Cricket: What's gone wrong?

Essex have been one of the major cricket forces for two decades and have set a standard that is increasingly impossible to sustain.

Unluckily for them, when the two divisional split came, they were not enjoying one of their successful periods.

However last year saw them slump to the bottom of the Championship for the first time since 1950, highlighting a decline in their Championship prowess.

A survey conducted last year showed that Essex had a record that compared more favourably with any other county over the last two decades.

Everybody at the club, committee, players and supporters alike, would love return to the bonanza days, but it has to be considered that maybe the county and the members and supporters were spoilt by the brilliance of the team during some marvellous years.

Players have not been replaced as they were forced to quit through injury or retirement, others that were being groomed have left.

Certainly a number of key and highly talented players all departed from the scene within a short space of time.

In the nineties alone for example Brian Hardie 1990, Neil Foster 1993, Derek Pringle 1993, Don Topley 1994, Mike Garnham 1995, John Childs 1996, Graham Gooch 1997 all retired, while Nick Knight, John Stephenson, Nadeem Shahid and Jonathan Lewis all left to further their career away from Essex.

The county are still attracting and producing top quality youngsters through its network of coaches with a succession of England Under 19 teams all including players from the county.

Additionally, with greater movement of established players now coming into the game, Essex will be in the market for any player that can bring a desired quality to the side allowing those promising youngsters to develop.

Patience is the virtue needed, while Essex rebuild and the structure is already starting to show with the emergence from 'nowhere' of Ricky Anderson and David Thompson into the first team this season.

While followers will accept that Essex will not be the super power they once were, they will not accept the status of Second Division minnows.

Essex and England captain Nasser Hussain reflected: "Despite not achieving the aim that we set ourselves at the start of the year to finish in the top nine, I'm very pleased with how the boys have generally played in four-day cricket.

"I have to say that I'm not happy with our one-day form and that's something else that will come under close scrutiny during the winter.

"You have to remember where we finished in 1998, this season we've competed in 90 per cent of our games.

"Progress takes time and hopefully we will continue that progress by getting into the top division at the end of next season."

All-rounderRonnie Irani said: "It is disappointing that we're not in the top League and I have to say that, for me anyway, to not be considered as one of the best six teams in the country hurts.

"I think that's where we should be with the players that we have but it hasn't worked out like that."

Former captain Peter Such said: "Times have changed and a few years ago we had top class players throughout the team which took us to a number of trophies.

"We are starting to get things right again but it all takes time.

"Things have been tight in the championship this year and unfortunately we were at the wrong end of a number of middle placed clubs."

Keith Fletcher, disappointed, said: "We've lost good players who have not been replaced, some like Goochie you possibly won't ever replace.

"Now we have to work hard and pick ourselves up. I would add that I think it's a pity that all the pitches were not of the quality that we prepare at Chelmsford because certainly some that we played on around and about were not four-day wickets."

The Essex Roll of Honour

County Championship: Winners 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1992; Runners-up 1978, 1989, 1990.

AXA League: Winners 1981, 1984, 1985; Runners-up 1971, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1992.

Benson & Hedges Cup: Winners 1979, 1998; Runners-up 1980, 1983, 1985, 1989.

NatWest Trophy: Winners 1985, 1997; Runners-up 1996.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.