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12th May
Brentwood 6th XI
Harlow 4th XI - 43-2
Match abandoned due to rain
Report by Ken Hobbs
There was barely an hour's play in this first league match of the season before the rain came down and forced the game to be abandoned. Put in to bat on an already wet pitch, Harlow had reached 43-2, with Brentwood's opening bowlers Joe Early (0 for 14) and Tom Patient (1 for 12) each bowling six good overs. The other wicket was a run out after some good fielding in the covers by Adam Mathias.
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19th May
Brentwood 6th XI - 209 all out
Loughton 4th XI - 211-5
Loughton won by 5 wickets
Report by Ken Hobbs
After Brentwood had batted and bowled themselves into a winning position, Loughton made a remarkable comeback and a century from Andy Watson enabled the visitors to claim a victory that looked unlikely when they were 14 for 4 in reply to Brentwood's 209 all out.
Brentwood won the toss and elected to bat on a good pitch at Brentwood School and all the top four made a good start, with Mark Palmer (11 runs), Josh Brown (11), Gautam Datta (15) and Chris Edkins (22) all looking in good form, but none of them went on to make a really big score.
Will Ashby came in at no. 5 and he looked very impressive making an excellent 40, hitting some good shots all round the ground.
However, wickets fell at regular intervals and at 132 for 7 Brentwood were struggling to make a decent score, but skipper Ken Hobbs gave the innings some late momentum with 40 not out aided by a mature innings from 14 year old Jamie Dawes and some good shots from Joe Early.
Left-armer Jamie Dawes then ripped through much of the early Loughton batting taking the first four wickets in a devastating opening spell, with all of his victims out for ducks.
Opening bat Andy Watson began the recovery, scoring freely against most of the bowlers and he found a very reliable partner in Josh Long. Mark Palmer bowled a very economical spell of off spin but he could not prevent Watson and Long building a match winning stand of 178. Watson was eventually well caught by Brentwood keeper Chris Edkins of the bowling of Sam Dawes for 109, but Long stayed to the end, making 32 not out to see his side safely home.
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26th May
Brentwood 6th XI - 218-6
Wanstead 5th XI - 151-4
Match Drawn
Report by Ken Hobbs
These two sides had to settle for a draw in the end as the rain finally forced the game to be abandoned with seven of the last twenty overs remaining.
Brentwood made a good start batting first at Fairlop Oak, with openers Ken Hobbs and Josh Brown making 28 and 18 respectively. Gautam Datta then came in at No. 3 and played some excellent shots especially on the leg side, before he was bowled just one short of his fifty.
Most of the batsmen contributed with Jack Denman making 22, Adam Mathias 35 and John Smith 18 not out, as Brentwood took full batting points from their 52 overs.
Right from the start of the Wanstead innings the Brentwood bowlers and fielders had to cope with a wet ball and the home side looked as though they would be difficult to bowl out despite a good opening spell from Joe Early. Wanstead youngster Josh Hutchings made a very good 51 before being caught by Andy Fryd of the bowling of Brown. Brown took 2-20 and Brentwood 's other wicker takers were Mathias, 1-20, and Fryd, 1-9. The game was still in the balance but as conditions worsened it became impossible to finish the game.
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2nd June
Brentwood 6th XI - 183 all out
Harold Wood 4th XI - 184-2
Harold Wood won by 8 wickets
Report by Ken Hobbs
A more experienced Harold Wood team ran out comfortable winners at Brentwood School on Saturday.
Harold Wood's opening bowler Bill King removed the first three Brentwood batsmen with just eleven runs on the board, but Brentwood staged a good recovery as Alan Houston, playing his first game of the season, was joined by Adam Mathias. 15 year-old Mathias played a mature innings of 42 in a stand of 80, while the veteran Houston went on to make 52.
Another collapse followed and Brentwood slumped to 120 for 8. It needed another good partnership from two of the senior players to push the final score up to a respectable 183, with John Smith making 27 and Ken Hobbs 32 in a ninth wicket stand of 57. Brad Ayling took 4 for 44 for the visitors while King finished with 3 for 36.
