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9th June
Ongar 4th XI - 86 all out
Brentwood 4th XI - 239-9
Brentwood won by 10 wickets
Report by John Morgan
Ongar won the toss. Brentwood batted first. 236-9 dec (44 overs) Tony Jones 103, Ellis 3-64, Watson 3-23
After a good opening stand between Tony Dann (34) and Tony Jones, Brentwood set an early pace. Ellis bowled well and earned 3 wickets. After losing Dann, Brentwood struggled to keep up the run rate except for an excellent century from Tony Jones who persecuted Ongar's bowling attack. Skipper Neil Webb chipped in with a valuable 35 and he was well pleased with his team's final score of 236-9, allowing for an early declaration.
Ongar innings: 86 all out. Ellis 36, M Payne 10-1-30-3
Ongar lost early wickets and the writing was soon on the wall. At 28 for 5, Ongar were struggling but a solid 36 from all-rounder Ellis held up the Brentwood attack and threatened to frustrate the home side. Enter 10 year old debutant Krishen Ali who made the all-important breakthrough, clean bowling Ayres for 19 before allowing Jones to hog the glory and pick up the last two wickets to seal victory for the home side. Micky Payne bowled extremely well with pace and swing, picking up 3-30 and the Ongar players will be well pleased with the performance of their youngsters. Expect great things from Ali though, Brentwood's newest protégé in the making.
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23rd June
Stanford-le-Hope 4th XI - 83 all out
Brentwood 4th XI - 84-0
Brentwood won by 10 wickets
Report by Damian Muncaster
Brentwood completed a comprehensive 10 victory against lowly Stanford Le Hope on Saturday to cement their place in the automatic promotion slots. In the end it was a comfortable victory for Webb's band of cunning rogues, bounders and cads but the result, although never in doubt regarding the opposition did come under threat from the elements.
The inclement weather that had been forecast seemed fanciful as the captains tossed in warm humid conditions and all was set fair as Brentwood were invited to bowl first. Missing strike bowler, talisman and good time dandy, Dave Barbone ,Brentwood feared the worst and with Stanford le Hope looking comfortable at 50 odd for 1 the Monsters of Rocks gain was definitely Brentwood's loss.
But an astute bowling change saw the Stanford batting line up collapse like a Pakistan cricket coach...The rakish charms of Mickey Payne were replaced by the canine tenacity of Captain Webb's off spin and the wickets began to tumble. A couple of lusty blows from the audible Le Hope number 4 did not deter Webb as he bowled with impeccable manners to secure his first five wicket haul of the season.
Webb was ably supported by his field, as the dapper Barry Brooks held catches, took stumpings, and generally frolicked like a new born lamb behind the stumps. James Geoffrey Lyne patrolled the cover region like Tom Hanks on the Green Mile, no one was going to cause trouble on his shift and he definitely did not leave the lights on for the Le Hope batsman as he secured a stunning one handed putt out. Muncaster showed athletic prowess that belied his greying temples as he took two catches and also produced the delivery of the day that attempted to redefine off spin.
The Le Hope batting line had prolapsed, Morgan's frugal spell had also yielded wickets and Brentwood had bowled Le Hope out for a mere 83 runs.
It was now a question of weather Brentwood could score the runs before the heavens opened. Despite a slow start the opening partnership of Good cop Jones and bad cop Stockwell looked comfortable and as thunder rumbled in the distance it was the signal for the boys at the crease to up the tempo and finish the job.
And finish the job they did. Chris Stockwell got all teenage dirtbag on the Stanford bowlers, dispatching them to all parts of the ground. The Hanson reject, full of teenage angst was showing no mercy you could tell he couldn't wait to post his myspace bulletin about this later.
