Brentwood CC Victorians Vs Theydon Bois

A desperate week for selection with only 7 Vic’s declaring themselves available. Right up to the 11th hour things were looking dire until we were thrown a lifeline by the Herongate game being cancelled. Three Herongate players made up the numbers with John Webster filling the 11th slot on the morning of the game.

Once again the Vic’s skipper lost the toss and was asked to bat first on a wicket that looked like it might do a bit.

The batting was opened with Mick Pinkney and Richard Walford. Walford continuing where he left off at Stock, he set about building a patient innings. Pinkney was just getting into his stride when he was bowled by one of those wretched straight balls. The hot and cold Beecheno came in at number three (thankfully in hot mode this week) and played shots freely all over the ground, quickly outscoring Walford. Beecheno scored 30 before gloving a short pitched delivery to gulley. This brought the first of the Herongate batsmen to the crease. Le Cleach looked a little unsettled before crisply hitting a ball to long off and setting off down the wicket without letting Walford know there was a run on. Walford duly sent Le Cleach back to his own end and, in an attempt to get back in, Le Cleach executed one of the most spectacular dives ever seen on a cricket pitch. He even seemed to hover in mid-air for a few moments with a movement that was a cross between Swan Lake and Only Fools and Horses. Despite acrobatics that Tom Daley (and most premiership footballers) would have been proud of, Le Cleach was out by a country mile for 1 run. Sam Dawes was in next and wasted no time getting amongst the Theydon bowlers. Dawes hardly bothered with singles, scoring most of his 63 runs with 4’s and 6’s. The ever watchful Walford finally fell for 105, leaving Herngate’s Martin Robinson and our very own Billy Hull to finish the 40 overs with 30 N/O and 22 N/O respectively. Coupled with 31 extra’s, the Vic’s finished on 293 for 5.

The Vic’s opened the bowling with Tijo (Paddy) and the third of the Herongate players, Chris Hicks (who bowled in a very similar fashion to the absent O’Brien). Hicks quickly got his first wicket for the Victorians with an extremely wide ball which was chased by the Theydon opener Ahmed, who edged a smartly taken catch to Pinkney at first slip. Ahmed then tried to explain that he couldn’t be out as he was only trying to stop a wide ball with his bat. Walford explained to him that he was indeed out and should return to the pavilion (using slightly less words than that). Paddy then feigned injury in order to be rested until the tail-enders came in. Robinson replaced him, bowling a tight line and length to frustrate the Theydon batsmen finishing with figures of 4 overs, 2 wickets for 12 runs. At the other end, Hicks was having a field day taking wickets at ease, getting his first ever 5-for and ending his spell on 8 overs, 5 wickets for 50 runs. Le Cleach tried his hand at bowling for the first time in a match but was quickly taken off after 2 overs. As the sun was starting to go down and the temperature was dropping, the Vic’s skipper decided that enough was enough and brought on Dawes (2.1 overs, 2 wickets for 13 runs) and Hull (2 overs, 1 wicket for 3 runs) to finish things off. The last Theydon Batsman being caught very impressively by Webster who manages to carry off stunning catches every time he plays (once a year). Theydon were bowled out for 143.

Brentwood Victorians won by 150 runs.