Cook out for Essex

Alastair Cook is unavailable

Alastair Cook is unavailable for Essex’s last LV County Championship match of the season as he will need to leave for Sri Lanka at the end of the week to meet up with the England one-day international squad for their forthcoming series.

Ryan ten Doeschate has already left the country en route for India to meet up with the Holland squad for their series of one-day games against representative sides.

Varun Chopra and Jahid Ahmed come into the side in place of Cook and ten Doeschate as the only two changes made from the side that tied with Northamptonshire in Sunday’s NatWest Pro40 match.

Young batsman Tom Westley continues to make a name for himself in Essex colours and retains his place in the 11-man squad.

Middlesex are set to name an unchanged line-up for the clash.

Twenty-year-old Robbie Williams, who is included in a 12-man squad, will hope to force his way into the side but Middlesex are likely to stick with the team that beat Leicestershire in the championship last week.

Third-placed Middlesex are set to miss out on promotion as second-placed Nottinghamshire just need one point to secure their place in Division One.