3rd XI Vs Woodford Wells

Brentwood came away with a winning draw from a closely fought but frustratingly rain-affected match at Woodford Wells.

After two successive victories had largely removed the threat of relegation, Brentwood were on a high and their confident mood was only slightly arrested by forced late changes to the line-up. In fact, captain Sonny Willis was so sure of himself that he set off from Brentwood without bothering to check his petrol gauge and only when halfway round the M25 did he notice "zero miles" flashing. After a frantic phone call to Dave Smith's car two miles ahead warning that the assistance of a jerry can with petrol might be needed, Willis managed to nurse his vehicle down the M11 and on to the first available petrol station.

Crisis averted, Willis won the toss and elected to bat, striding the short distance to the middle at the Wells back pitch with fellow in-form opener Dave Smith to face the unusual challenge of a double-pronged left-arm-over attack.

The bowlers started well and were slightly unlucky not to pick up an early wicket as the ball occasionally lifted from a length. However, with the boundaries at this ground so short, mishits and edges were productive shots and the scoring ticked along nicely, Willis being the dominant player.

After doing the hard work and seeing off the new ball, Willis started to reel off some trademark drives and cuts but then dragged a long hop on to his stumps to depart for 36 with the score at 42 in the 13th over.

Nigel Bacon, fresh from his holidays in Corfu ("all-inclusive, lovely weather, crystal clear sea", if you're wondering), began a little scratchily but by this time Smith was coming out of his shell and pulled a couple of sixes over square leg. A third pull over the boundary brought up Smith's 50 and he was motoring along so well that it came as a surprise when he edged one behind and departed for 63, having put on 90 for the second wicket.

With those Corfu net sessions with his wife paying off, Bacon was starting to find his range and brought up his own 50 with a hoik to midwicket. In fact, so refreshed was he by his holiday that Bacon even answered Jack Payne's urgings to complete an all-run four - which is some feat at a ground little bigger than the garden at Bacon's Ingatestone mansion.

As the Wells fielding disintegrated, this was swiftly followed by a six for Bacon comprising a run two and four overthrows. Brentwood were cruising at 170 for two after 35 overs before a slight blip occurred as Bacon was caught at long on for 65 and Payne was bowled for 20 trying to sweep. Sam Dawes chipped up a catch to fall cheaply and Dave Balroop hammered a pull straight down square leg's throat for 20.

Thankfully George Bull and Cameron Maxwell ensured the earlier good work did not go to waste and shared a very useful stand of 60 in good time. Despite Maxwell describing his innings as "scratchy", plenty of observers would have liked to have emulated a couple of his beautifully struck straight drives. Bull used the paddle round to the short square-leg boundaries to good effect before falling for 30 in the penultimate over.

With new batsman Ollie Valentini struggling to lay bat on ball, the 50th and final over went for a solitary leg bye and the innings ended at 287 for seven.

The Wells reply was halted after one over by a squally downpour, which was at least welcomed by Dawes as it gave him just enough time for the "massive poo" he had been unable to produce during tea.

When play recommenced after the brief delay, Balroop tore in from the top end with a strong wind at his back and managed to bowl opener Ashwell. Bull toiled in from the other end, up the hill and into the gale, producing a tidy six-over spell.

Wells opener Goodlet was starting to hit some lusty, if slightly unattractive, drives but the required scoring rate was creeping up to eight an over. Still, with wickets in hand, the home side were starting to feel confident as the second-wicket pair took the score past 140.

Maxwell, who had seen two catches go down off his bowling, eventually got rid of Goodlet for 85 clean bowled and, as the last hour started, Wells were 160 for two, needing a touch under eight an over.

With the seamers having little luck, Willis produced the tactical masterstroke of introducing the off-spin of Jack Payne, who had previously been doing a sterling job behind the stumps. Payne immediately removed No3 Parry for 63, bowling him around his legs, and then took a smart return catch to reduce the Wells to 200 for four.

With seven overs to go, Wells needed 52 runs and the game was in the balance. Unfortunately, the rain then returned and forced another stoppage. When play resumed, there was confusion over whether the number of overs should be affected by the delay but, with the light disappearing fast, the game continued while rules were consulted on the sidelines.

Bull took an excellent catch in the deep off Valentini and Balroop returned to bowl Wells captain Webb. It then emerged that the batting side would have only 43 overs in their reply instead of the full 45. That made the equation 38 runs needed off two overs, instead of off four - an impossible task and one which ended both sides' chances of victory.

The 10 points from the draw means Brentwood are close to guaranteed safety but a little work is still required in the remaining two games.

Report by Peter Bainbridge

http://essexcl.play-cricket.com/website/results/2694278