2s clinch Div 4 title

With just one victory required to secure the Mid-Essex league division 4 title, Goresbrook 2s welcomed Little Baddow 2s to the soon to be council owned May & Baker Sports Ground and as the regular skipper Craig Ivey had received a much deserved call up to the 1st team it was left to his vice captain Mark Leslie Patrick Bird to take over the reigns from Joe Curley and upon doing so, win the toss and elect to bat on a damp track.

Bird is not one to shirk responsibility, a weekend abroad or an opportunity to bat and he covered two of those bases as he opened the innings along with the temporarily out of form Joe Curley & the lanky pair promptly set about the Little Baddow attack with great gusto, timing and plenty of mid-over banter.

Curley continues to knock on first team skipper Kurt Whisker's door (it's the blue one with the van outside) with precision timing and excellent shot selection and the Goresbrook openers hounded the bowling attack to all parts of the not particularly quaint M&B ground.

As the pair moved the score onto 114 the tiring Bird chipped one back to spinner Sri departing for an excellent 42 featuring only four 4s, the weak torsoed Bird either requiring some sessions with TJ Fitness, or a new bat to enable him to get full value for his shots. Bird was quickly followed back to the hutch by Curley who had caressed his way to 64 which included seven 4s before he holed out to Julian. Curley's form is such that only a side who scored 385-4 on Saturday can continue to ignore his talents in the 1st XI, particularly given his new status as boundary runout specialist.

After this excellent start Goresbrook's middle order stuttered losing the 3 quick wickets of Livett (9), Alfred (0) & Chapman (21) before Tommy Puncher and Matt Friend steadied the ship.

Puncher (39 no) making a comeback to Saturday cricket after several years out, impressed with his greyhound like running (much more impressive than the greyhound currently bearing the club's name at Romford) and Friend (21no) made a pleasing impression with his precise shot selection as the pair added 58 in quick time to move the home side on to a competitive 216 for the loss of 5 wickets in their 45 overs.

In reply captain Bird stuck with Goresbrook's usual bowling attack of young paceman Bobby Gaymer & slightly older away drifter Joe Barwick and that decision reaped early rewards when Barwick lured batsman Welch into a false shot, which found an edge that was expertly caught one handed at slip by the club's premier cordon specialist Lawrence Walsh with the score on 30.

Young Gaymer found his range in his fifth over and joined the party by having Williamson caught at mid off by Joe Curley, but that wicket brought batsman Harris and Starman to the crease and they set about the Goresbrook bowlers, starting the fight back for Little Baddow. The pair drove & pulled the ball very well which prompted Bird to replace Gaymer with the pace of Matt Friend in attempt to bring some control back for the home side.

All the while the fired up Barwick continued to charge in off his 4 stride approach, sending down his intoxicating mixture of drift & seam and as the ball left the bat off the pitch, a chance went begging as wicketkeeper Chapman dropped a sharp opportunity, much to the dismay of the tangerine trundler who responded with a volley of abuse!

With tensions rising and tempers fraying, the drinks break was much needed and as soon as Barwick concluded his allotted 12 overs for 39 runs and 1 wicket, Bird sought to take the pace off the ball by introducing the spin of young Billy Smith.

Smith immediately struck in his 2nd over when Starman chipped one to Bird at extra cover to depart for 23 and with Matt Friend pulling up lame with a calf strain, Bird went with an all spin attack, bringing on the experience of veteran Lawrence Walsh to hopefully see the champions elect home.

Walsh's mixture of leg break, wrong uns, doosras, long hops and full bungers had the away team in disarray and Smith became his first victim when he misjudged the wrong un and was bowled for a well played 43. Nigel Odell & David Marke then took the fight to Goresbrook adding another quick fire 30 before Walsh had Odell caught behind for 20.

With overs running out and the run rate rising, the away batsman started to take more risks and Sri fell over in the middle of the wicket to be run out for 2 as Goresbrook started to take the upper hand. Bird replaced Billy Smith (1 for 42) with opening bowler Gaymer, Dunstan Alfred showing his appreciation for this youngster for youngster switch in his inimitable fashion, and Gaymer soon had Marke caught for 28, however Collet picked up the slack and looked capable of winning the game for the visitors.

With one over left & 11 runs required Walsh (3 for 48) had Sharman caught on the boundary by Billy Smith with his 2nd ball, to swing the game Goresbrooks way and when the final ball arrived Little Baddow required 6 to win. They could only managed only 3 however, which saw the home side clinch a 2 run win and the club's first title in the T Rippon League.

Vice capt Bird said after the game, "I was very nervous throughout as we were desperate to wrap up the title after our defeat last week under Joe Curley, but yer man Joe has been the linchpin of our batting and he excelled without the pressure of captaincy this week."

"At the end I was delighted to be able to call upon the experience of Lawrence Walsh's death bowling. Nobody has more experience than Lawrence, except maybe for Andy Livett, but he can't bowl any more because of his knees and Lol was up to the challenge."

"I'd like to dedicate this win Craig Ivey our regular captain who was called up to the ones today. And also to Birdy the guide dog and everybody at Goodmayes & Blythswood who took me on tour all those years ago. Especially Phil Hand the affected middle class man."