But Harold Wood's strong batting line up made the target look pretty easy as they coasted to victory with overs to spare, opener Luke Hammett top scoring with 74.
Brentwood 's wicket taking bowlers were Jamie Dawes (1 for 44) and Henry Nation (1 for 29) and James Welham bowled a good spell of four overs conceding just two runs. Despite the defeat there were some good performances from a young Brentwood team which is competing well in their division this season.
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16th June
Brentwood 6th XI - 131 all out
Old Parkonians 4th XI - 133-8
Old Parkonians won by 2 wickets
Report by Ken Hobbs
Brentwood were unlucky to lose this close game at The Drive, Warley, on Saturday.
They were put in to bat on a difficult pitch and found run scoring difficult in an innings twice interrupted by rain. Five batsmen managed to reach double figures with Dev Gulrajani making 10, Jack Denman 11, Alan Houston 26, Adam Mathias 26 and John Smith 14. For Old Parks Jim Gambleton, Mukesh and Sachin Fing each took three wickets.
When Old Parks replied Andy Fryd took an early wicket but it was the introduction to the attack of Jack Denman and off spinner James Woodward that changed the game. Denman bowled Allbury and Woodward took two wickets to leave the visitors on 47 for 4. Skipper Jim Martin staged a recovery for Old Parks, surviving a couple of difficult chances, but Woodward was bowling an exceptionally good spell and eventually bowled Martin to claim his fifth wicket.
Good fielding by Ollie Hembrough produced a run out but Brentwood did not quite have enough runs and Old Parks managed to scramble the last few runs for a two wicket win, Woodward finishing with figures of 12 overs 4 maidens 5 for 26.
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23rd June
Brentwood 6th XI - 163 all out
Ilford 4th XI
Match abandoned due to rain
Report by Ken Hobbs
Only thirty overs were possible at the Peter May Centre but Brentwood's 6th team provided some good entertainment in that short time. Electing to bat first they were soon in trouble losing two wickets in the second over, with Ollie Walker bowled by Abscher, and Ollie Hembrough run out, to leave them 5 for 2. But opener Gehan De Alwis, making his first appearance for the team, went on the offensive against a lively Ilford opening attack. He hit four fours and a six in an enterprising knock of 30 before he too was run out.
Brentwood continued to give up their wickets rather cheaply until at 94 for 7 Lee Battu came to the crease. Well supported by John Smith. Battu played a superb innings, playing some fine shots particularly against the spinners. He found the gaps in the field dealing almost exclusively in boundaries and his fifty included no less than twelve fours. He was finally dismissed for 51 and the rest of the Brentwood batting failed to add another run. The final total of 163 was fewer than Brentwood would have wished for but a heavy thunderstorm set in and with the playing area under water there was no option but to abandon play for the day.
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7th July
Brentwood 6th XI - 106 all out
Upminster 6th XI - 108-3
Upminster won by 7 wickets
Report by Ken Hobbs
Put into bat on the artificial pitch at Gaynes School, Brentwood never looked liked posting a good total despite the true surface. Of the early batsmen only Gautam Datta with 16 runs and Adam Mathias, 13, reached double figures, and Brentwood's cause was not helped by three run outs. And it became even harder for the batsmen when Mike Marshall was introduced to the attack. He returned figures of 3 for 9 from 9.2 overs, while home skipper Paul Scott took 3 for 58 in a marathon spell of 19 overs.
However, a last wicket stand of 20 between Ken Hobbs and youngster Richard Horswill at least took the final score past 100.
Brentwood did their best to defend a small total and there were some good bowling spells from Jamie Dawes, Richard Horswill, Malcolm Horswill and Kristen Ali. Dawes, Ali and Gehan De Alwis took a wicket apiece but George Chiverton with 38 not out saw his team home.
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14th July
Harlow 4th XI - 138 all out
Brentwood 6th XI - 142-4
Brentwood won by 6 wickets
Report by Ken Hobbs
Brentwood achieved their first win of the season with a good all round performance at Brentwood School.
