|
10th May
Brentwood 2nd XI - 239-8
Ilford 2nd XI - 150 all out
Brentwood won by 89 runs
Report by Paul Larner
Chris Boon's second team began their title chase in the Premier League of the second team league with an away trip to Ilford who narrowly finished behind them last year in third place. With both teams facing each other in last year's last league game which finished with Brentwood getting the upper hand in a draw another close encounter could be expected. Ilford's captain Ali won the toss on a sunny day and after a team discussion inserted Brentwood on a decent looking wicket.
Captain Boon opened up with Steve Taylor whilst the rest of the team sat close to both their mobiles in case either had a call from their expectant other halves. The calls never came and despite Taylor offering an early chance the pair took the score past fifty. Taylor (18) was adjudged LBW by the home team's umpire. It turned out to be a familiar departure as both Boon and Paul Larner departed LBW to the same bowler Jalil; none of the batsmen were particularly impressed as they were given out.
Richard Walford however, kept the ball away from his pads and made his way steadily towards a well constructed fifty. He put on a fifty partnership with Sonny Willis (30) when the Brentwood innings could have gone badly wrong. Walford was finally caught at mid wicket for 60 and Ben Holmes, Paul Degg and James Reilly all made useful contributions as Brentwood made their way to a substantial score of 239-8.
At tea Brentwood sensed that the first league game of the season could provide them with twenty points and set about getting the ten wickets needed. With the normal pairing of Paul Degg and Dave Balroop opening up the bowling Brentwood put early pressure on the Ilford openers. The nine million pound man Balroop took the opening wicket and quickly followed it up with two more as only Malik (28) provided any resistance. Newly acquired spinner Rajesh Bagtharia was brought on first change for Degg and put the Ilford batsmen under immediate pressure. He worked well in tandem with Balroop and picked up 3-32 from his first ten overs in second team cricket. Balroop (6-45) picked up yet another five wicket haul reducing Ilford to 72-9 before taking a well earned rest.
However, Ilford usually provide a few surprises and today was no exception as the tenth wicket decided that with 158 to win that they could do it. Jalil, who had bowled well in the Brentwood innings, and Gabbit whose erratic behaviour at the crease was at best odd, started finding all parts of Valentine's park nearly, at one point, taking a rather large chap's head of as he lay snoozing in the afternoon sun. With Ilford looking like they might achieve an unlikely draw Paul Degg found the edge of the bat and Holmes took the catch at gully.
Boon's second team, runners up last year to Chelmsford, have started the year in perfect fashion and Boon, who is unavailable for the next couple of weeks as he becomes a father for the first time was delighted with the start. "Today we did what we could not last year which was build partnerships when batting but we also picked up where we left off last year which was bowling well in partnerships."
Boon's team face promoted Fives and Heronians at the OCG next week looking to build on the perfect start.
Return to top of page
24th May
Chingford 2nd XI - 156 all out
Brentwood 2nd XI - 157-3
Brentwood won by 7 wickets
Report by Paul Larner
Brentwood's second team maintained their early season title aspirations with a convincing victory at Chingford on Saturday. On a bright day with a slightly green looking pitch captain Chris Boon won the toss and inserted the home side. It was then down to Brentwood's bowlers to restrict the opposition as best they could on what looked a potentially high scoring wicket.
Opening pair Dave Balroop and Paul Degg put the Chingford openers under early pressure with Degg particularly impressing. He accounted for two of the Chingford top three after Balroop had bowled opener Whitfield. Despite intense pressure Chingford were recovering from 30-3 and looked set for a good score at 70-3 but the introduction of Rocky Barbone, who removed Piper, and Khan Sohail who removed Rhone triggered the demise of the Chingford innings. Barbone who then bowled a 15 over spell through to the end of the Chingford innings was excellent removing two more Chingford batsmen. Balroop returned and polished off the tail with the aid of a juggling Boon. Brentwood's bowling and fielding was exceptional and the pressure was on the batters to follow suit.
Despite losing new dad Boon for one Brentwood never looked in any real trouble and in form Richard Walford and Steve Taylor (72) put on 100 for the second wicket. Taylor was at his imperious best driving at ease and Walford (32) never looked in trouble until both were out LBW to the impressive McGregor (2-39). It was left to Paul Larner (18no) and Balroop (19no) to see Brentwood home to win by 7 wickets with 13 overs to go.
Captain Boon was in jubilant mood, "We have had an excellent start to the season with two wins in two playable games and have 38 points. We know we have tough games ahead starting at Colchester next week but we need to maintain our early season momentum."
Return to top of page
21st June
Loughton 2nd XI - 257-4
Brentwood 2nd XI - 258-8
Brentwood won by 2 wickets
Report by Chris Boon
Brentwood travelled to Loughton on Saturday determined to continue their 100% winning start to the season. Having won 3 out of 3 with 3 matches lost to the weather, Brentwood found themselves mid-table, knowing that a win would throw them back in the mix at the top of the table.
The vain hope that the summer solstice would bring warm sunshine to proceedings was lost in low cloud and miserable drizzle; fortunately the drizzle relented and play commenced almost on time.
