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15th May
Brentwood 2nd XI - 205-5 declared
Fives & Heronians 2nd XI - 206-3
Fives won by 7 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
Following two successive promotions Brentwood 2nd XI played their first game in the Premier league, and received a sharp warning as to the challenge awaiting them this season. On winning the toss Brentwood skipper Stuart Townson elected to bat first, with the intention of posting an imposing score and applying pressure to the Fives batting line up during the second innings of the game.
Brentwood's innings got off to a quick start with the young Fives bowler, Palmer unable to control the swing of the new ball. Shane Surujbally and Steve Taylor took advantage of this to take 22 runs off the youngster's 3 overs before he was replaced by Delcaitraisse. Although Coleman continued to bowl well, Delcaitraisse also struggled to control the swinging ball and was quickly replaced by the slow bowling of Wheeler. Surujbally and Taylor continued to make steady progress until the score reached 92. At this point Wheeler lured Surujbally into playing across the line and bowled the opener for a solid 53. Chris Boon batting at number 3 began circumspectly but soon began to push the score along quickly against what was now a dual spin attack. Taylor continued to bat calmly and the pair took the score onto 187 until the re-introduction of Coleman, supported by Fives skipper Poulter began to slow the scoring rate down. Boon perished in pursuit of quick runs, bowled Poulter for a fine 48, but with 8 wickets still standing and 7 overs left Brentwood were still confident of posting a score of around 225.
However, the incoming batsmen found it very difficult to score quickly against the accurate Fives bowling and 3 further wickets were lost. The quality of the bowling at the death of the innings was such that Taylor who had batted since the beginning of the innings was unable to raise the scoring rate and finished the innings unbeaten on 60. Taylor deserves credit for providing the rock around which the Brentwood innings was built and for battling away for 52 overs against tight bowling and a slow outfield.
Brentwood's score looked to be about thirty runs short of par and so it was to prove as Fives overhauled the total with four overs to spare. Brentwood's bowling attack was never able to apply sufficient pressure, to force sufficient indiscretions from the batsmen, who for the majority of the innings looked comfortable on the flat Old County Ground track. Nevertheless Brentwood can take comfort from the bowling of Dave Balroop, who bowled with heart, a lot of skill and no luck whatsoever on his league debut for the Club. Joe Fryd also bowled very well to claim the three wickets, but Brentwood had to concede that Braithwaite, who but for his inability to play all day cricket would surely grace the first XI Premier League finished 135 not out, was the outstanding performer of the day.
Although comprehensively beaten Brentwood can be reassured that their batting is likely to be competitive in the Premier League and with a few lessons learned in creating more pressure whilst bowling and fielding, should be able to bridge the gulf between Division 1 and the Premier League.
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22nd May
Brentwood 2nd XI - 190 all out
Gidea Park & Romford 2nd XI - 177- 9
Match Drawn
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood 2nd XI continued their solid start to their Premier League season by securing the better end of a draw at Gidea Park & Romford, traditionally one of the powerhouses of Essex cricket. When skipper Stuart Townson lost the toss he wasn't surprised to be asked to bat first on a wicket that looked green, damp and slow. Brentwood's innings began patiently with scoring never easy against the accurate GPR opening attack and had reached 27 when Steve Taylor and Chris Boon were involved in an unfortunate mix up which saw the latter run out.
This appeared to galvanise the GPR bowlers, Berry and Krishten who continued to bowl accurate away swing to a 7-2 off side field, which combined with the bowler friendly wicket made scoring runs even harder. Brentwood lost another 4 wickets to this and were reduced to 66-5 before Taylor combined with debutant Mark Tyler to effect the pivotal partnership of the match. Having seen off the two openers, GPR's change bowling lacked the same consistency and menace, which allowed the two batsmen to gradually increase the scoring rate. Tyler began to take the attack to the bowlers and was particularly savage on Goldstone, the left arm spinner, taking 16 off his first over. This partnership was eventually broken on 167 when Tyler departed for an outstanding 78. When Taylor was bowled by the returning Berry, Brentwood's tail was likely to struggle to reach 200 and gain maximum batting points and so it proved as Berry and Krishten claimed the last four wickets between them, to limit Brentwood to 190.
Taylor must be singled out for praise as for the second week running he played a gritty innings, the rock around which Brentwood were able to post a competitive total. He showed a level of application that was not matched by his fellow top order batsmen and the true value of the innings was not reflected in his eventual score of 41.
At the tea interval Brentwood realised that, in the conditions, this total was competitive and provided that they bowled with discipline had high hopes of winning the game. The opening bowlers Kevin Bradford and David Balroop bowled exactly to plan and induced a series of false shots from the GPR top order. Backed up by some excellent fielding, including an outstanding catch by Townson in the gully, this had their opponents rocking at 42-4. Bradford in particular can be pleased with his effort of 2-30, in his first league game for the 2nd XI this season. At this point Brentwood suffered a setback to their hopes when their experienced off spinner Keith Burgess was hit in the face fielding at short leg. The resulting wound required 12 stitches and deprived Brentwood of one of their three spinners. Luckily, the injury was not as serious as first thought and Burgess was able to return to the field of play for the last couple of overs, once the needlework had been completed!
