Match Preview: Essex v Hampshire Hawks Men, Vitality Blast

Essex v Hampshire Hawks Men

Vitality Blast

Thursday 17^th July (7pm start)

The Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford

Hawks Men take on Essex at Chelmsford for their final group match of the Vitality Blast.

Recent mammoth wins against Glamorgan and Sussex have propelled the Hawks into third place, although not officially confirmed to qualify for the quarter-finals.

But, the Hawks’ net run rate of +1.07 is the second best in the South Group, with only Sussex able to go level on points, but they will need two huge wins from their final matches to overtake the Hawks.

Victory for James Vince’s side will guarantee an away quarter-final.

Essex defeated Sussex Sharks in their previous fixture almost a week ago, as they chased down 146 with 23 balls to spare.

Mohammad Amir continued his stellar stint with 3-16 before a blistering 87 not out from Michael Pepper saw the Eagles home.

Hampshire Squad

Hawks Men have named a 14-player squad for their final group match against Essex.

The squad remains unchanged from the side that beat Sussex Sharks on Sunday.

Hampshire Hawks Men

Essex

Captain: Simon Harmer

Overseas players: Simon Harmer (South Africa, full competition), Mohammad Amir (Pakistan, full competition).

Finals Day appearances: Six (2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2023)

Titles: One (2019)

2024 finish: Fifth (South Group)

2025 highest run-scorer: Michael Pepper (313)

2025 highest wicket-taker: Mohammad Amir (18)

Key winter moves: With Sam Cook likely to be requisitioned by England for much of the summer, Essex reacted by re-signing Mohammad Amir to replenish their seam-bowling stocks. The experienced Pakistan international left-armer returns after taking 24 wickets across two Blast spells in 2017 and 2019, the latter helping Essex along the road towards their only success in the competition.

The big question: Can Essex shrug off their perennial enigmatic form in T20 cricket? Their entire history in the short format has been littered with fits and starts, false dawns and letdowns. Now, will the new management axis of (coach) Chris Silverwood and (captain) Simon Harmer align to produce something more concrete and significant?

Wildcard watch: Matt Critchley has played in all four iterations of The Hundred – for Welsh Fire (2021-2022) and London Spirit (2023-24) – but was overlooked in the 2025 Draft. The golden-arm all-rounder was Essex’s second-highest wicket-taker in last season’s Blast with 14, evidence that leg-spinners are more than worth their weight in white-ball cricket. What’s more, he’s also an explosive bat.

Final thought: Michael Pepper has established himself as one of the most exciting of big-hitting gunslingers. In a personal 2024 Blast campaign that included two centuries, he peppered the stands and terraces of South Group venues with 32 sixes – seven more than anyone else and that during a season in which Essex failed to qualify for the latter stages. He toured West Indies with England’s white-ball team in the winter; is he ready to step into the first XI at international level?

Head-to-Head

Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in Vitality Blast matches v Essex:

Last five meetings:

• May 30 2025 | Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by 106 runs
• July 19 2024 | Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by seven runs
• June 20 2024 | Chelmsford | Essex won by eight wickets (with 19 balls remaining)
• July 15 2023 | Edgbaston | Essex won by five wickets (DLS method)
• June 23 2023 | Utilita Bowl | Hampshire won by four wickets (with four balls remaining)

Tickets

Tickets for Hampshire Hawks Men’s match against Essex are available here.

Coverage

A live stream will be available for the match and a link to this stream will be available in the at www.utilitabowl.com/cricket, along with a live match centre with the scorecard, statistics and insight available throughout the match.

Weather Forecast

Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Chelmsford: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2653266.