3rd XI Vs Shenfield 3rd XI

Brentwood threw away a golden chance to climb away from the relegation scrap as their run chase went off the rails at Shenfield. After putting themselves in a strong position when the final 20 overs started, Brentwood hit the panic button and ended up hanging on grimly for a draw against rivals who started the day three points behind them in the table.  

Although the target of 260 was bigger than had seemed likely at various stages of the Shenfield innings, it should have been eminently gettable on a ground with such small boundaries.  

Paul Degg and Dave Balroop put Brentwood well on top by reducing Shenfield to 85 for six. Balroop, after his six-wicket haul the previous week, took a wicket with his first ball, castling Duncan Southcott. Degg removed fellow opener Lewis Southcott, well caught by a limping Andy Maxwell at mid off after miscueing a pull, and then dismantled the stumps of No3 Teddy Geddis.  

Balroop clean bowled Shenfield skipper Matthew Simmons, who was looking for a third successive century, and did the same to the dangerous-looking James Borman. When Adam Belsey inside-edged Balroop to Ben Cocklin, Shenfield were in all kinds of trouble.  

Runs are easy to come by on the Courages Park pitch if you only stick around - something Olly Ives managed to do, albeit with a few slices  of luck as aerial shots fell just out of reach of fielders. In tandem with Steve Cunnew, Ives pushed the score along at a decent lick and it needed Micky Payne's guile to break the 60-run stand when Cunnew (25) lofted one to Cameron Maxwell.  

Peter Bainbridge got a flukey wicket when Lee Rich inside edged a wide one onto his stumps but was then dispatched for two sixes in one over by No10 Tony Bukhari who started to build a damaging stand with Ives. With the score shooting past 220, captain Sonny Willis recalled his opening bowlers. Balroop responded by having Bukhari (36) brilliantly stumped by Cocklin and then having Jack Newton caught at short extra cover as the innings ended in the 46th over, with Ives unbeaten on 75. Balroop claimed his second successive six-wicket haul, finishing with 15.4-3-76-6.  

Lost balls in the bushes and a surprisingly high number of no-balls meant a slow over rate, so Brentwood were unlikely to have much more than 45 overs to chase down the target - something that caused little anxiety as they feasted on Shenfield's superb teas. Andy Maxwell, unenthusiastic about putting any more strain than necessary on his injured ankle, began briskly, smoking five boundaries before edging to second slip.  

Jack Payne started like a house on fire, too, creaming his second delivery along the floor to the midwicket boundary and following up with a succession of delightful cuts and drives. Willis was striking the ball crisply, possibly too well as it often nestled deep in the undergrowth, delaying the run chase even more. After one particularly well-struck shot, an impatient Willis even marched from the middle to find the ball himself.  

Payne's innings ended just before drinks when he miscued one to deep mid-off and departed for a pleasant 36 but Brentwood were feeling confident at 120 for two with the final 20 starting - seven an over really should have been a walk in the park. Sadly, new batsman Cocklin could not get out of much more than a walk as he laboured to run a single up the hill off a misfield and was left short of his ground.  

Big-hitting Degg was promoted up the order and smashed a couple of sixes before trying to heave another and being bowled. So long as Willis stayed in, Brentwood were still in control and needing only to bat sensibly but when he, too, fell trying to play a big shot after reaching 83, the cracks started to appear.  

Balroop had cruised to 22 when he was caught, prompting a mini-collapse as George Wingrove and Dave Berry fell in quick succession, leaving Brentwood on 210 for eight with nine overs remaining and seemingly out of it.   Bainbridge and Cameron Maxwell edged the score onwards without taking undue risks and with 16 needed off the final two overs, were even in with a sniff of victory.

Bainbridge did not fancy trying to score many off the last over, to be bowled by five-wicket Bukhari, so went for glory early only to be bowled off the first ball of the penultimate over, departing for 25. It was left to fellow 49-year-old Payne to block out the last 11 balls to deny Shenfield victory, with Maxwell finishing on a very mature seven not out.  

With the teams around them in the table pulling off some unexpected wins, Brentwood plummeted four places despite picking up eight points and are back in the relegation zone. Report by Peter Bainbridge