Our Essex, Members' Magazine | Issue 41, Winter 2024/25 by essexcricket11

WELCOME

From Anu Mohindru KC

As Chair of Essex County Cricket Club, it gives me great pleasure in welcoming you all to the latest edition of the Our Essex Members’ Magazine.

Although we didn’t win any silverware this year, the Men’s team continued to play very well, with some great performances by the team and by many individuals.

Perhaps, if we had the rub of the green and the weather had been a bit kinder, we may well have achieved what we set out to do at the start of the season.

There is a significant amount to be proud of this summer, with both Jordan Cox and Michael Pepper getting England call-ups and three of our younger players all playing England Under-19’s this year.

Another source of great pride for the club is that we will see a professional Essex Women’s team take the field next season, after we were successful in our bid for a Tier One Women’s team.

Those are all no small achievements by any stretch of the imagination, and it cannot be underestimated the enormous amount of tireless work that went into achieving them.

In this edition of the Essex Cricketer Magazine, you will be able to read player profiles for the new-look Eagles for next summer.

In addition, there are also exclusive interviews with Dean Elgar, who enjoyed a stellar first season in Essex colours, and Luc Benkenstein, who captained England Under-19’s and continues to develop as an exciting all-rounder.

There are also a wide variety of other features contained within these pages, including a quiz of the season that will allow you to test your knowledge, and a fitting tribute to an Essex great, the late Robin Hobbs.

I hope you enjoy reading this magazine, and I look forward to seeing you back at The Cloud County Ground cheering on our Eagles again this spring.

Best regards,

Anu Mohindru KC Chair, Essex County Cricket Club

WELCOME ANDY TENNANT END OF SEASON GALA DINNER AWARD WINNERS

TIPTREE HAMPER WINNERS

SIMON HARMER’S 100 FIRST-CLASS ESSEX MATCHES

QUIZ OF THE SEASON PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 2024 30 38 42 39 21 19 31 ALSO INCLUDED

JAMIE PORTER’S 500 FIRST-CLASS ESSEX WICKETS

DEAN ELGAR

Looking back to Essex’s 2024 season opener at Trent Bridge, the fact that Dean Elgar hit the first competitive delivery he faced for the Eagles for four was, in all honesty, a sign of things to come.

I’m happy with what I achieved. I wanted to come here and score big runs; that’s why I still play the game, because I want to contribute and add value to a team environment.

The former South Africa captain, who played 86 Test matches for his country and scored more than 5,000 runs in the format, enjoyed the most productive First-Class summer by an Essex batter in eight years.

Elgar totalled 1,144 County Championship runs in his debut season, and he wasted no time in getting himself on the board, hitting his very first ball, from 2023 Championship leading wicket-taker Brett Hutton, through cover.

Contained within the best red-ball season by an Essex player in Division One in more than 20 years –Andy Flower’s 1,153 runs in 2003 was the last time an Eagle scored more in the top flight - were nine scores above 50.

“I’m happy with what I achieved,” said a reflective Elgar. “I wanted to come here and score big runs; that’s why I still play the game, because I want to contribute and add value to a team environment.

“Ultimately, I want to win games and win trophies. That’s the pull for someone that’s been around for a while – you want to have the wins on your side. Doing that, and scoring the runs, is something that I’ve always set myself.

“I always push myself to high standards; that’s always been my mentality and way of playing the game, because otherwise, you might as well just leave it! It was nice to contribute in a good way.”

continued

Elgar has long been known as a gritty, stoic operator who fits the mould of the cultivated image of the South African team – a pugnacious bunch who stand their ground and offer no quarter to their opposition.

Although he suggested in one of his early interviews it was a tag he was at best ambivalent towards, the 37-year-old lived up to the description throughout his first season at Essex.

Entering into a squad that contained another former Proteas international in Simon Harmer, Elgar at least had one familiar face to help him settle in, but the rest was down to him.

“I got along with everyone in the changing room, and I’ve known quite a lot of the guys in there, just from previous seasons of playing against them,” he mused.

“So, for me, it wasn’t much of a challenge to come into the group. They made me feel welcome. I think being an older player, that also helps with a few of them!

“But again, you want to come into a new environment and stamp your authority by putting down good performances. I feel like that’s the best way of getting accepted into a new group, by doing that.

“I never wanted to come in just expecting them to welcome me with open arms, so I knew I’d have to put in strong performances and show the guys in the group that I’m there for business, not just a holiday!

continued

SPIRIT

I never wanted to come in just expecting them to welcome me with open arms, so I knew I’d have to put in strong performances and show the guys in the group that I’m there for business, not just a holiday!

STEEL

Elgar’s words of not being on holiday certainly rang true not just when he encountered the busy domestic schedule, but when he played the first two months of his Essex stint in the English spring.

Naturally, and although he had played county cricket on five previous occasions for two different teams, Elgar still had challenges associated with being far from home to overcome, not least the drop in temperature.

“The English weather early on in the season is stinking!” he laughed. “And then at the end of the season in September, when the weather returns, and it gets cold again. That’s one of the things that you must adapt to.

