Surrey welcome Essex to the Kia Oval for the Festival of Red Ball Cricket 2025.
Surrey will be looking to make it back-to-back victories after Monday’s emphatic victory over Yorkshire.
SURREY SQUAD
Surrey name a 14-player squad for the visit of Essex.
Jamie Overton, Sam Curran and Dan Worrall return to the squad.
Dan Lawrence misses out due to injury.
FESTIVAL OF RED BALL CRICKET INFO
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH PLAY?
The match will be available to watch via the Surrey Live Broadcast. A link to the stream will be available on the Surrey Match Centre and social media channels. Surrey Cricket’s social media channels will also provide live updates from the Kia Oval, with clips and highlights posted throughout the day. A written report and highlights will be available at the end of each day’s play. The ‘Oval and Out’ podcast will return for all four days of the match.
LAST TIME OUT
Surrey resoundingly beat Yorkshire after a relentless team performance from Rory Burns’ side. Jonny Bairstow hit 89 as Yorkshire were bowled out for 255. Tom Lawes and Jordan Clark starred with the ball, taking three wickets apiece.
Half-centuries from debutant Kurtis Patterson (85), Ben Foakes (86) and Jordan Clark (69) helped Surrey to 512 and a commanding lead of 257.
With a mountain to climb, Yorkshire batted slowly, taking themselves to 167/3 before three wickets in thirteen balls pushed Surrey to a dominating position late on the third day. Surrey returned needing four wickets for victory, which they wrapped up at around 12:30pm on the final day. The Three Feathers took 22 points from the match, finishing the game week just three points off Nottinghamshire at the top of the table.
ESSEX
Previewed by Martin Smith – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Tom Westley
Director of cricket: Chris Silverwood
2024 finish: Fourth
2024 highest run-scorer: Dean Elgar (1,144)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Jamie Porter (56)
Key winter moves: Essex plans were thrown into disarray when Indian Shardul Thaker pulled out of his intended seven-match arrangement at late notice when called up as an IPL replacement. Unless Essex can unearth another available overseas bowler to ease the burden on the pace attack, returning director of cricket Chris Silverwood will have to revive his Midas touch of yore and bring out the best from the existing squad.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: By his own extraordinary standards, Simon Harmer had a distinctly below-par campaign in 2024. For the first time in eight seasons at Chelmsford he failed to add to his tally of 35 five-fers and ten 10-wicket hauls achieved in Essex colours. He still took 45 Championship wickets with his off-spin, but at an uncharacteristically high cost and strike-rate. We’re looking forward to seeing a revitalised Harmy.
Player to watch: Jordan Cox’s summer was dogged by injury, yet he still topped the Essex averages with 918 runs at 65.57. It earned him a call to arms from England and he was all set to make his Test debut in New Zealand in the autumn before suffering another setback. Another flying start this time around would keep him firmly on the selectors’ radar – and bolster Essex’s middle-order.
Final thought: It may be seven-and-a-half years since Silverwood left Essex for England, but there could be as many as half-a-dozen familiar names in the first XI he selects on April 4. Promising opener Charlie Allison was 12 back in 2017, but such has been his rapid rise that his should be a name on Silverwood’s team sheet for the next decade and more.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST ESSEX
Surrey kicked off the 2025 season with a draw at Chelmsford. Essex racked up 582/6 dec thanks to 95 from Paul Walter, and centuries from Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley and Michael Pepper.
Surrey was bowled out for 365 and forced to follow on, despite Ben Foakes’ unbeaten 92. Surrey reached 219/6 on the fourth day before both teams shook hands.
