| Match Report |
Brentwood IIIs 196, Shenfield IIIs 103
Brentwood won by 93 runs
After the promise of the previous week, Brentwood's season exploded into life with a crushing 25-point victory against Shenfield on the Old County Ground back pitch.
On a track left uncovered through the week's downpours, Brentwood's total of 196 never looked within the visitors' range and the match ended with 15 minutes of the last hour to go.
The result lifted Brentwood off the foot of the table and, if availability remains this good in the coming weeks, all the early-season woes will soon be forgotten.
Brentwood made two changes to the team who had performed well in defeat at Upminster the previous week, with Tom and George Wingrove brought in - which had the added benefit of dad Les volunteering to umpire. It was a long day for Senior, who had been in Nottingham at the crack of dawn to ferry George from university down in time for the match.
Shenfield elected to bowl first on a damp wicket and struck early when Jack Payne edged Pryor behind. Sonny Willis was playing diligently but, after reaching 17, was undone by surprise lift from the off-spin of Ollie Ives, the ball ricocheting off his forearm and rolling gently onto the stumps.
Nigel Bacon and Luke Brailey then shared the biggest partnership of the match, putting on 56 for the third wicket. Brailey had an early life but gradually grew in confidence, playing a fine selection of shots on a tricky surface, one straight drive for three particularly sticking in the memory.
The most vivid memory of Bacon's innings was of him shouting from the middle to admonish the scorers for supposedly robbing him of a run. This brought much hilarity and the predictable response of "Good shot, Luke" for his next few scoring strokes.
After reaching 39, or was it 37, Bacon hoisted an Ives full toss down midwicket's throat and stomped off, his first task being, I kid you not, to snatch the scorer's pen to amend his total in the book.
Sam Dawes's quiet start to the season continued as he miscued a heave to mid-off and Brailey then fell for a fine 44 when he was caught off the returning Pryor.
This brought together Dave Balroop and Paul Degg, fresh from a spectacular stand the previous week. Again, Degg was off the mark with a huge straight six but, on this awkward surface, did not find the ball coming on to the middle of his bat so easily and after a few air shots was bowled having a huge swipe at Ives. That left Brentwood at 131 for six and in danger of throwing away Brailey and Bacon's good work.
Fortunately, Balroop found an effective partner in George Wingrove, who despite failing to be selected for any of Nottingham University's four cricket teams, showed himself worthy of his place here. The pair put on 41 in good time before Wingrove was caught for 24. Balroop tried to shepherd the tail but when he was caught for 30 in the 48th over with the score at 187 for eight, it left Brentwood narrowly unable to get the total past the 200.
Brentwood dined well care of Bainbridge Caterers, despite looking enviously at the elegant selection of cakes on the adjoining table (tip to those making third-team teas: don't volunteer on the same weekend as Gill Bell is supplying the Seconds, it will only lead to a sense of underachievement).
Willis gave a rousing speech, outlined his plan to open with the pace-spin combo of Degg and Tom Wingrove and Brentwood were quickly in amongst the wickets. It would have been even quicker if Dawes (second slip) and Bainbridge (mid-off) had held straightforward catches off the unlucky Degg but Tom Wingrove spared their blushes with a fine spell. Wingrove had Soomro caught by Willis at slip and then bowled the twice-reprieved Saich. Duncan Southcott and David Castell found scoring difficult against the tight attack. In trying to lift the pace, Southcott fell to the Wingrove double act, caught George, bowled Tom. Wingrove's slow bowling gave way to the even slower bowling of Mick Payne, who induced false shots to remove Castell and Teddy Geddis.
Balroop got rid of danger man Matt Simmons and then clean bowled Orwell who tried the suspect tactic of shouldering arms to a renowned inswing bowler.
The last hour started with Shenfield at 75 for seven and their victory hopes gone. Still, they seemed to have no concern about hanging on for the draw and continued to play their shots. Ives drove Bainbridge straight to Balroop at mid-on. Ramzan and Pryor enjoyed charmed lives, chipping the ball narrowly out of reach of the fielders and even threatened to thwart the Brentwood victory charge until going for a kamikaze second run. Tom Wingrove produced a direct hit from midwicket and Ramzan was gone.
The honour of taking the final wicket fell to top-scorer Brailey, who after seeing numerous superb deliveries sneak past the stumps, served up a full toss which Pryor hit straight to the safest of hands of George Wingrove at mid-on - a foolproof wicket-taking delivery at this level, first witnessed by this reporter being practised by the great Tony Prior in the early Noughties.
All the bowlers performed well - Tom Wingrove had the most success with 3-32 but Degg deserves particular praise for his seven-over spell that should have produced more than figures of 0-4.
Willis captained intelligently, if a little overanxiously ("hurry up and get in your positions, is there only me that cares about this?") and a massive thanks go to Les Wingrove for umpiring both ends.
Onwards and upwards must be the hope from here, starting with Saturday's trip to Harlow.
Peter Bainbridge.
Scorecard http://essexcl.play-cricket.com/website/results/2694201
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