“I’m used to winters in South Africa when it’s still 20-odd degrees in the afternoon, so that was something I had to get used to.

“Being away from home is obviously another challenge – missing out on seeing friends and family. I really love the bush, doing safaris, so not being able to have that luxury is something that has been quite tough.

“Being away from my mates and family has presented other small challenges that I’ve had to deal with and find a way to get through.

“I think when you go without those things, even if they feel small, it makes you appreciate them even more.”

The English weather early on in the season is stinking!

In a historic moment for women’s cricket, Essex Cricket has unveiled its first professional women’s team, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for the sport in the region.

The announcement of the squad, made late last year, introduced a lineup poised to make an impact in their inaugural 2025 season. The team includes 11 players transitioning from Sunrisers and two high-profile additions from other regions, Sophia Smale and Sophie Munro.

Completing the squad are Amara Carr, Kelly Castle, Kate Coppack, Ariana Dowse, Jo Gardner, Eva Gray, Jodi Grewcock, Cordelia Griffith, Lissy MacLeod, Abtaha Maqsood, Flo Miller, Grace Scrivens and Esmae MacGregor, representing a powerful mix of talent and experience.

Leading the team into this professional era are Performance Director Danni Warren and Team Director Andy Tennant, both of whom bring extensive expertise from Sunrisers and a proven track record of winning silverware following the Sunrisers’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy triumph in 2024.

To prepare for the debut season, the team visited their new training base at the University of Essex, exploring cuttingedge facilities such as the Performance, Analysis, and Coaching Room (PACR) and Essex Sport Arena.

This is part of a new ‘We Are Essex’ partnership with the University and the Essex Rebels Basketball and Volleyball teams who play their matches at the Essex Arena, which is based on the campus.

The recent trip to the facilities showcased the unique and dynamic opportunities that the partnership will bring to the Club with a chance to learn from their counterparts and fostering a shared ethos of excellence.

continued

The squad’s journey was officially celebrated at a high-profile launch event at The Stratford Hotel, London. Sponsored by Tees, the evening brought together key figures from the community, commercial partners, and club officials to spotlight this landmark achievement. The event highlighted Essex Cricket’s commitment to equity in sport and the transformative ‘We Are Essex’ partnership.

A panel discussion, hosted by Rachel Lewis, Essex Cricket in the Community Chair, featured Performance Director Danni Warren, First Team player Jo Gardner, former Essex Rebels Basketball star Sune Swart, and Ellie Sadler of London Pulse. The speakers shared insights into their journeys as elite athletes and emphasised the importance of fostering opportunities for women in sport.

With an exciting new women’s structure in situ, a groundbreaking support network, and a pioneering vision, Essex Women are ready to embark on their professional journey in 2025.

VIEW

OUR WOMEN’S FIRST TEAM & COACHES

AMARA CARR

Wicket Keeper

ARIANA DOWSE

Wicket Keeper

JODI GREWCOCK

All Rounder

KELLY CASTLE

Bowler

JO GARDNER

All Rounder

CORDELIA GRIFFITH

Batter

LISSY MACLEOD

All-Rounder

14 9

SOPHIE MUNRO

Bowler

7 6

KATE COPPACK

Bowler

EVA GRAY

All Rounder

ESMAE MACGREGOR

Bowler

ABTAHA MAQSOOD

Bowler

FLO MILLER

Batter

GRACE SCRIVENS

All-Rounder

29 16 22

SOPHIA SMALE

Bowler

2025 ESSEX WOMEN’S FIRST XI FIXTURES

DATE

APRIL

Wed 23

One Day Cup Durham Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street

Sun 27 One Day Cup Warwickshire The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wed 30 One Day Cup Somerset TBC

MAY

Sun 04

Tues 06

Sun 11

Wed 14

One Day Cup Lancashire The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

One Day Cup The Blaze Haslegrave Ground, Loughborough

One Day Cup Hampshire Utilita Bowl, Southampton

One Day Cup Durham

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sat 17 County Cup TBC (Round 3) TBC

Mon 19

One Day Cup Surrey The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sat 24 County Cup TBC (QF) TBC

Mon 26 County Cup TBC (Finals Day) Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

Fri 30 Blast Hampshire Hawks Utilita Bowl, Southampton

JUNE

Sun 01 Blast Somerset The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wed 04 Blast Birmingham Bears The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Fri 06 Blast The Blaze The County Ground, Derby

Thurs 12 Blast Hampshire Hawks The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sun 15 Blast Surrey The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wed 18 Blast Birmingham Bears Edgbaston, Birmingham

Fri 20 Blast Durham Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street

JULY

Sat 05 Blast Lancashire Thunder Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

Sun 06 Blast Surrey Kia Oval, London

Tues 08 Blast Somerset The Cooper Associates County Ground

Sun 13 Blast The Blaze The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wed 16 Blast Lancashire Thunder The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Fri 18 Blast Durham The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Thurs 24