With the victory target in sight dark rain clouds had now formed over the county ground (back pitch), the sky like Sarah Beeny was pregnant and the Brentwood victory was in the balance. But Stockwell was having none of it and with a flash of the blade and flick of his unkempt hair a towering six brought victory. Right on cue the deluge arrived and the county ground was awash, damp patches everywhere. Stockwell was hoping after his match winning knock this wasn't the only moist areas he would be encountering that evening.
Job done and Brentwood march on.
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30th June
Leigh-on-Sea 4th XI - 175-6 declared (52 overs)
Brentwood 4th XI - 178-6
Brentwood won by 4 wickets
Report by Neil Webb
Brentwood's 4th team travelled to Belfairs Park in Leigh on Saturday amidst the gloom and drizzle, fully expecting the game to be cancelled upon their arrival.
However, despite the inclement conditions, the pitch had held up well and, once the showers ceased, play was able to begin on time. Home skipper Dennis Freeman won the toss and, somewhat surprisingly given the soggy pitch, chose to bat, presumably anticipating a rain enforced early finish.
Brentwood's tour de force of a new ball attack, Messrs Payne and Barbone, exploited the conditions to force early pressure on the Leigh batsmen. Barbone, all snarl and sinew, charged down the hill in a fiery opening spell which brought the early dismissal of Luker, well snared in the slips by Coote. Given the same fielder's attempts at catches later in the innings, the batsman might consider himself a little unfortunate. Meanwhile Payne, bowling up the hill and into the wind, adopted the strategy that taking the pace off of the ball was the way forward ... and so it proved as he completed a miserly spell of 1-19 off 11 overs including the wicket of Elliott.
With a couple of short interruptions when the incessant drizzle briefly turned more sinister, the batsmen struggled to settle. Veteran Vic Hewitt had seen all this before however, and competently manoeuvred his way to an important half century. In partnership with Green (34), the pair dodged the showers to take the score beyond 100 before the second interruption of the innings. Brentwood emerged from the shelter in bullish mood though and, in the first over after the break, a quick single was taken to Nation at square leg whereupon the young love rat threw down the stumps at the bowlers end with Green short of his ground. Brentwood sensed an opening. Muncaster replaced Barbone Jnr and immediately set about teaching his young off-spin disciple the finer arts of the trade, immediately ending Hewitt's resistance with a well-disguised arm ball which clean bowled the batsman, Hewitt departing for 60. Coote's introduction yielded a further wicket and, despite a late flurry of runs and 7 dropped catches, the Leigh total was restricted to 175.
After a luxurious tea that wouldn't look out of place in Claridges, Brentwood's reply began in similar conditions to those in which they'd fielded. They got off to a dreadful start though with Stockwell, brimming with confidence after his match winning knock last week, chipping a wide Freeman long hop to extra cover to depart for a duck. Nation looked more assured at the other end although rode his luck surviving two dropped chances on his way to 25. A towering six was then followed by a tame chip to backward square leg though and Brentwood's opening pair were gone. James Lyne (53) was in determined mood and grinding out a significant score but, when Webb was run out for 10, the score had slipped to 60-3. This brought Danny Imray to the wicket and so ensued the most significant partnership of the match, Imray's aggression adding the perfect impetus to the Brentwood run chase. At the start of the last 20 overs, the visitors required just 81 runs.
But then, disaster. Just after despatching Broughtwood into the nearby back gardens, Imray swept a full toss straight into the hands of short fine leg and Barbone was undone by John Elliott's "slider" with 30 runs still required. Lyne's vigil was ended soon after and Leigh sensed that the game was not beyond them, with Brentwood still requiring 5 an over with the tail exposed. They needn't have worried though, as Morgan and Muncaster nudged, poked and scurried their way to the target. Muncaster crashed his first ball through the covers for four and the Brentwood team breathed a sigh of relief. With 7 balls to spare, Muncaster cut Elliott through extra cover and victory belonged to Brentwood.
This win, allied to the fact that every other game in the league was rained off, means that Brentwood jump to the top of the table, 11 points ahead of Wanstead. This weekend they host Epping at the Old County Ground.
