'Brook falter in the Lions den

Goresbrook skipper Keith Friend won the toss and elected to bat first at May & Bakers Sports Ground on a scorching Saturday afternoon. Friend departed for 9 before the in-form Richard Williamson fashioned four boundaries in a superb knock of 66. ‘Keeper, Billy Chapman, continued his purple patch finding the rope on six occasions on his way to an entertaining 39. Awais fired a three wicket salvo for the Lions but 16 year old, Bobby Gaymer, caught the eye with a mature 26 to lift ‘Brook into the ascendancy. Matthew Friend (16) and Jo Wilkinson (12) produced late cameos to lift the hosts to 200 for 8 from their allotted 45 overs.

After tea, Gaymer removed Burhan for 17 but Rahad with an excellent 79, combined with the talented Asfaq (52), to post a second wicket partnership of 97 to set the tone for the visitors’ reply. The introduction of teenage spinner Billy Smith yielded two wickets for the hosts and Craig Ivey (1 for 17) lifted ‘Brook’s hopes of victory but Awais (26 not) and Cheema (20 not) ensured there were to be no further hiccups and restored the Lions pride with a comfortable 6 wicket victory