Rain thwarts Brook at Rettendon

Goresbrook’s quest for a second successive T Rippon Division 1 win was thwarted by persistent heavy showers which eventually forced an abandonment at Rettendon’s picturesque ground at 6.45pm with Goresbrook in a strong position.

Brook skipper Kurt Whisker lost the toss and was invited to bat, the default decision on a day with rain forecast and Whisker and Craig Irving gave their side a fine start with a partnership of 89 for the first wicket. When Irving fell for 36, the showers were on the horizon and the remainder of the Goresbrook innings was a stop-start affair, Whisker holding things together with a second successive half-century whilst a succession of batsmen flung the bat as Goresbrook looked to accelerate as 8 overs were lost from their innings. Whisker finally fell for 64 and Goresbrook eventually posted 197-7 from 37 overs, Huntingdon with 3-62 and Plummer with 3-36 being the pick of the Rettendon bowling.

In reply, with clouds gathering and the pitch having taken a couple of sharp showers, the conditions were very much in the bowler’s favour and as Brook’s opening tandem Michael Rooke and Richard Williams are both well over 6 feet tall and ideally placed to take advantage of anything the pitch had to offer, the visitors came out with the bit between their teeth. Williams immediately removed the prolific league rep skipper Huntingdon for 4 and with the ball seaming and bouncing, Rettendon were quickly reduced to 30-4, with the wickets shared between Williams & Rooke. However a final and terminal heavy shower finished proceedings with the game well short of conclusion.