricket and we wish him well as he takes on this new challenge. I am sure cricket has not seen or heard the last of Ravi Bopara.

As always during the close season, a number of ground maintenance programmes will be undertaken. We recognise that we have a duty to ensure improvements continue and want to make certain that coming to The Cloudfm County Ground is an exciting and memorable experience. The River Gate entrance will undergo a major transformation, which will improve both the entrance and exit from the ground. New toilet facilities will be installed behind the scoreboard at the far end of the Hays Close section. New LED floodlights, meeting the latest ICC requirements, will be installed ready for the 2020 season and two new hybrid wickets, suitable for white-ball cricket, will be in place for the new season. All this is on top of the regular maintenance programmes - Stadium Operations Director Graham Childs and Head Groundsman Stuart Kerrison will certainly be kept very busy!

As we look ahead to next season, plans are being put in place for the pre-season training camp in Abu Dhabi. From there the squad will travel to Sri Lanka for the traditional Champion County Match against a select MCC side, a game that is always seen as the curtain-raiser for the new season.

I will again be holding several forums during selected County Championship matches in 2020. I am keen for the positive and constructive interaction between the Members and the Committee to flourish. To me, communication is an essential ingredient in every successful business.

I would like to thank all Members for their continued support this year. I know how important a successful Essex is to you and all our supporters. This has been a very special season and we aim to bring further success to the Club in 2020.

I look forward to seeing and talking to you all next year and wish you all well through the winter period.

YOUR CLUB. YOUR COUNTY. YOUR PASSION.

The Cloudfm County Ground, New Writtle Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0PG.

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Editor: George Haberman

Contributors: John Faragher, Derek Bowden, Paul Hiscock, Ashley Neave, Dan Porter, Paul Parkinson, Kelly Castle

Designed by:

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Photography: Nick Wood - Unshaken Photography, Getty Images

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WELCOMEFROM YOUR CHAIRMAN | JOHN FARAGHER

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After 18 years, 499 games, 19,620 runs, 503 wickets, 37 centuries and 7 trophies, Ravi Bopara is no longer an Essex player.

The 34-year-old has been widely acclaimed as one of the most reliable and

consistent batsmen to play county cricket, having burst on the scene as a fresh-

faced teenager in 2002.

When reflecting on his debut season as a youthful 17-year-old, Bopara recalls a

conversation with his then captain, Ronnie Irani, and said: “I was on the balcony

and I was probably very insignificant to him.

“I asked him over for a chat and gave him an ultimatum, “if you don’t play me

regularly from now on, I’m going to leave,” I remember telling him.

“He must have thought “who does this guy think he is? Go on then, crack on,” but

after a moment, he said “I’ll give you eight games. The first eight games of next

season are yours. How’s that for a deal?”

“It was the quickest “yep done” of my life, I didn’t really know what I was saying,

it was complete rubbish, but I’ve never been out of the side since then. It was

probably a good move in the end.”

Bopara leaves having won the Pro40 League in 2005 and 2006, NatWest Trophy

in 2008, Specsavers County Championship Division Two in 2016, Specsavers

County Championship in 2017 and 2019, and the Vitality T20 Blast in 2019.

On his achievements, Bopara joked: “I’m not really the type to be really proud of

myself. If I’ve done something good, I’m normally the type to put it to bed straight

away. Well done, you’ve done it, enjoy it, have a sausage roll to celebrate.

“It’s always the next step. But after I announced I was leaving, I saw some of my

records and I surprised myself.”

Ravi’s performances in the latter stages of the Vitality Blast campaign will live long

in the memory of the fans at Chelmsford, and his reaction to Simon Harmer hitting

the winning runs at Edgbaston indicated the raw emotion he was feeling. Whilst

Harmer sprinted off with his bat above his head, Bopara slowly walked alone,

taking everything in.

“It was a mixture of relief and joy. It was the one trophy we didn’t have in our

cabinet, we had won everything else. This was always the one, the holy grail.

“It wasn’t one of those things where I planned to go crazy. I wasn’t in that mindset,

it was more about taking it in. It was what dreams are made of, so take it in, soak it

up and lose yourself in it.

“I had been thinking about that moment for so long. I’d been thinking to myself:

‘When I win the T20, I want to be chasing, I want to be there at the end.’ That’s

what dreams are made of, so to be there at the end, it was what I’d always wanted.

When discussing how the decision to leave Chelmsford came about, Bopara said:

“It’s been incredibly emotional. It was a very tough decision. Initially, it wasn’t what

I wanted. I loved playing at Essex, I loved playing with the lads, I loved playing for

the supporters and I loved playing for the badge.

“My love for Essex will never die. They will always have a special place in my heart.

18 years is no joke. You’re part of the furniture, you’re sort of embedded into the

walls a little bit. It’s a great place, a special place.”

“Letting go was really tough and it plagued my mind for weeks, but Sussex is a

brilliant Club and it’s an exciting time for me.”

Lastly, when referred to as an Essex legend, Bopara’s face lit up and he

grinned showing his immense pride, and said: “I have heard a lot of people

say that I’m an Essex legend, but that’s obviously for the fans to decide. With all

of my performances and my records, I’d like to look back at it that way. That would

be nice.”

Ravi Bopara. Essex legend.

THANK YOU RAVI

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The 2019 season was certainly one that will live long in the memory for everyone involved with the Club and we certainly exceeded our expectations.

Clinching a second County Championship title in three seasons is an incredible achievement, but to add a maiden T20 title to that in the same campaign is unparalleled and something that everyone at the Club should be proud of. The team was led superbly by Head Coach Anthony McGrath and Club Captain Ryan ten Doeschate, as well as Simon Harmer, who took on the role of T20 captain this year. What they have achieved this season is extraordinary and they all deserve a huge amount of praise.

Seeing the team celebrate on the pitch in front of the packed-out crowd at Edgbaston, and then again a week later at Taunton is something that will live long in the memory, as the smiles on the faces of everyone present were there for everyone to see. It was a special week and it epitomised exactly what we are trying to achieve at the Club. We dreamed, we dared, and we delivered, all working together to achieve the same goal, and it has certainly worked over the last four years.

It’s very hard to pick a flaw in this season, but if you’re being picky you could say that our Royal London One-Day Cup campaign was slightly disappointing. I have no doubt that after winning the other two competitions this year, Anthony McGrath will be hungry to complete the set and add the 50-over trophy to his cabinet next time around.

The target is now to continue to improve and build on the 2019 season. Rest assured, discussions have already been held about where and how we can strengthen our squad for the upcoming campaign.

Work is also being done to secure our Overseas signings for the 2020 season and following the successes of Peter Siddle, Mohammad Amir and Adam Zampa, as well as Cameron Delport, we will make sure we bring in the right calibre of player and personality to Chelmsford. We have built a terrific team spirit here at the Club and anyone coming into the dressing room must help build that.