One Day Cup Somerset The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sun 27 Blast TBC (Finals Day) Kia Oval, London

Wed 30 One Day Cup Lancashire Sedbergh School

SEPTEMBER

Thurs 04

One Day Cup Hampshire The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sun 07 One Day Cup Warwickshire Portland Road, Birmingham

Wed 10 One Day Cup Surrey The County Ground, Beckenham

Sat 13 One Day Cup The Blaze The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Wed 17 One Day Cup TBC (SF) TBC

Sun 21 One Day Cup TBC (Final) Utilita Bowl, Southampton

One Day Cup Metro Bank One Day Cup County Cup Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup Blast Vitality Blast

SPOONS WELCOME BACK

The Club was delighted to recently announce the reappointment of former Head Coach Chris Silverwood to the Director of Cricket role.

He succeeds his former assistant Anthony McGrath, completing a return to the Club with whom he won the 2017 County Championship title.

In the interim, he held the position of Head Coach with both England Men, between 2019 and 2022, and Sri Lanka, between 2022 and 2024.

Speaking after confirming his return, Silverwood said: “I’m absolutely delighted to return to Essex.

“It’s a Club that holds very special memories for me, with the success we enjoyed in 2016 and 2017, and it’s been great to see the success Anthony McGrath has had in the years in between.

“There is work to be done around the squad, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead, with an emphasis on working hard to help develop our home-grown players.

“Building on the work done by Mags, I’m focused on getting the squad to a point where we have strength in depth, with a strong core of our own local players.

“I’m excited to get straight to work to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and that the squad is in the best possible shape to compete on all fronts this summer.”

PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

2024

GAVIN ELLIS

Magnificence from Michael Pepper as his innings of 101 from just 44 deliveries helped the Eagles romp to a Vitality Blast victory with 14 balls to spare against Middlesex. The visitors must have thought their score of 203-7 was a tough act to follow but Pepper had other ideas (Full image on page 40).

RAY LAWRENCE

The turnaround in the evening session of day 3 against Warwickshire epitomised fighting spirit. Having batted indifferently in pursuit of the visitors’ first innings total, Sam Cook and Jamie Porter led a sensational session. The passion and intensity was absolutely great to witness (Full image on page 45).

HARRY TRUMP

This is Aaron Beard at Taunton during a Vitality Blast match. It’s something that happens more or less every ball when fielding, but with the T20 match times being different to most it can look good with a silhouette (Full image on page 46).

VIEW MORE PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

DAN FEIST

Following the news that Chief Executive John Stephenson would be stepping down from his role after three years, Essex Cricket announced Dan Feist as General Manager as part of a restructure.

Feist, who was previously Deputy Chief Executive, now oversees the day-to-day running of the Club, heading up a senior management team that replaces the sole Chief Executive position.

He has worked for the Club for almost 13 years, first in the role of Head of Cricket Operations, prior to stepping up to Deputy Chief Executive in January.

“I am thrilled and privileged in equal measure to take on this role,” said Feist.

“This is a Club with almost 150 years of history, and becoming its latest guide through the challenges it faces is an honour.

“The Club was pleased to announce the appointment of Dan to the General Manager role in July, and now, in this latest edition of our Members’ magazine, we are excited to welcome him to it.“

-Anu Mohindru KC, Club Chair

LUC BENKENSTEIN

When a country is nicknamed the Rainbow Nation, it’s a very clear symbol that the state in question is a melting pot of many influences.

South Africa, which the term is used to describe, certainly fits that bill, with 11 official languages, six different colours on its flag, and a wide variety of inspirations to make it what it is today.

It’s very appropriate, then, that the man in Essex’s squad who has perhaps the most fascinating mix of influences on his career path so far, is an all-rounder who originally hails from the Rainbow Nation itself.

Leg-spinning, clean-striking Luc Benkenstein was born in Durban and split his childhood between England and South Africa, before returning to the UK to complete his post-16 education and pursue a professional cricket career.

Now, even though he has only just turned 20, Benkenstein is a fully-fledged member of the Essex first team, with debuts in all three formats under his belt, and a strong hunger to make his own way in the game.

To understand his career path, though, a trip right back to the beginning is, naturally, the best way to start, growing up on South Africa’s east coast with a father who is now Lancashire head coach.

“From a very young age, cricket has been all that I really wanted to do as a career,” says Benkenstein. “There probably wasn’t really any other option in the end!

“I do think my parents wanted me tonot necessarily do something else - but to have other options. They wanted me to think about university and everything else that was available to me.”

Fortunately for Benkenstein, his drive to pursue cricket was untempered, and he displayed his maturity, a quality he clearly possesses in spades, by moving to England at the age of just 16. continued

BENKENSTEIN

From a very young age, cricket has been all that I really wanted to do as a career... There probably wasn’t really any other option in the end!

SPINNING LEG-

It was a decision that might have raised a few eyebrows, given he hails from a nation well-established for its cricketing pedigree in its own right.

However, for Benkenstein, it was a decision that made perfect sense, and with his career having since travelled on a clear upward slant, it’s one he feels has been completely vindicated.