Burgess's absence from the attack gave the two remaining spinners Tyler and 15 year old Gulrajani the opportunity to demonstrate their talents and neither disappointed. The two of them pinned down the GPR batsmen who were now looking to consolidate and the runs began to further dry up. Both also took wickets as Brentwood began to establish a grip on the game which saw GPR reduced to 143-9 with 9 overs left. Tyler's spell of 3-41 confirmed his all round ability and Gulrajani's 2-56 showed what a promising bowler Brentwood have on their hands. To GPR's credit they kept trying to win the game, when many sides would have shut up shop for the draw. Goldstone and Windebank put on 33 for the last wicket, going for the shots until it was impossible to win. Goldstone's positive approach offered Brentwood a couple of difficult chances, which had they been taken would have secured the best possible outcome. Nevertheless Brentwood can take a number of positives from this game and can look forward with real optimism, to being a competitive force in this higher league.
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29th May
Brentwood 2nd XI - 145 all out
Loughton 2nd XI - 146-5
Loughton won by 5 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
An under strength Brentwood side played hosts to Loughton, who upon winning the toss asked Brentwood's skipper to bat.
Brentwood lost early wickets, which was down to some good bowling from Eaton, 2 for 22 and Blundy, 4 for 34, however the bowlers were assisted by the batsmen and their various poor shot selections. Only Peter Morgan showed any resistance in compiling 70. A final total of 145 was well short of the norm.
In reply the Loughton batsman were keen to play shots and the scoreboard ticked over. Brentwood then introduced the spinners into the attack which slowed the rate slightly, it also yielded wickets with Gulrajani taking 2 for 31. Despite this the low target was reached with both Wood and Taiani accumulating 39, the latter remaining not out.
This was without doubt the worst performance of the season which leaves Brentwood at the bottom of the league. There is room for improvements in all departments of Brentwood's cricket at this level.
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5th June
Brentwood 2nd XI - 183 all out
Woodford Wells 2nd XI - 184-7
Woodford Wells won by 3 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
A fighting performance from a reduced strength 2nd XI saw Brentwood claim a creditable 9 points from the game. However, this was insufficient to pull them off the bottom of the league. Skipper Stuart Townson chose to bat first on winning the toss and soon discovered that the Wells had recruited well during the winter, the opening bowler Ul-Haq being considerably quicker than any bowler in 2's cricket for a number of years. Brentwood's batsman applied themselves, but were unable to prevent the steady loss of wickets, with only Brooks (32), Townson (24) and Mckay (39) able to provide any real resistance. With McKay falling with the score on 139 it was left to Lawless with a quick fire 21 and a few blows from Bainbridge to raise the score above 175 and claim the additional batting points.
Brentwood's seam attack initially held the Wells openers in check until the 10th over when they started to open out. It took the introduction of 15 year old spin bowler Dayan Gulrajani to make the first breakthrough, bowling Tidyman with the score on 62. Keith Burgess also weighed in with a wicket, one run later, but Murphy and Moss began to put the game beyond Brentwood's reach, This might have been different had Brentwood not spilled three chances offered by this pair. Wells allowed Brentwood back into the game when Murphy, Moss, Ul-Haq, Lucev and Goodlett all lost their wickets to rash shots, brought about through some sustained tight bowling from Bainbridge and McKay, backed up with a couple of outstanding catches. However, the experienced pair of Harrison and Rogers saw off the last 20 runs to win with one ball to spare.
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12th June
South Woodford 2nd XI - 49 all out
Brentwood 2nd XI - 179-8
Brentwood won by 130 runs
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood 2nd XI registered their first league win of the season with a comprehensive demolition of South Woodford. On losing the toss Brentwood skipper Stuart Townson was unsurprised to be asked to bat first on a wicket that looked patchy, green in places and decidedly bowler friendly. So it proved.
Brentwood's openers started steadily finding the bounce to be uneven. However a couple of loose shots saw Brentwood limp to 22-2. The introduction of the experienced slow left arm bowling of Neicho, further pegged Brentwood back until they were 66-5. At this point Townson and Paul Larner began a recovery against some tight bowling. Whilst Neicho continued to suffocate the run rate, some wayward bowling at the other end allowed Larner, in particular to increase the run rate. The next wicket fell on 112 when Townson was bowled for a painstaking 10. Larner continued to score and completed his first half century of the season before perishing to the persevering Neicho for 59. Keith Burgess swung the bat to good effect to push the Brentwood total up to 179-8 at the declaration.