Alongside adding to the Club, we don’t want to lose any of our existing playing talent. The likes of Jamie Porter, Dan Lawrence, Nick Browne and Aaron Beard all committed their futures to the Club whilst we are still working to finalise a number of further contract

extensions. It is an exciting time for the Club and I think we are now in a golden era which will be remembered for years to come.

Finally, I would like to thank you, our Members, for your continued support over the past year.

Membership numbers continue to grow and go from strength-to-strength, your backing doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s been a memorable year for the

Club, but let’s keep getting better together and continue making memories that will last

a lifetime!

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Well, what a season that was!

After being made Head Coach two years ago, I wanted to follow in Chris

Silverwood’s footsteps and deliver more success to the Club whilst

writing new history, and we certainly achieved that this year. Being the

first side ever to complete a T20 and County Championship double in

the same season is some accomplishment, and something that everyone

at Essex should be proud of.

That first game of the season against Hampshire in early April seems

like a lifetime ago now. We lost, by an innings and 87 runs. Although it

was a defeat, and it hurt, it was probably a good thing. It set the bar for

us, we knew what we were up against and what we’d have to do for the

remainder of the season if we wanted to be successful.

After that game, we got our heads down and got on a roll, and once the

momentum was with us, we felt unstoppable. To go undefeated in the

13 games that followed, winning 9 of them, is a serious triumph and the

boys should take great pride in their red-ball achievements this season.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that every player in that dressing

room pulled their weight and stepped up at one point or another. As

a Head Coach, knowing you have a squad full of players willing to give

their all is all you can ask for, and I’m lucky enough to have that in

abundance with this group of players.

Not many people gave us a chance when it came to the Vitality Blast, so

it’s really satisfying to silence all of those doubters who wrote us off

before a ball was bowled. We had a new T20 Captain this year in

Simon Harmer, and I don’t think we could have asked for much

more from him. He had a lot of important decisions to make

and he wanted to do things his way, but once his methods were

implemented in the team we saw immediate success.

The campaign was a bit stop-start due to the weather and we had

four washed out games, but once we put a string of results together,

we played some amazing cricket. Again, like in the Championship,

every player played their part. All the batsmen scored runs during

the competition whilst it felt like every one of our bowlers was doing

damage with the ball.

Finals Day itself is something that will always live with me and the players

and the staff at the Club. We knew going into the day at Edgbaston that

Essex had never won it before, and we all really wanted to make that

happen. The scenes in the ground when Harmy hit those winning runs on

the final ball were unbelievable and to have a huge following supporting

us meant an awful lot. More than anything, I’m so pleased that we were

able to deliver the title for the fans.

I’ve always said that Essex has a uniqueness to it, the players, the staff

and the fans have a togetherness which you can feel the moment you

step into the ground. During the season that relationship was as clear

as ever, with fans travelling all over the country to support the side.

For the players out there competing, that support is what makes the

difference and helps get them over the line and ultimately,

win trophies.

I hope you can continue to support the team and myself in the

same way when the season restarts in April. Everyone in the

dressing room wants to win more silverware and create more

memories for themselves and the fans that will last a lifetime.

I look forward to seeing you around The Cloudfm

County Ground in 2020 and once again, thank you for

your loyal support.

COACH’S CORNER ANTHONY McGRATH

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OVER HALF A CENTURY AND STILL NOT OUT

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TENDO TALKSRYAN TEN DOESCHATE

Wow, what a season! I think it’s fair to say that the 2019 campaign is one that none of us will forget in a hurry! We achieved something unprecedented and something that so many people thought we weren’t capable of, a T20 and County Championship double, and to be honest, it’s only just started to sink in.

One thing I love about this side is that we all believe in each

other. At no point during the season did we ever doubt the

characters or ability we had in the dressing room. Of course,

we were Champions just two years ago, so we knew we could

do it again, but to chase Somerset down from overs 50 points

behind and to win every home Championship match for the

first time in the Club’s history, that was special, and it was

achieved because we always believed.

The dressing room has the perfect blend of experience mixed

with youthful homegrown talent that will be the future of Essex.

We feel that we are giving players the perfect platform to reach

their potential and achieve their dreams whilst bringing success

to the Club. Jamie Porter, Dan Lawrence, Sam Cook and Aaron

Beard are just a few names that should all be pushing for

international recognition, and there is no doubt in my mind that

they will accomplish that sooner rather than later.

I am proud of the way everyone at the Club, from the players

on the pitch, to the coaching staff, to the ground staff and

the commercial staff have all come together and achieved

this as one. Make no mistake, this has been a joint effort from

everyone across the Club and Essex really is a special place

to come into work every day. I feel privileged to lead this

great County, a County which has given so much to me over

my time here.

A special mention must go to our Head Coach Anthony

McGrath, as well as his team, Andre Nel, Tom Huggins, Chris

Clarke-Irons, Harry McQueen, Billy Fordham, Barry Hyam,

Donovan Miller and William Winstone. They made sure we

never lost our lose focus and pushed us right up until the very

end. Without them, the success we experienced this year

wouldn’t have been possible.

Our attention has already turned to the 2020 season. We’re

continually striving to improve, and we want to replicate the

achievements of last year. As a team, we’ve had success, but we

want more than that. We’re on the cusp of a golden era and we

want to build a dynasty here at Chelmsford that will be spoken

about for years to come.

I hope you all enjoyed an incredible 2019 and from the bottom

of my heart, I thank you for all the support you have given me

and the team this year. Sharing the trophy celebrations with

you at Edgbaston and then again at Taunton just a week later

are moments I will never forget and will stay with me and the

boys forever.

When I was writing this exact piece last year, I said that

we wanted to bring silverware back to Essex, and I’m so

proud that we achieved that. We dreamed, we dared, and

we delivered! See you in 2020 for what is hopefully another

memorable season!

OVER HALF A CENTURY AND STILL NOT OUT

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What a season for Essex Cricket, I don’t think you could have scripted that much better…

I want to start by congratulating and thanking everyone at

the Club. The players, the coaching staff, the ground staff,

the commercial staff, the Members and the fans. Without

everybody’s efforts, hard work and support, we wouldn’t

have been able to achieve what we did this season. These

two trophies are a representation of the success we are

enjoying both on and off the field and this was a collective

effort by everyone at the Club.

To win a second County Championship title in three

years is some accomplishment and our red-ball cricket

was outstanding this year. Somerset pushed us right

until the very end and I think this campaign was a great

advert for red-ball cricket as a whole. There were so many

exceptional individual performances this year, too many to

laud, but a word must be said about Anthony McGrath and

Ryan ten Doeschate. Their leadership and management

was duly rewarded, and they deserve every piece of praise

they get for the amazing work they have done this year.

