Happy 150th birthday

[Slogger]

I attended the members event to mark the 150th anniversary of the club earlier. I thought it was very well done. The highlight was a speech by Graham Gooch. He was quite emotional when he spoke of Doug Insole and his affection for the club. Keith Fletcher wasn't there and it appears that JK Lever will be taking over as President. Other notables there that I spotted were Pringle, Gallian, Acfield, Silverwood, Sam Cook and Porter

[kingstonj1]

Not legend of the game Graham Napier?!?

[Andy]

Despite the best endeavours of Hitler, Kaiser Bill and the ECB the club has survived a century and a half.

[essexfan548]

Nice article on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mk81xe4zvo

"Essex County Cricket Club will mark its 150th birthday by visiting the grand Georgian building where it was formed.

A service will be held at Chelmsford Cathedral before up to 300 guests head to Shire Hall on Wednesday.

The club was born in 1876 as a result of a meeting chaired at the venue by then-East Essex MP James Round.

It has since produced some of the game's great names, including Sir Alastair Cook, Graham Gooch and Graham Napier.

Museum curator David Pracy said it followed several failed attempts to get a side together, dating back to the late 1840s."

Surprised to see Napier alongside two England captains - although others are mentioned elsewhere.

[vim]

Was there any sight of, Nick Knight and Stuart Law?

[kingstonj1]

Nice article on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mk81xe4zvo

"Essex County Cricket Club will mark its 150th birthday by visiting the grand Georgian building where it was formed.

A service will be held at Chelmsford Cathedral before up to 300 guests head to Shire Hall on Wednesday.

The club was born in 1876 as a result of a meeting chaired at the venue by then-East Essex MP James Round.

It has since produced some of the game's great names, including Sir Alastair Cook, Graham Gooch and Graham Napier.

Museum curator David Pracy said it followed several failed attempts to get a side together, dating back to the late 1840s."

Surprised to see Napier alongside two England captains - although others are mentioned elsewhere.

Yes written by someone who has been introduced to cricket as of today to write the article. Don't get me wrong napes is a cult figure within the county but hardly a great name of the game! 

[bwildered]

 Yes, saw the event was featured on both the local news channels .

[Andy]

Nice article on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mk81xe4zvo

"Essex County Cricket Club will mark its 150th birthday by visiting the grand Georgian building where it was formed.

A service will be held at Chelmsford Cathedral before up to 300 guests head to Shire Hall on Wednesday.

The club was born in 1876 as a result of a meeting chaired at the venue by then-East Essex MP James Round.

It has since produced some of the game's great names, including Sir Alastair Cook, Graham Gooch and Graham Napier.

Museum curator David Pracy said it followed several failed attempts to get a side together, dating back to the late 1840s."

Surprised to see Napier alongside two England captains - although others are mentioned elsewhere.

Yes written by someone who has been introduced to cricket as of today to write the article. Don't get me wrong napes is a cult figure within the county but hardly a great name of the game!

I think it was written for people whose interests in the game only go back to 1995 which is a long time now as most of my students were not born then.  The relatively low profile of the club apart from the 1979 to 1992 era means that a national media outlet is likely struggling to make it interesting for the casual reader.

It is a good thing that it is being reported nationally and that Chelmsford parish church was filled for this event. 

The club has never had the rabid support that they have had in Yorkshire but without an identifiable football team (West Ham being basically London) it is a local sporting focus. In the same way it is good to see Lanky expanding away from Old Trafford with a new ground near Leyland as we tend to forget that there is a lot of the county that does not live in Manchester.

[vim]

Graham Napier is really only famous now, throughout Colchester.

[Andy]

Graham Napier is really only famous now, throughout Colchester.

The northern part of Colchester?