The two games, against Glamorgan in the NatWest T20 Blast and Surrey in the LV= County Championship, saw Essex record a win and a draw. Ben Foakes received the catch of the match award, sponsored by Birketts, for his diving effort to dismiss Mark Wallace in Friday’s match.
Danny Macklin, commercial director at Essex County Cricket Club said: “Despite the mixed weather, the festival was a great success. Over the course of the week we have had over 7,000 spectators, including over 4,500 for the T20 game. As one of the Club’s main sponsors, Birketts has supported Essex County Cricket Club for a number of years and are currently heavily involved in the iconic ground redevelopment plans.”
Richard Payne, a partner in the corporate and commercial team at Birketts, added: “Our close ties with Essex County Cricket Club continue to grow and we were delighted to be the sponsors of the City of Chelmsford Cricket Festival. As well as some really entertaining cricket, Havens Hospice, this year’s Birketts’ Race4Business charity, managed to collect in excess of £1,000 on the doors.”
Entertainment off the pitch provided a backdrop in a rain affected match. Throughout the Festival there were a number of other events taking place. Next of Kin, from the X-Factor, kicked-off the entertainment by performing on Friday night. The music continued with performances from Jazz Band, the Felsted School steel drum band, and Eloise Light during the Championship game.
Image: Richard Payne presenting the catch of the match to Ben Faukes at the T20 game during festival week (Nick Wood - Unshaken Photography)
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