|
28th May
Brentwood - 194 all out
Saffron Walden - 186-8
Brentwood won by 8 runs
Cockspur Cup 3rd Round
Report by Richard Whitehall
Scorecard
Brentwood progressed to the 4th round of the National Cup on Sunday at the expense of fellow Essex Premier League side and 2002 winners of the National Cup Saffron Walden.
Sunday Captain Jonathan Walford lost the toss and Brentwood were put into bat on a damp wicket at the Anglo-American Memorial Playing Fields. Walford opened the batting with Andy Richardson and the two got off to a quick start hitting Jamie Sparrow for two fours in the second over. However Richardson was first out when he edged a drive off Nick Batchelor and was consummately caught by Tim Smith at first slip having scored 10 with the total on 23. Damian Brandy batted at number 3 and along with Walford used excellent placement of shots to ensure the score progressed at 4 an over without too many risks. However with the score on 82 and Walford on 45 Brandy clipped the ball to deep mid-wicket and set off for 2 runs, Walford hesitated at the start of the 2nd run and following a superb throw by Parmenter was run out. With Smith and Ryan Sparrow bowling tidily the run-rate began to slow and after 30 overs Brentwood had only 109 runs. Walden had gambled on bowling their strong bowlers early and were left having to change their bowling at a crucial time. Brandy and Gulfras Muwas took full advantage as Brentwood's innings got back on track. Muwas was out for 21 as Brandy serenely sailed past the 50 landmark. Brandy was finally dismissed by Brown having scored 81 before Brentwood reached 194 when their last wicket fell in the 45th over. Batchelor cleared up the Brentwood tail end to finish with figures of 5-11.
Given the difficult nature of the wicket this was a competitive total posted by Brentwood. Ryan Sparrow opened the batting for Walden and in his own inimitable style set about the opening bowlers with relish hitting 4 boundaries in the first 6 overs. However as first Richard Whitehall and then change bowlers Richardson & Brandy began to find their line and length the score rate slowed down. Following Ray Mordini's dismissal Joe Holland joined Sparrow but failed to score quickly and Walden had only reached 89-1 off 25 overs. With Ian Belchamber and Gulfras Muwas continuing the good work of Richardson & Brandy the pressure increased on the Walden batsmen. Holland was dismissed by Muwas before Brown and Ford followed in quick succession. Only Sparrow seemed able to take Walden to victory and when Paul Degg dropped him at long-on off the bowling of Muwas Brentwood began to fear that Sparrow might be successful. However 4 overs later Degg made up for his error when catching Sparrow in the same position from Muwas' bowling. Sparrow had scored 72. If Brentwood thought that the game was won they were soon shaken into reality by first Smith and then Parameter and Price who struck some lusty blows to keep Walden in the hunt for victory. 21 was required to win off 2 overs when Price hit Brandy for a 6 over deep square-leg the game was still alive with 10 needed off one over. Richardson held his nerve, took 2 wickets and was only hit for 2 runs to see Brentwood to victory and in to the next round.
The next round of the Cup is likely to be on June 18th when Chingford are the visitors to the OCG.
Brentwood's home game against Wickford on Saturday was abandoned due to rain. Next Saturday they travel back to Saffron Walden for a Shepherd Neame Essex Premier League game.
Return to top of page
11th June
South Woodford - 239-7
Brentwood - 200 all out
South Woodford won by 39 runs
Essex League Cup 2nd Round
Report by Richard Whitehall
Scorecard
Brentwood seemed to be suffering from the hangover of their first league win when crashing out of the League Cup to South Woodford on Sunday.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket used the previous day for a 2nd XI match. The visitors batted well throughout the innings. Most notably was an excellent innings from Akram who looked in few problems amassing a score of 96 before being caught by James Reilly off the bowling of Gulfraz Muwas. Only Nico offered Akram a similar level of support and when the innings closed on 239, it was a considerably lower total than had seemed to be the case midway through the innings.
Brentwood lost the wicket of Richard Walford early in the innings for 7. Peter Morgan and Jonathan Walford then put together an excellent partnership to take Brentwood to 96-1 at 22 overs. This looked a sound platform for the home side, however when Morgan was out wickets fell quickly without the scoring rate being maintained. By the time Walford was stumped by Kevin Smith off the bowling of Richard Browne Brentwood required over 8 runs an over. Browne eventually took 5 wickets as Brentwood were bowled out for 200.
Brentwood can seek immediate revenge when they face South Woodford in a Premier League game on Saturday at the OCG.
Return to top of page
16th July
Gidea Park & Romford - 292-6
Brentwood - 168 all out
Gidea Park & Romford won by 124 runs
Kevin Edward Bradford
The Sunday Club XI sunk to a heavy but hard-fought defeat against Gidea Park and Romford in their debt match of the season.
Encouragingly, newly appointed captain Alex Priddle lead a side displaying a youth policy not seen in some of the Saturday XIs for many-a-season.
Priddle's first task as skipper saw him lose the toss and he was promptly invited to field beneath sweltering unbroken sunshine.
To make matters worse, the side stepped onto the field with just nine players due to last minute drop-outs. It proved costly as two potential catches off the opening bowling of Kevin Bradford went through the vacant slip area.
With 14-year-old Will Ashby bowling at the other end, the pair toiled away although as they flagged the GPR batsman found ample opportunities to crunch the ball across the fast outfield to the boundary. After just five overs, GPR were steaming along and Priddle was given a further headache when a freak injury saw Ashby quite literally axed from the attack and the remainder of the game.
He was replaced by the late arriving Mike Payne, who as well as bringing up the numbers on the field, also dramatically increased the average age.
His introduction did little to stem the flow of runs and Priddle was forced to turn to the enthusiastic if slightly untested bowling of Nick Childs.
It proved an inspired decision and with 175 on the board, Childs finally picked up the first wicket. The second wicket fell ten runs later, and Brentwood began to see a way into the match.
Priddle then called on the remainder of his young teenagers and they didn't let him down. Liam Farge (14) returned superb figures of five overs, one for 22. Jack Winn (14) bowled well to pick up one for 19 off three, thanks to a sharp stumping by wicketkeeper James Reilly. Coupled with a tight spell for Adam Matius (14), Brentwood were able to restrict GPR to 292 off their 40 overs, which was a great effort as a score of 400 had looked on the cards.
The jury was left out over the bowling of Childs, who eventually returned figures of three for 88 off 11.
Brentwood set about the run chase with optimism but the early loss of pinch-hitter Reilly signalled that the team would always be struggling.
When Tom Childs was out for a scratchy 22, Brentwood were 59-3 and well behind the run rate.
Captain Priddle failed to produce an inspirational innings a fell cheaply leaving the team facing an undeserved humiliation.
Nick Childs arrived at the crease, and fresh from his bowling stint, set about adding some impetus to the flagging display. Childs was being ably assisted by opener Jack Anderson, who had been batting sensibly at the other end and anchoring the innings when all around him were losing their heads.
Together they put on a 50 partnership before Anderson fell for a patient and well made 42.
Very late call up Andy Taker notched up a quick fire 16, but when he and Childs for 42, fell in quick succession the game was up bar Trevor Coote singing.
Some late blows from Payne (11) and Bradford (10 no) moved Brentwood along to 166 before Farge was the last wicket to fall with just two more added to the score.
It was a disappointing result for Brentwood, although they can take much from the promising performances of the youngsters and the club will be looking to further enhance their talent in future matches.
Return to top of page
| 