RIVERSIDE INDOOR CRICKET LEAGUE

Sunday 9th October

Willingale v Brentwood

Brentwood won by 5 wickets

Willingale (5pts) 101-4....P.Green 31....J.Whittaker 28no....J.Welham 2-35

Brentwood (18pts) 102-1....B.Sach 26no....B.Hull 26no....J.Welham 26no

Team - James Welham (cpt), Ben Sach, Billy Hully, Alex Waltham (Wkt), Harry Levy, Ian Belchamber Following promotion at the end of last year Brentwood began their first season in Division A by winning the toss and putting fellow promotees Willingale in to bat.

Openers Levy and Welham set about their task with their usual focus. Levy was at first turning the ball so much that wicket keeper Waltham struggled to hold the ball and the umpire had to signal a couple of wides (2 runs within these rules). Once he found his line though he was nothing but trouble for the batsmen. Welham struck in his first over - all credit to wicket keeper Alex Atlham though - a great diving catch, on a very hard indoor floor! At 4 overs in Ian Belchamber and Billy Hull took over with still just the one wicket down but runs being contained. Belchamber as ever proved hard to play - just the occasional run scoring ball - invaluable in this form of the game. Both Hull and Belchamber struck during their spell and on the return of Levy and Welham a 4th wicket was taken and overall the score was constrained to 101.

Hull and Ben Sach opened the batting and showed Willingale how to play - shots were beautifully placed and there was some superb running - no wasted balls and no unnecessary risks. Sach retired first to be replaced by Welham who continued in the same vein. When Hull retired Levy joined Welham and once Welham reached his 25 and retired it looked like Waltham and Levy would see us home until Levy was caught. Belchamber had to quickly don the pads for two balls before Waltham scored the winning runs.

Sunday 16th October

Brentwood v Chelmsford

Brentwood win by 6 wicket

Chelmsford (0pts) 59 all out....B.Green 16....J.Welham 3-15....I.Bellchamber 2-13

Brentwood (20pts) 60-0....B.Hull 25no....B.Sach 23no

Team - James Welham (cpt), Ben Sach, Billy Hully, Alex Waltham (Wkt), Harry Levy, Ian Belchamber

James Welham once again won the toss and inserted Chelmsford to bat. Opening bowlers Harry Levy and Welham got the match off to a superb start - 2 maidens for Levy with the batsmen looking completely at sea and unable to read the ball. Only one run scoring ball off Welham's first over and another off his second - both 6s unfortunately. However he made up for that by taking a caught and bowled to remove one of the first batsmen. Billy Hull and Ian Belchamber took over the bowling with the score on just 12 off 4 overs. Belchamber struck next with the ball going into the air to be caught with ease by Ben Sach. Hull then joined the party with another catch, this time by Levy. Runs were very slow to come by for the batsmen - Belchamber as every proving too much of a challenge - and with wickets falling regularly the odds began to stack against Chelmsford. When Levy and Welham returned Chelmsford were 4 wickets down and with nowhere near enough runs on the board. Levy's last over went for 9 and the returning Welham finished off the Chelmsford innings by taking the last two wickets in consecutive balls of the final over.

Openers Billy Hull and Ben Sach knew that they just needed to keep their heads to see the team home and they weren't taking any risks knowing that they had 12 overs to reach a very modest target. Chelmsford opened with a spinner who proved difficult to play but him aside there wasn't too much to trouble our batsmen. As per the rules Hull was retired on 25 - with the score just 3 away from a win. Welham joined Sach at the crease and the pair saw Brentwood home with no loss of wickets.

Sunday 23rd October

Brentwood v Little Waltham

Brentwood won by 4 wickets

Little Waltham (5pts) 93-4....B.Milburn 33no....D.Parry 19no....I.Belchamber 1-10

Brentwood (18pts) 94-2....B.Hull 26no....K.Ali 25no....D.Parry 1-9

Team - Ian Belchamber, Billy Hull, Ben Sach, Kristen Ali (wkt), Neel Sethi, Connor Whetstone.

No match report for this match.