It was an honour to be named the T20 Captain at the start

of the season and it was a challenge I really wanted. It was

a bit daunting taking over from Tendo, who has done an

unbelieve job. If you look at the position Essex were in five

years ago and compare it to now, a lot of that rise is down

to him and the decisions he has made.

The campaign got off to a tricky start. We had quite a

few washed out games which made it hard to put in

consistent performances, but towards the end of the

group stages, everything just clicked. With the way the

standings were, it effectively became knockout cricket for

us, win or go home!

Everyone in that side rose to the pressure, our batsmen

scored the runs they were capable of whilst our bowlers

did the business with the ball, and we all knew once that

happened we had a chance of going all the way.

Finals Day is something I will never ever forget. I said

when I was asked at the start of the season what my aim

as captain was, and I said it was to reach a Finals Day. The

fact we got there at the first time of asking was incredible,

but we weren’t there to make up the numbers, we were

there to win it.

We had one of those days. You know the type where

everything goes your way… we felt invincible. Even going

out to bat needing 17 runs from the final 8 balls, we still

knew we were going to do it. The celebrations on the pitch

were so special too, I’m so glad we got to share that with

the fans who travel up and down the country supporting

us so vastly. As a team, we knew how desperate the

supporters were for some success in T20 cricket, so we

couldn’t be happier that we managed to deliver that

sought after maiden T20 title… that one was for you

Eagles fans!

Our focus has already turned to the 2020 season. We

have a dressing room that is full of players that just want

to improve and be the best they can be, and we want

to continue to win trophies like over the last few years.

We’ve tasted success and we want more of it. I always

hear people talk about the golden era of Gooch, Fletcher,

Acfield, Lever and East, and hopefully, 25 years from now,

they’ll be talking about the golden era of ten Doeschate,

Cook, Porter, Westley and Harmer.

I hope you all enjoyed the

2019 campaign and once

again, I want to thank you

for the fiercely loyal support

that you have given me

and the Club this year.

I’ve had three special seasons

here at Essex and hopefully

the future is bright, and we

can go on to create

many more happy

memories together.

END OF SEASONGALA DINNER AWARDS WINNERS

WINNERSPlayer of the Year: Simon Harmer

Players’ Player of the Year: Simon Harmer

Batsman of the Year: Dan Lawrence

Bowler of the Year: Simon Harmer

Eagles Player of the Year: Ravi Bopara

First XI Young Player of the Year: Sam Cook

Performance of the Year: Sam Cook vs Kent

Second XI Player of the Year: Aron Nijjar

Academy Player of the Year: Robin Das

Club Person of the Year: Derek Harding

Women’s Player of the Year: Kelly Castle

Ability Player of the Year: Liam McFall

Club to County Award: Haydn Davies

After an unprecedented T20 and County Championship double, there was plenty to celebrate at the Club’s End of Season Gala Dinner. Essex bowler Simon Harmer picked up several of the major honours, whilst Dan Lawrence, Ravi Bopara and Sam Cook were also recognised for their efforts this season.

Simon Harmer Simon Harmer Dan Lawrence Simon Harmer

Ravi BoparaSam Cook

15Sam Cook Aron Nij jar

Robin DasKelly Castle

Liam McFallDerek Harding

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PLAYER OF THE YEAR TO BE SUPPLIED

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WHO’S STAYING & WHO’S GOINGCONTRACT NEWS

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STAYING:BEN ALLISON The 19-year-old bowler signed his professional contract back in August which runs until the end of the 2020 season.

AARON BEARD Beard took a career-best 4 wickets for 23 runs against Somerset back in June and celebrated by signing a two-year contract extension with the Club. The bowlers new deal will see him stay in Chelmsford until the end of the 2021 season.

NICK BROWNE After another successful year opening the batting, the 28-year-old penned a two-year extension running until the summer of 2021 and said: “Essex is my boyhood Club and very close to my heart, this is golden era for the Club and I feel this squad of players can win a lot more trophies over the next few years.”

WILL BUTTLEMAN After making several First Team appearances this season, the 19-year-old wicket-keeper signed his professional contract and will stay with the side until the conclusion of the 2020 season.

VARUN CHOPRA Following a loan spell at Sussex, Essex Academy graduate Varun Chopra penned a one-year contract extension and said: “I’m excited to extend my contract and I love playing for the Club.”

FEROZE KHUSHI Khushi had a great year with the bat for the Second XI and the 20-year-old has signed a one-year contract extension with the Club. He’s one to watch and he will be looking to force his way into the First Team in 2020.

DAN LAWRENCE After one of his best campaigns to date in which he claimed the Batsman of the Year Award at the End of Season Gala Dinner, Lawrence committed his future to the Club by signing a contract extension running until the end of the 2021 season.

ARON NIJJAR The Second XI captain penned a one-year contract extension following a manic end to the season, in which he played a big part as the Eagles claimed a maiden T20 title at Edgbaston and a second County Championship title in three years.

JAMIE PORTER A fan favourite at Chelmsford, 25-year-old Porter extended his contract until the end of the 2021 season, and said: “I’m really excited to commit my future to this great Club. As a player, all you want to do is win, and the fact I believe this team will be consistently winning and competing for trophies made the decision to sign an extension so much easier.”

MATT QUINN The New Zealander penned a two-year contract extension back in June and will remain in Chelmsford until at least the conclusion of the 2021 season.

SHANE SNATER The Dutch international featured prominently in the successful Vitality Blast campaign and at the end of the 2019 campaign, he signed a one-year contract extension.

RYAN TEN DOESCHATE The Club captain joined Essex in 2003 and will begin his 18th season in Chelmsford when March 2020 rolls around. After captaining Essex to the second County Championship title in three years, the 39-year-old signed a one-year extension that runs until the summer of 2020.

PAUL WALTER After another good year, the all-rounder signed a two-year contract extension and will remain in Chelmsford until the end of the 2021 season.

TOM WESTLEY Academy graduate Westley played a big role in both the Vitality Blast and County Championship triumphs and penned a three-year contract extension back in July. The top-order batsman said: “I’m delighted to extend my contract at Essex County Cricket Club. I have been here since I was 13 in the Academy, and have only ever seen my career and future at Essex.”

