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3rd May
Hockerill - 64 all out off 25 overs
Brentwood 66 for 2 off 11.3 overs
Brentwood won by 8 wickets
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Brentwood began their Matchplay season away to Hockerill with the unwelcome return of true British cricket weather - cold biting wind and hailstones! The wicket was very spongy but both teams were keen to play and the umpires were content - if only just! Brentwood won the toss and put Hockerill in to bat.
The Brentwood opening bowlers (Jack Jerrom and James Welham) proved hard for Barker and Layer to play and the first wicket fell in the 4th over when Barker attempted to play Welham over the fielders into cover only for Dougie Maxwell to take a superb one handed airborne catch. Paltremon came to the crease but the bowlers did not let up and he fell in the 8th over on 6 to another catch off Welham, this time at extra cover by Tom Oakley - the score on just 18.
The batsmen were relieved to see the bowlers complete their spell only for them to be replaced with Oakley and Ben Sach. Oakley saw off Layer (10) - another catch at first slip by Jerrom and next batsman, Holyer, was sent straight back to the pavilion - bowled - 2 in 2. Howard came in to face Oakley's hat trick ball and could so easily have followed his team mate when he edged to Jerrom again but this time just too low for him to get fully under and hold it. Sach wasn't letting Oakley take all the glory though and he bowled Brady (3) in the next over - 25 for 5.
Oakley was close to getting his third with a yorker which connected with Howard's ankle - the LBW appeal was not given but the batsman retired hurt unable to continue. Gunn was also on the receiving end of ball hitting body - this time from Sach - but he took his revenge by hitting a straight 6 over Sach's head. He fell on 16 to a stumping by keeper, Elliott Skinner. Oakley then completed his trio by seeing off Hoy on 3 the score on 55 for 7 off 20.
After the drinks break Harry Levy and Sam Dawes took over and off spinner Levy was rewarded in his first over, removing Barker (0) with a catch by Mark Baldock at short leg. The last Hockerill wicket fell in the 25th over to a run out - 64 all out.
The teams agreed to bat straight through in an attempt to beat the weather and Brentwood opened with Welham and Jerrom hoping to knock the runs off quickly to ensure a result. Both were to come a cropper though before reaching the target - Jerrom first on 9 off Layer, LBW and Welham on 16 attempting to play the leg spinner (Lawson) for four to fine leg - only for it to go straight back onto his wicket. Baldock (12) and Skinner (18) completed the job in only the 12th over - Baldock hitting the winning runs with a superb 4.
A great team performance, particularly in the field, and a superb start to the 2010 Matchplay season. Next week Brentwood play host to Buckhurst Hill - an unknown quantity so the team will need to continue to play in the same focused and determined manner.
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9th May
Brentwood - 389 for 6 off 40 overs
Buckhurst Hill - 74 all out off 15.3 overs
Brentwood won by 315 runs
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Buckhurst Hill won the toss and put Brentwood in to bat on another cold and windy Sunday afternoon.
Ben Sach and Elliott Skinner opened the batting and made a reasonable start taking 19 off the first three overs. Trotter struck lucky in the fourth over though when Skinner made an unfortunate shot choice and was bowled on 16. Trotter struck again in the 6th over with a great ball bowling Sach on 13, the score on 33 for 2.
James Welham and Thomas Oakley then treated the spectators to a superb 279 Colts record partnership. They both showed maturity at the crease, defending the good balls but treating the bad balls with disdain. Oakley was unlucky not to reach his century when he was finally bowled by Mitchell on 94. This triggered a mini collapse of the middle order with 4 wickets lost in almost as many overs - Mark Baldock followed Oakley, out first ball to one of the few catches held by Buckhurst Hill, then Welham was bowled by Baig just 4 short of his 150 and lastly Sam Dawes was caught by Coppeard, off Mitchell.
Billy Hull, true to form, settled things down and scored a quick 54 with Edward Hornby (12) playing a solid supporting role. Brentwood ended their innings on 389 for 6 - a formidable target in a 40 over game.
Brentwood opened their bowling with Sach and Dawes and Sach was somewhat surprised to be knocked for 18 off the first over - Buckhurst Hill, and Maskell in particular, were not giving up without a fight. Dawes struck twice though in his opening over - first bowling Hicks (0) and then seeing off Oakley (0), caught by his Brentwood namesake in the slips. Dawes struck again in his 2nd over when Mitchell became the third batsman to send back to the pavilion by Dawes without troubling the scorers - he was caught by Billy Hull at Mid off - 34 for 3.
