| Match Report |
Brentwood 3rd XI 249-6 dec, Shenfield 3rd XI 175-9
Match drawn
Report by Peter Bainbridge
Twelve points gained or 13 points lost? That was the question after Brentwood took bragging rights in a draw with local rivals Shenfield.
After their first decent batting performance of the season, Brentwood narrowly failed to complete a 25-point victory when Shenfield's last-wicket pair survived the final 19 balls.
The key moment of the day may have come before a ball was bowled when acting captain Chris Boon Snr, backed by his team-mates, elected to bat. The previous week's abject display had sapped confidence to such an extent that reaching the promised land of 200 and eight batting points was the prime aim. Not exactly the positive outlook made so currently fashionable by New Zealand and Australia, but if Brendon McCullum and Michael Clarke had seen their sides struggle so badly batting second against Upminster and Hutton IIIs in recent weeks, they, too, might eschew the gung-ho approach.
The decision to bat hardly appeared to have paid off when Brentwood limped along to 26-over drinks at 62 for four after the Shenfield opening bowlers had maintained an impeccable line and length on a fast and true wicket. Shane Surujbally had chipped one up to mid-off, Dave Smith (only 40 minutes late for the meet time this week, a great effort) had edged behind, Sam Dawes was cleaned up second ball and Sonny Willis, after battling through to 27, missed a yorker.
Nigel Bacon and Boon started to repair the damage against the less-demanding change bowlers, Bacon, as ever, scratching around early on as if new to the game before suddenly launching into a succession of drives and pulls with the bat speed that can come only from an Essex over-40s squash player. Boon, without ever looking entirely comfortable, found ways to keep the score ticking along, persisting with the sweep despite an early top-edged scare until he firmly directed one straight into square leg's hands when he had made 30.
That brought Dan Stone to the crease and, after watching Bacon thwack his way to 69 before holing out to mid-on, the youngster featured in a high-class stand with Dave Balroop.
Considering this was Balroop's first match of the season and he had arrived glassy-eyed with a massive hangover after watching Essex play at the Oval the night before (last drink 1.30am, awoken at 5.30am by young children), not much was expected. But after tottering to the crease pumped full of aspirin, he unleashed a series of exquisitely timed shots that flew to the boundary. Those Friday nights coaching dozens of Brentwood minis must have helped keep him in nick and if Shenfield had opted for a game of What's the Time, Mr Wolf, Balroop would surely have punished them even more.
Stone was equally impressive against the tiring attack, favouring the area behind point. The pair took the score past the hallowed 200 mark and such was their velocity, Boon was soon in the unaccustomed position for a Brentwood IIIs captain of being able to contemplate an early declaration.
The duo had both reached the forties when Boon called a halt to the fun after 50 overs.
Balroop gave Brentwood the early breakthrough when he bowled one of the Shenfield openers with a big inswinger in his second over, but with Peter Bainbridge off form at the other end (exhausted by his debut on the tea rota), it fell to Brentwood's change bowlers to seek further inroads. Mick Payne's slower slow ball eventually produced the second wicket but Shenfield dug in and reached drinks at 115 for two, needing seven an over from the last 20 and the match well poised.
Boon was labouring away from one end with blood pouring down his spinning finger and his valour was rewarded when he persuaded Dave Castell to hit his own wicket, having made 53. Jon Hilliard, after a tight initial spell, was reintroduced to the attack and swung the game Brentwood's way with three wickets, two coming in one over.
With Brentwood sensing victory, Willis's weekly pleas to be tossed the ball paid off when Boon buckled under the pressure and brought him on. The move paid off when Shenfield captain Matt Simmons, having just passed 50, lofted Willis straight towards long-off. The fielder in question, Bacon, had only just recovered from being berated about ambling towards the ball and gifting Shenfield an easy two. In fact, Willis had been in two minds about asking Boon to move Bacon to a less-exposed position. So, with the ball rocketing towards him and his team-mates fearing the worst, Bacon set off in the wrong direction, checked, knocked off his cap, retreated, moved forward, stepped back again, then to general amazement held on to the ball.
Brentwood were now on a roll, Willis claimed a second wicket with a good catch from Smith and when Bainbridge got one on target to claim the ninth wicket in the 17th over of the last hour, it seemed a first win of the season might materialise. Unfortunately, Shenfield's last pair held out and Brentwood had to be content with a 12-5 points advantage instead of 25-5.
This was a considerable improvement on anything that had gone before this season and will hopefully inspire a little more confidence when Brentwood travel to the batting paradise that is Woodford Wells' second pitch on Saturday.
|