GOING:RAVI BOPARA After 18 successful years with the Club, Bopara decided to pursue a new challenge after failing to agree terms on a contract. The 34-year-old played 499 games across all formats for Essex and scored over 19,000 whilst taking more than 500 wickets. Bopara was a fundamental part of the Club’s recent triumphs, including the Pro40 League in 2005 and 2006, NatWest Trophy in 2008, Specsavers County Championship Division Two in 2016, Specsavers County Championship Division One in 2017 and 2019, and most notably the Vitality T20 Blast in 2019. The Club would like to thank Ravi for his fantastic contribution during his time at the Club and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

MATT COLES Coles joined Essex from Kent in 2017 and played 22 matches across all formats for the Club, taking 38 wickets whilst scoring 187 runs. The Club would like to thank

Matt for his efforts on the field and wish him the best of luck

for the future.

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OVERSEAS HEROSOverseas players often play a huge part in any Club’s success. Peter Siddle, Adam Zampa and Mohammad Amir all played vital roles in our County Championship and Vitality Blast triumphs this year, so we thought we’d take a look back at the careers of some our very best Overseas signings.

MARK WAUGHWhen Allan Border had to return to Australia in

August 1988 to prepare for his country’s forthcoming

international series in Pakistan, he recommended

Mark Waugh as his Overseas replacement. Waugh was

virtually unknown but following his first appearance for

the county, he became an overnight sensation with the

Essex faithful.

He produced a stunning performance on debut when

he scored 103 in the Sunday League match against

Nottinghamshire at Colchester before claiming the

wickets of international batsmen Tim Robinson and

Derek Randall.

The county wasted no time in recruiting him as their

overseas player for the next three years and he proved

a wonderful signing.

A quite brilliant batsman, as his record shows, he

was a more than useful medium-pace bowler and

wonderfully athletic fielder who also took some

brilliant catches in the gully or at slip.

He was a superior force at the crease where his

extrovert batting, that boasted clean hitting and

superbly timed strokes, contrasted with his somewhat

quiet and retiring public persona off the field.

The younger twin of Steve, who went onto skipper

Australia with great success, Mark ended his first full

season with Essex as the county’s leading run-scorer

and then in 1990, aggregated more than 2000

Championship runs that included eight centuries, two

of them double hundreds. It was little surprise that

he won the first of his 128 Baggy Green caps for his

country that year.

Although he was unable to play county cricket in 1991

due to commitments for Australia, he returned to

Essex for four months the following season. Playing

with trademark pomp and authority, he scored 1,253

Championship runs at an average of 78.31 before

leaving at the end of July to link up with Australia for

their Test series in Sri Lanka.

To the delight of every Essex cricket fan, he returned

in 1995 to resume his county career under new captain

Paul Prichard, and he thrilled the crowds once again

amassing a combined 2,000 runs in the Championship

and One-Day League matches.

Increasing Test match calls deemed that he would be

unavailable for future county stints although there

was to be a surprise a final swansong at the end of

the 2002 season. With Andy Flower on duty with

Zimbabwe in the ICC World Cup and Essex on the

threshold of promotion back to Division One, Waugh

agreed to play the final two Championship matches

and two One-Day fixtures.

He scored 117 against Durham in the first of those

Championship matches then revealed immediately

afterwards that it was the first time he had played a

competitive innings since April. He then followed up

with 49 and a defining 76 against Nottinghamshire at

Chelmsford helping his adopted county to clinch the

Division Two title and return to the top-flight.

In his 82 first-class matches for Essex during which

he scored 22 centuries, Mark totalled 6,690 runs at an

average of 69.73, whilst he also recorded five hundreds

amongst his 2,292 runs from 93 List A outings.

Named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the

Year in 1991, upon retirement, Waugh became a Test

selector and is now a cricket commentator.

22

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22 23

The two finals of 2018 meant that it was always going to be a difficult year to follow, but the Second XI continued to produce highlights, alongside player progression for the First XI.

The Championship campaign saw a third-place finish

in the South Group, but four of games were severely

affected by the weather. Victories were achieved over

Gloucestershire and Surrey, with the latter coming inside

two days.

Feroze Khushi (567) was the sixth-highest run-scorer

in the Championship, but one of only three batsmen

to exceed 300 runs this season. Six batsmen scored

centuries, with Khushi (156) and Shane Snater (149)

recording their personal Championship bests, with

Snater’s coming in an Essex Championship record 8th

wicket partnership of 233 with Will Buttleman (80*)

against Kent at Tunbridge Wells.

Aron Nijjar again topped the competition wicket-takers

table with 32, repeating his success of 2018, and Ben

Allison made an instant impression with 29 wickets at

15.34 apiece to end up third overall.

The Trophy saw two wins and three defeats alongside

one no result. Wins over Kent and Gloucestershire were

the highlights. Ben Allison led the way with 9 wickets, but

mention must be made of Aron Nijjar’s 8 wickets which

came at less than 12 apiece.

The Second XI came within 1 point of a return to T20 Finals

Day, and the final match of the season, a defeat by just 3

runs against Hampshire saw our opponents go to

Arundel instead, where they were beaten by Glamorgan

in the Final. The team hit three scores of over 200, which

means Essex now holds the three highest innings scores in

the competition.

Michael Pepper was the second-highest run-scorer

overall with 445, a total boosted by two centuries,

including a new competition record 132 not out.

Ravi Bopara hit 122 not out at Taunton Vale against

Somerset to end with the fourth-highest aggregate to

add to his 11 wickets.

Mention should also go to Shenfield’s Jack Potticary, who

ended as the leading wicketkeeper, with Essex one of four

teams he played for in the competition.

The main highlight though was the progression of the

young players into senior cricket with Ben Allison (on loan

at Gloucestershire), Aaron Beard, Will Buttleman, Aron

Nijjar, Rishi Patel, Michael Pepper, Shane Snater and Paul

Walter all making contributions at First XI level.

The friendly games saw some remarkable results and

performances, not least a 575-run victory over Kent, in

which Varun Chopra (267) and Feroze Khushi (201) hit

career-best scores in a 3rd wicket partnership of 347

out of a team score of 608-6 declared. The team

also recorded a T20 victory at Garon Park over a

Netherlands XI who went on to win T20 games against

both Gloucestershire and Glamorgan First XI’s in a short

UK tour.

2019 SECOND XI

SEASON REVIEW

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25 25

FRIDAY 2ND AUGUSTGLOUCESTERSHIRE V

ESSEX EAGLES

THURSDAY 22ND AUGUST

Sussex Sharks v

Essex Eagles

THE ROAD TO EDGBASTON

FRIDAY 19TH JULY

Essex Eagles v Surrey

THURSDAY 29TH AUGUST

SURREY V ESSEX EAGLES

EAGLES WIN BY

52 RUNS

EAGLES WIN BY 25 RUNS

EAGLES WIN BY

9 RUNS

EAGLES WIN BY 19 RUNS

WEDNESDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER

LANCASHIRE LIGHTNING V ESSEX EAGLESEAGLES WIN BY

6 wickets

FRIDAY 30TH AUGUST

KENT SPITFIRES V

ESSEX EAGLESEAGLES WIN BY

10 RUNS

SATURDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

WORCESTERSHIRE RAPIDS V ESSEX EAGLESEAGLES WIN BY

4 wickets

SATURDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

DERBYSHIRE FALCONS V

ESSEX EAGLES

EAGLES WIN BY

34 RUNS

SAM COOK THE 2019 CAMPAIGN, ENGLAND LIONS

AND THE FUTURE

It’s been quite the year for Sam Cook. The 22-year-old

recorded 38 wickets across all formats, his highest tally in

a season, with Essex becoming the first side in history to

win the T20 and County Championship double in the same

season, and the Chelmsford-born bowler admits everything

still sinking in.

