Essex cricketers reported back to training at the County Ground today - as England's cricketing hierachy announced their first-ever list of central contracts.

Captain Nasser Hussain and 15 others will receive around £70,000 to be controlled by the England and Wales Cricket Board, while counties will receive £50,000 compensation for every player contracted.

They will only be automatically available to their counties for Benson and Hedges Cup and NatWest Trophy matches.

Any other domestic appearances will be at the discretion of coach Duncan Fletcher.

Hussain was likely to be the only Essex player contracted, despite Ronnie Irani and Peter Such having brief flirtations with the England side last year.

Lancashire leg spinner Chris Schofield was expected to be the surprise name on the list, despite being yet to represent his country at senior level and playing only ten matches for his county.

Meanwhile, Essex will be competing in the newly constituted Second Division this year after failing to finish in the top nine of the County Championship last season.

This season will be the first in the county club's 124-year history that they will not have a chance of winning the Championship trophy.

Essex start their season on Monday, April 4, with the first of three friendlies against Kent, Durham and Northamptonshire, all at Chelmsford, before launching into the first serious action on Saturday, April 15, against Surrey at Chelmsford in the Benson and Hedges Cup.

The funeral of Peter Edwards, the Essex secretary-manager who died in South Africa almost two weeks ago, is to be held at St Augustine's Church, Thorpe Bay at noon on Friday.

The service and burial are for family, friends and colleagues only.

The family has requested no flowers, but anyone wishing to make a donation may do so to the British Diabetic Association or to Cancer Research.

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