This looked to be a competitive score on a wicket with increasing variable bounce. So it proved as Brentwood's opening bowlers, Joe Fryd and David Balroop tore the heart out of the South Woodford innings reducing them to 17-5. The two complimented each other well, with Fryd's pace and seam movement allied to Balroop's control and inswing. South Woodford never recovered and were bowled out in 24.2 overs for 49, Fryd taking 6-29 and Balroop 3-16. The virtues of bowling straight on a pitch that offered assistance to the bowling was amply demonstrated by the fact that seven of the South Woodford batsmen were either bowled or trapped LBW.
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19th June
Brentwood 2nd XI - 297-3 declared
Ilford 2nd XI - 298-4
Ilford won by 6 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood came off second best in a game dominated by the respective batting line ups. With the Valentines Park ground being used for first class matches as recently as 2002 Brentwood skipper Stuart Townson realised that it was going to be a batsman friendly day. This being even more apparent on an inspection of the wicket which was dry, firm and surrounded by a large dry outfield. On winning the toss Townson elected to bat first, a decision which soon looked to be vindicated as Steve Taylor and Shane Surujbally compiled an opening stand of 54 in reasonably quick time. Unusually for this pairing it was Taylor more quickly and he had reached 29 by the time Surujbally fell for 14.
This brought Tony Jones to the wicket who continued his good form of the previous week and when settled began to catch Taylor's score. Taylor was the first to pass 50 although Jones was not far behind. Both batsman took a toll on some indifferent bowling and with the conditions providing a full reward for stroke play they seemed to be racing each other towards the century. Jones unfortunately didn't make it as he was stumped for an outstanding 75. Taylor appeared to slow down as, understandably, he began to tire, but the momentum of the innings was maintained by Nigel McKay who, following the unfortunate run out of Matt Westwood scored consistently from his first ball. With plenty of wickets in hand, McKay upped the scoring rate in the last few overs and Taylor gained his second wind to complete a fine century, ending the innings 111 not out. McKay reached his half century and was unbeaten on 52 at the declaration.
Whilst Brentwood had posted a mammoth total, there was no room for complacency. They were missing the two bowlers who destroyed South Woodford the previous week and Ilford have a record of compiling high scores. From the first over It was clear that Ilford had not written themselves off and Brentwood did not help themselves by feeding them at least two bad balls an over which were invariably dispatched to the boundary. Irrespective of who Townson turned to, they continued to provide the Ilford openers, Curtis and Dar with a succession of long hops and over pitched bowling. They cashed in and both completed centuries in an opening stand of 241. It was not until Townson himself came on to bowl that Brentwood were able to apply any thing resembling pressure and he was rewarded with a couple of wickets. Once the breach was made, Burgess also claimed a couple of wickets to make the final score look a little more respectable than seemed likely at one point.
Whilst recognising that the ground conditions were heavily in the favour of the batsmen, who also played well, Brentwood must be alarmed by the ease with which Ilford were able to chase down this massive total and accept that poor bowling constituted a large part to this defeat.
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26th June
Brentwood 2nd XI - 134 all out
Wanstead 2nd XI - 135-5
Wanstead won by 5 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood slumped to their 5th and perhaps most disappointing defeat of the season at the hands of 2nd placed Wanstead. Despite having lost three of the top four batsmen who the previous week, scored nearly 300 runs at Ilford, skipper Stuart Townson was still confident of posting a score that would provide Wanstead with a stiff challenge. However, this proved not to be the case.
Wanstead's opening bowling was a strange mix of tight swing bowling from one end followed by erratic pace from the other but Brentwood's openers were not able to capitalise on this. After a bizarre cameo innings from Shane Surujbally they found themselves 22-2. Chris Boon and Nigel McKay began to steady the ship until McKay was trapped LBW, plumb in front of the stumps with the score on 65. Paul Larner soon followed to a poor shot and it looked like it would be left to Townson and Boon to pull the innings round.
They began to do this and had taken the score to 125 when Boon called his Captain for a run and then changed his mind with Townson stranded in the middle of the pitch. This witless piece of cricket proved to be the pivotal moment in the game as the loss of this wicket triggered a catastrophic collapse, the last six wickets fell for a mere nine runs as poor shot selection, generous umpiring and more poor running contributed to the collapse.
The total of 134 never looked to be enough, and so it proved, but Brentwood's bowlers dismissed half the Wanstead side before victory was secured. Dave Balroop was the pick of the bowlers taking 2-35 and Keith Burgess also produced his best spell of the season in taking a couple of wickets. At one point Wanstead were teetering at 40-3, but Brentwood further contributed to their own downfall by failing to take four chances that were offered.
This defeat did not result in Brentwood slipping further down the league, they remain in seventh spot. However, it has allowed the teams below them to significantly close the gap and brings the spectre of possible relegation firmly back in view.