“It’s still taking a bit of time to get my head around what we

have achieved this season,” Cook said, “to back up the first

title in 2017 with this one is an incredible effort from this

group of players and I think it signifies that we are the top

red-ball county in the game right now.

“To win the T20 is also a real bonus too. It’s something that

you dream of growing up after watching in on television. It

was an amazing day and one I will never forget.

“At the start of the season we set out to try and win all

three trophies with a genuine belief we could. But still,

you need a lot of things to go your way and a lot of big

performances to achieve that.

“If someone had said to me three years ago you’d have won

two County Championships and a T20 Blast, two being part

of a double, I’d have laughed in their face. But saying that,

at the start of this year I probably wouldn’t have been that

surprised simply because of the faith I and the whole team

have in our dressing room.”

The heroics at Edgbaston which saw the Eagles claim a

maiden T20 title will live long in the memory, but Cook

didn’t actually think he would be playing on the day.

He said: “Well where do I start about Finals Day? It was a

completely crazy time to be honest. I hadn’t played in the

semi-final but Harmy mentioned to me briefly after to be

ready for the Final, but I didn’t really expect to be playing.

“It wasn’t until about a minute before we went out for the

warmup that Mags grabbed me and said you’re in. I didn’t

really have time to process it as we were straight out

getting ready to the tune of Mr Motivator!”

It was a tense Final and there were wild celebrations as

Simon Harmer scored the winning runs on the last ball, with

Cook saying: “I think that the few minutes of footage and in

the hours afterwards show just what this Club is all about.

Not just celebrating as a team but the whole squad, support

staff, families and all the fans that made the trip.

“This is a huge family Club and it’s a complete team effort,

and by team, that’s not just the eleven on the pitch playing.”

The T20 side were led by Simon Harmer this year, and Cook

was full of praise for his teammate, saying: “I think his stats

speak for themselves, he really is a world-class performer

and arguably the best off-spinner in the world right now.

“As a person, he’s equally great too and he always keeps

the boys going both on and off the field.”

Harmer picked up several awards at the Club’s End of

Season Gala Dinner in September, where Little Chef also

claimed the First XI Young Player of the Year for the second

successive year.

Cook was naturally pleased and said: “That was also a real

highlight for me, to be recognised by the Club for your

achievements on the field is always a great boost so I was

really delighted.”

27

There we so many standout moments this season for

the Club, and Cook found it impossible to pinpoint

just one highpoint, saying: “There were obviously

so many, but if I had to pick a few it would be the

quarter-final win against Lancashire Lightning at

Durham, obviously Finals Day, and then the bus

journey back from Taunton…”

The 22-year-old modestly left out his performance

against Kent at Canterbury, in which he took an

outstanding 12 wickets for just 65 runs with Kent

being bowled out for 40 in their second innings.

Cook’s performance helped Essex secure a vital

victory towards the end of the season, and he

said: “To pick up 5 wickets in the first innings was

a massive relief for me after being out injured for a

while before that.

“Come the second innings though, I knew with

the state of the game we simply had to bowl them

out for next to nothing, so it was a case of bowling

some really attacking areas with aggressive field

settings too.

“It all happened pretty quickly, but in the context of

the season I think it was a key point in keeping up on

Somerset’s heels.”

Following on from another successful campaign,

there have been murmurings of an England Lions

call-up for Cook, on which he commented: “I mean,

that’s something you’re always striving for as a young

player, so to receive a call-up would be nice.

“At the minute though I’m just concentrating on

taking wickets for Essex and hopefully with that

comes higher honours at some stage.”

The triumphs Essex achieved this year were

unprecedented, and Cook is confident that the side

can reclaim the trophies in 2020, commenting:

“We want to defend our titles and continue with the

mindset of trying to win all three.

“As a group, we have said that we really want

to dominate the County Championship for the

foreseeable future, and I think we’re moving on the

right track. I think now we want to try and transfer

that into our white-ball cricket and aim for a similar

degree of consistency throughout those campaigns.”

On his own goals for next season, Cook keeps it nice

and straightforward, saying: “I try to keep it really

simple, and just set out to play as many games as I

possibly can and in doing that, the wickets should be

taking care of themselves.”

After coming through the Essex Academy himself, the

seamer is tipping a few more homegrown players to

have successful campaigns in 2020.

“We’ve got some really exciting young talent,” he

said, “for the young lads coming through, I think Ben

Allison has a big future ahead of him and I don’t think

it’ll be too long until we see him in the First Team.

“I think Michael Pepper isn’t too far away either, he’s

put in some outstanding performances in the Second

XI and we’ve seen glimpses of that in the First Team.

But on a whole, we’ve got a squad with youth and

depth, so the future is certainly looking bright.”

FELSTED ADVERT

ESSEX BOUNDARYCLUB NEWS

WHAT A YEAR!A most unusual sight at Taunton in late September: Essex Boundary Club members on an away trip sheltering from the rain and for the first time ever, happy not to be seeing any play! They knew that with every drop of rain that fell, the chances of Essex regaining the Championship pennant were increasing by the minute. And so it came to pass, just five days after the Eagles won the Vitality Blast T20 competition for the first time in a thrilling final at Edgbaston.

To mark the fantastic 2019 double, the Boundary Club will

be having a celebration dinner at The Cloudfm County

Ground before the start of the 2020 season - details to

be advised as soon as we can with EBC Members having

priority. Watch this space.

In our Bonanza raffle, Ken Brazier was paired with Simon

Harmer winning £250 plus a further £100 for the best

bowling analysis as Simon’s 8 for 98 were the best figures

of the season. We also felt that Sam Cook’s 7 for 23 in that

memorable game at Kent was also a worthy winner and so

made a special £50 prize payment to Mr T Sargent who had

drawn Little Chef in the raffle. In the batting department,

Tom Westley was the top run-scorer across all competitions

with Geoff Bendall winning the £250 prize. Michael Oliver

drew Nick Browne who scored the highest score in an

innings this season, winning Michael the £100 prize.

