No task is too challenging - An Essex story

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CCD1 – Sussex – Hove

We are away for our first game and as the wicket is on the seaming side, we decide to play an extra batsman in ten Doeschate and Borthwick and Bopara will share the 4th bowler role. We have to remember that ten Doeschate is turning 37 so he may not be as much of a threat as we would like him to be. Anyway, we bowled first and a brilliant spell from Corbett exploited Sussex’s weak top order and only Hamilton-Brown put up any sort of a fight.

Cook and Westley bored the crowd to death with a painstaking 75 run stand before Cook fell but Chauhan and Westley continued the frustration. Eventually, Westley fell and we started to pick up with Chauhan scoring a brilliant century and Borthwick hit a quickfire 50 at 8 to give as a huge lead. With the game in our hands, Corbett against his original team decided he wanted to go home early and bowled a magnificent spell taking the first 7 wickets before Rattee knocked over the tail.



Batting Award: D Chauhan – amazing hundred, I just wish he would elaborate on his first name

Bowling Award: Steve Corbett – 13 wickets for less than 100 runs, how could he not get it

Championship State: 1st. Next up Somerset at home.

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CCD1 – Somerset – Chelmsford

Somerset has a decent batting line-up but the bowling lacks any sort of firepower so I give my seamers a bit of extra help from the pitch. We won the toss and on a green wicket, with an unchanged team, we decided to bowl first. As we come to expect from him, Corbett made the early inroads but Borthwick surprised everyone, knocking over the tail and getting a 6 wicket haul.

We lost 3 wickets pretty quickly but Chauhan and Bairstow combined for a massive 281 run stand before Chauhan fell. This was when we decided we needed to score a bit quicker and we did racking up 501 before declaring to get another crack at Somerset before the end of the day.

Corbett got former Essex man Browne before the end of the day but Compton and Salman put a halt in our plans before Compton got a beauty from Topley. Borthwick surprised everyone in the first innings but the crowd was left astounded as he took another 6 wickets to finish with 12 for the match and gift Essex a massive win.



Batting Award: D Chauhan/ Jonny Bairstow – this is a good partnership we have discovered

Bowling Award: Scott Borthwick – I did really well in the market, didn’t I? Justified the 4th bowler spot

Championship State: 1st. Next up a match against Gloucs at home.

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CCD1 – Gloucs – Chelmsford

We play Gloucs in what promises to be an exciting match for all, as we have always had a rivalry with them since I came on board as they have always been in the same division as us. We field an unchanged team and we lose the toss and have to field. We got off to a great start as Corbett took two early wickets before a run was even scored. A 67 run partnership between Steed and Cale gave us some trouble but Borthwick got them both and apart from a good knock from Roderick, Gloucs didn’t do much else.

Cook, Westley and Chauhan put us in the lead before a brilliant spell from Friend sparked a remarkable collapse and if it wasn’t for some late hitting from Corbett, we would be in strife. Borthwick and Corbett combined again for a magical spell to leave us a very small total to win. Some great batting by Cook and Westley got us over the line comfortably.



Batting Award: Alistair Cook – very consistent batting

Bowling Award: Scott Borthwick – worth the extremely large sum we paid for him

Championship State: 1st. next up Warwickshire in Birmingham

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CCD1 – Warwickshire – Birmingham

One change as ten Doeschate seems to be lost this season and so, in a surprising move, Connelly comes in ahead of favourites like Hales and Kieswetter. Batting first, Cook fell early but Westley hit a quickfire 60 before falling to Reifer, sparking a major collapse. Thankfully, an 89 run stand between Connelly, taking ten Doeschate’s preferred spot of 7 and Corbett saved us from an embarrassing total. There were contributions throughout the whole of Warwickshire’s innings but we kept taking wickets at regular intervals so they couldn’t quite get settled but they still managed a slender lead.

Milnes got the openers early but Chauhan combined with Bairstow for a 115 run stand before they both fell to Jones. Bopara scored a good 92 and gave us a good total to defend. They were never really in the hunt but the last 5 wickets fell for 13 runs, all to Corbett to seal probably the toughest victory of the season.