Captain Sullivan began to settle in to a supporting role to Maskell who continued to bat with confident aggression, finding the boundaries with ease and throwing in a 6 for good measure but when Welham took over from Dawes he was rewarded on his second ball, removing the threat - Maskell on 43 - LBW. This was to prove the end of any real hope Buckhurst Hill had of posting a reasonable score. Oakley bowled Aylott (1) and trapped Trotter (0) LBW and then youngsters Neel Sethi and Dougie Maxwell finished off the innings. Sethi's looping leg spin tempted Sullivan (3) to play a shot only for him to be caught by Harry Coombes at cover. He then bowled Ganesh (2). Maxwell saw Coppeard (0) stumped and the last wicket fell when Vowel was run out on 0 - a good piece of team work in the field by Baldock and Hull.
Another superb performance - and it was particularly good to see the team perform with the bat - something that regularly eluded them last season. Next week Brentwood head off the Loughton where they can expect to meet a tougher opposition.
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16th May
Loughton - 79 all out off 32.3 overs
Brentwood - 81 off 11.2 overs
Brentwood won by 7 wickets
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Scorecard
Loughton won the toss and asked Brentwood to bowl first on a day when the forecast was for rain by 4pm. It was therefore in Brentwood's interest to bowl out Loughton as quickly as possible so that the match could complete before the rain set in and to avoid sharing the points.
Loughton openers Stephens and Chand were taken to task immediately by the Brentwood opening bowlers. James Welham striking twice in his first over - the first, Stephens (9) to a great catch by wicket keeper Elliott Skinner followed by Jani (0) who was bowled two balls later. Welham struck again in his next over trapping Stacey (0) LBW making the score 12 for 3. Runs were slow to come for Loughton and Oakley struck in the 7th over - bowling the remaining opener with only 5 more runs on the board.
Samuel and Bransgrove played some good defensive shots and managed to settle things down for Loughton and saw out the last overs of the Brentwood openers perhaps in the hope that they could start to hit out once the bowling change was made. Billy Hull and Harry Levy had other ideas though and the batsmen were unable to increase the run rate and when the switch was made to spinners at both ends Dougie Maxwell struck with his first ball, trapping Samuel (19) LBW. This was the beginning of the end for Loughton - Levy trapped Kelner (1) LBW and then saw Sequein (0) stumped. The last batsmen were unable to show any resistance - Maxwell bowling Sheehey (6) and Welham ending the innings with a final LBW seeing off Scott (0). Loughton finished on 79 runs.
After a short tea and with Brentwood all fired up to beat the weather Skinner and Levy took to the crease in confident mood but Skinner was unlucky to be the victim of a great catch by wicket keeper Stacey - a low ball which only just carried. Welham arrived and in his usual style didn't waste any time putting runs on the board, but was bowled on 22 by Stephens. Ben Sach joined Levy in the middle with the drizzle underway and the pair played some solid, sensible shots until Levy was bowled by Chand on 6. Sam Dawes joined Sach and the requirement to wrap things up in the now pouring rain was a perfect match for Dawes' style of batting - a very quick 31 including 7 boundaries - one to complete the inning in style. The target met with only 11.3 overs gone.
Once again a great performance by the team who have now seen three wins in three with all opposition teams bowled out for less than 80. There is no match next weekend but Brentwood play host to Wanstead, the current holders of the title on Bank Holiday Monday 31st May when the team will need to be at the top of their game.
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31st May
Wanstead and Snaresbrook - 255-9
Brentwood - 211-8
Wanstead and Snaresbrook won by 44 runs
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Scorecard
Wanstead won the toss and opted to bat first with openers Hassan and Singh wasting no time in getting the runs on the board and taking 13 of the first two overs. Bowlers Jack Jerrom and Thomas Oakley stayed focused, kept control and Jerrom was rewarded with the wicket of Hassan, bowled on 15 followed by Singh caught behind by keeper Elliott Skinner on 12. This however brought Velani to the crease and he and Hussain delivered a very strong and quick 106 partnership. Velani was dispatching the Brentwood bowling all over the field while Hussain played a strong supporting role. Velani reached 73 before Levy tempted him into one shot too many with Edward Hornby catching him at backward point. Hussain then took on the run scoring role and reached 54 and a target of over 300 looked on the cards. Neel Sethi had other ideas though and saw off Hussain to an easy catch by Welham at mid-on in the 32nd over. This triggered a collapse with the main remaining run scorer Jonathan Das (37) removed by a superb piece of fielding by Ben Sach who ran him out with a direct hit from the boundary. A returning Oakley removed Lord (10) caught Skinner and Akbar (10) to a great diving catch by Welham. Skinner took his third catch of the day off Welham, removing Nijjar(1). Wanstead ended on 255 which was 30 light of their target but around 20-30 more than it should have been - the Brentwood fielding could and should have been tighter.