“I think, back in South Africa, there aren’t as many opportunities for young cricketers as there are in the UK,” he says.

“The professionalism of the county set-up, and the standard of it as well was really exciting for me, so I was very happy to take that risk. I think that the standard, especially in Division One, is just on a higher level.

“The way they bring you up through academies and the whole system, with high school coaching, and constant matches; I think it’s a better standard personally.

“I wanted to learn my game in the UK with those sort of coaches around me, so my dad and I made that decision together, and I think he’s happy that I came to that conclusion with him.”

Benkenstein joined Essex in 2021, and recently signed a new three-year contract with the Eagles to keep him at the Club through to the end of the 2027 season.

Despite having made England his adopted home, to the point that he has experience of captaining the Three Lions’ Under-19 side, the early influences of English winters spent by the Indian Ocean are clear.

Not least within those telltale signs are his pronounced Durban accent, but also, and perhaps less obviously to anyone without a deep understanding of the sport, his batting is very South African in style.

“I see myself more as a South African batter, technique-wise, but that obviously comes from growing up there, where there are bouncier wickets and I’m able to play a lot squarer,” he smiles.

“Over the last year, I’ve been working hard with all the coaches at Essex around being able to bat in English conditions.

“In bowling, it’s taken a bit of time to get used to bowling longer spells and being a bit more consistent in England, because obviously the conditions are far less suited to turn with our kind of weather in the UK.

“That’s compared to South Africa, where there’s drier pitches, more bounce, and usually a bit more sun by the coast, which is obviously where I’m from.”

His drive to develop his game is a quality that runs through Benkenstein, and as he strives to become more adept at playing in England, so too does his desire to become more English altogether.

That extends to his representing the Under-19s of his second home, and in January, his path came full circle when he played at the World Cup in South Africa, for the Three Lions.

It was obviously a very proud moment, to wear English colours, and playing at that level was what I’d dreamed of from a very young age.

“It was obviously a very proud moment, to wear English colours, and playing at that level was what I’d dreamed of from a very young age,” enthuses Benkenstein.

“I think for my family, though, it was more of a sense of relief because there was such a risk associated with leaving South Africa, and because the end goal was to qualify.

“Getting that foot in the door and being on that pathway, has been a big relief for us. It was a very proud moment, and it was made better by having my family watching. I was really happy to tick that one off the list.”

continued

QUALITY

roars in delight for England U19s

MATURITY

Benkenstein

While the idea of that list of targets would be metaphorical for many other people, it would be easy to believe that Benkenstein actually possesses a physical one, such are the clarity of his aims in cricket.

He is constructively critical of himself when summing up the season that has just gone, even with it being one in which he made multiple format debuts, but strongly backs himself to keep going.

“If I’m being brutally honest, I would have liked to have done a bit better than I did. It’s nice to make my debut in the remaining two formats, but I would have liked to have put in a few more performances,” he says.

“That said, you’ve got to take what you can get, and it obviously was a big step up from last year, when I missed virtually the whole season because of injury.

“I think that’s my biggest takeaway from this year, just actually getting through the season, but I’m very happy with what came with it, being able to play a part in the Blast and getting a few Championship games in at the end.

“It gave me a taste of being a little bit more of a regular in the first team, which then gave me that little bit more of a drive to want to try and cement a spot in all three formats for years to come.”

Still only 20, Benkenstein has time on his side to do just that, and he has a very clear picture of how he hopes to shape those years to come, on both an individual and a team level.

“The biggest thing I want to do now is just to try and win games for Essex and try to win trophies for the Club too,” he says, when asked for his top target in the near future. “I think everyone can see how talented our team is.

“We should be competing for every title, so I think that’s the aim of everyone at the moment, just to target winning the Championship and competing in both white-ball competitions. That’s our biggest goal at the moment.”

The biggest thing I want to do now is just to try and win games for Essex and try to win trophies for the Club too.

Benkenstein aims high in the 2024 Vitality Blast

2025 ESSEX MEN’S FIRST XI FIXTURES

DATE COMP OPPONENT VENUE

APRIL

Fri 04 - Mon 07

Championship Surrey

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Fri 11 - Mon 14 Championship Nottinghamshire Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Fri 18 - Mon 21 Championship Worcestershire

MAY

Fri 02 - Mon 05 Championship Somerset

Fri 09 - Mon 12 Championship Yorkshire

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Fri 16 - Mon 19 Championship Worcestershire Worcestershire New Rd, Worcester

Fri 23 - Mon 26 Championship Surrey Kia Oval, London

Fri 30 Blast Hampshire Hawks Utilita Bowl, Southampton

JUNE

Sun 01 Blast Somerset

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Fri 06 Blast Glamorgan Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Sun 08 Blast Middlesex

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Thurs 12 Blast Glamorgan The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Fri 13 Blast Sussex Sharks

The 1st Central County Ground, Hove

Thurs 19 Blast Middlesex Lord’s, London

Fri 20 Blast Kent Spitfires The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sun 22 - Wed 25 Championship Hampshire