Batting Award: Ken Connelly – on Essex debut he rescued us in the first innings and played a decent supporting knock to Bopara in the second. Deserved man of the match.

Bowling Award: Steve Corbett – never fails to disappoint.

Championship State: 1st. Now Hampshire at home.

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CCD1 – Hampshire- Chelmsford

2 changes are forced upon us as Cook and Corbett have got England call-ups and so Hales goes in as well as King but it was a toss-up with Adler for that spot. Led by Carberry, Hampshire managed to get a decent total. Wood ripped through our top order and only Connelly and Borthwick got us close to their total. Hampshire collapsed under the might of Borthwick and only their lower order gave them a total to bowl at. Our top order started well and with 35 runs to get with 7 wickets in hand, you’d think we’d be able to get it easily?

Well, Wood had other ideas ripping through our middle order before Briggs returned for some more wickets and it was left to the last pair to score the 2 to win but not without controversy as last man Topley got a beauty from Briggs first ball which the umpire didn’t give but Hawk-eye seemed to suggest that he should have.



Batting Award: Ken Connelly – he is really batting well with the tail. I might move him up the order.

Bowling Award: Scott Borthwick – amazing spell in the 2nd innings.

Championship State: hold onto first. Next up a massive match against Surrey in South London.

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CCD1 – Surrey – South London

2 changes as Adler and Dixon are in for Hales and King, neither of whom impressed. We lose the toss and have to bat first and only Chauhan and Bopara made any contribution whatsoever as we got a below par total.

Surrey did a terrible job as Borthwick took another 6 wickets to continue his phenomenal start to the season as Surrey only managed 92. With a big rain delay, I wanted to get a sizeable lead and declare quickly and Bairstow and Bopara came good and did that for me. Borthwick toppled the top order and led us to a big win!



Batting Award: Ravi Bopara – finally coming good after a couple of lean seasons.

Bowling Award: Scott Borthwick – 13 wickets, no need to say more.

Championship State: 1st. Next up Sussex at home.

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CCD1 – Sussex – Chelmsford

2 changes as Matthie and Copperfield are back for Adler and Dixon, continuing the chopping and changing of the line-up. I have put Connelly as an opener because he isn’t getting much of an opportunity at 7. I am worried about Borthwick a bit because he was batting 3 for Durham but 8 for me but he hasn’t batted that well.

We batted first and there were contributions all the way down but apart from Chauhan, no-one really carried on. Luke Wright scored 78 but another 6 wickets from Borthwick evened out the game. Connelly and Chauhan impressed with a good stand but the rest of the team collapsed to give Sussex a very gettable target but they couldn’t quite manage it. Our bowling was fantastic but Brown fought with an unbeaten knock but everyone chipped in and gave us a tight win.



Batting Award: D Chauhan – did his job well

Bowling Award: Scott Borthwick – 56 wickets now this season (from 7 games)

Championship State: 1st. Next up Yorkshire at home.

P.S. What is happening on the forum? It is very inactive

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CCD1 – Yorkshire – Chelmsford

3 changes as Matthie and our star Borthwick have got England call ups and so I bring back Dixon and Ben Foakes who has looked good in the 2nd team to take over keeping duties and Philander is back and is playing for Chauhan. Philander gave Lyth a nasty fracture early but then Yorkshire got down to business compiling 281. On a difficult pitch, the best way to score was to counter-attack and Dixon did this before he fell for a magnificent 85 with most of his runs in boundaries but he failed to get support and so we had to surrender a lead.

Chaos occurred for Yorkshire with run outs and odd wickets but everyone bowled well to make the match very even. Plunkett and Rashid reduced us to 4-38 but the lower order gave a fightback and we managed to sneak home.



Batting Award: Charles Dixon – very well played in the 1st innings

Bowling Award: Reece Topley – everyone bowled well though.