Skinner and Sach began steadily and the opening bowlers were unable to make the breakthrough. First change Akbar though struck gold when Sach was caught behind by keeper Das on 10. Skinner soon followed, caught at backward point on 28. Welham and Oakley hoped to repeat their successful partnership in the earlier match however Welham was stumped on 16 coming down the wicket to spinner Nijjar - the score on 95 in the 18th over. Oakley had his eye in by this time though and the run rate continued to improve as he began to find the boundary with ease and a strong partnership looked to be forming - only to be broken by confusion between the batsmen which ended with Jerrom being run out. Edward Hornby took on the supporting role as Oakley reached 89 before he was caught off Rathkrishnan. This was to be the end of any real hope of reaching the target and the pick of the remaining batsmen was Hornby on 16. Final score - Brentwood 211 for 8.
Brentwood did not play to their full potential - this was a winnable fixture. They cannot afford any more slips if they are to qualify for the knock out stages. Next week sees a trip to Benfleet - scene of an embarrassing loss last year - not to be repeated this year!
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6th June
Benfleet - 86 all out off 27.5 overs
Brentwood - 88-3 off 15 overs
Brentwood won by 7 wickets
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Scorecard
Brentwood travelled to Benfleet again this year keen to avenge last year's only defeat in the group stages. The inspection of the wicket - aptly described as "a pudding" by the Brentwood umpire - may have brought back uncomfortable memories of last year when Brentwood were unable to cope with the lack of bounce on the damp strip but unlike last year the toss was won by Brentwood and Benfleet were put in to bat.
Jack Jerrom and Thomas Oakley wasted no time in getting to work. Oakley in particular in sparkling form taking three wickets in his first three overs, two of them wicket maidens. The first victim, Critchell, was caught behind by keeper Edward Hornby before any Benfleet runs were on the board. Next was Ashley to an almost comical catch - after loud calls of "keepers" a glut of fielders arrived to attempt the catch - eventually taken by Oakley with keeper Hornby's hands in position below Oakley's as a standby! Third to fall was Hunt who was bowled without troubling the scorer. Benfleet were now on 8 for 3.
Oakley allowed the batsmen a bit of respite, but only for one over (a maiden) as he removed Fieldsted (0) to a superb diving catch by Neel Sethi at leg gulley in his 4th. Skipper Patel and Huntley attempted to steady the Benfleet ship and get a partnership going. They saw out more overs as a pair than any other Benfleet partnership - almost 8 overs but they had only added 33 to the Benfleet score before Welham bowled Patel on 17. This brought another small succession of wickets - Levy bowling Huntley (8), a great bit of fielding by Ben Sach running out Platt (0) and Sam Dawes catching Brady(1) off Maxwell. Pryce and Kersley kept fighting and for the first time in the match started to find the boundary. Pryce (24) though took one too many risks and was sent back to an easy catch by Oakley off Sethi who then finished off the innings in his next over by bowling Kersley on 13 and Benfleet on just 86 runs off 27.5 overs.
Brentwood's confidence may have been dented when the openers struggled with the slow, low wicket. Billy Hull's impatience got the better of him and he was removed by Patel in the 4th over when he was only just off the mark and Brentwood were on just 5 runs. Hilliard (2) followed soon after, bowled by Fieldsted the score still on 5. Ben Sach joined Sam Dawes but Dawes was unable to stay - stretching to play what would have been a wide gifting Hunt with an easy catch off Patel. Jerrom strode to the strip with purpose in the ever increasing drizzle and he and Sach treated the spectators to some fine but contrasting shots seeing Brentwood home with ease - the last three overs going for 9, 14 and 20 respectively - Sach ending on 30 including 5 boundaries and Jerrom finding the boundary 7 times and clearing it twice to end on 45.