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7th July
Brentwood 4th XI - 263-4 declared (31.1 overs)
Epping 3rd XI - 58 all out
Brentwood won by 205 runs
Report by Neil Webb
Brentwood Fourth's assault on the 3rd XI league continued with an emphatic victory over a weakened Epping side on Saturday.
Two rare occurrences began proceedings...for once in this most miserable of summers, the sun shone and the game was played in glorious sunshine. Secondly, Brentwood skipper Neil Webb actually won the toss for once and, upon learning that his visitors had been robbed of two players at the 11th hour, decided that batting first was the best strategy.
And so it proved. From the very first over, the Epping bowlers struggled to retain a consistent line and length and the Brentwood batsmen imposed themselves on their visitors. After the first over, the scoreboard read twenty without loss and extras had got off to a flyer. Brentwood had, in truth, been strengthened by the late addition of Graham Walker and he in particular, was savage on the Epping bowlers. Tony Dann accumulated in steadier fashion, missing out on a couple of opportunities to reel out his signature shot, the slog sweep, and eventually growing frustrated and top edging a return catch to Fleming. This brought the Brentwood Chairman, Ken Lingwood, to the crease for his first outing of the season. To say he was a little rusty would be like saying Roger Federer was a bit handy with a racquet. Whilst Walker moved belligerently past his half century, Lingwood struggled to put bat to ball. Giving a reprieve when bowled off a no-ball, he was bowled again two overs later, this time legitimately. This merely brought another batsman making his return to club cricket after a lengthy absence, Ed Allen, to the crease albeit he immediately looked in slightly better touch. Now the real acceleration began with Allen tucking into the Epping spinners and Walker really getting his foot down (if you can call going from 7 an over to 10 an over an acceleration!) Both batsmen were now playing a shot a ball and boundaries came with gay abandon. Walker never once slogged, demonstrating a cavalier array of shots befitting one from the Caribbean, and deservedly brought up his century with another belligerent boundary. Allen was also finding the boundary with regularity and feasted on the bowling like a big dog with a bone.
Ed Allen smashing one of several boundaries against Epping
Eventually Walker got underneath one a fraction too much and was well caught by Jacques on the mid wicket boundary, departing for a majestic 130 that was a true pleasure to watch for the gathering spectators. This brought Danny Imray to the wicket, himself not shy of a boundary and he duly delivered by despatching the ball over backward square leg for another maximum. A lapse of concentration however, resulted in him being trapped leg before. Webb joined Allen at the crease in order to allow his young partner to bring up his half century before making the declaration at 263-4 after only 31 overs, an astonishing 8.5 runs per over throughout the innings.
The Epping reply began steadily enough and, although chasing a big score, the early declaration meant that the visitors were likely to have plenty of time to accumulate a run chase. Brentwood's opening bowlers of 13 year old James Welham and South African Morne Smit made like difficult for the opening pair of Sanger and Pinder but the batsmen coped well for the first 10 overs. Smit then made the first breakthrough though, trapping Sanger leg before and followed this up by bowling N. Piller for a duck. Fleming then chipped a return catch to Smit and the writing was on the wall for Epping. Welham, bowling with exemplary control and prodigious swing, finished an excellent opening spell of 5 over for just 8 runs and was replaced by Ed Allen who promptly bowled Epping skipper Piller for 14. Aaron Jacques looked the pick of the Epping batsmen and hit a couple of decent boundaries on his way to 20 before Rob Coote lured him into chipping to cover where he was caught by Imray. A tidy piece of fielding by Brentwood's two youngest players, Welham and wicketkeeper Ollie Walker, fashioned the run out of Green and all that was left was for Webb to clean up the tail with the last two wickets giving Brentwood victory by a mammoth 205 runs, somewhat of a mismatch between the two sides.
This comprehensive victory puts Brentwood 24 points clear at the top of the league and hoping to keep their winning streak going with a visit to Benfleet this coming weekend.