Sunday 30th October

Brentwood v Peverel Panthers

Brentwood win by default - Peverel failed to field a team. (15 pts plus average of bowling bonus points to be added at the end of the season.)

Sunday 13th November

Brentwood Vs High Roding

Brentwood won by 5 wickets

High Roding (2pts) 75 all out off 10.3 overs Rhys Hussein 29, Jack Hebron 33 ... J.Welham 2 for 25

Brentwood (20pts) 76 for 1 off 7.4 overs B.Hull 27no, B.Sach 25no

Team - James Welham (cpt), Ben Sach, Billy Hull, Alex Waltham (Wkt), Harry Levy, Ian Belchamber

Brentwood once again won the toss and put High Roding in to bat. High Roding had 7 players turn up so Mel Hussein sportingly gave up his place to Colt Jack Hebron.

Harry Levy got the match underway with a swipe and miss from the opening High Roding batsman - only to find that there were no bails on the wicket - dead ball, match restarted. The opener obviously decided that he wasn't going to miss this time.....and he didn't and nor did wicket keeper Alex Waltham - caught behind, 1st ball. No more runs were scored off Levy who thoroughly enjoyed bowling to the left handers (and High Roding had 3 of them). James Welham however didn't do so well with the left handers - 13 runs of his over giving the batsmen some confidence that they might get a few runs. This was cruelly stopped in the next over though when Reece Hussein, the non striking batsman refused the run sending his partner back. Given that there was time for Billy Hull to stop the ball, send it to Levy (at the wrong end) who then had to send it to Waltham who then took the bails off with it this was almost certainly the wrong call from the youngster.

Hussein and Jack Hebron settled the innings though and attacked the ball well - Hussein showing his indoor experience by using the walls well and with 3 sixes mixed in. The retirement of Hussein (on 25) and then Hebron though was the beginning of the end of the High Roding innings. Ian Belchamber saw off the first of the new batsmen with a caught behind and Waltham was in action again off Billy Hull with a superb one handed catch to see off the next one. This brought the 2 retired batsman back but the returning Welham again took 2 in 2 in his last over - first Hebron caught and bowled and then Hussein caught behind - 4 catches in total for Waltham.

Ben Sach and Hull opened and wasted no time getting started - every run that was available was taken. Hull once again reached 25 and retiring - 4 matches, not out yet - best average in the league by some distance! Welham joined Sach and with the score on 72 he and everyone else was convinced he had scored a 6 to finish the match when the ball hit the pipes on the back wall. However the umpire decided that only 1 run was scored as he judged that the ball had hit a wire on the way to the back! Welham then looking for the three played a sweep shot - sadly straight into the keeper's hands! Levy finished the match off on his second ball with a shot into the corner for 3. Welham will argue that the score was 78 for 0 - and the second umpire seemed to agree but the score sheet will show 1 lost wicket!

Brentwood are now top of the table on 91 points having lost only 4 wickets in 4 matches but some hard fixtures to follow. Next match, Sunday 20th November at 9pm Vs Ingatestone.

Sunday 20th November

9pm Brentwood v Ingatestone

Brentwood won by 63 runs

Brentwood (17pts) 137 for 4 Levy 46 no, Belchamber 42 no

Ingatestone (4pts) 74 for 3. Belchamber 2-13, Hull 1-15

Team - James Welham (cpt), Sam Dawes, Billy Hull, Alex Waltham (Wkt), Harry Levy, Ian Belchamber

For the first time this season Brentwood lost the toss and Ingatestone chose to bowl first. With our usual opener Ben Sach not available Harry Levy joined Billy Hull to get things underway. Hopes were high for the pair - Hull having not been out in any matches to date this season and it was all looking so good at first with 15 off the first 2 overs. A new bowler arrived for the third over and sadly this proved the undoing of Hull - bowled with the score on 20. James Welham started well but after a few quick exchanges he was caught at mid-off attempting to clear the fielders towards the back wall. Alex Waltham was out next ball - 33 for 3 off 4 - things now looking decidedly uncomfortable. Sam Dawes showed maturity and imagination and between him and Levy the innings was settled, both of them placing the ball well, Levy in particular playing some fine shots. When Levy retired Ian Belchamber joined Dawes - a rare visit to the crease this year given the lack of wickets falling in previous matches. Dawes was caught with the score looking much more respectable which brought Levy back. The spin twins then saw the innings through scoring a total of 88 between them and taking the score to a fine 137 - 4.