Brentwood have now won 4 of their 5 matches but, Wanstead aside, the opponents to date have been below the standard normally expected in this competition. The second half of the Brentwood campaign includes the stronger teams in the group and the team will need to remain focused if they are to qualify for that coveted knockout place
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13th June
South Woodford - 213 all out off 40 overs
Brentwood - 215-7 off 39.4 overs
Brentwood won by 3 wickets
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham (edited and vastly embellished by James Welham)
Scorecard
With 4 wins and 1 loss so far, this game, like each one from now on in, was a must win. It turned out to be a fantastic game of cricket, but what should have been a fantastic victory was somewhat overshadowed by what occurred afterwards. South Woodford won the toss and unsurprisingly chose to bat on what looked a very good pitch.
Brentwood applied the pressure from the very beginning with a big appeal for a run out in the second over. Keeper Elliot Skinner took the ball after one of many leaves from the South Woodford opener and threw the ball at the stumps after noticing the batsman was out of his crease. The ball hit the stumps and the batsman appeared to be out but the umpire had already called over and the batsman had a very lucky reprieve. A couple of other early mistakes cost us dear and allowed South Woodford off the hook - a rare drop by keeper Skinner and a missed easy run out opportunity using up two lives for Ahmed and Correya.
The batsmen used up more luck, continually finding the gaps with loose shots which could easily have gone to hand, but the two openers weren't doing much damage and runs were fairly slow to come by, with only 83 runs on the board at the half way point. After the drinks break the batsmen started to open up, giving Brentwood some wicket opportunities that they were not going to turn down. The first falling in the 23rd over, Correya's marathon block finally coming to an end on 22 (of which 22 were through the slips), he was well run out from the boundary by Tom Oakley.
The spin twins, Dougie Maxwell and Neel Sethi were then introduced into the attack and top scorer Ahmed was eventually dismissed by a Maxwell full toss for 64, caught at mid-on by Welham. Maxwell bowled 48 balls in his 8 over spell, of which 47 were full tosses. The one that pitched was deposited into the car park. Well bowled Doug.
The second run out, this time by Sam Dawes, followed in the 29th over, the score now on 126 for 3. Mahmood and skipper Ikram settled the ship and built a good partnership with some big shots until Maxwell claimed his second scalp (probably a full toss) - this time Oakley obliging with the catch. The final run scorer of note, Ikram (46), was caught well on the boundary by Hornby off the bowling of Welham - his first of 3 wickets. The remaining 5 South Woodford wickets were lost within 22 runs - two run outs, one each by Hornby and Welham, a caught and bowled by Oakley and 2 catches off Welham - one apiece by Jon Hilliard and Ben Sach. South Woodford finished on 213 all out; a fantastic fight back by Brentwood after a chase of 250 seemed very possible.
Skinner and Jack Jerrom began steadily, recognizing that 213 was probably 20 under par on this track, and without too many risks being taken Brentwood were sitting comfortably on 49/0 off 10 overs. However it was never going to be simple and Skinner was first to go - bowled by the best ball by a South Woodford bowler all day - McMullen - but Sach and Jerrom looked set to carry Brentwood within reach of the target, Jerrom in particular finding the boundary with relative ease.
The South Woodford bowlers though managed to rein in the run rate making Brentwood work for every run. Jerrom was removed on 42 in the 18th over, caught by Correya, off Ikram, the score on 91 for 2. When Welham (9) was caught by H Ikram off Harron Ikram and Sach (41) joined him just 4 runs later on 118 the pressure began to build and the side had to hope that the increased depth in the batting this year would come good.
Hornby joined Oakley and the pair built a strong partnership, Hornby showing maturity in his choice of shots but when Oakley was bowled by the returning McMullen the signs were not good. At this point Brentwood still needed 51 runs off 7 overs with 5 wickets down and two relatively new batsmen at the crease. The injured Dawes limped through the pain barrier, and played a solid supporting role to the free scoring Hornby.
The pair kept the required run rate around the 7.5 an over mark all the way along, keeping the target in sight. Dawes however was removed by Bailey with the score on 200 and two overs left - 14 runs needed off 12 balls. Neel Sethi and Hornby took every run going which was not without risk, with at least one golden run out opportunity that South Woodford failed to convert, as well as a tough opportunity for a catch going down - but at this point in the game, any drop was crucial.
At the beginning of the final over Brentwood needed 7 runs. Hornby took the run off the first ball and then a misfield by South Woodford allowed Brentwood to run two. Brentwood now needed just 3 off 4 balls. On the next ball however Sethi was bowled off his pads for 2. Pressure back on. So now it was three off three balls needed with new batsman Jon Hilliard on strike.
