GCC Match Reports

Earlier, Goresbrook squandered a strong position after openers Kurt Whisker (49) and Michael Rooke (31) produced the most fluent batting of the match to give Brook a flying start. The pair added 88 before Whisker was dismissed one short of a half century, and the score had advanced to 100 for 1 in just 20 overs when Rooke was bowled by Mohammed. However after Rooke went, the Grays slow bowlers took over, Mitra putting the brakes on with a tight spell of 1 for 14 off 9 overs and Kiwi left armer Kale picking up 5 for 37 as the Goresbrook middle and lower order batsmen looked to push the score along. It took a valuable 32 from young prospect Andrew Mitcheson to get the Goresbrook innings up above a score of 170, which seemed about par on a pitch that was behaving erratically, but was by no means impossible to bat on.

In reply, Mitcheson struck early to dimiss Andrew Hills, but then Stanikyai and Mitra took the attack to Goresbrook despite a couple of painful blows to the body and hands as the pacier Goresbrook bowlers extracted some sharp bounce. The score had advanced to 55 for 1 before Goresbrook fought back, first Richard Williams bowled Stanikyai and then Israel Ochwo cleaned Mitra up to bring Goresbrook back into the game. At that point, the game was well poised, but a partnership between Kale and Matt Hills threatened to take the game away from Goresbrook. Hills looked fluent in compiling 27, the left hander being particularly severe on the spin of Lawrence Walsh and Kale looked very solid at the other end, grinding out 25 taking minimal risks.

With Goresbrook in desperate need of a wicket, Shadi Smith produced the key blow as he bowled Hills, and scenting an opening Goresbrook skipper Kurt Whisker unleashed his paceman Ochwo who had bowled an erratic first spell. His second spell was scarcely more consistent as the wides and byes total mounted, but when Ochwo did get his direction right, he was unstoppable, blasting out three quick wickets including potential match-winner Kale in a devastating burst. Ochwo finished with 4 for 36 and when he had bowled out, Andrew Mitcheson picked up where he left off, having Tom Hills caught behind and then producing a superb slower ball to make Mohammed the 9th Grays batsman dismissed. That left the last pair needing 12 to win and after Mitcheson bowled out, Goresbrook were running out of bowlers. A seven run over off Michael Rooke's occasional left arm medium brought the runs required to just 3 and Shadai Smith, returning for a second spell had no margin for error. Fortunately for Brook, Smith was up to the challenge and he produced a quick swinging delivery which took the edge and the catch was safely pouched by keeper Robinson to provoke wild scenes of celebration. Goresbrook 173 all out beat Grays & Chadwell 171 all out by 2 runs.

Tennyson captain, Mark Watson, won the toss and elected to take first innings on a good track at May & Baker Annex Ground on Saturday. Paul Lewis plundered 130 whilst opening partner Mat Wray amassed 112 as ‘Brook’s attack toiled in the heat. The pair clubbed a plethora of boundaries on their way to compiling a club record partnership of 255 enabling Tennyson to close on a daunting 277 for 4 from their allotted 45 overs. Spinner Bradley Winsley proved the most successful of the home bowlers returning 3 for 36. After tea the Dagenham outfit started steadily as Dave Whisker (14) and Mark Bird (15) accumulated 37 before Whisker departed. Eastbrook school teacher, Michael Mitcheson, appeared to be set fair for a big tally before being run out when attempting a quick single on 32. Support came in the form of ‘keeper Simon Walker who made 22. After a middle order slump Kane Messenger unbeaten on 23 and Martin Rooke 16 not out steered ‘Brook past 150 and a second batting point to give the hosts some respectability. Colin Jones (2 for 30) and Danny Mills (2 for 26) were the pick of the visiting attack as the mammoth target proved too tall an order for Goresbrook who were ultimately, defeated by 122 runs. Tennyson 277 for 4 beat Goresbrook 155 for 6 by 122 runs.

