Cricket News

Essex have signed India batsman Gautam Gambhir for the remainder of the season as they look to bring success to a turbulent campaign.

Essex maintained their hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition after crushing Durham by six wickets at Chelmsford

Sohail Tanvir's devastating early burst of pace bowling enabled one-day specialists Hampshire to leapfrog Essex to second in YB40 Group B with a 30-run win at the Ageas Bowl.

Nottinghamshire suffered a third consecutive quarter-final defeat after Shaun Tait stole the spotlight from Ryan ten Doeschate with a stunning hat-trick

Ravi Bopara's brilliant 115 not out from 94 balls, well supported by 65 from Greg Smith, swept Essex to a seven-wicket win against Surrey at The Oval which keeps them well in contention in Yorkshire Bank 40 Group B

Essex's qualification courtesy of Middlesex's defeat at Hampshire presents them a generous lifeline to rescue their season, though a transformed batting effort will be needed in the quarter-finals

Hampshire, the FLt20 holders, are through to the quarter-finals. Surprisingly beaten at the Ageas Bowl by Kent last weekend, they managed to defeat a stronger side, Essex, after choosing to bat in the floodlit twilight

Hamish Rutherford powered Essex towards the knockout stages of the Friends Life t20 with 84 from 43 balls as they eased to a seven-wicket win over Sussex at Hove.

Michael Klinger scored a fluent 92 as Gloucestershire got a monkey off their back with a six-wicket win over Worcestershire at Cheltenham.

Middlesex needed just 80 minutes to wrap up a ten-wicket win and condemn Sussex to their first defeat of the season in the County Championship.

A career-best 243 from Jaik Mickleburgh plus a first Championship century for Ben Foakes enabled Essex to take a firm grip on their Division Two clash against Leicestershire at Chelmsford

Graham Napier's superb bowling and Jaik Mickleburgh's unbeaten century enabled Essex to enjoy the better of their second day against Leicestershire.

Ricky Ponting hit a masterly 65, his highest score in the Friends Life t20, but it was not enough to prevent Essex from ending Surrey's run of four successive victories with an eight-wicket triumph

Essex overcame a 12-run penalty to return to the winning ways in the Friends Life t20 with a six-wicket win over Sussex

Essex were booed off the field by some members of the crowd after being crushed by Middlesex at Chelmsford. Essex were bowled out for 74, their lowest-ever Flt20 total, and lost by eight wickets.

Essex claimed their second Twenty20 victory over Kent in the space of three days, this time by a margin of 62 runs

Owais Shah clattered six sixes in a match-defining innings of 59 as Essex opened their Friends Life t20 win account with a 47-run success over Kent in Canterbury

Dawid Malan tamed Essex's Australian pace ace Shaun Tait at Lord's as his 55-ball 86 helped to propel Middlesex to a seven-wicket victory

Graeme Swann proved his fitness for the Ashes with a five-wicket haul to help England to victory over Essex in Chelmsford, but concerns linger over the availability of Stuart Broad

Mervyn Westfield wants to help the next generation of cricketers avoid making the mistakes he made