What an opportunity for Hilliard to be a hero. The field was up to stop the singles which would have won us the game, and this gave Hilliard the chance to hit it over the infield and win the game in one hit. The bowler kindly bowled a leg stump half volley which Hilliard middled (top edged) over square leg for four, taking Brentwood over the finishing line - Legend. Ed Hornby finished unbeaten on what turned out to be a match winning 52 at over a run a ball. It was a fantastic innings under enormous pressure.
This win means that qualification is in our own hands - 3 wins and we're through. But with Saffron Walden and Hadleigh & Thundersley to play, both of whom are up near to the top with Brentwood and Wanstead, qualification is a long way from being assured. We have a week off next week - much needed after this one and we will then welcome Braintree to the OCG in a fortnight who will hopefully be much friendlier guests.
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4th July
Braintree - 101 all out off 34 overs
Brentwood - 105-1 off 13.4 overs
Brentwood won by 9 wickets
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Scorecard
Brentwood welcomed a very young and inexperienced Braintree side to the OCG this week. Braintree won the toss and asked Brentwood to bowl on what looked like a good batting track. The match was not a spectacle but Brentwood clinically did what they had to do.
Jack Jerrom wasted no time getting down to business seeing off Tyler (5) and Vickery (0) in his second over, then bagging Chalk (1) in his third - all clean bowled. Rob Jones stayed resolutely at the crease, doing his best to keep the Braintree fight going and he managed to build something of a partnership with Jack Jordan. Jones began to look comfortable, finding the boundary at regular intervals with Jordan playing a strong supporting role. The spinners took over on a pitch where the ball was now really beginning to turn.
The first six of Harry Levy's overs went for just 7 runs but with no breakthrough until his seventh. Jones hit the first ball for 6 and then attempted another big shot three balls later only to top edge it skyward and straight into Elliott Skinner's hands - a fine 57. So ended Braintree's only real hope of scoring runs and the rest of the batsmen fell quickly. Maxwell removed Sands (0) and Williams (4), clean bowled and then Thomas Oakley now bowling spin, picked up the wicket of Jordan, caught Ben Sach. Edward Hornby came into the attack and bowled one over, a two wicket maiden - removing Phillips (9), caught James Welham and Roberts (0), stumped. Final score - 101 off 34.3 overs.
Brentwood openers Jerrom and Skinner knew that all they had to do was play sensible cricket and they would be able to finish the job quickly given the age and experience of the opposition. The pair looked comfortable from the off and Jerrom in customary style found boundaries from many angles until he was caught and bowled by Jack Jordan in the sixth over with the total on 47. Ben Sach joined Skinner and the pair saw Brentwood home, Sach ending on 21 and Skinner on a deserved 53.
It is all going to come down to the last match this year - Brentwood, Saffron Walden and Hadleigh and Thundersley all having lost the one game and each playing one another during the last three matches of this round. Next week Brentwood visit Saffron Walden.
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11th July
Saffron Walden - 202-7 off 40 overs
Brentwood - 203-5 off 27.5 overs
Brentwood won by 5 wickets
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Scorecard
Brentwood faced the long drive to Saffron Walden (on World Cup Final day - not popular!) for the penultimate group game of the 2010 Matchplay competition. Brentwood lost the toss and were asked to bowl.
A change in bowling tactics this week saw Jack Jerrom open with James Welham and Thomas Oakley opting to come on later to bowl spin instead of pace due to the absence of two of the regular spinners.
The Walden opening batsmen were given no chances right from the off and in the third over, the score on just 1 Jerrom broke the stumps - literally - Walden skipper Diggons back to the pavilion having not troubled the scorer and said stump now safe in the Jerrom household as a souvenir. His replacement looked more dangerous and he began to get the measure of the Brentwood bowlers, beginning to find the boundary just before the bowling change - 32 for 1 off 9. Billy Hull bowled in his usual economical style and Oakley at the other end wasn't giving away much either. Hull ended the 12 over partnership by bowling White (13) and Oakley sent his replacement (Wade) back just 4 balls later. Jackson by this time was looking comfortable and was the man Brentwood needed to remove. Walden however decided they would do the job for Brentwood just 9 runs later when they gifted Brentwood a run out - Jackson's new partner Patel deciding there was a run when Jackson didn't agree. Although he had a slim chance of making his ground a slip in the middle took that away.
