Jordan Extinguishes Stanford Hopes

Goresbrook Cricket Club remembered Ben Irving, who was cruelly taken 3 years ago at the age of just 22, by holding a memorial day at the M & B Sports Ground on Saturday. Blessed with fine weather, a big crowd was in attendance with many past players, families and friends present to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Home skipper Kane Messenger won the toss and elected to bat on a hard, dry track. The hosts got off to the worst possible start as Hope’s Overseas Player, Joshua Fransman exploited his pace to clean bowl Juber Rukon with the very first ball of the match. Fellow opener George Godfrey curbed his attacking instincts to guide ‘Brook through the early exchanges with a solid 26 and in tandem with leading batsman, Jordan Calverley set about compiling a challenging total. The departure of Godfrey brought ‘keeper Jordan Harris to the crease and the gloveman promptly dispatched five boundaries in a sparkling 32. It was Calverley, playing to the large gantry, who was the star of the show with a series of pulls, cuts and drives in a sparkling century. The 29 year old right hander fashioned sixteen fours before holing out on 103, with his first loose shot of the afternoon, from the bowling of Jack Carter. Shaun Ross added 16 before a quick fire 37 from Muhammad Attuallah accelerated the run rate. Messenger (17 not) and teenager Ted Ivory (25 not) produced a masterclass in running between the wickets with two all run fours and a three in successive deliveries, making full use of some slack fielding in the closing exchanges, to post a competitive 279 for 7 from a maximum entitlement of 50 overs.

After tea, Harry Jackson and Attuallah struck early with the ball but Thomas Willats (45) and Orrie Fernandes (34) joined forces to up the tempo to lift the visitors above the required run rate. Three victims for paceman Messenger and a brace from Calverley dented Stanford’s reply as their chances of victory diminished. All-rounder Fransman’s excellent 41 pushed ‘Hope past 200 but ultimately some sharp work in the field from Lee Jones, coupled with the return of Attuallah (3 for 55), steered the Dagenham outfit to their 6th victory of the season, occupying eighth place in the league table in a division of twenty sides.

Goresbrook 1st 279 for 7 in 50 Overs (25 points) beat Stanford-le-Hope 1st 233 all out in 39.3 Overs (7 points) by 46 Runs.