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14th July
Brentwood 4th XI - 228-9 declared
Benfleet 3rd XI - 131 all out
Brentwood won by 97 runs
Report by Damian Muncaster
It was with heavy hearts that Brentwood 4ths took to the field vs Benfleet on Saturday. Opener, midget and all round good guy Chris Stockwell was earlier in the week dealt the crushing blow that he had been dumped. Kicked to the curb and cast aside, Chris's heart and faith in love had been shattered and as his extended family the 4th team shared Chris's emotional anguish. 3 weeks they had been dating, yes 3 whole weeks, before it turned ugly. Chris had wanted commitment before becoming intimate, Jazz just wanted a good seeing too. And so it ended leaving Chris a broken man with just an away trip to Benfleet to look forward too.
But as Brentwood was asked to bat first Stockwell had the ideal opportunity to release his frustrations on the Benfleet opening bowling. In tandem with Ed Nation, Stockwell got Brentwood off to a brisk start. A pulled six being an early highlight. Nation at the other end was more circumspect but with Brentwood 50 without loss all was set fair. Then a mini collapse, Nation prodded to silly mid on for 19 and Stockwell skied an attempted pull to midwicket for 32 and Brentwood had to rebuild. Brooks and Lyne set about the task with relish. Brooks being the more aggressive, quick on to anything short and pulling with the minimum of fuss....just like the old days....and not necessarily on the cricket field...
Lyne was his usual self with his prodding and poking punctuated by the odd boundary and runs were accumulating. At the half way stage Brentwood were in a strong position of 120-2 and large total loomed but in the space of one over all that changed. Brooks frustrated by uneven bounce was lured into a false shot and was bowled for a positive 38, Brentwood then lost two wickets in consecutive balls as the gothic Scott Harper Horne, on his debut for the 4th team, was bowled for a duck.
Brentwood was now wobbling at 123-5 and Muncaster joined Lyne to again set about rebuilding the innings. With their tails up the Benfleet bowlers produced one of the most ferocious spells of bowling ever seen in 3rd eleven cricket (Bringing back memories of Donald vs Atherton) But Muncaster and Lyne were more than equal to the task and started to put Brentwood back on track. Not even the cunning 'dambuster' delivery from Benfleet spinner Joshi found a way through.
As the Benfleet attacked tired Brentwood prospered with a series of boundaries which took the total ever closer to the 200 mark. But with that landmark looming Lyne finally succumbed, maybe it was his dynamic running between the wicket's but a tired shot to mid on saw him depart for a patient 35.
The tail then provided the support to Muncaster to take the total past 200 and beyond. Brentwood declared on 228-9 with Muncaster unbeaten on 71.
After a real Ferroro Roche of a tea, with the hosts really spoiling us, Brentwood set about the task of winning the game. But it wasn't all plain sailing to begin with. The Benfleet opener meant business and a succession of early boundaries put Benfleet firmly in the hunt. Kevin Bradford back from his tax and soap dodging in Bournemouth was spearheading the Brentwood attack for the first time this season and after a slow start things started fall into place for him. The break through came after roughly ten overs and then the procession began. Bradford taking the first four wickets to fall to his palpable excitement. In fact he was so happy there was a real tumescence about his demeanor.
Coote joined in on the act at the other end, taking wickets and lacerating fingers as Brentwood turned the screw. The bowlers to this point had been ably backed up their fielders as Scott Harper Horne and Ed Nation held onto important catches. At the drinks break Brentwood needed 5 wickets for victory with Benfleet long gone in the run chase.
With Muncaster unsure about the best way to hammer home the victory, he took time to assess his options, but as he looked around the field for potential heroes only one man stood tall, shining like a beacon above all others, like Russell Crowe in Gladiator, a man whose actions almost speak as loud as he does. Step forward the warrior Barbone...