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3rd July
Brentwood 2nd XI - 181-8
Chelmsford 2nd XI - 125 all out
Brentwood won by 56 runs
Report by Stuart Townson
Following last week's disappointment against league leaders Wanstead, Brentwood bounced back by beating Chelmsford by 56 runs, taking the last wicket with three balls of the match remaining.
With Chelmsford occupying third place, despite the fact that the week's rain had left the Old County Ground wicket greener than normal, Brentwood skipper Stuart Townson elected to bat first on winning the toss. Brentwood began steadily enough with Glenn Leech and Shane Surujbally seeking to overcome the new ball. It looked like they had accomplished this when, after striking two sumptuous boundaries, Surujbally played an ambitious pull shot and scooped the ball to mid off. Brentwood were 33-1. Chelmsford introduced the spin of Poole as early as the 9th over of the innings and he, along with the nagging medium pace of Bond, began to slow the scoring rate down.
It was soon apparent that Chelmsford's tactics for the remainder of the innings would be to bowl a negative middle and leg stump line, to a packed leg side field and to wait for the Brentwood batsmen to make mistakes whilst attempting to increase the run rate. Leech and Chris Boon looked comfortable against this ploy until Leech was caught for 29. Boon followed shortly after for 26 and when Jones was run out with the score on 96, Brentwood looked like they might struggle to reach their target of 200. When Townson departed with the score on 126 this looked even more likely. That Brentwood were able to post a competitive total, was largely due to Nigel McKay who mixed his thunderous hitting with some sensible defence to finish the innings on 56 not out.
181 was likely to be a competitive rather than a formidable target, but is soon turned into the latter, after a heavy cloudburst forced the play to be halted for an hour with Chelmsford's reply on 27-1. The game resumed at 6:10 with Chelmsford having 20 minutes plus the last hour to chase the remaining 154 runs. Townson introduced his two spinners, 15 year old Dayan Gulrajani and Keith Burgess almost immediately after the resumption which, with the batsmen now having to force the pace, began to turn the tide in Brentwood's favour. All batsmen struggled against the flight and guile of Gulrajani who belied his tender years to take his first five wicket haul for the 2nd X1 finishing with 5-32. Burgess also chipped in with three important wickets to finish on 3-31. It has been apparent for the last 12 months that Gulrajani has the talent and potential to go a long way in the game, this performance merely confirmed that he is now a fully fledged 2nd X1 bowler and will hopefully give him the confidence required to move on to the next level.
Credit must be given to Chelmsford, who maintained a positive approach to their run chase, even as the constant loss of wickets took the game beyond their reach. It was not until the last wicket pair, that they appeared to settle for the draw. With Brentwood putting down a difficult chance in the second to last over, it seemed that Chelmsford might hang on, but for the final two overs from the pavilion end, the ball had been handed to the hostile Joe Fryd to blast out the last wicket. This he did when he found the edge of Bond's bat, who was smartly caught by Mckay at slip.
This exciting win consolidates Brentwood's position in mid table and ensures that at the half way point of the season they are handily placed to push further up the table by the summer's end.
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10th July
Brentwood 2nd XI - 234-7 declared
Gidea Park & Romford 2nd XI - 174 all out
Brentwood won by 60 runs
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood recorded their second consecutive victory, propelling them up to 4th place, their highest position of the season.
For the fourth week running the toss of the coin fell favourably for Brentwood skipper Stuart Townson who had no hesitation in batting first. However, after 15 overs this decision looked as if it might have backfired as some loose strokeplay saw Brentwood rocking at 37-4. Realising that any further loss of wickets at this point would almost certainly mean defeat, Townson and Paul Larner, set about repairing the damage. With Berry bowling a tight line and length the two batsmen looked to see off his initial spell and to increase the scoring rate against the change bowling. The score had moved onto 84-4 off 26 overs when the acceleration that Brentwood were looking for began. The introduction of off spin bowler Croft allowed both Larner and Townson to pick up the tempo as he proceeded to bowl 3 or 4 long hops an over. The "Chinamen" of Goldstone also proved to the liking of the batsmen as his bowling began to disappear to the furthest parts of the Old County Ground.
Both batsmen completed half centuries and with 10 overs to go they had taken Brentwood to a handy 185-4. A mammoth score looked on the cards, but the reintroduction of Berry and fellow opening bowler Gunasen slowed the run rate down. Townson was eventually stumped for 73 with the score on 206. Larner proceeded to bat until the declaration and left the field, with the score on 234 having made 100 not out to a well deserved standing ovation.