Harlow's innings started strongly with Brentwood's opening attack unable to control the swinging new ball until Joe Early made the breakthrough taking a caught and bowled with the score on 42.
The introduction of Jamie Dawes and off spinner James Woodward saw Brentwood gain control with both bowling economically and, Woodward, who has a prodigious wicket taking record in the 6th XI, started to work his way through the middle order.
He claimed 5 for 28 in 16 overs while Dawes took two wickets in his second spell to finish with 2 for 26. Seamer Gehan De Alwis also returned impressive figures of 2 for 9 from his eight overs and Harlow's final score of 138 included 31 runs added by the last two wickets.
Some of Brentwood's early batsmen looked in too much of a hurry and despite a bright 22 from Gautam Datta they found themselves at 51 for 4 with Knight (3 for 47) the chief wicket taker. With the game in the balance, Ollie Hembrough joined the experienced Alan Houston and these two patiently compiled a match winning stand of 91 for the fifth wicket, Houston finishing with 46 not out and Hembrough 39 not out.
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21st July
Brentwood 6th XI - 178-3
Loughton 4th XI - 78-4
Match Drawn
Report by Ash Patel
Brentwood 6th XI played this game against Loughton at the beautiful setting of Bancroft school.
Loughton won the toss and put Brentwood in to bat. Ash Patel (14) and Gehan De Alwis (5) opened and found the Loughton bowlers bowling a very tight line with a touch of movement off the seam so run scoring was a tad difficult. De Alwis was out quickly, edging a catch to the keeper and when Alan Houston came in he also had to be watchful. Patel was out LBW just before the rain break and the score was 34-2 after 14 overs.
75 minutes were lost to the rain and Patel instructed the batsmen that they had approximately 30 overs to reach to 200. The opening bowlers who bowled so well before the rain were taken off and the replacement bowlers did not have the same skill levels so runs became easier to score as Houston (60*) and Ollie Hembrough (56) started scoring freely. Both batted very well for their half centuries particularly Hembrough who scored his first fifty for the club.
Set 178 to win with 55 min and 20 overs there was a further 15 minute delay to the match as the rain came down. Bancroft school covers kept the pitch dry and in favour of the batsmen so wickets were hard to come by despite Patel rotating the bowlers and setting attacking fields. Loughton never made any attempt to score the runs required and ended up 78-4 off 32 overs. Will Ashby (1 for 19), James Bigmore (1 for 9) and Gehan De Alwis (1 for 1) were Brentwood's successful bowlers, while the other wicket was a run out.
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28th July
Brentwood 6th XI - 218-7
Wanstead 5th XI - 219-2
Wanstead won by 8 wickets
Report by Ken Hobbs
Despite a century by Alan Houston, Brentwood ended well beaten by a very strong Wanstead 5th XI at Brentwood School.
Houston made 106 not out as Brentwood posted a respectable 218 from their 52 overs, but even this fine innings was overshadowed later by an innings of 113 not out by Wanstead's Dave Gibbs. Houston was well supported by opener James Woodward who made 35, Gautam Datta, 15, Jamie Dawes, 14, and Gehan De Alwis who hit a rapid 27 to ensure his side took maximum batting points.
When Wanstead replied, Dawes got an early wicket having Sanjay Batra well caught at cover by Woodward. But that only brought in Gibbs at No. 3 and he soon began to punish Brentwood's young attack with some powerful hitting. After Woodward dismissed Ferguson for 22, Bickey Russell joined Gibbs and these two made the target look very easy, each finding the boundary on numerous occasions as the visitors reached their target in just 30 overs.
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4th August
Brentwood 6th XI - 157 all out
Harold Wood 5th XI - 158-5
Harold Wood won by 5 wickets
Report by Ken Hobbs
Harold Wood strengthened their position at the top of the table with a five wicket win over Brentwood 6ths at Harold Park.