And with the devil in his eye he set about the task of winning the game for Brentwood. And it didn't take long, one ball in fact, for him to clip the top of off stump and shatter the resolve of the Benfleet tailenders, another wicket followed that over and in tandem with Morgan, they showed no remorse in finishing the game. Barbone finished with 3 wickets for 2 runs and victory was Brentwoods. The winning streak continues as Old Southendians are next to visit the league leaders.
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21st July
Brentwood 4th XI - 119 all out
Old Southendians 4th XI - 127 all out
Old Southendians won by 8 runs
Report by Damian Muncaster
Furlong 65; Coote 3-35; Morgan 2-30; Muncaster 2-11
Disaster. Brentwood 4ths season was brought crashing back down to earth on Saturday as Old Southendians inflicted the first defeat of the campaign. Brentwood displayed the kind of resistance that you would more commonly associate with a Frenchman, as they meekly became unstuck against limited opposition.
All credit to Old Southendians who took advantage of a lack lustre Brentwood batting performance but the home side will be left rueing a missed opportunity to cement their place at the top of the league.
A number of drop outs (Stockwell, following last weeks dumping, was now missing with a repetitive strain injury, Barbone had taken time out in Morocco to find himself and Lyne claimed exhaustion ..how very David Bentley) had left Brentwood in a state of disarray at the start of the game, especially with the added blow of Payne turning up late..
But bowling first , with the new ball in the safe hands of Coote and Morgan, Brentwood got off to a flyer. Morgan with tactical acumen lured the Southend opener into his trap. Payne taking the catch at short mid off and from there the wickets started to fall. Morgan ripped through the defence of the next victim and then Coote got in on the act, bowling with a penetration of Ron Jeremy proportions and the next 3 wickets were his.
Lee Battu and Dev Guljurani, were patrolling the covers with an authority and sense of responsibility that belies their ASBO generation and with Old Southendians 50 odd for 5 all was well.
But then commenced the fightback, on the ropes, Old Southendians slowly but surely clawed their way back into things. Brentwood had dropped the intensity which crucially wasn't to be regained. Pye and Pratt started to dominate as Payne (who earlier in the day was stopped for trying to jump the barriers at Liverpool St ... at his age ... letting the club down ... his team down and most importantly himself down) was out of sorts, and out of pocket. Muncaster then turned to himself and the experienced Kristen Ali and this paid almost instant dividend.
Ali at the grand old age of 11, bowling off spin, produced a peach of a delivery that left the Southend batsman deceived in the flight leaving Brooks with the formality of the stumping. The final wickets fell to Muncaster and a Guljurani run out. 128 to chase and Brentwood fancied their chances.
But as mentioned earlier this optimism was desperately misplaced. Resuming after yet another fulfilling tea,(no cucumber for Payne though) Brentwood after 5 overs found themselves 14-4!. Only Furlong looked capable of playing straight and as Muncaster joined him the innings was in need of some desperate resuscitation. That happened to an extent as Brentwood recovered marginally to 50-4, but then after looking well set Muncaster was bowled for 19 and Brentwood's victory chances lay in the hands of Furlong.
Harper Horn provided some support to Furlong, who was now accelerating to his half century. If Brentwoods lower order could stay with Furlong then victory was still a possibility but just before Brentwood reached the hundred mark Harper Horn was caught behind. Could the next batsman, 11yr old Ali provide the foil to Furlong?
The run rate had now all but dried up and as the overs ticked by it was obvious that this was going to the wire. Ali was looking comfortable but then the final nail for Brentwood, Furlong was out, caught behind off the slow bowler Sasiadek for 65. He had now completed a match winning five wicket haul. The Old Southendians were elated as the game was now firmly in their grasp. Morgan tried his best but to no avail, Coote departed first ball and the final partnership of Payne and Ali were left needing 15 runs from 3 overs.