234 looked to be a good score although slow bowlers Dayan Gulrajani and Keith Burgess, opening the bowling with the old ball, were presented an immediate poser as Ahmed seemed intent on hitting every ball out of the ground with a succession of ugly slogs. However, it had the desired effect as Burgess was unable to rise to the challenge and with the field already spread to the boundaries, was removed from the attack after 4 overs and replaced by the leg-spin of Paul Webb who immediately settled onto a tighter line and length. Gulrajani made the initial breakthrough, removing Dunthorne for 13, but Ahmed and former GPR 1st XI captain, Russell Collard, began to take control. With the score on 90-1, searching to break the partnership Townson turned to the new ball and the swing bowling of Dave Balroop. Balroop succeeded in inducing a false shot from Ahmed who was caught for an enterprising 53. Gulrajani soon followed up, bowling skipper Adams for 2 and when Balroop bowled Collard with the score on 102, Brentwood looked to be on top.
Their position would have been even better had they not put down two easy catches in one Gulrajani over, but fortunately for the home side these did not prove costly. Only Gunasen provided any real resistance with a well made 40, but Gulrajani and Balroop proceeded to work their way through the GPR batting to reduce them to 154-9. Brentwood had 8 overs to bowl, although the fast approaching heavy cloud suggested that they would not have time to bowl the full allocation. Desperate for the final wicket, Brentwood fielders crowded the bat and, despite receiving some lusty and bruising blows, were rewarded when Gulrajani turned a delivery sufficiently to brush the gloves of the last man and wicket keeper Barry Brooks took the catch.
For the second week running Gulrajani earned a five wicket haul, taking 5-73 from 24.2 overs and he was ably supported by Balroop who took 5-44. With 3 or 4 players coming back into the top two sides, the 2nd XI are now looking in good shape to push hard for a top 3 finish.
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17th July
Brentwood 2nd XI - 201-9 declared
Loughton 2nd XI - 157-7
Match Drawn
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood travelled to Loughton on Saturday hoping for a third consecutive win, but left with a highly creditable draw.
As Brentwood travelled through torrential rain on their journey to Loughton, they were anticipating a damp pitch, however, nobody was expecting to see the groundsman sweeping puddles off the wicket. Matters were made worse by the constant stream of interested parties trampling across the square. The deluge ensured that the start was delayed until 2pm and that whoever won the toss would ask the opposition to bat.
Unfortunately for the visitors Loughton won the toss and Brentwood found themselves batting in the toughest conditions of the season. The Loughton opening attack of Eaton and Watson bowled a tight line and length, using the extravagant movement allowed by the conditions to reduce Brentwood to 28-4. Showing a fine technique, Tony Jones showed what could be achieved with a little luck and a lot of application as he and Paul Larner began to take the Brentwood score to respectability. The score had reached 67 before the fifth wicket fell. Jones then began the pivotal partnership adding 70 runs with Dave Balroop who mixed watchful defence with attacking flair. Jones, eventually fell for a magnificent 76, with the score on 137-6 but with 15 overs left, the wicket easing and short boundaries, Brentwood still fancied their chances of reaching 200 and securing full batting points. This they were able to do as Balroop hit 46, Joe Fryd a quick 15 and James Reilly, supported by some smart running with Paul Webb, a cool 11 not out including a six with two balls to spare to settle the nerves.
Having lost half an hour's play Loughton needed a quick-fire start if they were to have a chance of victory, however, Joe Fryd took a wicket in his first over and soon took two more, to reduce them to 30-3. Unable to score quickly against Fryd and Balroop it soon looked like the game was going to peter out into a draw. This was particularly true once Fryd had bowled the dangerous looking Gant. However, with these two taken out of the attack the Loughton middle order were able to accelerate the scoring and in the process lost two more wickets to leave them at 136-6. With 6 overs to go they had no chance of victory and appeared to settle for 150. Brentwood skipper Stuart Townson turned to Fryd for one final over and he obliged with his fifth wicket of the innings, Loughton's seventh which provided his side with a further bowling point.
In the circumstances Brentwood's haul of 11 points was an exceptional effort, having been put in to bat on a soaking wet wicket. Thanks predominantly to the efforts of Jones and Fryd, Brentwood were able to haul themselves into third place in the league.
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24th July
Woodford Wells 2nd XI - 254-7 declared
Brentwood 2nd XI - 199-7
Match Drawn
Report by Stuart Townson
For the first time this season Brentwood 2's were involved in a run chase, but were unable to overhaul the large Wells total. On winning the toss the Wells' skipper Roger Tidyman elected to make first use of what looked to be a very good batting pitch. So it proved as Tidyman helped himself to 86. Brentwood's bowling began steadily with Danesh Kayani and Stuart Townson swinging the ball, but were let down by poor catching, the first of which allowing Tidyman a reprieve when he was on 10. Skipper Townson made the initial breakthrough with the score on 33, but then had to wait until the score was on 103 for the next wicket when Paul Webb bowled Nick Sims.
During this time Wells began to accumulate runs and no Brentwood bowler looked particularly threatening. However, they were unfortunate when Ul-Haq who made 61 was run out by a yard, when on 12, but was mysteriously given not out. With plenty of wickets in hand the Wells were able to launch a late attack against the Brentwood bowling, scoring 80 off the last 8 overs, to post 254-7.