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sun 29 - Wed 02 Championship Yorkshire York Cricket Club

JULY

Fri 04 Blast Gloucestershire

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Sun 06 Blast Surrey Kia Oval, London

Tues 08 Blast Somerset The Cooper Associates County Ground

Fri 11 Blast Sussex Sharks

Thurs 17

Blast Hampshire Hawks

Fri 18 Blast Kent Spitfires

Tue 22 - Fri 25

Championship Sussex

Tues 29 - Fri 01 Championship Warwickshire

AUGUST

Tues 05

Thurs 07

Sun 10

Fri 15

Sun 17

Wed 20

Sun 24

Tues 26

Thurs 28

One Day Cup Notts Outlaws

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

The Spitfire Ground St Lawrence, Canterbury

The 1st Central County Ground, Hove

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

The John Fretwell Centre, Sookholme

One Day Cup Hampshire Utilita Bowl, Southampton

One Day Cup Worcestershire

One Day Cup Surrey

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

One Day Cup Leicestershire Foxes Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester

One Day Cup Glamorgan The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

One Day Cup Gloucestershire

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

One Day Cup Derbyshire Falcons The County Ground, Derby

One Day Cup TBC (QF) TBC

Sun 31 One Day Cup TBC (SF) TBC

SEPTEMBER

Wed 30 Blast TBC (QF)

Fri 05 Blast

Sat 06

Mon 08

Sat 13

Mon 15

Sat 20

Wed 24

Blast

(QF)

Championship Durham

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Blast TBC (Finals Day) Edgbaston, Birmingham

Championship Warwickshire Edgbaston, Birmingham

One Day Cup TBC (Final) Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Championship Somerset

Championship Rothesay County Championship

One Day Cup Metro Bank One Day Cup

The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

Blast Vitality Blast

END OF SEASON AWARDS

Jamie Porter took home the prize of Men’s Player of the Year at the 2024 Essex Cricket End of Season Gala Dinner, held at Braxted Park Estate on Wednesday 02 October.

Tilly Callaghan’s run-soaked season earned her the Women’s Player of the Year award, while Charlie Stack secured the Ability Player of the Year accolade.

Meanwhile, the most-recognised player of the night was Michael Pepper, who scooped a treble, lifting the White-Ball Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year, and Performance of the Year gongs.

See below for a full list of every award winner.

Community Award

EKOTA ACADEMY

TIPTREE HAMPER PERFORMANCES

CENTURIES (19)

April

Nick Browne 184 v Durham (A, CC)

Matt Critchley 151* v Kent (H, CC)

Dean Elgar 120 v Kent (H, CC)

Jordan Cox 116* v Kent (H, CC)

Feroze Khushi 107 v Durham (A, CC)

May

Jordan Cox 207 v Kent (A, CC)

Jordan Cox 112 v Warwickshire (H, CC)

June

Paul Walter 134 v Durham (H, CC)

Dean Elgar 120* v Durham (H, CC)

Michael Pepper 101 v Middlesex (H, T20)

July

Michael Pepper 120* v Sussex (A, T20)

August

Jordan Cox 141 v Hampshire (A, CC)

Dean Elgar 136 v Hampshire (A, CC)

Michael Pepper 112* v Worcestershire (H, CC)

Robin Das 100* v Nottinghamshire (A, ODC)

September

Michael Pepper 115 v Nottinghamshire (H, CC)

Dean Elgar 182 v Surrey (H, CC)

Tom Westley 135 v Surrey (H, CC)

Matt Critchley 112 v Surrey (H, CC)

FIVE-FORS (11)

April

Sam Cook 6/14 v Nottinghamshire (A, CC)

Matt Critchley 5/105 v Kent (H, CC)

May

Jamie Porter 5/37 v Somerset (A, CC)

Sam Cook 5/38 v Somerset (A, CC)

Matt Critchley 5/88 v Kent (A, CC)

August

Jamie Porter 5/52 v Worcestershire (H, CC)

Matt Critchley 5/96 v Hampshire (A, CC)

Jamal Richards 5/31 v Nottinghamshire (A, ODC)

September

Jamie Porter 5/35 v Nottinghamshire (H, CC)

Jamie Porter 6/36 v Warwickshire (A, CC)

Shane Snater 5/13 v Warwickshire (A, CC)

MEMBERS’ COMMITTEE

Dear Fellow Member,

As we reflect at the close of the 2024 season there is a feeling of an era ending and an exciting new term ahead. With changes on and off the field throughout the past year (and within our committee, a belated welcome to Alan Yetts) our next chapter begins. With a roster of outstanding contributions, some recognised with International call ups, there is cause for much optimism for the season ahead, under the stewardship of a new coach. With high attendances across the counties last season, the demand for red ball cricket remains and we will continue to use our voice to advocate for its value, its unrivalled blend of top-level sport and true community.

