Great cricket - shame about the results!
Two defeats, the first ever at Garon Park, were hardly the results Essex fans wanted from the 2007 Essex Ford Southend Cricket Festival, but the games were close and the cricket was always interesting. In fact the matches once again demonstrated that county cricket can be a great spectator sport.
The LV Championship match against Gloucestershire saw some excellent bowling, great fielding but below par batting especially when Essex were dismissed for a dismal 88. It was a game of fluctuating fortunes right up to the final morning but in the end it was Essex first innings batting performance that cost the game. Regrettably the weather at Garon Park on the third day, when play finished at lunchtime, and on Sautrday when there was no play was the best we have seen in three years of Festival cricket at Garon Park - warm and sunny.
The weather forecast for Sunday predicted rain in Southend for most of the day - but fortunately it was inaccurate and allowed an exciting 34 over game to be played between Essex Eagles and Warwickshire Eagles on what for the most part proved to be a sunny and mainly dry afternoon. The forecasters always seem to overlook the fact that a mile or two from Garon Park is the driest part of the country and Essex cricket fans need to get wise to the frequent mis-information in the weather forecasts! Essex were all out off the last ball of the game trying to hit a six that would have tied the match - you cannot get much closer than that.
The wicket was sporting with some evidence of the Garon Park equivalent of a Lords ridge at one end, but there were no complaints and the general view was that the championship game finished inside seven sessions because of a combination of good bowling and poor batting.
Kids were much in evidence amongst the spectators on Sunday and the Adventure Island under 11 Kwik Cricket tournament between eight local clubs was keenly fought with Benfleet emerging as the winners. The competition was a great success and a credit to the organisers on the Southend Task Force. We hope to repeat the competition next year.
The early finish to the Gloucestershire game and the poor weather forecasting on Sunday affected the week's finances and gates were slightly down on last year.
Timing and fixtures for next year's festival will not be known until the official 2008 cricket fixtures are published in November.
My personal thanks to the members of the Essex Ford Southend Cricket committee and Task Force and to our key sponsors and supporters including Essex Ford (now being rebranded Essex Autogroup), Southend Borough Council, Adventure Island, Carewatch, Essex FM and Essex & Southend Sports Trust. Without their help and the support of all those who enjoyed hospitality in the marquees it would not be possible to keep the Southend Festival alive. Those interested in sponsorship, hospitality or advertising in our glossy festival brochure in 2008 should phone Perry Norton on 01245 254000 or e-mail Mike Smith on msmith@testing-solutions.com.
Peter Butler
Chairman Essex Ford Southend Cricket Festival.