After promotion in the County Championship last season, Essex initially will be looking to consolidate on their success.

They left it very late last summer, team captain Ronnie Irani hitting the winning runs in the final game of the season to secure promotion.

And like last season, Essex for most of the time will have to do without the services of England skipper Nasser Hussain; he turned out in only three championship matches last term.

Irani revelled in his new responsibilities last summer, scoring 1,175 runs at an average of almost 56 and taking 42 wickets. Only Australian Stuart Law, who led Queensland to victory in the Pura Cup, scored more runs for the county and he will be back for another season this summer.

Fresh from a personally successful tour with England A in the Caribbean is wicket-keeper/batsman Jamie Foster. He was given a good run in the Essex side towards the end of last season and looks set for further senior games this summer after commitments at Durham University have ended in June.

The club signed 24-year-old left arm spin bowler Michael Davies from Northamptonshire during the winter.

Davies, who represented the England A team on their tour to New Zealand in 2000, was released by Northamptonshire at the end of last season.

His best bowling figures in first-class cricket are 6/49 against Hampshire and his best batting 32 not out against Durham.

Essex lost all-rounder Danny Law to Durham during the winter. This season's beneficiary is Peter Such.

Squad: R Anderson, J Bishop, A Cowan, J Foster, A Grayson, N Hussain, B Hyam, M Ilott, R Irani (captain), W Jefferson, S Law, A McGarry, T Mason, G Napier, S Peters, M Pettini, T Phillips, P Prichard, D Robinson, Z Sharif, P Such.

Overseas: Stuart Law (Australia).

In: M Davies.

Out: I Flanagan, D Law (Durham), D Thompson.

Beneficiary: P M Such

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