Surrey will be travelling to Chelmsford for their first away fixture of their 2025 Men’s Metro Bank One Day Cup to take on Essex.

Following their thrilling victory against Glamorgan at the Kia Oval, the Three Feathers will be hoping to carry forward their momentum versus Essex and secure a second win on the bounce.

Toss and playing news will be shared at 10.30 am, with the first ball due to be bowled at 11 am.

SQUAD

Stand-in skipper Ben Foakes will lead Surrey’s 12-player squad for the trip to Chelmsford.

Captain Ryan Patel and Tommy Ealham will miss this fixture due to ankle injuries.

Surrey Academy and England U19 all-rounder Ralphie Albert joins up with the team. Left-arm spinner Albert recently claimed a 10-wicket haul for England U19s as they drew against India U19s in the second Youth Test in Chelmsford.

HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE MATCH?

The match will be broadcast live on Essex’s YouTube channel, with a link posted on the Surrey Match Centre and social media channels.

Surrey Cricket’s social media channels will provide live updates from the match, with clips and highlights posted throughout the day. A written report and highlights will be available at the end of the match.

ESSEX

Previewed by Martin Smith – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Captain: Tom Westley

2024 finish: Seventh (Group B)

2024 most runs: Robin Das (309)

2024 most wickets: Jamal Richards (15)

Why they can win the competition: With only four players seconded to The Hundred – compared with six last year – Essex will in theory have a larger pool of players to pick from. However, their plans were disrupted when Indian pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed belatedly pulled out of his all-formats contract; Essex are busily trying to sign an overseas replacement for at least part of the competition.

Player to watch: Robin Das top-scored last year, topped by an unbeaten century in a rare win at Trent Bridge. He has not built on that this season with only a couple of disappointing outings in both the Rothesay County Championship and Vitality Blast. If he finally rediscovers his form, it could reignite his career and lead to a memorable few weeks.

Young gun: Though still only 20, Luc Benkenstein has been a mainstay of Essex’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup team since his 2021 debut. He made his mark the following year with 6-42 against Glamorgan, though barely bowled last season because of injury. Now a Blast regular, the leggie will boost the spin options as well as adding big-hitting cameos down the order.

Final thought: Essex have won just seven of 24 One-Day Cup fixtures since they reached the semi-finals in 2021 – and four of 16 in the past two seasons – with some heavy defeats along the way. It is going to take a massive improvement in performance from essentially the same group of players, allied to some astute tactical acumen from captain Tom Westley, to turn around their white-ball fortunes after a torrid Blast campaign.