ESSEX chief executive Derek Bowden saluted the thousands of Eagles fans who made the trip to Birmingham on the weekend and said the club is determined to give them special days out like that every year.

The Essex faithful were well represented in a record Finals Day crowd of 25,000 at Edgbaston on Saturday, and Bowden said it was a demonstration of just how well the county is supported.

“They were terrific and it’s just a shame we couldn’t send them home a bit happier,” he said.

“There was a moment with 15 overs gone that we thought we would nick it, but we didn’t and that’s unfortunate and that’s just the way T20 cricket goes.

“But I think just participating in Finals Day is important.

“Winning is great, but getting to the Finals Day and giving our fans a day out like this is fantastic, and we will always do all we can to make it happen every year.

“They travelled in brilliant numbers and we really do thank them for their support.

“Hopefully now we can reward them a bit more this season by qualifying from the YB40 and challenging for promotion to division one.”

Bowden said the huge appetite for Saturday’s spectacle of “cricketainment” – a term made popular by the IPL – underlines his belief that Essex can achieve something remarkable by attracting 20,000 crowds to the Olympic Stadium.

The club are currently in talks about playing Twenty20 matches at the Stratford-based arena, which is already set to host West Ham United FC from 2016.

Bowden said: “I think there is a latent supporter base for us in the east end of London and towards the south of Essex.

“And one of our ideas behind playing at the Olympic Stadium is to get those people to see what we can provide in terms of games and entertainment, and maybe get them to also come to Chelmsford.”