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Match Preview: Essex vs Hampshire Hawks, Vitality Blast
Match Preview: Essex vs Hampshire Hawks Men
Hawks Men can guarantee a home Quarter Final
Essex v Hampshire Hawks Men
Vitality Blast
Friday 10 July (7pm start)
Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford
Hampshire Hawks Squad
Hampshire Hawks Men have named a 13-player squad for this fixture.
Manny Lumsden is away with the England Lions, while Liam Dawson remains with the England IT20 squad.
Sonny Baker returns to The Hawks after being released by England.
Toby Albert † (15)
Ben Mayes (21)
Sonny Baker (95)
Andrew Neal (17)
Hilton Cartwright (35)
Ali Orr † (27)
Scott Currie (44)
Tristan Stubbs (30)
Eddie Jack (91)
James Vince Captain (14)
James Fuller (26)
Joe Weatherley (5)
Chris Wood (25)
Essex
Previewed by Martin Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Simon Harmer
Overseas players: Simon Harmer (South Africa, all), Wiaan Mulder (South Africa, first six games)
Finals Day appearances: Six (2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2023)
Titles: One (2019)
2026 standings: 3rd in South Group
2026 leading run scorer: Michael Pepper (364)
2026 leading wicket-taker: Mohammad Amir (20)
Key winter moves: With wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Rossington not re-engaged after his T20-only contract did not work out, South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder is the only addition to Essex’s Vitality Blast squad. Mulder’s most recent international T20 caps came as recently as March in New Zealand, and with approaching 150 appearances in the format, he should prove an asset in the early matches.
The big question: What will Jordan Cox have learnt from the IPL, where he largely watched from the substitutes’ bench with Royal Challengers Bangalore rather than performing in the middle alongside Virat Kohli? Cox topped the Essex batting averages last season – 10 runs ahead of anyone else – and scored a memorable century against Hampshire. Can he do it again?
Wildcard watch: Luc Benkenstein. Leg-spinners are worth their weight in gold in white-ball cricket as Benkenstein showed in last year’s Blast, where his 11 wickets earned him a share of second place in the Essex wicket-taking list alongside Simon Harmer – and with a significantly superior average than his captain. Despite being only 21, he has T20 experience and temperament.
Final thought: Things can only get better for Essex. They won only three games last season, two of them late on with nothing at stake, to finish bottom of the South Group. The year before they were only edged out of a top-four place on run-rate, and in 2023 were beaten finalists. With their younger players a year more experienced, maybe an improved level of consistency can be expected to reverse the downward trend.
Head-to-Head:
Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in T20 matches v Essex:
Played
Won
Tied
Lost
No Result
45
21
3
17
8
Recent meetings:
May 26 2026 | Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by 30 runs
July 17 2025 | Chelmsford | Essex won by four wickets (with four balls remaining)
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)
Tickets
Tickets for Essex v Hampshire Hawks Men are available here.
Coverage
The match will be live streamed on the Essex Cricket YouTube channel. Radio commentary will be available on the BBC Sport website and app, and on BBC Sounds.
Fans can stay updated on the match via Hampshire Cricket’s X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, where regular score updates, photos from the game, and match clips will be shared.
