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11th May
Brentwood XI - 268-8
Bessborough XI - 145 all out
Brentwood won by 123 runs
Report by Richard Whitehall
Scorecard
On Sunday, Brentwood played an under-strength Bessborough side. The Middlesex League outfit gave Brentwood a brief worry when Stuart Harper-Horne fell in the 5th over. Walford and Aaron West took advantage of some poor bowling which negated what was a difficult wicket to bat on. Walford (46) and West (43) both departed when big scores looked likely. Muwas and Chadha missed out, but 2nd XI players Sonny Willis and Jaber Raja were not about to make the same mistake. Raja scored the quicker of the two, racing to 49 before being caught, whereas Willis was more patient and was rewarded with a fine half-century. Brentwood's 268 always looked too much for Bessborough and so it proved. Whitehall took 2 quick wickets, but Aaron West was the bowler who ripped out the Bessborough middle-order. Only Modha offered any real resistance until he too fell to West (4-36). Brentwood eventually won by 123 runs.
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18th May
Bromley XI - 185-7
Brentwood XI - 92 all out
Bromley won by 93 runs
Report by Ian Belchamber
Scorecard
Following the early abandonment of Saturday's Shepherd Neame Essex Premier League match with Upminster, Brentwood took on current National Champions Bromley in the ECB Cockspur Cup on Sunday.
On a wicket that can only be regarded as a "sticky dog", the toss was a crucial factor, and when Bromley captain James Butterfill called incorrectly, his opposite number, Jon Walford had no hesitation in opting to field first.
Brentwood's hopes were hit, when after he delivered only eight balls Joe Fryd pulled up with an injury to the same hamstring that affected him last season. His replacement, Damien Brandy struggled with his footing on the damp surface and was swiftly replaced by Gulfraz Muwas. Muwas and Richard Whitehall bowled with control, limiting the Kent side to a series of risky quick singles.
The only break-through was made by Whitehall, when he caught a skier off his own bowling.
Muwas bowled his full compliment of nine overs, and although he was wicketless he deserved more and his overs cost just 20 runs.
Once Muwas had bowled through, spin was introduced from both ends in the shape of Harry Jones and Ian Belchamber. Belchamber in particular was able to extract prodigious spin, and in his first over this accounted for the wicket of Grant Sheen.
Both spinners were proving hard to get away, and it took former Kent player Matthew Dennington to break the shackles as he launched Jones for consecutive sixes to get off the mark. This pushed the field back allowing him to push the ball around into gaps.
Wickets only began to tumble in the final few overs, with Belchamber picking up a further two and Jones getting one. The pick of the dismissals was when Brandy accounted for Dennington whose thick outside edge was snaffled by a full length dive from Ben Cocklin.
Bromley's score of 185-7 may have only been a tad above four runs an over, but given the wicket, it was maybe a fraction above a par score. Butterfill top scored for the Kent side with 53. Brentwood needed a good start, which they did not get as Jon Walford was out for just a solitary run. Cocklin and Ryan Chadha were progressing nicely until Chadha received a snorting delivery from Dennington.
Cocklin continued to score runs freely, but could not find the necessary support from the other end, and it took a delivery from Tom Mees that looked impossible to play to actually end his innings of 37.
Only Whitehall and Belchamber were the other batsmen able to get into double figures, with Brentwood being bowled out for a tame 92.
Brentwood should take this game as an opportunity to learn and develop, in particular the value of keeping the scoreboard ticking over on tricky wickets.
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8th June
Wickford XI - 141 all out
Brentwood XI - 145-3
Brentwood won by 7 wickets
Report by Richard Whitehall
Scorecard
Sunday brought Wickford to the Old County Ground for the 3rd round of the League Cup. The 1st Division outfit were a mixed bag, with quality players such as Essex bowler Jahid Ahmed and Zimbabwean test cricketer Gary Brent, but also, by their own admission, including some 2nd and 3rd team players. Brentwood proved too strong for the visitors, dismissing them for 141 off only 33 overs of the 40 over match. Captain Darren Batch batted very well for 42, but only number 9 Thompson provided any other threat, scoring 22.
Brentwood lost Ben Cocklin and Aaron West early on, but Jon Walford batted superbly to dominate the Wickford bowlers. He showed great class to score freely off both Ahmed and Brent. Walford was supported well by Ryan Chadha who scored 23 and Shane Shillingford who was 22 not out. However Walford's innings of 76 not out was the stand-out performance of the game and saw Brentwood to victory and in to the quarter-final.
Brentwood CC 1st XI vs Wickford
Brentwood CC 1st XI vs Wickford
Brentwood CC 1st XI vs Wickford
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15th June
Teddington XI - 290-8
Brentwood XI - 127 all out
Teddington won by 163 runs
Report by Richard Whitehall
Scorecard
Nothing went right for Brentwood on Sunday. They were stuck in a 15 minute traffic jam before even leaving their home town for the lengthy journey to Teddington for an Evening Standard Trophy clash. Matters went from bad to worse as 2 other cars got lost in the depths on Bushy Park such that they started fielding with 8 men. Their feelings of agoraphobia were compounded by Teddington finding the boundary with ease on an excellent batting wicket. When the fielding restrictions were lifted Teddington were 117-0. Brentwood battled back well, with spinners Ian Belchamber, Harri Jones and Michael Watson the pick. The final score of 290-8 was better than Brentwood feared, but still a tough task.
Brentwood were missing 3 of their usual top 7 and this lack of batting proved costly. West, Chadha, Muwas & Jabber all fell cheaply and failed to provide Jon Walford with the support he needed. The captain was batting serenely and had scored 42 off 32 balls, including five 4s in one over, before he gave an easy catch to short mid-wicket. Only Watson's 31 provided any cheer for Brentwood as they capitulated to 127 all out.
"I was worried thought we was going to have to play"
Tom Reilly and Jon Walford Snr.
"I've found you another player Aaron," says Tarnya, Aarons sister
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