GRASSROOTSPart of the Boundary Club mission is to help develop young players and support the game at grass roots level. We support our President, Graham Gooch and his academy, which does so much to help young players develop their game. We are also delighted to sponsor the Essex Under-19 T20 tournament which now has the final played at Chelmsford. This year, after several appearances at Finals Day (sound familiar?) Colchester and East Essex won the trophy for the first time in a tight game which went to the last over by beating Saffron Walden. Vice Chairman, Annie Northfield was on hand to present the handsome trophy.

THANKS TO THE SPONSORSAs always, we must thank our sponsors, Len Collins of Purified Air and Anne’s Pantry, purveyors of some of the best street food on the county circuit. We would also like to mention the keen fans who have the Orange Tree as their base, they have been incredibly helpful and generous in their fund raising on behalf of the Boundary Club.

INTO THE 2020 SEASONWith just one more big event remaining, our annual City Lunch which is a complete sell-out, thoughts turn to 2020. Besides the special dinner mentioned above we will be having our usual early and late season lunches and will work with our official travel organiser, Klarners, to come up with some attractive away trips. All this is fixture list dependent and we will firm up plans as soon as possible in the New Year. Look out for details in the next issue of this magazine which will also have details of the AGM. Winter well, and see you next season.

29

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31

NOW AND THEN… 35 YEARS ON FROM THE DOUBLE

Essex wrote a special place in cricket history in 2019 when they became the first club to win the County Championship and T20 titles in the same year.

Back in 1984, Keith Fletcher’s side also achieved the double when they won the Championship and John Player Special League. But that was the last time Essex had enjoyed two major successes in the domestic calendar.

With a curious twist of fate, Taunton was the venue those 35 years ago where the Championship was decided. With one game remaining, Essex and Nottinghamshire were scrapping it out for bragging rights to be crowned Champions with the Midlanders four points ahead in the race for the top honour. Victory for Notts against Somerset would guarantee them the title irrespective of the result of the Essex match with Lancashire. As it happened, Essex swept the Red Rose county aside in two days at Old Trafford and all attention was focussed on events down in the West Country for the final day of the season.

A gripping affair at Taunton left Notts requiring 30 runs from the last three overs and when the last over started, they still wanted 14 with their last pair at the crease. Ten runs were collected from the first three deliveries before the next was a dot ball. Then Mike Bore, one of the games genuine rabbits, struck the next ball high and long. Initially, it seemed to be clearing the boundary until losing height and descending into the hands of Richard Ollis stationed just inside the boundary to give Somerset the win and allowing Essex to retain their title by a 14-point margin.

A further similarity between the 1984 title winners and that of the present year is that on every occasion a Championship victory was recorded, the opposition were bowled out twice - no need for declaration games!

Looking back to 1984, Championship cricket was played over three days with the regulations insisting on 117 overs being bowled on days one and two with 110 on the final day.

With the likes of the legendary Graham Gooch and South African Ken McEwan proving key contributors with the bat, Essex were one of the most entertaining and attractive sides to watch. In 1983, the Championship schedule spanned 24 matches with Gooch collecting 2,281 runs at an average of 69.12, whilst Overseas player McEwan scored 1,563 at 47.36. Chris Gladwin and Keith Fletcher offered the most meaningful support with 1,141 and 932 runs respectively.

An outstanding bowling attack was led by John Lever who claimed 106 Championship wickets with new ball partner Neil Foster taking 78 despite missing several matches through injury, whilst Derek Pringle claimed 55 wickets and Gooch 36 victims. With such a plethora of wickets falling to the

pacemen, and with Ray East on the cusp of retirement, David

Acfield was entrusted to capitalise when skipper Fletcher

turned to spin and he responded with 43 wickets.

Fletcher was a master tactician who still boasts one of the

finest cricket brains. He led the side with authority and

great success yet would seldom shirk from chasing the

opportunity of a win backing his charges to prevail often

when the odds appeared against them. So effective was his

judgement that only three matches of the 24 were lost with

eight drawn, although, had not the weather intervened in a

number of those stalemates, the success ratio would have

been even greater.

Fletcher, a one-time England captain, was awarded an OBE

in 1985. He played for Essex from 1962 until 1988 and was

a pivotal figure throughout the dynasty of success that the

club enjoyed from 1979 until 1992. The twin trophies of 1984

took the number of major titles during his tenure to six,

and there were more to come in the ensuing years as the

juggernaut of achievement rolled on.

Unlike the modern-day set-up, there were no specialist

one-day players, generally those that played the three-day

game would appear in the limited-overs affairs learning to

adapt to the demands that the afternoon game brought. In

1984, the one-day competition spanned 40 overs, with there

being no T20 back then.

Again the two protagonists for the limited-overs title that

season were Essex and Notts, but the side from Chelmsford

clinched the title with two matches remaining after winning

12 of their 16 matches with just three defeats and one tied

encounter.

The batting phenomena that were Gooch and McEwan

amassed 613 and 535 runs respectively in the Sunday League

whilst Derek Pringle struck 387 runs, Gladwin 382 and

Fletcher 357 runs. Lever again led the attack with 23 wickets

whilst Norbert Phillip claimed 20 and all-rounders Stuart Turner took 17 wickets.

As in 2019, it was a memorable, wonderful summer!

BATMAKER ADVERT

Sir Alastair Cook has been there and done it all. He’s scored the most Test runs for England (12,472) and has captained his country to two Ashes victories. Yet when batting down at Taunton with the County Championship on the line, he was feeling the heat.

Cook said: “I was nervous all week, there’s always going to be little twists and turns. You don’t bat on a wicket like that and just cruise, you need a little bit of luck on those wickets.

The 34-year-old used all of his experience to hold firm, and Essex finished 45-1 with the captains shaking hands just before the close of play. Cook scored a vital 53 in the first innings and followed that up with an unbeaten 30 in the second.

He added: “I have played in sub-continent conditions quite a lot, and I suppose that’s where my experience comes from with a unique method.

The draw meant that Essex secured a second County Championship title in three years, on which Cook said: “This is so special. All that stuff (knighthood) is great, but it’s about the memories you create with this group of guys. There is a lot of home-grown Essex players and that’s great for our success.”

And on next season, the ex-England captain was quick to reveal that the Club fully intends to defend their title, saying: “Obviously we don’t want to look too far ahead, but next year is the same group of players and it could be quite special.”

After achieving so much in the game, a lot of people speculated that maybe Cook would bow out with this as his final innings if Essex reclaimed the Championship, but he has assured Essex fans that this won’t be the case.

He revealed: “I’ve had a few texts this week saying ‘if you win the league, is that it?’ But I’ve promised Tendo (Essex captain Ryan Ten Doeschate) I’ll play for another year at least.”