Our winning bid for a Women’s Tier 1 side is a fantastic achievement for the club, a cutting-edge collaboration with the University of Essex awaits, and we look forward to welcoming new fans and members to Chelmsford. It is fantastic to see Essex academy graduates awarded professional contracts, and the spine of the team and coaches of

2024 Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy winners, Sunrisers, reunited, hoping to carry their momentum in an Eagles shirt.

Our work with the Cricket Museum continues, and we’d like to encourage you to visit when at the ground, as does our collaboration with the Essex Cricket Foundation, 150 Anniversary committee and Boundary Club. We are delighted to support Nick Browne’s testimonial year, a well deserved celebration of his contribution to Essex, and a continuation of a fine tradition.

As ever, if you would like to reach out to us, please email questions@essexcricket.org.uk marked for our attention, or look out for us at matches, forums and eventsidentifiable by our badges.

Best regards,

Alan Yetts, Chris Grant & Millie Dillane

COOK’S SAM

ALASTAIR COOK

The first opener has to be Chef, for obvious reasons. I’ve got to get some Essex representation into this team, but even ignoring that, Chef was one of the best openers to ever do it.

GRAEME SMITH

1 2 3

I think this opening pair would work really well together, and the reason I’m making Smith my captain too is because he was such a great leader.

JOE ROOT

He’s one of the modern greats, being the only man above Chef in the list of English Test runscorers, and his form right now has him on course to be an all-time legend.

SACHIN TENDULKAR

The first name on the team sheet. Unquestionably, the very best batter in history, standing comfortably clear at the top of the all-time Test run-scorers’ list.

JACQUES KALLIS

I can’t not put Kallis in. He’s the best all-rounder the Test game ever saw, with an amount of runs that make him out as an unbelievable batter, before you even add in the near-300 wickets.

AB DE VILLIERS

The master of hitting it to all parts, Mr. 360 Degrees. His ability to counter-attack was incredible, and although he was at his best in ODI cricket, he still averaged over 50 in Tests.

KUMAR

SANGAKKARA

I want this team to bat deep, so Sangakkara comes in at seven. He’s arguably Sri Lanka’s best ever batter.

I’m saying he can keep too and let de Villiers focus on batting.

SHANE WARNE

It’s always difficult to praise an Australian, but sometimes, you have to just hold your hands up and acknowledge the facts, and the Aussies produced an all-timer here. Warne made leg-spin cool again, and the game misses him deeply.

DALE STEYN

We need some express pace in here, so I’ve again turned to South Africa to find. Steyn was so aggressive, hostile, and fast, he was an absolute nightmare to face.

GLENN MCGRATH

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Glenn McGrath was an absolute master with the new ball. He landed it on the same spot time and time again and with a bit of seam movement was lethal.

JAMES ANDERSON

No explanation needed. Over 700 Test wickets and widely regarded as the best seamer to ever play the game. He was a massive inspiration for me and probably all fast bowlers of my age.

Dear Essex Members,

When I first came to this Club in February 2016, I could hardly have imagined the incredible journey that would follow over the next nine seasons.

We’ve been through so much together, and I’ve been deeply honoured to have played a part in bringing silverware back to Essex during my time here.

I’d like to take the opportunity to say a huge thank you to you all for the support you have given me over the last decade. Each and every single game throughout that time, you’ve backed us to the hilt, and especially so at the times we’ve needed it most.

It’s hard to convey exactly what it’s meant and how much of an impact it’s had, but please do know that at times behind the scenes, it’s been absolutely crucial.

Everything you have given, not just to me, the coaching staff, and the players, but to the whole Club, has been really appreciated.

The decision to move on has been an incredibly difficult one to make, and from the bottom of my heart, I’m going to miss this Club.

Hopefully, when the fixtures come out for next year, and we start the season next April, I’ll get the opportunity to see a few people again at The Cloud County Ground.

Thank you very much again for your support, and see you all soon,

ANTHONY MCGRATH

THANK YOU

SIMON HARMER

100 Essex First-Class Matches

100

In August, Simon Harmer’s legendary status amongst Essex Members and fans was cemented when he played his 100th First-Class match for the Club.

By taking the field against Worcestershire in a late-season clash at The Cloud County Ground, Harmer joined a list of 94 Club stalwarts to have reached three figures, and later went on to finish the 2024 season on 103 games.

In that time, the South African spin wizard, who first signed for the Eagles in time for the victorious 2017 title-winning season, has taken 473 scalps at an average of 22.63, with 35 five-wicket hauls.

He has also, neatly, taken ten wickets in a match on no fewer than ten occasions, having bowled almost 24,000 balls in the format in eight seasons with Essex.

Perhaps his finest moment in any of his century of games, though, came in his very first season, in a crucial day/night home Championship meeting with Middlesex.

The visitors were comfortably out of contention to take victory, but Essex were battling against time after large portions of the game were washed out.

Going into the final day, the Eagles needed to bowl out Middlesex in their second innings to achieve a 24-point win, with the Seaxes resuming on 27-0, still 269 short of making the hosts bat again.