Although large this total did not look unreachable as the outfield was fast and the wicket still good, however, Brentwood never got going against the accurate pace bowling of Ul-Haq and Tom Watkins. The Wells opened up with two slow bowlers and Chris Boon began to cash in, scoring the majority of his sides early runs, before the brakes were applied by the two quickies. Brentwood were never able to break free from the shackles and steadily lost wickets as batsmen played shots attempting to increase the run rate. The middle order all made double figures but were unable to post a substantial score. It was left to the lower order to push the score up towards the 200 mark in the search for bonus points, with notable contributions from Keith Burgess and Dayan Gulrajani.
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31st July
Brentwood 2nd XI - 187-4
South Woodford 2nd XI - 258-9 declared
Match Drawn
Report by Stuart Townson
For the second week running Brentwood were involved in an unsuccessful run chase, which in this very tight league has now seen them drop to sixth place.
South Woodford won the toss and unsurprisingly, given the hottest conditions of the year, elected to bat first. It soon became apparent that the Brentwood opening bowlers of Joe Fryd and Dave Balroop had little margin for error on a superb batting strip and runs soon started to accumulate. Fryd made the breakthrough with the score on 63 when he had Sayeed well caught by wicketkeeper James Reilly and Keith Burgess quickly followed up by having Bukhari caught in the deep for a streaky 28.
S. Shaikh and Ali then settled into a partnership of 70, which could have been broken much earlier had Shaikh been held at square leg off Fryd, but Brentwood had to wait for Ali to chip Burgess to mid-wicket. South Woodford continued to bat well and take full advantage of the conditions and pushed on, with Brentwood struggling to contain the flow of runs. Once Fryd had been removed no bowler was really able to support Burgess who was bowling his longest and best spell of the season and runs came a little too easy for Brentwood's liking as to their credit the South Woodford batsmen played some exceptional shots.
South Woodford's tactics were a little perplexing as they continued to bat until their 52 overs were complete, but they had batted until 4:45pm which meant they would struggle to bowl Brentwood out on the benign surface. It was even more mystifying as the last 20 minutes of their innings only produced 20 runs and cost them 5 wickets, handing Burgess his best 2nd XI return of 6-80.
Brentwood were realistically going to struggle in chasing such a large total in such short a period of time, so they set out their stall to score 200. They were unable to do so though as South Woodford closed the game off very early by bowling the experienced Neicho for 20 overs On the flat track he lacked any real penetration although he made scoring extremely difficult with his line and length and well set fields. Ashraf also bowled a tight spell and the majority of Brentwood's runs came from Nigel McKay, 67 not out, Steve Taylor, 36 and Chris Boon with 35.
An unsatisfactory game of cricket ended in a predictable draw, which did neither side any real favours in relation to their league position.
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7th August
Brentwood 2nd XI - 271-9 declared
Ilford 2nd XI - 239-7
Match Drawn
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood 2nds entertained Ilford on another sweltering day and were grateful when the Ilford captain elected to field on winning the toss.
The decision looked to have backfired when Steve Taylor drove the first ball of the innings through extra cover for four. This set the tone for the early part of the innings as Taylor and Chris Boon took advantage of some wayward bowling and shoddy fielding, posting 71 after 10 overs. Ilford introduced their spinners into the attack which began to slow the run rate a touch. However, the openers added a further 72 runs before the partnership was broken on 143 when Taylor was caught and bowled for 42. Brentwood wobbled as Boon was quickly dismissed for 72, his highest score of the season and Nigel McKay immediately followed him back to the pavilion as he tamely hit a full toss straight to square leg.
Brentwood were now 146-3 and began a period of consolidation. Solid contributions of 20 from Peter Morgan, 32 from Chris Lawless and 28 from Skipper Stuart Townson ensured that Brentwood comfortably passed the 200 mark which allowed 15 year old Joe Surtees to play a little cameo innings in his first league game for the 2nd XI. Brentwood constantly lost wickets in the last few overs as batsmen pursued quick runs, but clever batting from the last pair, James Reilly and Paul Webb, ensured that Brentwood were able to declare on 271 after the 52 overs.
Although they had a large score on the board, Brentwood were far from complacent as Ilford had successfully chased 297 in the earlier fixture at Valentines Park. However, the Brentwood attack was stronger and in Joe Fryd and Paul Webb they had the two outstanding bowlers of the day. Joe Surtees opened the bowling with Fryd and soon learned that there is a large gulf between the 2nd XI and the 4th XI where he has spent the majority of the season. With little room for error on a good batting surface against good batsmen, he showed he had ability and character in his first bowl at this level. With some hard work to match his ability Joe has a bright future in the game.