“This keeps you young. You’ve got the 19 and 20-year-olds who put music on the iPod you’ve never heard of and all that kind of stuff.”

“I’m not actually that old, but I’ve got a few miles in the legs on a cricket field. I feel like an old man trying to run between the wickets!”

The match down at Taunton will not only be remembered as the game that Essex secured their eighth Championship title, but also as the final match of Marcus Trescothick’s career.

The 43-year-old announced in June that he would retire at the end of the season and bring down the curtain on a first-class career that started in 1993.

The former England man received a huge ovation as he came on to the field as a substitute for the final few minutes, with Cook saying: “He was out there sledging me!

“He said ‘This will be a story if I catch you right at the end’. Luckily Dominic Bess bowled me one on leg-stump, which I could clip and get away.

“But what a career Tres has had. To play for 27 years is extraordinary.”

SIR ALASTAIR COOK: TAUNTON, NEXT SEASON & MARCUS TRESCOTHICK

33

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WOMEN’S XI SEASON REVIEW

The Essex Women’s team enjoyed another successful season, with real progression made in both the County Championship 50-over and T20 competitions.

With the 50-over campaign occurring at the start of the

season, Kelly Castle’s side played their first game against

Middlesex at The Cloudfm County Ground, the home of

Essex Cricket.

Looking to get their season off to a good start, the team

put in a solid all-round performance to bowl the visitors

out for 160 in 40.1 overs, with Castle taking 3 for 16.

In reply, strong partnerships were built, and a special

mention must go to Beth Dodd for her marathon batting

performance which put the team in a really strong

position. With a loud home crowd, Essex knocked off the

runs with 8 overs to spare.

This was just one of the highlights from the 2019 season,

with plenty of other standout performers throughout the

year, such as Jessica Bird for her consistency with the bat

and Anje Lague for her effective and economical off-spin.

The team went on to finish third, just 4 points behind

second-place and narrowly missing promotion.

The T20 competition couldn’t have got off to a better

start, with Essex winning the first three games against

Somerset, Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

Mady Villiers was in fine form with the bat from the off,

and her scores of 55 runs from 57 balls and 52 runs from

45 balls were key to the blistering start.

Unfortunately, with three important games being

cancelled, the team ended up finishing joint fifth with both

Yorkshire and Scotland, again narrowly missing out on

promotion, this time by just 2 points.

Captain Kelly Castle was proud with her team’s efforts

and said: “Although we missed out on promotion in both

formats, we were so close to those top spots and the

standard of cricket that was played this year was higher

than ever.

“This was the highest that we’ve finished in either

competitions for a number of years, and I’m so proud of

everyone in the team for putting in the hard work and

proving their potential”.

Further than Essex, after Mady Villiers’ selection for the

England Academy over the winter, her hard work didn’t go

unnoticed and was selected to play in the T20 series of the

Ashes. On debut, she made impressive figures of 2 for 20.

The structure of women’s cricket is set to change over the

winter, but one thing that is for sure is that the side will

continue to improve on their skills and will continue to take

on the challenges and opportunities that the 2020 season

will bring.

35

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37

LAST SEASON IN NUMBERS

913 794

725

Runs

Wickets

83 48

34

COOK WESTLEYLAWRENCE

HARMER PORTER

SIDDLE

Wickets

Runs

409 386 363

17 1212

DELPORT LAWRENCE

WESTLEY

HARMER BOPARA

ZAMPA

Runs Wickets

421 ??????

1298

CHOPRAWESTLEY LAWRENCE

SIDDLE COLES BOPARA

It was another memorable season for everyone at The Cloudfm County Ground, but which players performed best in each format. Here, we do some number crunching to find out…

37

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Specialist advice for businesses and individualsScrutton Bland have been providing financial service advice to commercial and personal clients for over one hundred years. With in-house teams of specialist advisers all under one roof, we can provide complete solutions to all of your financial needs. From Cloud accounting to Independent Financial Advice our local teams are on hand to help you make your finances work better for you.

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ARON NIJJAR: FINALS DAY, TAUNTON & THE FUTURE

39

Imagine making your first appearance of the season at Finals Day. There is packed out crowd, Sky Sports are broadcasting the games to the entire world and you’re called into the team to replace your Overseas spinner. It’s not your normal scenario, but it is exactly what happened to Aron Nijjar.

The 25-year-old said: “With Zampa going, and the fact we

wanted to keep the same sort of formula, it was clear we’d

be needing two spinners. I had an inkling I might play the

way the wicket played in the first semi-final [Notts Outlaws

v Worcestershire Rapids]. Again it was a wicket that was

conducive to spin.

“I was quite nervous and anxious beforehand, but once I

got into the swing of things it was all right. You don’t have

too much time to be nervous with everything that’s going

on. It was just really nice to get on the board early with a

wicket and build my way into that first game and set myself

up for the final.”

Nijjar stunned the 25,000 people in attendance, taking 3

for 26 against Derbyshire Falcons in the semi-final, more

than justifying Simon Harmer’s decision to include him in

the XI. Before the game, journalists in the press box were

scrambling frantically for his statistics, with many not too

sure on who he was, but they’ll certainly know now.

In the final that followed just over an hour later, he didn’t

manage to claim to wicket, but bowled tightly enough to

help deliver a first T20 title for the Eagles after only being

hit for 31 runs from his 4 overs.

Head Coach Anthony McGrath described the scenes at

Edgbaston as “unbelievable” and on the celebrations, Nijjar

said: “We’ve got a very tight-knit squad, so everyone is very

close in terms of the celebrations, whether you’ve played all

the games or not. Everyone gets stuck in.

“Everyone’s truly happy for each other and how well

they’ve done. But it was nice to be involved, to have

contributed to the wins and been part of the celebrations.”

It’s quite astonishing to think that the 25-year-old had only

played in one competitive T20 match before Finals Day,

with Nijjar adding: “Yes, it has been a long time coming.

We’ve signed [Ashar] Zaidi, who’s come and gone since

then, and [Simon] Harmer, so it has been tough to get in

the side when we’ve been playing with one spinner. But the

wicket was conducive to spin, so it was slightly easier to get

in.”

Two days later it was a no-brainer for Essex to pick him on

the spin-friendly pitch at Taunton, with Nijjar saying: “It was

one of those wickets that was going to turn the longer the

game went on. And as you could see from how hard we had

to battle with the bat, I’m sure it would have been lovely to

have bowled on.”

Despite 17 of the 21 wickets falling to spin in the match,

Nijjar bowled just 28 balls. However, he did mark his 25th

birthday with the key wicket of Roelof van der Merwe,

bowled trying to reverse sweep, just when the South

African looked set to take the initiative away from Essex.

