Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate lauded his side after their County Championship triumph on Thursday, September 26, and labelled them the “best team in the country”.
Essex needed just a draw to claim the title, and with three days of play washed out, it seemed their triumph was just a matter of time. However, Somerset put up a valiant fight, taking nine wickets for 39 runs in the first innings. They forfeited their second innings, forcing Essex to survive 18 tricky overs to eek out a draw.
The title was Essex’s second in three years, and their eighth overall. They racked up 228 points in the season, and suffered a loss just once. “It would be easy to say we’re the best team in the country,” said ten Doeschate. “We’ve been very good at turning up every day and giving our best. We’ve lost only once, and there have been a couple of games that we have turned round after being dead and buried.”
Congratulations @EssexCricket pic.twitter.com/tOIC7DuSxt
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 26, 2019
It was the second trophy Essex was lifting in a week, having clinched their maiden T20 Blast title with victory over Worcestershire on Saturday.
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“We’ve improved so much and we’ve done it over two formats,” said ten Doeschate. “But our white-ball stuff was a bit scrappy and we sneaked through. What has really impressed me is the desire of the guys to keep going.
“In county cricket, you’re not going to be at your best every day. I’ve always said 95 per cent of the battle is turning up every day.”
Congratulations @EssexCricket on winning the County Championship for the second time in three years!
What an amazing summer you guys have had 👏 pic.twitter.com/gI5ilsZxqe
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 26, 2019
Alastair Cook ended the season as Essex’s leading run-scorer, with 913 runs at 45.31. He retired from international cricket last year, but said he enjoyed county cricket too much to stop playing altogether.
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“This is the reason I carried on,” said Cook. “The guys wanted me to play, I wanted to play and I wanted to win trophies. I really enjoy county cricket, it’s a bunch of lads I play with every day.
“You hope you can add a bit to the environment and score a few runs, and to win a trophy at the end of it is really special.”