Goresbrook skipper, Chris Wilding, lost the toss at Spring Farm Park and his opposite number, Kevin Simms, duly elected to bat on a track where runs were at a premium evidenced by the early departure of openers Micky Callaghan and Alan Avis with only 6 runs on the board. Rainham’s middle order dug in and with renewed confidence they began to accelerate the scoring. Skipper (25) and Harrington (27) compiled a solid 57 partnership for the third wicket before both, were dismissed by Lee Wilkinson. The hosts’ momentum was maintained as Sims (20), Page (13) and Elliot (16) made telling contributions. Goresbrook were thrown a lifeline by talented sixteen year olds Mitchell Din, who produced a an excellent 9 over spell of 3 for 35 and Shaun Ross, who’s nagging line earned the economical return of 2 for 17 from 8 excellent overs as Rainham stuttered to 157 all out. After tea, ‘Brook got off to the worst possible start as Darren Maun and Jeffrey Williams were back in the hutch without troubling the scorer. Skipper Wilding displayed some resilience digging in for a dozen runs but he was the only visiting batsman to achieve double figures. Dardoy (4 for 18) and captain Simms (3 for 19) were the architects of Goresbrook’s downfall as they were reduced to 60 all out and a comprehensive 97 run reversal. Rainham 157 all out beat Goresbrook 60 all out by 97 runs.

Goresbrook skipper, Dave Whisker, won the toss and elected to bat on a glorious afternoon at Benfleet on Sunday. The Dagenham outfit were boosted by the form of 17 year olds, Toby Maund and Andrew Mitcheson. Maund found the rope on 11 occasions as he compiled a superb knock of 75 whilst Mitcheson stroked 5 boundaries in an impressive 36. Lee Barwick (19), Greg Barwick (17) and Lawrence Walsh (15) gave the middle order some stability but Dave Wright (3 for 20) and Steve Hanley (3 for 39) enjoyed success with the ball as the visitors were all out for 190 in 38 overs. After tea Benfleet were soon into the ascendancy as the Wright brothers were in fine fettle with the willow. Paul made 95 and Dave 60 not out as they quickly diminished Goresbrook’s advantage. Mitcheson completed a fine all round match bagging 2 for 29 and captain Whisker and Lee Barwick each claimed a victim but were unable to prevent defeat to the tune of 6 wickets. Benfleet 191 for 4 beat Goresbrook 190 all out by 6 wkts.

Goresbrook's first game back in the West Division of the Essex Sunday League for two years saw a trip to Roding Valley on a cloudy but mild day. A long outfield and uneven pitch meant less than 200 runs were scored in the whole game, with Roding Valley the eventual winners by 3 wickets. In an evenly matched contest partnerships were of short supply, the main difference between the two sides was the innings of Roding Valley number 4, Waqas, of 45. This despite the constant resilience of the Goresbrook bowling attack led by Dave Whisker, who returned figures of 3 for 19 in 8 straight overs.

Goresbrook won the toss and decided to bat with the mindset that the pitch would not get any better by the second innings. The Saturday 1st team opening pairing of Michael Rooke and Kurt Whisker took to the crease again on a rather less inviting pitch and managed to add 31 valuable runs before Whisker departed for a well played 14, out LBW to an in-swinging full-toss. Two wickets in the next over, Toby Maund run out without facing and Michael Rooke also out LBW, left 'Brook reeling at 32 for 3 after just 11 overs. However the arrival of the reliable Lawrence Walsh steadied the ship, assisted by Andrew Livett and Bryan Atkins in partnerships of 25 and 19 respectively. Walsh holed out to deep mid-wicket, for a valuable contribution of 27, in the 25th over leaving Goresbrook 5 down with 15 overs to go. Although, the two Roding Valley spinners, both the pick of the bowlers, managed to tie down the Goresbrook batsman returning figures of 3 for 9 and 2 for 25 in their 8 overs. The last 5 wickets added only 26 before 'Brook were bowled out with 6 overs remaining for 92.

