Ramduth flays Eastwood

Craig Ivey’s second string kept their promotion push firmly on track with an excellent win in Southend against Eastwood. Paceman Shaddai Smith set the hosts back with a fine opening burst of 4-30, his nip of the pitch being more pronounced for opening with the more sedate Joe Barwick, who himself bowled tidily to take 1-21 from 10 overs full of the old fashioned bowling virtues of line, length, away movement and foul language.

However building around a good knock of 68 from opener Morrant, who survived the antithalian opening bursts, Eastwood pushed on towards 200 with a lower order stand between Robinson (36) and Fullarton (45) ensuring that Goresbrook were set a testing 206 to win. Skipper Ivey dipped deep into his bowling rotation in an attempt to dismiss the hosts, spinners Smith and Walsh having little joy in the middle overs, but the skipper himself taking 1 for 30 and then Harry Jackson and Joe Curley providing the late innings sharking, the floppy haired Jackson taking 1 for 26 and the magnificent maned Curley 2 for 28 as Eastwood swung the bat to go past the 200 mark.

That target looked like it might be beyond Brook as they slumped to 70-4 despite a typically dogged 48 ball 10 from Aaron Scott and a stylish 22 from Curley who proved his fitness following a freak jogging injury and now comes into first team contention should 1s skipper Kurt Whisker choose to take his glossiest hair team to Springfield.

With Dunston Alfred falling for a typically boisterous 19 and Harry Jackson being bowled for 1, Brook were struggling, however from that point they didn’t lose another wicket, as an outstanding unbeaten 90 from Livash Ramduth and a fine 54 not out from Lawrence Walsh ensured that Goresbrook reached their target in the 42nd over. Walsh revelled in the additional responsibility of batting at 6 and enjoyed being the fitter participant in a century partnership for the first time since he added 118 with Scott Barwick at Surrey Ovalites in 1992. Ramduth continues to impress after nearly 1,500 days absence from league cricket, not many of which have been spent in the gym, the left hander hitting his second successive half-century and taking the side home with a succession of stylish boundaries.

Ivey's men picked up 25 points to move clear in 2nd place after defeats for nearest challengers Purleigh and Tillingham and they must approach their next fixture against runaway leaders Terling at M&B with a positive mindset, knowing that a victory is important to keep a buffer between them and the chasing pack.