Webb's leg spin replaced Surtees and soon removed the dangerous opener Curtis, caught and bowled for 17 with the score on 48. The other opener Darr continued to ride his luck against Fryd and with Mahmood, moved the score onto 116 before Webb had the latter caught in the deep for 47. Fryd completed a hostile, but luckless, 10 over spell, no mean feat in the heat and was replaced by the experienced Patel who was unable to reproduce his recent form for the 3rd XI conceding six an over. Ilford looked like they might pull off an unlikely win as Sagoo began to hit the ball hard and far in a quick fire 37 until the consistent Webb forced him to hole out with Lawless taking an outstanding catch low to the ground.
With runs continuing to flow at the other end Fryd was brought back into the attack sooner than Townson would have liked but the change soon paid dividends as he removed Shariff for 0 and Darr for 69 in quick succession to leave Ilford struggling at 186-5. Ilford's tactics began to change, playing more defensively, and when Webb claimed his fourth wicket Townson moved his field in close to try and prise out more wickets. This produced an unexpected response from Sharma who proceeded to strike Fryd for a four and two consecutive sixes to revive faint hopes of an Ilford win. However, he was unable to maintain this scoring rate and Fryd gained his revenge bowling Sharma to secure an additional bonus point for Brentwood and ensure that Ilford had no option but to bat out the remaining overs and hold on for the draw.
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14th August
Wanstead 2nd XI - 118-6
Brentwood 2nd XI - 117 all out
Wanstead won by 6 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
An abject batting performance by Brentwood 2nd XI was the root cause of the defeat, which has seen them slip to 7th place and back into the relegation dog fight. On losing the toss Brentwood were asked to bat and were immediately in trouble against the pace and movement of the Wanstead opening attack, when Peter Morgan was trapped LBW first ball. Brentwood continued to lose wickets with only Chris Boon (19) and Stuart Townson (24) providing any real resistance. Despite the Wanstead attack bowling tightly, 117 all out was a poor team display.
Realistically Brentwood were always going to struggle to bowl Wanstead out for less although hopes were raised when they took a wicket with the second ball of the innings. Townson taking a catch at slip of Keith Burgess. Wanstead appeared to believe that the game was already won and played with a reckless abandon, which when coupled with tight bowling from Burgess and Paul Webb saw them rocking at 38-5. Burgess collecting another couple and Webb chipping in with two wickets of his own. At this point D Richardson and R Ellison began to bat with a little more caution and moved the score onto 77 before Burgess picked up his fourth scalp with the assistance of a fine running catch from 15 year old Joe Surtees. This brought together the two Richardson brothers who steered Wanstead home.
Brentwood have three games to play and must raise their standards considerably if they are to avoid slipping straight back into Division 1.
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21st August
Chelmsford 2nd XI - 93 all out
Brentwood 2nd XI - 97-4
Brentwood won by 6 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood came away from Chelmer Park with a much needed victory, easing some of their immediate relegation worries. On winning the toss Brentwood elected to bowl first on a wicket which due to the overnight rain, was the wettest they had come across all season.
Once they had settled into a rhythm, using the conditions to good effect, Brentwood's opening bowlers, Ash Patel and skipper, Stuart Townson made life difficult for the Chelmsford batsmen . Patel was achieving vicious lift off a length but it was Townson who proved to be the most penetrative as he claimed the first three wickets of the innings, two to good catches by Peter Morgan.
When Townson replaced Patel with Keith Burgess's off spin, it was clearly going to be Brentwood's day. Clark, who had looked dangerous reaching 29, was distraught when he struck Burgess's rank loosener straight to Patel who somehow clung onto the ball between his arms and chest. Townson continued to bowl consistently and the runs began to dry up as he claimed two further wickets to record his season's best of 5-35 from 18 overs. With Bond and Semple looking to preserve wickets another bowling change proved fruitful as Paul Webb's leg spin was introduced and removed both stubborn batsmen within two overs. This left Chelmsford reeling at 88-8 and when Giles holed out to give Webb his third wicket, quickly followed by Burgess's second, they were all out for 93.
Although all the bowlers performed well in the favourable conditions, credit must also go to the Brentwood fielders who held every chance offered and who prevented Chelmsford building a momentum with excellent ground fielding. Morgan and Webb were particularly effective in the covers.
Brentwood were clear favourites to win at tea, as the pitch had dried considerably in the sunshine and breeze, however, it continued to offer uneven bounce as the ball marks in the damp pitch began to harden. Chris Boon and Barry Brooks put on 44 for the first wicket before the former holed out to long on. The innings wobbled with some loose stroke play and the score was 62-4 when Townson joined Chris Lawless at the crease. The experienced pair bided their time, seizing on the loose deliveries to see their team safely home. Townson finished with 20 not out, Lawless unbeaten on 17.
This victory moves Brentwood up to fifth place although still with only a gap of 14 points between themselves and the relegation zone. It is still possible that any team from fourth down can still find themselves in trouble, but a couple of solid performances in the last two games should see Brentwood preserve their Premier League place for next season.
