Essex

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to fine Essex £5000 after a number of players were found guilty of breaches of its Code of Conduct over a 12-month period. Furthermore, captain James Foster has been handed a two-game ban by the ECB.

Colchester Zoo is pleased to announce a new partnership with another leading name in Essex - Essex Cricket. They are exploring joint marketing opportunities and the collaboration includes two exciting new events for this summer. Colchester Zoo will also be the launch venue for Shepherd Neame Colchester Cricket Festival on Tuesday 16th August when members of the Essex First Team will visit the zoo.

Essex captain James Foster has been handed a reprimand and a fine by his club for a serious breach of discipline during the Friends Life t20 match against Surrey on 13th June. Foster questioned the decision of the umpire to give him out during the match, which Essex went on to lose by 43 runs.

Powerful Essex all-rounder Graham Napier has signed a new one-year contract which will keep him at the club that will see him stay at Chelmsford until the end of the 2012 season. Napier is currently injured and missed a large chunk of the 2010 season through injury but is pleased that the club have decided to give him a new deal.

Essex wicket-keeper James Foster has been penalised under the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Discipline Code, the board have confirmed. Foster was reported by umpires David Mills and Trevor Jesty for a Level Two breach of the code, which relates to showing serious dissent at an umpire's decision by word or action.

Essex have handed 21-year-old leg-spinner Tom Craddock the chance to impress with a two-month trial from 8th June to 8th August. Craddock has already featured for the Unicorns this summer, playing against Essex both at Bury St. Edmunds and Chelmsford, taking one for 32 and then nought for 32.

Essex have confirmed that 17-year-old pace bowler Reece Topley has signed a new one-year contract with the club following an outstanding start to the season. At the same time, South African quick bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been released from his contract early, with coach Paul Grayson unimpressed with his performance.

New Zealand and Chennai Super Kings fast bowler Tim Southee has signed to play for Essex in the Friends Life T20 competition later this summer. Southee helped New Zealand's progress to the 2011 World Cup semi-finals and has also played a role in helping the Chennai Super Kings begin the defence of their IPL title in style.

South African left-arm fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe is to make his home debut for Essex when they attempt to get their LV= County Championship campaign off the ground against Glamorgan. They currently sit at the bottom of Division Two with two losses and one draw and they make one change from the side which drew with Northamptonshire as quick bowler Maurice Chambers replaces Reece Topley, who returns to school.

Essex Cricket has announced it has agreed a three year partnership with local preserve manufacturer Tiptree in a deal which will see the West Stand at the Ford County Ground renamed ‘The Tiptree Stand’. Ian Thurgood MD of Tiptree said about the deal “After 400 years, cricket remains essentially all about preparation, commitment and teamwork; factors that are equally important to us at Tiptree; Cricket has the ability to inspire and 'Tiptree' welcomes the opportunity to give support to our home county team."

South African international Lonwabo Tsotsobe is to wait before making his Essex debut following a family bereavement and he now expected to join up with the squad ahead of their third LV= County Championship match of the season. He misses out on the trip to Lord's to play Middlesex, beginning on 14th April, and he is still waiting for a visa. He is then expected to make his home debut against Glamorgan from 26th April.

Essex have signed South African fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe as their overseas player and he is expected to join up with the squad ahead of their Championship game with Middlesex next week. Tsotsobe has played five Tests, 20 One-Day Internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals for the Proteas, helping them reach the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup.

Ravi Bopara has been named as Esse's vice-captain for the 2011 season as he bids to bat his way back into the England Test side. Having already turned down an invitation to play in the Indian Premier League with the Rajasthan Royals, he has been rewarded with Essex handing him added responsibility.

England and Essex cricket stars, Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara have chosen the new high-tech Ford Focus for the new season. Graham Gooch, England and Essex County Cricket Club (ECCC) coach, also collected the keys to his brand new Ford car. Mark Simpson, Marketing Director, Ford of Britain said: "As we celebrate our centennial year it seems only appropriate that Ford should continue our partnership with the game of cricket - both have a strong British heritage - and we're delighted to extend this relationship with the Essex County Cricket Club and its players."

Essex have confirmed a loss of £40,000 after publishing their end-of-year annual report and statement of accounts. "It was another challenging year with a loss of some £40,000," treasurer Keith Brown said. "While this was an improvement on £216,000 loss in 2009, it is still unsatisfactory."

Cricket charities, The Lord's Taverners and Cricket for Change, will arrive in Basildon on Tuesday 29 March for the Essex launch of a new three-year partnership which puts cricket at the centre of the bid to build a 'Big Society'. 'The Lord's Taverners Cricket for Change Programme' will extend the game's reach beyond schools and clubs, making it accessible to 7,500 youngsters from socially-deprived areas in 15 UK cities through a nationwide network of 150 local community groups.

Tracey Davies, Head of Cricket Development at Essex Cricket is going to Kenya, Africa, in February 2011 for 2 weeks with charity ‘Cricket without boundaries’ to help children with AIDS in one of the world’s poorest nations. "We will be using cricket to help put a smile on the children’s faces, and also leave a legacy of cricket development for them to continue with their cricket after we have gone," Davies said.

Essex will tour Barbados from 14th 25th March for pre-season preparations before their 2011 campaign. The visit will present a platform for the squad to meet up and prepare physically and mentally for the season ahead of their opening Championship match against Kent at Chelmsford on 8th April.

Essex and England batsman Ravi Bopara has put pen to paper and signed a new two-year deal with the club, who describe it as a 'crucial signing'. “The signing of Ravi’s contract has been an ongoing problem throughout the close season due to a number of factors such as his compensation package with IPL being resolved and of course Ravi currently playing cricket over in South Africa," head coach Paul Grayson explained.

New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has signed to play for Essex as their overseas player in the 2011 Friends Provident 20...