Patel, a big hitter but without too much style found the boundary 4 times before being trapped LBW by Oakley the score on 90 for 5 off 23 overs. This should have been the beginning of the end for Walden but a period of sloppy fielding by Brentwood gifted Walden too many runs. The fast outfield played its part but Brentwood will need to tighten up in the remainder of this competition. Brown and Cracknell put on 70 runs before pick of the Walden batsmen, Cracknell (46), ran out of luck and in going for his 4th 6 of his innings was unlucky to choose the area policed by Welham who took a superb sideways catch right on the boundary. This slowed the run rate down as the new batsmen had to deal with the fresh bowling of Edward Hornby and Sam Dawes and then the returning Hull who bowled Duers (6) in the 39th over. Walden ended on 202 for 7.
With less than a run a ball and an outfield where the ball was going to fly, Brentwood had every reason to be confident. An early wobble when Jerrom was bowled on 4 in the second over was soon forgotten when Welham and Elliott Skinner calmly piled on the runs way ahead of the required run rate. The partnership looked solid until Welham was bowled on 24 and Skinner followed in the next over on 39 - the score on 96 for 3. With plenty of depth left though Brentwood never looked in danger and at the half way stage with the score already on 130 Hull and Oakley were looking to see the innings out. 4 overs later Oakley was caught on 46 by Wade off Cracknell and Hull soon followed, bowled by Patel. Edward Hornby and Sam Dawes saw Brentwood home with more than 12 overs to spare.
Brentwood meet Hadleigh and Thundersley next week - the only other team who have only lost one match. For the second year running Brentwood have a final match where the winner takes all - that coveted place in the quarter final.
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18th July
Brentwood - 259-2 off 40 overs
Hadleigh & Thundersley - 72 all out off 19.3 overs
Brentwood won by 187 runs
Competition - U16 Matchplay (40 overs)
Report by Julie Welham
Scorecard
The last match in the qualifying stages of the 2010 Matchplay was enjoyed by many more spectators than usual given that it coincided with the celebration of the Christening of the Club President's Grand-daughter, Mia. Some superb cricket, batting and bowling and fielding, was enjoyed by all when Brentwood stormed into the quarter finals with some style.
Brentwood won the toss and opted to bat first, looking for at least 250. Jack Jerrom and Ben Sach began cautiously and for a while looked like they were getting penned in by the opening bowlers. Hadleigh had every reason to be pleased when at the 10 over point Brentwood were still only on 24.
A combination of the change of bowlers and Jerrom and Sach settling in on the bowler friendly wicket meant that the rate began to accelerate and Sach in particular began to look dangerous, now penetrating the fielders and finding the boundary with more ease. On 48, he hit a superb straight drive that was going to the boundary. The umpire saw it coming and was moving out of the way only for the bowler to deflect it straight at him. The very next ball saw him caught by Poynter off the bowling of Gilbert undeservedly not having reached his 50.
Skipper James Welham joined him soon after on just 5 - the same bowler and fielder seeing him off - 113 for 2 off 24. Jerrom had by now accelerated and when Thomas Oakley joined him they scored freely for the rest of the innings. Jerrom raced from 80 to his deserved 100 in just 2 overs. Not wishing to be overshadowed Oakley made a superb 67 at over a run ball. The pair put on 117 in 16 overs taking Brentwood to a well above par 259 off their 40 overs, Jerrom having batted through the whole innings ended on 110.
In the absence of the coach it was left to the Club Chairman to give the team talk at the interval. He should sell his services to the team as a motivator because after his talk Brentwood demolished Hadleigh with an awesome display of bowling.
Welham and Oakley opened and having taken 11 off the first two overs Hadleigh may have thought they were in with a chance but Welham took his first wicket on the first ball of his second over removing Sexton (9), caught Jerrom. Just 4 balls later he trapped the other opener, Lee (2), LBW. Oakley got in on the act, bowling Gilbert for just 1 in his next over - the score now on 13 for 3.
Welham was on a roll now and wickets kept falling - a double wicket maiden in his fourth, Dobson well caught by youngster Rishi Patel and Willson bowled the very next ball. Two more fell in his sixth - Harvey (7) and Poynter clean bowled on consecutive balls - his second hat trick ball of the match - neither of them successful. Oakley took his second in a wicket maiden removing Joyce to a superb catch by keeper Mark Baldock. At the end of the opening spell Hadleigh were in tatters on 43 for 8.
