Bentley steamroller Brook

Goresbrook barely made a dent on Bentley’s Mid-Essex title charge as the Brentwood side avenged the second of their two defeats this season with a comfortable win at their Coxtie Green ground. The hosts were invited to bat by stand-in skipper Jordan Calverley, who looked to his bowlers to take advantage of a pitch left damp after heavy rain late in the week. Shaddai Smith obliged with 2 early wickets, but with Israel Ochwo struggling with his line, the hosts 3rd wicket partnership started to accumulate.

Opener Pether went for 34 to Toby Maund’s off-spin, but the hosts towering number 4 Phil Coleman was starting to get his eye in and he started to take the Goresbrook bowling apart in the later overs. Coleman was finally dismissed with the score at 215-7 after reaching a fine 100, Ochwo returning to pick up his 1st wicket with the penultimate ball of his 8th over. Amazingly after the first ball of his 9th over the paceman had 3 wickets, as he had Flack caught behind first ball and with the hat-trick delivery an over later, he disturbed Doran stumps as Bentley’s tail was wrapped up efficiently, the hosts being dismissed for 228.

The Goresbrook reply was in trouble from the outset as Flack dismissed the first three batsmen for just 27. Captain Calverley showed some signs of mounting a fightback with 28, but in truth the Goresbrook batting was no match for the Bentley bowling and fielding, wickets tumbling at regular intervals as the hosts needed just 36 overs to dismiss Brook for 115.

Brook skipper Kurt Whisker, who missed a rare outing as he was attending a wedding, was philosophical about the defeat,

“Hats off to Bentley, they have been the best side in the league for the second half of the season and they were much too good for us today. We’ve been exposed a bit against the better sides this season and when the pressure has been on, our batting hasn’t always held up and we haven’t managed to keep the pressure on in the field. Plenty to work on for next season!”