GRAHAM Napier has labelled the Colchester Cricket Festival a ‘crucial’ part of the annual calendar, as Middlesex and Surrey prepare to face Essex this week.

The Colchester-born all-rounder will head home for the festival with his Essex team-mates as they look for another strong showing against Middlesex in the One-Day Cup and Surrey in the County Championship, having won both matches this time last year.

Having made his name playing for Colchester & East Essex, Napier says he always enjoys returning to Castle Park although not just for nostalgic reasons.

The 35-year-old believes giving larger parts of the count y the chance to watch Essex play is vital in increasing the club and the sport’s appeal.

And Napier said the amount of support the festival has garnered in recent years proved its importance.

“The Colchester Cricket Festival is very important for the county cricket scene as a whole,” said the 35-year-old. “It takes cricket to different people around Essex and that is crucial. It is my home ground as well which is always an added bonus.

“It is a lovely ground and, more importantly, for us we have had some good results there in recent times and we will need a result against Surrey after what happened against Kent.

“If we don’t play in Chelmsford it is in Colchester so it would be good for as many people as possible to come and watch the cricket at Castle Park.

“I haven’t played for Colchester for a few years,” he went on. “I’m getting older now and it doesn’t fit in with Essex’s schedule but it is always nice to go back and play.”

Essex were crushed by an innings and 207 runs in their last County Championship match, and don’t return to action in the competition until they face Surrey at Castle Park on Friday.

By the time that encounter rolls around, Essex will have played their Royal London One-Day Cup game against Middlesex, their fifth in the competition, and Napier says heading into the festival it is vital Essex have got a good run of results behind them.

“At this stage of the season momentum is so important,” he said. “We beat Hampshire last season and they were top of the table at the time so it goes to show that the competition can also be used as a springboard.

“We have the Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast straight after the festival so getting some positive results could be really significant for us.”

The festival, sponsored by Beaumont Seymour, begins today, when Essex take on Middlesex at 11am at Castle Park.

For ticket information contact http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/2015/06/10/colchester-cricket-festival-2015/