Levy was straight back to work after the three minute break- opening the bowling and showing Ingatestone just how tough it is to bat against an in form Brentwood bowling side. Only 1 run scored off each of his and Hull's first over. During the third over after yet more play and misses there were calls from the other Ingatestone batsmen for a bell to be put into the ball to help them out! It was with some relief that the batsman was finally able hit a ball, scoring a 4, but the score was still on 9 for 0 off 3. With frustration building Hull was able to capitalise taking the first scalp, bowled. Ingatestone will have been relieved to see Levy and Hull take a break hoping for some respite - only for them to be replaced by Belchamber and Dawes. Belchamber struck in his first over - caught Dawes at mid off and again in his second - caught behind - the score now 28 for 3 off 7 overs leaving a run rate required of 22 an over. With a win clearly out of reach for Ingatestone Brentwood were now looking for maximum points and therefore wanting wickets. Skipper Welham took the rare decision (for indoor cricket) to have two slips for Belchamber and a single slip for Levy but it wasn't to be. Last throw of the dice was for Welham to take last over - hoping to repeat his luck of the last couple of matches but with an injured ankle he was unable to deliver. Ingatestone ended the match on 74 for 3 off 12 overs, way off the target. Next Sunday Brentwood take on Maldon 2 at 6pm.

Sunday 27th November

6pm Brentwood v Maldon 2

Brentwood won by 5 wickets

Maldon 2 (0pts) 45 all out off 10.1 overs. Welham 2 for 21, Belchamber 1 for 6, Levy 1 for 5

Brentwood (20pts) 50 for 1 off 5.3 overs, Levy 21 no, Sach 15 no

Team - James Welham (cpt), Ben Sach, Billy Hull, Kristen Ali (Wkt), Harry Levy, Ian Belchamber

Normal service was resumed and Brentwood won the toss (the Belchamber coin rejected for the winning Welham coin!) and Maldon were duly inserted to bat.

Harry Levy lulled them into a false sense of security with the first 2 going wide but it was an uneven match from then on in. There was a chance for a wicket in Levy's over - a possible catch in the corner but not quite there by Ian Belchamber. The next survival was off Billy Hull's first ball - an easy run out opportunity when Levy just had to walk the ball to the stumps - but sadly the decision to throw it proved wrong when it sailed past the stumps and the batsman was safe. However he only survived until the next ball when Hull bowled him. 9 for 1 off 2 overs. Levy was giving no more wides away....or runs - just 2 byes off the back wall in his next over. Ben Sach who was looking on fire in the field threw in to get the second wicket - run out - 19 for 2 off 4. Ian Belchamber struck on his first ball, caught James Welham reading the spin and running behind for it. There was a chance of another run out - a good throw to the bowler's end but a fumble by Welham allowed the batsman to escape. With the score on 35 for 4 off 8 Maldon were looking all at sea - there were chances going begging and Welham took number 4, caught by Levy at mid-on, and number 5, caught Sach. Levy then returned and with his first ball bowled the final batsman - 45 all out.

Hull and Sach began hoping to see the whole innings through - shame the umpire thought differently when Hull was given out in the first over caught behind when the team upstairs were busy adding the leg bye to the score! Levy joined Sach following his 42 not out last week and he started where he left off - although there was a lucky escape when the umpire didn't give the run out - 1 all to the umpires!! In less than half of the allotted innings Levy finished the match off with a fine 6.

Next match is in two weeks time when we play Maldon 1.

Sunday 11th December

8pm Brentwood v Maldon 1

Sunday 29th January

9pm Brentwood v Wickford

Sunday 5th February

LEAGUE CUP Round One

4pm Brentwood v Great Totham or Wickham

Sunday 12th February - The two division are split into 4 divisions at this point - fixtures for the remainder of the season issued prior to 12th February.