Essex held their nerve to secure and draw, which was

enough to secure another County Championship title,

the second for the Club in three years, capping off a truly

memorable week for Aron and everybody associated with

the Club.0330 058 6559scruttonbland.co.uk

@scruttonbland

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The Essex Ability D40 team became National Champions for the first time after winning the Final in late September. The team have had a great campaign in what has been one of the closet league seasons for many years. Having been runners-up in the South Division, Essex headed to their semi-final on the 25th August at Kidderminster to take on Lancashire Disability side. Batting first, Essex made 216-7 from their 40 overs, courtesy of a great knock from Matt Edwards. Essex then took regular wickets and with the light fading, Lancashire fell to 165 all out, meaning that Essex had won by 51 runs and had booked their place in the Final against Surrey.

After being runners-up in 2017 and losing in the semi-final

in 2018 on a bowl out, Essex were looking to go one further

and bring the title home. Surrey would prove to be a tough

opposition having already beaten Essex in the group stages.

Despite the forecast looking wet, the game was able to start

on time. Essex won the toss and chose to bat first, but lost

both openers early to find themselves 25-2 after five overs.

Skipper Lee Walker and Joe Freestone steadied the ship and

put on a great reply. Despite two rain delays, one of which

threatened to cancel the game completely, they pushed on

and shared a 185-run partnership. Freestone fell with one ball

remaining on 88 and Walker ended 92 not out to give Essex a

total of 210-3 after 32 overs.

Surrey started their reply well and kept up with the run rate.

At the halfway point they were 105-1 and looked on course

to chase down the total, but Essex regrouped at the drinks

break and took a wicket just three balls after the restart. This

allowed Essex to put the squeeze on and slow the run rate

down. Walker got his fielding positions spot on and backed

it up with some accurate bowling from himself and the other

bowlers meaning the next 10 overs only went for just 33 runs.

This ultimately gave Surrey too much to do and they finished

off 28 runs short giving Essex the title.

ESSEX ABILITY

41

COUNTY CHAMPIONS 2019

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old Barbadian was persuaded to join Essex and spent

12 years with the county from 1966 to 1977 before

continuous knee problems finally ended his career.

He was a fine all-round sportsman and epitomised the

Essex philosophy of having fun and playing the game

with a smile. He was only allowed to play friendly matches

during a 2-year qualifying period but made a stunning

debut taking 9 for 61 against Cambridge University at

Brentwood and 4 for 47 in the second innings. Whilst

waiting to be unleashed on the county game, he spent his

time playing club cricket for Walthamstow.

His maiden Championship century came against

Hampshire in June 1969 when he scored 147 in just three

hours. In 1975, he scored a century in 58 minutes against

Leicestershire facing conventional bowling throughout his

innings. It was the fastest domestic hundred for 38 years

and included 8 sixes and 7 fours. He also returned 12 for

73 in the same match but finished on the losing side!

Amongst a catalogue of notable other achievements

was his innings of 98 from 54 balls in the John Player

League against Surrey at The Oval in 1971. Later in the

competition that summer, he returned 8 for 26 against

Lancashire at Old Trafford and claimed a hat-trick against

Somerset at Westcliff. He became the first player to

complete the Sunday League double of 1,000 runs and

100 wickets.

Had he played in the modern era, he would have been an

automatic inclusion for a T20 side anywhere in the world.

He scored 6,848 runs and took 662 wickets in 211 first-

class matches for Essex plus 2,249 runs and 243 wickets

in 149 List A games. He was also a brilliant, athletic fielder

as recalled by his Essex captain Keith Fletcher who said:

“He had a wonderful arm and the ball was often returned

from the outfield like a cannon. We all backed up when

Boycey had the ball.”

He was capped 21 times for West Indies and was named

as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in 1974.

His heavy workload took its toll on his knees and he was

forced to retire in 1977, and after an emotional farewell to

Chelmsford, he returned to Barbados. He took a position

running the Barbados Cricket Association lottery and

coaching youngsters, but sadly, on his 53rd birthday, he

collapsed and died of a heart attack.

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Prettys 148x105mm ad v4.indd 1 12/02/2019 16:25Following an incredible 2019 season, attention now turns to 2020. It is time to focus on the future and this squad is keen to carry on building a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

The 2020 campaign will see the introduction of the

new Hundred competition, which is set to take place

next summer. Its emergence will see our Vitality Blast

campaign moved forward, whilst the Royal London

One-Day Cup competition will be pushed back to the later

stages of the season to fall in line with The Hundred.

New teams will head to Chelmsford in the Championship,

with three teams promoted from Division Two last year.

Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire

all make the step up to Division One in 2020 after

excellent campaigns. Lancashire clinched the title after

an impressive season, with standout performances from

Dane Vilas, Liam Livingstone, Keaton Jennings, Graham

Onions, Richard Gleeson and Jimmy Anderson.

Somerset, Hampshire, Kent, Yorkshire, Surrey and

Warwickshire will make up Division One with Yorkshire

and Surrey looking to improve on disappointing seasons

in 2019. Surrey were Champions just a year ago and will

be desperate to move back to the top of Division One,

whilst Yorkshire were in the hunt for the title for a long

time in 2019 before falling off the pace dramatically. Essex,

however, will be looking to defend their crown, and with

all Club’s likely to strengthen, we are going to see a very

competitive Championship season.

The Royal London One-Day Cup was Essex’s only downfall

in 2019, with the Eagles failing to make it out of the South

Group. Ryan ten Doeschate’s side started the campaign

with a thumping win over Glamorgan, winning by 180 runs

in Wales, but fell off the pace towards the end of April.

There’s no doubt that the side will want to improve on

their efforts and qualification to the knockout stages will

be the target for 2020.

The Vitality Blast will return to The Cloudfm County

Ground with the Eagles looking to defend their title in

front of sell-out crowds at Chelmsford. Simon Harmer’s

side finished their T20 campaign in spectacular fashion

last season, winning three of their four final South Group

matches to qualify for the knockout stages and then

going on to win at Finals Day despite being labelled as

the underdogs. Overseas signings Mohammad Amir and

Adam Zampa were outstanding with the ball, along with

captain Harmer, who recorded the best ever figures on

a Finals Day with 7 for 35. Explosive batsman Cameron

Delport will be returning to Chelmsford in 2020, whilst

Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence will also be looking for

another good year after successful T20 campaigns with

the bat.

A perfect blend of youth and experience will look

to challenge across all fronts in 2020, with emerging

players in Rishi Patel, Feroze Khushi and Ben Allison

seeking regular opportunities should they become

available. The Academy production line shows no sign

of dwindling and all will be looking to get involved in

the First Team setup and learn from the likes of Ryan

ten Doeschate, Alastair Cook, Simon Harmer and

Tom Westley next year.

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