Winning run continues at Blackshots

Goresbrook ground out a 3 wicket win at old rivals Thurrock to make it 5 games without defeat, a full strength side prevailing where a half strength one had failed in the opening game of the season.

Of the 6 man attack on the opening day, two played in the 2nd XI yesterday, one is exiled to the 3's and a fourth is taking a break from cricket, so if the Thurrock openers were expecting military medium, they were soon aware that this was a different day, as Israel Ochwo and Kane Messenger charged in with the new ball.

Ochwo once again did the damage, removing both openers Ayub and Sultan before Messenger followed up with the wicket of O'Neill as Thurrock stumbled to 20-3. Messenger then struck Thurrock skipper Danny Laird a nasty blow to the faceguard, forcing him to retire for treatment and bringing Ross Fullbrook to the crease.

Fullbrook was last seen hitting a breezy 30 odd to see Thurrock home on the opening day, but on this occasion, a loosened up Ochwo proved a more difficult challenge, rearranging the right hander's stumps before he'd scored. At 4 down and with a key player off injured, things looked bleak for Thurrock, but as ever Matt Hills dug in to begin a recovery. The lanky, silver haired left hander combined with Glen Sands and then a returning Laird, to put a couple of partnerships together and bat some overs, but it was slow going with the Goresbrook spinners getting through 20 overs for 46 on a difficult pitch.

The return of Ochwo saw another tumble of wickets, the paceman bowling Hills and the towering Hymas to claim another five wicket haul (5-27) and with Toby Maund also picking up a couple of wickets for the same cost, it required some digging in from the final pair to ensure that Thurrock batted their overs, closing on 126-9.

If anybody in the Goresbrook camp thought the chase was going to be easy, they were soon of a different view as Laird removed Joe Curley and Toby Maund inside the first 10 overs. Sultan then ended Jordan Calverley's 17 ball scoreless stay and when diminutive spinner Clark Wren sent Craig Irving and Richard Williamson back to the hutch, the hosts were looking marginal favourites with the score at 63-5.

However the big wicket was skipper Kurt Whisker and he started to open up once joined by Jordan Harris, the pair adding 38 before Harris fell for 6. Shane Barwick then joined his captain with 26 required and the left hander hit a confident unbeaten 19 to ease Brook home, despite the loss of Whisker for a fine 54 to Ayub just before the target was reached.

Brook move on to host Burnham and then make the trip to Little Baddow, hopefully accumulating points against the bottom two sides whilst the top sides play each other, as OC's next two games are at Springfield and hosting Bentley.