IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Hayes Close, CHELMSFORD, CM2 0RN

A view towards the southern corner of the ground during the tea interval on the sultry first day of the County Championship game between Essex and Derbyshire.

New Writtle Street.

A complex of office buildings on New London Road, opened in 1992. The Essex County Cricket Club floodlights can be seen in the background.

After a wet April and a cold start to May, the first day of the Division 2 game between Essex and the leaders, Derbyshire, was hot and steamy, as this afternoon view against the light shows. Left-arm spinner David Wainwright, who took 5-51 as Essex were bowled out for a paltry 182, bowls to Mark Pettini, whose 56 was the best score for the home side. Derbyshire built a substantial first-innings lead on the second day, bowled Essex out again and won by 10 wickets with a day to spare - their first win at Chelmsford since 1937.

The view towards the Hayes Close End of the ground, shortly after the start of the first day of the County Championship match between Essex and Notts. A couple of seconds after I pressed the shutter the Essex opening batsman, John Maunders, here playing Notts' Luke Fletcher off the back foot, was run out for 2 by a direct hit from the cover fielder Steve Mullaney (out of shot on the right). This was the first of fifteen wickets to fall on an eventful first day. I don't imagine I was the only visiting supporter reminded of the old Radcliffe Road Top Deck at Trent Bridge by this good-as-the-telly viewpoint from the upper tier of the River Stand. The black sightscreens to the left of the picture are left over from the Twenty20 game played the day before - a form of the game in which a white ball is used.

The first church on the site of the present Cathedral was founded (as was the town of Chelmsford itself) 800 years ago. This church was dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, and was rebuilt in the 15th and early 16th centuries. It became a Cathedral in 1914 when the Diocese of Chelmsford was created to meet the needs of the growing population east of London. In 1954 its dedication was extended to include St Peter and St Cedd.

Essex and Derbyshire players had just finished their pre-match warm-ups and the ground staff were starting to take down the practice nets about ten minutes before the start of play on the first day of the County Championship match. The sun had yet to break through low cloud on what was later a very hot and sunny day (one Derbyshire had the better of).

Shortly after the start of a One Day Cup match, Nottinghamshire's Harry Gurney bowled to the Essex opener Tom Westley. The visitors went on to win the match comfortably, by seven wickets. The view is from the upper deck of the Tom Pearce Stand. The flats on the far left were being built when I was last here, in May 2012: see Image

A number of school parties came to see the first day of the Essex-Nottinghamshire match. They were enjoying themselves on the outfield at lunch time. The Pavilion is on the far side of the ground in the centre.

After Nottinghamshire had scored 380 in their first innings, the Essex reply began unpromisingly on the second day. A few balls after this one, Notts' opening bowler Luke Fletcher had Varun Chopra lbw for a 21-ball 0 and the home side were soon 26 for 3, a position from which they never recovered. The view is from the top deck of the Tom Pearce Stand at the River End. (Notts 380 and 266 beat Essex 206 and 139 by 301 runs.)