Despite under-performing with the bat, the Goresbrook bowlers knew that scoring was tough and also that early wickets were vital. Andrew Mitcheson got the away side off to a flying start, clean bowling Mudassa in the first over, timely followed by Dave Whisker in the second over who caught Sadiq square in front to leave the home side in trouble at 1 for 2 after 2 overs. Whisker claimed two more wickets in his tidy spell, another LBW and a brilliant high catch by Kane Messenger. After the damaging effect of spin in the first innings, Rooke turned to Bryan Kulasena in an attempt to spin out the dangerous Waqas before he won Valley the game. Both spinners Kulasena and Walsh claimed one wicket but neither could claim the main wicket, and with just 25 to win 'Brook returned to pace and to Shaddai Smith. In his third over Smith managed to claim the wicket of Waqas but not before conceding 11 runs. The re-introduction of Mitcheson with 3 wickets needed and just 12 runs to spare was Goresbrook's last throw of the dice, however this didn't pay off as Hassan bludgeoned two fours over mid-on finishing on 16 not out to win the game for Valley.

After finishing third in the East Division of the Essex Sunday League last year, Goresbrook will undoubtedly find things tough going in a much stronger West Division than years gone by, however this game demonstrates 'Brook's valiant team spirit and will to win, which could still take us far this season. Roding Valley 93 for 7 beat Goresbrook 92 all out by 3 wkts.

Goresbrook's Premier Division debut ended in a 10 run defeat to perennial challengers Hawks as a furious late run chase fell short after 'Brook had earlier had to rebuild their innings after a disastrous start. In a game where the two sides were evenly matched, the crucial periods were the first 10 overs of the Goresbrook innings, when the hosts slumped to 12 for 3, and the middle 10 overs of the Hawks innings where the visitors scored at their most rapid run rate with a good partnership between Hawks skipper Hubert Ryan (39) and Petrus William (42) and then between William and the classy Trevor Semper (50).

The Goresbrook bowling held up under the onslaught however, young opening bowlers Lee Ramduth and Andrew Mitcheson bowling tidily and Richard Williams being the pick of the seamers with a typically miserly spell of 1 for 21 off his 9 overs. The spin bowlers had contrasting fortunes however, Lawrence Walsh's slow leg breaks weren't really suited to the slow pitch and the veteran struggled to maintain a consistent length after some early punishment. In contrast, Toby Maund's fizzing off breaks were ideal on the surface and Maund bowled the last 7 overs from one end, picking up 4 for 27 in an excellent display that restricted Hawks to 203, when a total in the region of 230 looked likely at the 30 over mark. For Hawks, skipper Ryan was just starting to get going when he picked out Mitcheson on the midwicket boundary off the bowling of Walsh, but Montserrat all-rounder Semper never looked in any trouble until he chipped a Mitcheson slower ball to Brian Kulasena at mid-wicket as the late over onslaught started.

In reply, Goresbrook's batting struggled early on as Michael Rooke chipped a catch to mid-off, Toby Maund was adjudged caught behind for a duck and Brian Kulasena followed first ball comprehensively bowled by Semper. However in-form skipper Kurt Whisker (56) and the evergreen Walsh (39) rescued the innings with a patient partnership. After Walsh's dismissal by young spinner Anton, keeper Adam Ivey brought some real momentum to the innings with an aggressive 32 that featured a couple of enormous sixes. With Whisker also cutting loose by this stage, it was very much game on, but Whisker was run out returning for an ambitious second run and Ivey was stumped dancing down the pitch to Anton to leave the visitors in the ascendancy once again. Fortunately for Goresbrook Andrew Mitcheson had other ideas and he struck an impressive unbeaten 27 to take the game down to the wire. A run rate of 10 an over for the final 5 overs proved just too tough for the hosts though, as Tony Jeffrey bowled a superb penultimate over to give Hawks the victory.

Goresbrook will be far from disheartened by their performance however, as a side still featuring seven under 18 players competed well against a team expected to be near the top of the table at the year end. 'Brook travel to Grays and Chadwell next week looking to pick up a first Premier League victory. Hawks 203 for 9 beat Goresbrook 193 for 8 by 10 runs.

