Rankins last man standing after tense tussle

Goresbrook I’s lost their first T Rippon Mid-Essex game in a thriller at Rankins in Southend, as the hosts recovered from 99 for 9 to add an unbroken 63 for the last wicket to stun Kurt Whiskers men.

After winning the toss, Whisker elected to bat and Brook started well, advancing to 112 for 4 at drinks, a position from which a score in excess of 200 should have been the minimum requirement. However a couple of quick wickets from Poxon exposed an undercooked Goresbrook lower order and with only Jordan Calverley hanging around (for 50) Pettets and Simmons shot out the visitors for a below par 159, crucially in this format in the 35th over, which meant that Rankins had 55 overs to chase down the runs rather than the standard 45..

After a strong start saw the hosts at 47-0, the number of overs seemed to be irrelevant as Shane Barwick (5-37) and Israel Ochwo (4-29) ran through the Rankins batting order to leave Goresbrook on the verge of victory with 61 runs still required. However Brook had reckoned without Carl Lees, who carried his bat for an exceptional 76* and with a middle order batsman Hoyland coming in at number 11 due to injury, the hosts sensed a potential opening with Barwick and Ochwo out of the attack. As the game came down to the tensest of conclustions, Michael Rooke & Kane Messenger were unable to prise out the last wicket, Rankins eventually getting home in the 49th over.