This became 8 from 2 as Payne smashed a boundary, was it to be his day after all? ...well the answer to that was an emphatic no, as in the next over a running mix up left Ali stranded, run out , and the game was Old Southendians. As an aside could someone please let me know if the black cat that Payne ran over on Saturday morning is now ok
Disappointing was not the word for Brentwood, and with the second placed side Wansted next up, Brentwood's championship credentials will be tested in more ways than one.
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28th July
Wanstead 4th XI - 165 all out
Brentwood 4th XI - 151 all out
Wanstead won by 14 runs
Report by Damian Muncaster
Brentwood snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in dramatic fashion on Saturday to leave their title ambitions severely dented. Fielding what must be regarded as a weakened side against their closest rivals in the league, Brentwood had done all the hard work only to see it all come crashing down around them.
Wanstead skipper Dave Ramdial won the toss and, perhaps surprisingly given the terrible pitch which awaited, chose to bat first. Ramdial opened the innings himself and took advantage of some early wayward bowling with a succession of boundaries through the leg side. Brentwood's bowling attack had been weakened by the absence of furry talisman Dave Barbone as well as Payne, Muncaster and Morgan and the Wanstead batsmen knew this was their chance.
They hadn't reckoned on Brentwood's youth policy, however, with 13 year old James Welham (3-28) taking the new ball and clean bowling Gayle with his first delivery. At the other end, Springbok Morne Smit toiled hard but without luck although it did seem that the longer he bowled, the more accurate he became, eventually settling into a good rhythm that yielded impressive figures of 4-58 from 18 overs. Smit owed much to the athleticism of David Stockwell in the covers who claimed 2 sharp catches. At 108-8, the visitors hoped to wrap up the Wanstead innings quickly but a quick-fire 42 from Fitzgerald at number 10 squeezed the score up to 165 before Neil Webb (2-37) brought the innings to a close.
Even so, Brentwood's batsmen fancies their chances of chasing down the total with plenty of time to play with. Wanstead's pitch, however, had other ideas.
First of all Barry Brooks pushed at one that stopped on him and lobbed a simple catch to silly mid off to depart for a duck. An over later, Jack Anderson got one that leapt off a length and the edge looped to gully. 3 for 2. Stockwell and James Lyne dug in for a while to repair the damage, but when Stockwell was bowled off an inside edge and Trevor Coote departed 3 balls later for a duck, Brentwood were reeling at 40-4. This became 62-5 shortly after when Lyne momentarily lost concentration and chipped a catch to silly mid off. Webb and new batsman, Rohan Sivapalan, then put on 88 for the sixth wicket in a partnership which looked to be winning the game for Brentwood as they reached 150-5 with still 11 overs to go.
Then, disaster.
Sivapalan was caught at short extra cover for 22, Welham trapped LBW, Edkins clean bowled and Haran caught in the space of 7 disastrous balls for Brentwood. Wanstead, having been resigned to defeat an over and a half earlier, were now cock-a-hoop and scenting victory. When Webb was last out for 35, Brentwood had lost their last 5 wickets for 1 run in the space of 9 balls.
They must put this defeat behind them and return to winning ways against Southend on Saturday or face missing out on a promotion that looked nailed on two weeks ago. They will, at least, be buoyed by the return of Barbone. It must be noted that they look half the team without him.
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4th August
Southend-on-Sea 4th XI - 71 all out
Brentwood 4th XI - 75-0
Brentwood won by 10 wickets
No match report
Barbone 4-21
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18th August
Leigh-on-Sea 4th XI - 180 all out
Brentwood 4th XI - 181-8
Brentwood won by 2 wickets
No match report
Morgan 3-41, Hornsby 3-39, Jones 57, Lyne 51
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25th August
Brentwood 4th XI - 200-6 declared
Stanford-le-Hope 4th XI - 166 all out
Brentwood won by 34 runs
No match report
Webb 65*, T Coote 46, Morgan 4-36, Hornsby 3-29
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