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28th August
Fives & Heronians 2nd XI - 130-6
Brentwood 2nd XI - 174 all out
Match Drawn
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood travelled to Chigwell in a buoyant mood following the previous weekend's victory over Chelmsford. However, the mood changed shortly after they lost the toss and were asked to bat on a wicket that resembled a paddy field.
Batting was never going to be easy and so it proved as opener Barry Brooks was bowled with the score on 7. Steve Taylor and Kerry Branson, batted with grit and application to take the score to 54 when Taylor was bowled attempting to up the scoring rate. Scoring runs was proving to be even harder and both Chris Lawless and Branson fell with the score on 71. Branson's knock of 25 was particularly pleasing as he demonstrated plenty of fight in difficult conditions and represented a return to something like form for the youngster who has spent the majority of the season in the 3rd XI.
Brentwood were reduced further to 78-5 after 39 overs and were surprised to see Fives' defensive tactics. Rather than attempting to bowl Brentwood out, they resorted to placing men on the boundary whenever an attacking shot was played. With the field spread and difficult batting conditions it was apparent that Brentwood would struggle to gain any meaningful batting points by the 52 over mark so Captain Stuart Townson set out to ensure that Fives' negative tactics would not be rewarded with easy wickets and a potential win. With solid support from Peter Morgan, Dayan Gulrajani and Paul Webb he was able to pick off the bad balls, boosting Brentwood's total to 174. Townson's resolve to bat for a long time was hardened by frequent verbal exchanges with the Fives players and by their failure to make any effort to take his wicket, beyond waiting for him to slog one to the fielders in the deep. With the declaration four balls away Townson was eventually caught behind for an outstanding and patient 60. Brentwood had batted for a total of 73 overs.
Despite Fives' constant complaints about Brentwood's obdurate batting they did not appear to be in too much of a hurry to knock off the runs. Once the dangerous Braithwaite had been removed by Ash Patel for 19, they batted defensively and only Tom Yallop who made a fine 68 seemed to be interested in pursuing the game. Keith Burgess, who achieved large spin when the new ball was taken picked up 3-26 and ensured that Brentwood took a couple of points from the match.
Brentwood's final game is at home to Colchester. A nine point haul from this game will ensure that Brentwood become the first club for three seasons to survive their first year in the 2nd XI Premier League.
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4th September
Brentwood 2nd XI - 176-9 declared
Colchester 2nd XI - 177-3
Colchester won by 7 wickets
Report by Stuart Townson
Brentwood 2nd XI entertained Colchester for their last game of the season in which, despite losing, they managed to secure sufficient bonus points to retain their Premier league status. Brentwood won the toss and had no hesitation in batting on a green, slow but dry strip.
Chris Boon and Steve Taylor got the home side off to a steady but slow start with no runs coming off the first three overs. Gradually the run rate increased, with Boon in particular beginning to play more expansively. Brentwood had reached 73-0 when Boon drilled the ball straight to mid wicket and he was caught for a well made 53.
Brentwood's run rate began to struggle against some accurate slow bowling from Kunarajah and the innings began to lose momentum as wickets tumbled. The original target of 200 began to look optimistic when wickets began to fall, as new batsmen were forced to try and raise the scoring rate. Once Taylor had been caught and bowled for a battling 21 only Tony Jones with 31, Nigel McKay 20 n.o. and Graham Walker 16, made any impression on the scorers. After 51 overs the score was 171-9 and it was left to the last pair to secure the additional batting points for reaching 175. Kunararajah, finished with a creditable 6-51.
Colchester had a long time in which to chase the below par total and were under no pressure to score quickly. If Brentwood were going to secure the necessary points they were going to have to take wickets. Joe Fryd bowled well with the new ball and deserved more than the single wicket that he ended up with, but it was the slow bowlers to whom skipper Stuart Townson quickly turned. Once Fryd had made the breakthrough Kunarajah continued his domination of the game with some well timed drives and in Rodda he looked to have solid support. However, Rodda tried one shot too many and was well caught at long off by Boon, off the bowling of Walker. With the score 89-2 Brentwood were visibly lifted and expected further wickets to fall. Unfortunately they could only prise out one more, despite creating chances, as Kunarajah saw his side home with a fine unbeaten 70.
Brentwood left the field unsure if they had done enough. They could still be overhauled if Loughton had won their final game bowling second. A quick call to Loughton confirmed that they had indeed won the game, but to the palpable relief of the home dressing room the 18 points gained through batting second was insufficient to send Brentwood back into division 1.
2004 has been a tough year for the second team and in order to compete higher up the league in future seasons it must improve the consistency with the bat, availability at the top end of the club and the depth of the 2nd XI bowling. Nevertheless 2004 must and will be judged as a successful season for the 2nd XI as the pre season aim of becoming the first club for three years to survive the initial year in the Premier League has been achieved.
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