Essex Cricket have named Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara as their new club and limited overs captains.

Ten Doeschate, who was previously the one day skipper, replaces James Foster after he lost the captaincy last month, and will be tasked with leading Essex to promotion from division two in the upcoming campaign.

The Dutchman made his debut for the county in 2003, and had proved to be a top class batsman across all three formats of the game, as well as providing support as a bowler.

He signed a new deal last year, tying himself to Essex until the end of the 2017 season and, unlike last year, he will not be competing in the Indian Premier League, meaning he will be in place for the start of the season.

Bopara began his career at Essex, first appearing in 2002, and has made more than 150 appearances for England over all three forms of the game.

The all-rounder is a firm fans favourite, with Essex believing Bopara’s short form prowess makes him the ideal appointment for one day captain.

The 30-year-old will be entering the IPL auction but, with the final of that competition due to be played on May 24, he would miss just one T20 Blast match – if his side progressed to that stage.

And head coach Chris Silverwood is excited about the prospect of both the appointments.

“Both Ryan and Ravi have proven themselves fantastically committed to the cause here at Essex over a number of years,” he said. “They command instant respect in the dressing room, and have proven how much they care about the club.

“Ryan will bring many things to the role. He is always a calm head on the field, and has shown over the past two years as limited overs captain how capable he is. He is a hugely experienced and professional individual. We are aiming not just for promotion, but to be competitive in Division One, and Ryan is the man to lead us there.

“Ravi is at the stage of his career where he is looking to take on more responsibility, and this is the perfect opportunity to give him that. He has played a lot of cricket around the world and will bring that experience into his new role. We have realistic aims to win a limited overs competition this year, and Ravi is excited about the challenge.”