Championship State: 1st. Next up Somerset in Taunton

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CCD1 – Somerset – Taunton

One change as both Philander and Chauhan have been selected for the Champions Cup (what is that?) so King comes in despite me not being that impressed but I have a lack of options. Somerset batted first and Walley and Hildreth certainly batted well but the rest was substandard. Either side of the big partnership our batting looks grim but a 210 stand between Bairstow and Connelly put us ahead. Copperfield ripped through the lower order to give us an easy target which we chased down with ease.



Batting Award: Jonny Bairstow/ Ken Connelly – both saved us

Bowling Award: Steve Copperfield – always has and always will be a limited overs bowler but got wickets when he needed to today.

Championship State: 1st. Next up bottom placed Surrey at home.

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CCD1 – Surrey – Chelmsford

We welcome the contenders for the wooden spoon in the hope of getting a quick win. Minus Philander we have a full strength team with Cook, Chauhan, Matthie, Corbett and Borthwick all coming in. I had to make some tough calls but the first out was Foakes and King followed. Copperfield, although good isn’t of the same class and so drops out. Westley hasn’t been the same this year and so gets some time in the 2nd team and Bopara also has been ordinary and is dropped.

Meaker picked up Cook and Dixon early before Matthie was trapped in front by Dernbach before Chauhan and Connelly halted the chaos for a little while before they both fell. With Bairstow and Borthwick falling quickly as well we were in trouble but a 150 run stand between Gregson and Corbett put us ahead. The batting line up of Surrey just couldn’t put up with the amazing bowling line-up we have and folded twice to give us a big win.



Batting Award: Simon Gregson – I bought two youth players in my first major contract season. One was Corbett, Gregson was the other. Fair to say he hasn’t quite had the heights of Corbett, but he has been very consistent for me and the rock of my team.

Bowling Award: Steve Corbett – when I bought him I thought I was buying a bits-and-pieces medium pacer. Fast forward two years and that same player has 200 test wickets in 28 matches.

Championship State: Keeping it secret now, although it is pretty obvious. Next up a big test against 2nd placed Durham at home.

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CCD1 – Durham – Chelsmford

Chauhan and Corbett have been selected to play for their countries so Cowe and Bopara come in. We batted first and no-one really made a huge contribution but we still managed a good score.

Another 6 from Borthwick helped us immensely but when it came our turn to bat, Gregson put on a masterclass but was left stranded on one of the most unlucky scores in cricket, as Topley edged Harrison behind to Simmons. Borthwick took another 4 to give us a big win.



Batting Award: Simon Gregson – 199, so unlucky

Bowling Award: Scott Borthwick – add another 10 to his tally.

Next up Gloucs in Bristol

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CCD1 – Gloucs – Bristol

We batted first for this crucial game and Matthie scored a magnificent double century and Bairstow chipped in with 74 off 60 balls but we didn’t get the greatest total ever. Youth player Mitchell Matthews on debut scored a brilliant knock of 159 but we still managed a lead and got an extra bonus point. Cook and Matthie scored a brisk 157 run partnership but we declared when Cook fell. We only had 10 overs for a miracle but we couldn’t manage it.



Batting Award: Nicholas Matthie – great double century

Bowling Award: None

Next up a tough match against Warwickshire at home.

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CCD1 -Warwickshire- Chelmsford

3 changes as Cowe is injured and so King comes in and Matthie is on England duty and so Chauhan is back and I drop Dixon for Westley. Westley scored a good comeback 50 and Gregson continued his good form with another century. We knocked over Warwickshire quickly and asked them to follow on. Topley got 5 as they managed to just make us bat again but that was that.



Batting Award: Simon Gregson – after a lean start to the season, he is coming good.

Bowling Award: Reece Topley – still the spearhead

Next up Yorkshire at home

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20/20 update

Well, the semis isn’t bad…

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CCD1 – Yorkshire – Chelmsford

We lose the toss and bowl and Joe Root really put us behind with a great innings but Cook and Gregson matched it with a great partnership with Cook just falling short of a double. Yorkshire then collapsed and even though we also had to negotiate a collapse we won well.



Batting Award: Alistair Cook – amazing innings

Bowling Award: Vernon Philander – we haven’t had him much but he was good today

Next up Durham in Durham.