Brentwood skipper Chris Boon lost the toss but was delighted that his bowlers were asked to make first use of a damp but flat looking pitch. Loughton were without a win, and with the Brentwood opening attack of Degg and Balroop early inroads were expected. Things didn't quite go to plan, Degg was strangely out of sorts and Balroop was not extracting as much from the wicket as was hoped and the Loughton openers began to dominate, Khan with powerful straight drives and Wood with neat deflections.
The Brentwood fielding became ragged, with the notable exception of 16-year-old debutant Ross Cant who also bowled a promising 6 over spell, and at the halfway stage Loughton were cruising at 145-0, looking set for a total of 300 plus.
Boon turned back to the ever reliable Balroop, who began to demonstrate excellent control and in off-spinner Rajesh Bagtharia he found a reliable partner and the boundries began to dry up, and finally the partnership was broken when Balroop found the edge of Wood's bat and Brooks held on to sharp chance and he was gone for a fine 91. Bagtharia followed this up in the next over by bowling Khan for 84 and the score was 185-2.
The same 2 bowlers continued to the end and both bowled 20 overs and picked up a wicket more apiece and the Loughton innings closed on 257-4.
The Brentwood reply began in fine style with new father Steve Taylor and Jabar Raja both finding the rope with ease until Taylor slapped a long-hop to point and departed for 19.
Raja was next to go, unable to contain his excitement at the introduction of the left arm spin of Coppeard and holing out to long-on for 34.
The Brentwood middle order continued to keep up with the 5 an over run rate with Willis and Balroop both making 26. They both fell to the spin of Coppeard and this brought Dave Smith and skipper Chris Boon to the wicket. These 2 continued to score at the required rate, Smith with some sumptuous sweep strokes and Boon with some more agricultural methods.
Smith was out for a classy 37 and next in was Ben Holmes. He and Boon took the score to 210 when Holmes was bowled by Wilden.
This brought Paul Degg to the crease and the pressure had obviously got to him as he smashed his first ball from Wilden over the longest boundry. The obligatory block came out next ball, which prompted a shout from a Loughton fielder of, "He's painting by numbers," cue the next ball is sent over the practise nets, "Yeah, that's 6 more numbers," was the witty riposte from Degg. Wilden was taken out of the firing line and replaced with Ramsden who bowled Degg comprehensively and then had Brooks adjudged leg before first ball.
With 25 still needed from 6 overs and only 2 wickets remaining Ross Cant joined his skipper and these two sensibly worked the ball into gaps for singles.
A high full toss was smashed over the short leg side boundry by Boon and the winning runs were hit by Cant with Brentwood achieving victory with an over and a half to spare.
This was an excellent run chase with all the top order chipping in and Boon finishing 69 not-out. However with games against Wanstead and champions Chelmsford to come Brentwood will have to up their fielding to maintain their title aspirations.
Return to top of page
28th June
Brentwood 2nd XI - 253 all out
Wanstead 2nd XI - 198-7
Match Drawn
Report by Paul Larner
Brentwood were thwarted by a strong batting performance from Wanstead in their attempt to win their 5th consecutive game. After Captain Chris Boon lost the toss Brentwood were asked to bat first on a good looking pitch and sunny day.
However, they lost opener Steve Taylor early on to the impressive Wanstead opener but Paul Larner (67) and Peter Morgan soon restored the normal service for 2008 as they took the attack to the opposition bowlers. They scored freely with Morgan (41) impressively pulling anything short of a length. The excellent partnership was flourishing, they'd put on over a hundred in less than 20 overs, before Larner ran out Morgan looking for a needless quick single.
The runs did not dry up immediately but the wickets started to fall as Larner was the first of six LBW decisions, in which some were closer than others. A number of batsmen came and went in quick succession and soon, a position from where 300 might have been possible, became a scramble for the 200 mark. It was left to Captain Boon and Paul Degg to get the innings back on track. From 170-8 Boon (45no) pushed and prodded early on whilst Degg did what Degg (40) does best, he smashed the ball over the trees. One hit over mid-wicket was particularly impressive in a partnership which saved the ailing innings.
After Tim Barbone was out first ball at the end of the 51st over Brentwood had recovered to 253AO. It was a position which looked par at 119-1 but looked unlikely at 170-8, Boon was happy at the half way stage.
He was much happier when Joe Fryd clean bowled one of the Wanstead openers. When Neil Wicks caught the other behind the stumps Brentwood thought that they had their opponents two down, but apparently not as neither batsmen nor umpire agreed. He then went on to get vital runs and set Wanstead up for a good reply but not a winning reply. Brentwood's bowlers found a good line and length and the six an over required for victory never seemed likely. Degg found this weeks pitch to his liking as he picked up 2-37.
Captain Boon also had the midus touch in the field as every bowling change led to a wicket. All the bowlers contributed but it seemed that Brentwood would finish with just 10 points and Wanstead 8 (as they approached 200). However, a vital wicket with 3 overs to go gave Brentwood the extra point and some excellent bowling and good captaincy from Boon restricted Wanstead to just the 3 batting points as they fell short of 200.
Boon, although disappointed to not record a fifth consecutive victory, was pleased with the performance, "We showed a distinct improvement in the field taking some good catches and ground fielding was good. We continue to bowl superbly well and the batting, although at times threatening to fall apart, scores well."
Next week Brentwood face a top of the table clash against Chelmsford as the teams that finished first and second last year compete for the first time this year.
Return to top of page
| 