Goresbrook third eleven's first league game of the new season was against one of the favourites for promotion, Bishops Challoner, who boast a good mix of experienced and young players. Lack of availability of many senior players meant that with skipper Paul Maguire captaining such an inexperienced side when he won the toss he had no option but to field first. The innings got off to a good start though for the fielding team as the prolific James Sullivan was caught off the very first ball off the bowling of 15 year old Mitchell Din. However from then on the 'Brook bowlers were given a torrid time as Brent Roberts and James Taylor struck the ball to all parts. By the time Taylor was finally bowled for 45 and Roberts for a sparkling 125 the damage was done. McCarthy (18) and Shail (10 no) kept the pressure on the bowlers as Challoner stormed to a formidable 239 for 8 from their 45 overs. Din was the pick of the bowlers claiming 4 wickets for 36 in what was a fine performance from a bright future prospect. In reply, chasing 239 was always going to be tough, especially as Challoner boast arguably the best bowling attack in the division. This was how it proved with only veteran Chris Wilding (31) and in-form 16year old Craig Ivey (35) showing any resistance. Goresbrook limped along and finally succumbed to 109 all out after 38.5 overs, leaving the hosts winners by a crushing 130 runs. 'Brook skipper Maguire said after the game; "The youngsters certainly got a lesson in cricket today and we can only hope they've learnt something positive and gained from the experience". Bishops Challenor 239 for 8 beat Goresbrook 109 all out by 130 runs.

Goresbrook's third eleven had a friendly encounter against a useful Three Caps side boasting a mix of young and old. 'Brook skipper Paul McGuire lost the toss and was invited to bat first. He and fellow opener Mark Bird got off to a good start scoring 49 before the loss of the skipper for 23. Bird carried on the good work along with 15 yr old Jordan Calverley who struck 35 in a fine knock. Birds departure for 53 opened the way for Jo Wilkinson (12 nt) and Chris Wilding (28) to push the final score onto a very competitive 189 for 6 from their 40 overs. In reply, the Goresbrook bowlers were given a good workout as the Three Caps batsmen played solidly and it wasn't until young

Calverley bowled the skipper Patel (44) that they could feel they had control of the game. The lower order also gave firm resistance as the bowlers toiled to claim the last two wickets and in fact after their 40 overs Three Caps finished on a creditable 169 for 8, leaving Goresbrook winners by 20 runs. Paul Atkins (1 for 17), Wilding (2 for 27) and Calverley (1 for 6) were the pick of what was a reasonably good all round bowling and fielding performance. Goresbrook 189 for 6 beat 3 Caps 169 for 8 by 20 runs.

Goresbrook travelled to the beautiful setting of the Pegasus sports ground for their second outing of the season. Skipper Michael Rooke won the toss and elected to bat first and from the outset himself and fellow opener Toby Maund dominated the bowling. Rooke finally went on to make a well deserved 100 with a massive six over mid
wicket. He finally departed for 116 and Maund for 68 to leave 'Brook with a good base for a big score. The middle order wobbled however and it was left to Chris Wilding (23) and Lee Ramduth (17 nt) to steady the ship and take Goresbrook on to 280 for 6 from their 40 overs. In reply, Pegasus struggled to make any inroads into the massive total as Ramduth clean bowled their two best batsmen with the score on only 12. With all the 'Brook bowlers bowling good tight lines the game drifted and after their alloted 40 overs Pegasus limped to a disappointing 108 for 5 to leave Goresbrook winners by a huge 172 runs. Goresbrook 280 for 6 beat P&C 108 for 5 by 172 runs.

Goresbrook's first game of the new season turned out to be a wet and cold affair. Hornchurch batted first and with conditions making batting difficult, wickets fell at regular intervals with only Bridge (20) and Crane (21 nt) showing any resistance. The pick of the bowlers was Toby Maund whose 3 wickets for only 19 runs helped Goresbrook to restrict Athletic to 136 for 9 from their 40 overs. With conditions worsening the reply was always going to be difficult and that was how it proved as none of the 'Brook batsmen could come to terms with the wet, skidding wicket. In the end they succumbed to 64 all out with Thomas gaining the remarkable figures of 7 overs, 5 maidens, 5 for 2 to leave Athletic winners by 72 runs. Hornchurch Athletic 136 for 9 beat Goresbrook 64 all out by 72 runs.