Stone and Grosvener were the only batsman who managed to reach double figures but their resistance was short-lived. Neel Sethi removed Stone (18) and Hull ending the innings by removing Rudman on 5 leaving Grosvener unbeaten on 16. Hadleigh were all out for 72. Welham's bowling figures - 7-1-21-6.
Brentwood end the qualifying stages as runners up which means they are likely to be travelling to Kelveden and Feering for the quarter final on Monday August 2nd where they will be looking to carry on exactly where they left off.
The photo shows the team with the Club President and Chairman.
Colts U16s vs Hadleigh & Thundersley
Thomas Oakley and Jack Jerrom
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2nd August
Brentwood - 155 all out off 38.5 overs
Kelvedon & Feering - 125 all out off 35.3 overs
Brentwood won by 30 runs
Competition - U16 Matchplay Quarter-Final (40 overs)
Report by James Welham
Scorecard
Brentwood's players and sizeable fan base travelled along the A12 to Kelvedon and Feering for what turned out to be a seesaw Matchplay Quarter Final match.
James Welham, using the motto "tails never fails", won the toss and Brentwood chose to bat on what looked a very good track - an incorrect observation as it turned out. Openers Jack Jerrom and Elliot Skinner got Brentwood off to a flying start, moving onto 60/0 off 12 overs - the opening bowlers' pace proving simpler to play than the slower first change bowlers. Faud Ahmed was brought into the attack and struck in his second over, Jerrom well caught at gully for 17. Ahmed struck again in his fourth, this time sending the other opener Skinner back for 41, very well stumped. Although he was disappointed with the way he got out, Skinner's innings set Brentwood up well for what should have been a score of comfortably above 200. In the second 10 overs however the scoring rate dropped sharply, but with wickets in hand, a score of 79 off 20 overs still had Brentwood eyeing up 200.
However in the 21st over, Ben Sach was run out after a bit of mid-pitch hesitation for 10, and Welham joined Baldock, who was looking very classy, with Brentwood on 80. Welham hit 5 fours in quick succession but was then well caught at point for 21. Dawes joined Baldock but missed a straight one from spinner Baker and was quickly back for 0, out LBW. Billy Hull then joined him in the pavilion, out in similar fashion for 1. Levy was then the unfortunate victim of a good one-handed catch for 3, before Matt Thorpe-Apps was run out without facing a ball. It all seemed a blur, but suddenly Brentwood had slumped 140/8 with just 6 overs left, and a score of 200+ now seemed a distant target.
Fortunately though Baldock was still there and managing to keep most of the strike, and was still scoring well. Jon Hilliard, watching Baldock's innings from the other end for the most part was then out to a very good delivery by the returning Ahmed, bringing Brentwood's last hope Maxwell to the crease. Although he had only scored 1 before being caught and bowled by Bragg, his innings was crucial to Brentwood passing the 150 mark as he ensured Baldock had every chance of scoring by keeping his wicket intact. Baldock finished unbeaten on a very important 37; Brentwood would have been very disappointed with their 155 all out, and the majority of the travelling spectators were in agreement that Brentwood would have to bowl and field there backsides off to gain a spot in the semis. And that they did.
Welham and Jerrom opened the bowling and kept the run rate down near the 2 an over mark for their whole spell. Amidst the incredible noise produced by both the passing trains, and even more so the Brentwood fielders, Jerrom was unfortunate not to pick up any wickets from the 'National Express End' despite numerous play and misses, whilst Welham, from the 'Gypsy Road End', removed both openers. First Baker was well caught at slip by Baldock, then Geddis was clean bowled for 8. After 15 overs, Kelvedon were 40/2 and the game was in the balance. The introduction of Billy Hull from the Gypsy End saw a slight increase in the run rate, but also, crucially, brought the key wicket of top-scorer King, well caught by keeper Skinner in the 18th over, the score on 60.
Meanwhile Levy was quietly going about his business and although his opening spell of 7 overs didn't bring a wicket, only 25 runs were conceded and this kept the pressure (that big word) on the Kelvedon batsmen. Welham brought himself back on in the 26th opener in an attempt to remove the skipper who was looking dangerous. This proved a good decision as West was sent back to the pavilion for 22. The decision was then made to bring Hull back on and although he went for 11 off his first full legal delivery, he also struck in his first over. Then Levy was brought back by the skipper, and he got a wicket in his 1 remaining over, getting Ahmed stumped for a slow but steady 21. The spectators were in awe at Welham's captaincy skills - 3 bowling changes in a row, 3 wickets in the new bowlers' first overs. Unbelievable Tekkers.