Up stepped Harmer, claiming masterful innings figures of 9/95 – the last of which fell with just eight balls of the game remaining under the floodlights – to end the match and single-handedly earn Essex the points.

He has gone on to establish himself as a modern great of the Club, often seen tying down the recently-renamed Sir Alastair Cook End, and, away from the First-Class arena, leading the Eagles to T20 glory in 2019.

JAMIE PORTER

500 Essex First-Class Wickets

500

In September, Jamie Porter became the first Essex cricketer in almost a quarter of a century, and only the 26th in history, to claim 500 First-Class wickets for the Club.

Porter’s 500th victim in the format for the Eagles was Craig Miles, bowled for a duck in the second innings during a fastmoving match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The Eagles went on to win the game by an innings and 40 runs, completing a second innings win in a row, with Porter capping the achievement by returning 6/36, his best figures of the season.

It comes in the same year that he reached the same number of wickets in all first-class cricket, having also taken 19 for England Lions during, among other home matches, tours to the West Indies and India.

He is the first bowler to hit the milestone since Mark Ilott did so in July 2000, removing Toby Peirce against Sussex at Arundel Castle.

Porter, who also snared 50 wickets for the season in the same innings, marking the seventh time in ten years he has done that, has taken his 503 Essex red-ball scalps at a sparkling average of 23.05.

TOM WESTLEY 12,000 RUNS

SIMON HARMER 2,500 RUNS

MATT CRITCHLEY 2,000 RUNS

PAUL WALTER 2,000 RUNS

SHANE SNATER 1,000 RUNS

DEAN ELGAR 1,000 RUNS

JAMIE PORTER 500 WICKETS

SIMON HARMER 450 WICKETS

SHANE SNATER 100 WICKETS

TOM WESTLEY 50 WICKETS

MATT CRITCHLEY 50 WICKETS

MICHAEL PEPPER 50 CATCHES

SIMON HARMER 100 MATCHES

PAUL WALTER 50 MATCHES

DEAN ELGAR 1,000 CHAMPIONSHIP RUNS

GAVIN ELLIS

MICHAEL PEPPER

VITALITY BLAST

Essex v Middlesex

QUIZ OF THE SEASON

Who was Essex’s leading run-scorer across all formats in 2024?

A. Tom Westley

B. Dean Elgar

C. Jordan Cox

D. Michael Pepper

Who took a hat-trick in Essex’s opening match of 2024, away to Nottinghamshire?

A. Jamie Porter

B. Simon Harmer

C. Sam Cook

D. Paul Walter

Which of these teams did Michael Pepper NOT hit a hundred against in any format in 2024?

A. Middlesex

B. Sussex

C. Worcestershire

D. Kent

Not including wicketkeepers, who took the most County Championship catches for Essex during 2024?

A. Simon Harmer

B. Matt Critchley

C. Dean Elgar

D. Shane Snater

How many matches did Essex win by an innings in this year’s County Championship?

A. Two

B. Three

C. Four

D. Five

Which of these Surrey players became Jamie Porter’s 500th career first-class wicket in July?

A. Ryan Patel

B. Jordan Clark

C. Rory Burns

D. Tom Lawes

5 8 6 9 7 10

Against what team did Robin Das hit his maiden List A hundred?

A. Glamorgan

B. Warwickshire

C. Surrey

D. Nottinghamshire

On what ground did Essex this year achieve their joint-highest successful T20 chase of all time?

A. County Ground, Hove

B. Sophia Gardens

C. Spitfire Ground St Lawrence

D. County Ground, Taunton

Who was Essex’s leading wicket-taker in this season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup?

A. Jamal Richards

B. Tom Westley

C. Noah Thain

D. Shane Snater

Essex kept a lengthy unbeaten Championship run against Kent intact in 2024. When was the last time the Eagles lost to their arch-rivals in first-class cricket?

A. 2013

B. 2014

C. 2015

D. 2016

RAY LAWRENCE

SAM COOK COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Essex v Warwickshire

VITALITY BLAST

Somerset v Essex

AARON BEARD

OF THE YEAR

PHOTOS

HARRY TRUMP

ANDY TENNANT

Read what new Essex Women’s Team Director, Andy Tennant, had to say following the news of his appointment.

“I’m really excited for a new start. We always loved playing at The Cloud County Ground when we were a regional team – we always felt the buzz from the crowd – so now we’re just really excited to be part of the Essex family!

“My own coaching style is that I try and consult with the aim of building good relationships with players and creating a strong, hard-working culture. I definitely also like to think of myself as decisive when I need to be.

“I like to listen first, but make strong decisions too with the aim of building strong characters that can win games of cricket!

“This is the continuation of a journey for this playing group, so although we feel great about having the new badge on our chest, we want to keep the core of what we’ve been building recently.

“We believe what we’ve been doing is sustainable and can be even more successful, so we want to keep moving with the same group we have.

“It’s such an exciting time for women’s sport in general, but especially for women’s cricket. It’s super exciting with more money coming into the game, and now we have the opportunity to build a fanbase.

