Messenger shoots down Rettendon

Kane Messenger picked up his first 5 wicket haul in senior cricket as Goresbrook brushed aside Rettendon in their top of the table clash. The bustling seamer took 5 of the last 6 wickets to fall for just 19 runs as Rettendon subsided from a reasonable position at 75-4 to be shot out for 122, a target that Brook overhauled with few problems.

After winning the toss, Goresbrook skipper Kurt Whisker elected to bowl first for the first time this season as the M&B pitch was somewhat sticky after heavy rain late in the week. Paceman Israel Ochwo then gave Goresbrook the best possible start with a 3 wicket salvo including the prolific Chris Huntington for just 4 and Toby Maund chipped in with a wicket, but some uncharacteristically sloppy bowling and fielding, combined with some aggressive batting from the Rettendon middle order, saw the visitors recover somewhat by the drinks break.

After a few stern words from the skipper, Goresbrook’s efforts on resumption were much more impressive and once Messenger broke the 5th wicket partnership by having Wall caught hooking at deep midwicket, the visitors came and went at regular intervals. Shane Barwick had top scorer Bryant stumped for 31 and then Messenger’s slippery pace accounted for the remaining batsmen.

The Goresbrook reply got off to a flying start as Richard Williamson and Kurt Whisker both looked to play their shots as rain was expected from around 7pm, however the hosts need not have worried as a combination of some erratic bowling and the necessary attacking fields meant that boundaries flowed. Williamson eventually picked out a fielder at cover after reaching 50, but Whisker saw his side home with an unbeaten 57 in the 19th over, sending his side clear at the top of Division One, although Burnham Sports lurk 19 points back with a game in hand.