However, despite this, the game could still go either way. Eight overs left. 42 runs needed. Three wickets in hand. Place your bets.
Sam Dawes was then brought into the attack from the National Express end, and incredibly, given what had gone previously, didn't get a wicket in his first over! But he made up for it with his match winning second over - a double wicket maiden, removing both Clark and Bragg. Kelvedon still required 32 runs off 5 overs with only1 wicket left. Although Hull had one more available over, Welham took the decision to bring Thorpe-Apps into the attack knowing that he'd get a wicket in his first over and win Brentwood the game. Naturally, he did.
Cue wild scenes of celebration from all involved. The passion in all the Brentwood fielders was clear to see. Billy Hull picked up 3 for 40 off his 7 overs and Welham got 3 for 18 off his eight, but every single bowler and fielder contributed to the win. The fielding was the best it has been all year. Jack Jerrom took two good catches and Hilliard took one, as well as saving numerous boundaries with diving stops.
To defend 155 so comfortably (in the end) on a pitch with a sub 50 yard straight boundary each end was an outstanding achievement and should mean all the Brentwood players carry forward immense confidence into the semi final against Shenfield.
Pizza, KFC and Beer was the order of the day as everyone returned to the OCG to celebrate as only Brentwoodians know how - with a game of 1 Hand 1 Bounce. Good times.
The Semi Final is on August 16th at Billericay CC and with a match at the Ford County Ground at stake we can be sure that every player will once again give 100%.
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16th August
Shenfield - 70 all out off 22.1 overs
Brentwood - 74 for 2 off 16.2 overs
Brentwood won by 8 wickets
Competition - U16 Matchplay Semi-Final (40 overs)
Report by James Welham
Scorecard
After the tense affair at Kelvedon and Feering in the previous round, the Brentwood parents' hearts were probably unable to cope with another tight game, and as such it was fortunate that Brentwood eventually cruised to victory, so much so that as the second innings began in the other semi final, the Brentwood players were already back in the changing rooms celebrating their win and looking forward to the final on 19th September.
Brentwood once again won the toss on another overcast day, this time at Billericay CC, and chose to bowl first in this Matchplay Semi Final game. Shenfield openers Jake Kavanagh and Chris Chapman took no time to get their eye in and got off to a flier, taking 6 off the first over and 10 off the second. However in this second over, opening bowler James Welham took the first wicket, Kavanagh (6) caught behind by keeper Elliot Skinner. Another quick partnership developed between Chapman and Oli Bailey, moving Shenfield onto 38 off just 7 overs - Chapman in particular very quick to dispatch anything short. Shenfield's joy was short lived though as Welham picked up the key wicket of Chapman (24), having him clean bowled as he attempted one big shot too many.
Once this wicket fell Shenfield offered little resistance - no one else made double figures - the batsmen simply unable to cope with the pace of Jack Jerrom, who picked up the next 3 wickets. First Bailey (9), followed by Peter Brooking (0) and then Dave Carpenter (2) - all clean bowled. Then Welham picked up his third, John Mathieson LBW also for 0. Jerrom then got the last of his 4 wickets, captain Alex Waltham also clean bowled, also for 0.
Although Welham and Jerrom had finished their spells there was no let up for the Shenfield lower order as Tom Oakley, coming on first change, finished with the outstanding figures of 4 overs, 3 wickets, 2 runs. Silva was caught behind by Skinner, as was Zuber, and James Barrett was bounced out, easily caught Ben Sach. Shenfield managing only to bat for 22 of their possible 40 overs and finishing on just 70.
Brentwood openers Jerrom and Skinner went out to bat with a quick victory in sight, and although Jerrom was harshly given out LBW for just 4, the result was never in doubt. Skinner was in a particularly rapacious mood, treating the sizeable Brentwood fan base to a fantastic 50, sending anything remotely short to the boundary. Although he was caught behind when 10 runs were still needed for victory his job had been done, and victory was in no doubt. Ben Sach (13) and Tom Oakley (1) saw Brentwood home with a massive 23 overs to spare. The speedy nature of the victory meant that there was plenty of time for celebration back at the club, deep into the night (until about 7:30).
It is the first time since 1989 that Brentwood have reached the final of this prestigious competition, and it takes place on 19th September at the Ford County Ground, Chelmsford against holders Wanstead who comfortably beat Hainault and Clayhall in the other semi final, but if the boys play like they did against Shenfield there is no reason why they cannot go all the way this year.
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