2nd XI Vs Southend on Sea EMT

Brentwood II 311, Southend II 286-8
Brentwood won by 25 runs

Southchurch Park has a claim to fame as a high-scoring venue and so it proved again on Saturday when Brentwood won a run-fest.

The green-and-white striped deckchairs, the ornamental lakes and the sound of seagulls and passing ships give this ground a touch of character and, on a sunny day, there can be few more pleasant places to spend a few hours chasing leather.

This scribe last played at the venue in 2002 - which he thought was mildly impressive in a nerdy sort of way until Pat Payne, grandfather of wicketkeeper/batsman Jack Payne, revealed he had last visited in 1948 to watch Don Bradman's Australians rack up a record 721 on the first day of a tour game against Essex.  

Pat did not quite get to see 721 runs this time, but an aggregate of 597 was a fair effort in the first 45-over-a-side match of the season.

Brentwood, who had been forced into five changes from the previous week because of poor availability, won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry, used track.

Muggy conditions meant there was early swing for openers James Welham and Rob Jones to counter. The pair did well and made steady headway to bring up the 50 in the 10th over, their positive running being a particular feature. Welham then decided to cut loose and smashed 18 in one over, including a huge six to the longest boundary at midwicket that scattered day-trippers, from the previously economical Chris Hunt.

That brought a change in the bowling attack but it made little difference to Welham who continued on the offensive, taking the partnership past 100, before eventually being bowled having a yahoo at off-spinner John Horne for 89 with the score at 132 in the 19th over.

Captain Richard Walford had earlier suggested he would be happy to be at 150-3 after 35 overs, so was a contented man as Brentwood, now with Chris Boon Jnr having joined Jones, passed 150 in the 23rd over with only one wicket down.

Southend had introduced the ultra-slow loopy left-arm spin of Chris Gore by this point and, remarkably, he finished with six wickets as batsmen performed various acts of hara-kari. Jones had reached a splendidly sensible 58 when caught in the deep. Boon (42), Walford (29) and Jon Hilliard (12) all went the same way off Gore, while Payne (5) and Paul Degg (8) were stumped.

Somewhere in between, Paul Humphries (21) was judged lbw off Horne, and Luke Brailey (3) was stumped off the leg-spin of home captain Wayne Spear. When Peter Bainbridge (1) was run out off the penultimate delivery of the innings, Brentwood had finished at 311, a good score but possibly 20 runs light after being 242-3 with 10 overs left.

Southend's strength was reputed to be in their batting and they started like a house on fire, the first ball of the innings from Hilliard being creamed to the extra-cover boundary by Numan Khan, who repeated the feat three deliveries later. Luckily for Brentwood, when the other opener, James Holmwood, smashed another overpitched delivery straight back at Hilliard in his next over, the ball ricocheted off the bowler, hit the stumps and ran out Khan, who had ventured from his crease.

That did not provide much respite, however, as No3 Joe Sibbons took a liking to Hilliard and Degg's bowling, to such an extent that Southend were 51-1 from six overs.

The early introduction of Humphries and Bainbridge into the attack helped stem the flow of runs and Humphries picked up the wicket of Holmwood, who chipped a catch to Bainbridge at midwicket. Southend kept the board ticking over and, when drinks were taken after 23 overs, were 146-2, needing almost eight an over.

Brentwood desperately needed to break the partnership and the wicket came courtesy of superb fielding in the deep by Boon. After a good stop, a slight fumble encouraged the batsmen to go for a second run. Boon's accurate throw beat the the stretching Stephen Hunt by inches and he was out for 54.

Captain Spear joined Sibbons and the pair proceeded to keep the game in the balance, Holmwood completing a fine century. Spear then tweaked a hamstring and the innings crucially lost impetus for a couple of overs as he was reluctant to take quick singles. He eventually called for a runner but Southend were by now well behind the pace at 214-3 with just 10 overs to go - 98 required.

Sure enough, the task proved too great and wickets tumbled in the desperate chase. Spear miscued to Walford off Degg before Brentwood claimed the crucial scalp of Holmwood. He had reached 123 when lofting Degg into the deep, where Welham took a good running catch to much celebration from the visiting party.

That was effectively game over, but Degg at least cashed in with three more late wickets to finish with five for 56 from eight overs. Humphries did well to take one for 43 from his nine overs, and Anam Hussein bowled a very tidy allocation to give away 44 runs.

Special praise should go to Brentwood for their fielding. They made crucial stops to prevent Southend getting full value for their shots - Welham, Boon, Jones and Brailey being the most notable performers - and took all their chances.

Brentwood's total of nine wides looked quite good, too, next to Southend's 22.

Rain was falling as the players left the pitch and with other games in the division abandoned, the result lifted Brentwood to third in the table.  

Report by Peter Bainbridge

Scorecard: http://essexcl.play-cricket.com/website/results/2687932