“Players are getting better, and there’s a new crop of talented players coming through new academy systems, so it really does feel like everything’s going in the right direction for women’s cricket.”

Back (L-R): Grace Melhuish, James Nordin, Robbie Gunn, Danni Warren. Front (L-R): Darren Stevens, Andy Tennant, Nick Naylor.

IN MEMORY OF

ROBIN HOBBS

Robin Hobbs loved cricket – and cricket loved Robin Hobbs.

During his county career with Essex spanning 14 years, he swiftly progressed to becoming an integral part of a team where the entertainment they offered regularly exceeded successful results. And it was Robin Hobbs who played a leading role in ensuring the team persisted with those qualities. He was self-deprecating and entertaining company. “I don’t think you’ll find anybody who says it wasn’t a pleasure to play with him because it certainly was,” said his Essex colleague John Lever.

Robin made his debut in 1961 bowling leg-breaks and well disguised googlies from a six-pace run. He won seven England Test caps during a career that saw him claim a total of 1,099 first-class wickets in 440 matches at an impressive 27.09 with an economy rate of 2.86.

He took 10 wickets in a match on 10 occasions in addition to five wickets or more in an innings 50 times. He also scored 4,942 first-class runs and was an excellent fielder, particularly in the covers, with 295 catches to his name.

I don’t think you’ll find anybody who says it wasn’t a pleasure to play with him because it certainly was.

He also played in 145 List A matches taking 51 wickets @ 23.17 to add to 883 List A runs.

One of the finest of post-war leg spinners and indeed the last of his ilk in England to take 1,000 wickets in his career, Robin played in an era of topclass spin bowlers such as Pat Pocock, Fred Titmus and Derek Underwood and despite the abundance of spinners pushing claims for international recognition, Robin’s undoubted talent as a leading spinner was finally recognised with the award of his first Test cap against India at Leeds in 1967.

A very shrewd observer of the game and its players, in subsequent years he coached a number of the younger Essex teams and was an avid follower of the County, regularly attending home matches throughout the summer.

Born in Chippenham, Wiltshire in 1942, his family eventually settled in Essex after his father left the R.A.F. and at the age of 17, Robin joined his father at the Chingford club where Essex captain Doug Insole was also a member.

It was whilst playing for them that Robin first came to the attention of Essex although the youngster was receiving winter coaching from Kent at one stage. He could have become the second Hobbs name to slip through the Essex clutches with the County having previously allowed Jack Hobbs to play his trade with Surrey despite having given a trial to the opening batsman who was to become knighted for his services to England cricket. Essex “greats” and stalwarts Trevor Bailey and Doug Insole, who were running the playing side at Essex, decided that history would not repeat itself and Robin was given a contract.

He made his Essex first team debut in May 1961 against Leicestershire at Ilford.

Over the ensuing years, ’Hobbsy’ became one of the most likeable and popular players to play for the County. He was a leg-spinner at a time when that absorbing style of bowling was became something of a dying art and in fact, by the time he left Essex in 1975, he was the only genuine leg-break bowler playing county cricket.

As a useful low-order batsman, he was capable of solid defence or whirlwind hitting adapting to the situation as demanded. He and Stuart Turner posted 192 for the eighth wicket at Ilford against Glamorgan in 1968 with both batsmen recording maiden centuries.

But he is more widely remembered for an astonishing performance when he struck one of the fastest centuries in cricket history (44 minutes) for Essex against the touring Australians in 1975. It was the fastest first-class century for 55 years and his second fifty took just 12 minutes spanning just 15 deliveries.

Essex Cricket owes Robin a huge debt. Although title successes evaded Robin during his time with the county, as one of ‘Tonker’ Taylor’s trusty troops, he took on the responsibility of helping to mould a generation of cricketers that would eventually become the most successful side for more than a decade.

And achieved with smiles on their faces, a feature that will forever be associated with the wonderful cricketer that was Robin Hobbs.

ROBIN RIP

Robin Hobbs was born on May 8 1942 and died on March 17 2024, aged 81 years.

1942 - 2024

Thank you for the host of memories Robin, RIP.

MAKING A POSITIVE CHANGE

Fab Little Bag

As part of its efforts to drive positive change in women’s sport across the region, Essex Cricket have partnered with FabLittleBag, the provider of sustainable period product solutions for women and girls.

The partnership will see all players and spectators at The Cloud County Ground able to access free period products and FabLittleBags for easy responsible disposal.

Every day, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million pads are flushed in the UK, causing blockages and pollutions of rivers and oceans. Providing FabLittleBags in our female cubicles and coaches bags ensures a new, environmentally-friendly method of disposal.

Martha Silcott, CEO and Founder of FabLittleBag, said: “Essex Cricket joins our Period Supportive Movement, and we could not be happier!”

Her Game Too

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

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

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

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

1) Dean Elgar

2) Sam Cook

3) Kent

4) Simon Harmer

5) Four

6) Jordan Clark

7) Nottinghamshire

8) Hove

9) Jamal Richards

10) 2015

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

QUIZ ANSWERS