Once again Alan Houston was the mainstay of the Brentwood innings making 68. He received good support from opener Adam Mathias (23), but most of Brentwood 's batsmen gave up their wickets too easily apart from young Ravi Rupal who played a solid innings of 8 on his first senior appearance.
Bill King and Terry Pound took three wickets apiece for the home side and Brentwood's total of 157 looked as though it would be difficult to defend. Harold Wood got a steady start through openers Smith and Hammat. Brentwood's attack of Jamie Dawes and Joe Earley both bowled good opening spells, but the breakthrough came from James Bigmore (2 for 26) who bowled Hammat for 29. Owen Mathias (1 for 29) finally got through Smith's defence after he had made 57 while Dawes (1 for 34) returned to claim a deserved wicket, bowling Paterson for 38 with the first ball of his second spell.
The other wicket came from a fine piece of fielding from Earley, a direct hit to run out Ventura.
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1st September
Old Parkonians 4th XI - 261-5
Brentwood 6th XI - 174-4
Match Drawn
Report by Ken Hobbs
Brentwood's hopes of winning this game all but disappeared in the first ten overs as they conceded 100 runs, with the Old Parks openers cashing in on some loose bowling.
Much of the damage was done by Mirza and it was relief for Brentwood when he was run out for 63 after some good fielding by Gehan De Alwis at square leg.
Brentwood were always likely to be chasing a big score but they gradually got some control of the game with some good bowling by Malcolm Horswill (1-20) and young Richard Horswill (1-35). The other wickets came from Jamie Dawes (1-61) and another run out when bowler Ed Hornby deflected the ball onto the wicket at the bowlers end with Ravi Rathod out of his ground.
For Parks, opener John Porter batted right through for 108 not out, a fine innings that enabled his team to make an early declaration.
When Brentwood batted they lost Gehan De Alwis for 12 to the accurate left arm seam of Jim Gambleton with score on 15. Alan Houston then joined John Smith and these two put on 118 for the 2nd wicket before Smith was out for 36.
But Brentwood were always behind the run rate and finished well short of their target while Old Parks did not have enough penetration to bowl them out.
The prolific Alan Houston was again unbeaten on 86 and when he completed his first ten runs the 63 year old passed a remarkable milestone of 40,000 career runs. Much of Alan's cricket was played at Eton Manor and he has spent the last ten years at Brentwood playing in the lower elevens and helping with the development of the younger players.
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8th September
Brentwood 4th XI - 207 all out
Upminster 6th XI - 169 all out
Brentwood won by 38 runs
Report by Ken Hobbs
Brentwood won only their second league match of the season in their final game against Upminster. It was a victory that was well deserved for their efforts during the summer and lifted them one place up the final table to seventh in a league of nine teams.
The match was switched to Upminster's Gaynes School venue as Brentwood's own home pitches are unavailable at this time of the season.
Put in to bat on an artificial pitch, Brentwood were in trouble at 23 for 4 with three batsmen, including the normally consistent Alan Houston, out for ducks. But opener James Woodward was in resolute form and when he was joined by Gehan De Alwis they quickly turned the tables on Upminster with some attacking shots. These two put on 94 before De Alwis was out for 38, an innings that included five 4s and a 6.
Woodward went soon after for an excellent 50 and further wickets began to fall and it took a steady knock of 14 not out from John Smith to hold the late order together and enable Brentwood to get past 200.
In reply Upminster also lost early wickets with Jamie Dawes (3-36) taking the first three with his left arm seam. But a home victory looked more likely when, with five wickets down, skipper Paul Scott joined Dowler who had already begun to find the boundary with ease. Brentwood 's spinners Woodward and Tom Harries bowled well trying to contain these two but it was Joe Earley who turned the game when he was introduced into the attack at the start of the last twenty overs.
He took three wickets in two overs having Dowler well caught at long off by Dawes for 74 and then bowling Scott for 40 and Hasted for 0. Earley finished with figures of 3-17.
Woodward (2-51) came back to claim the last wicket thanks to a stunning catch at short extra cover by Earley.
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