Scott shines at Stifford

A youthful Goresbrook side visited North Stifford for the annual season closer against old rivals Belhus on Saturday. Even the presence of a 47 year old could not increase the average age of the team to more than 19, but given the success of the club's colts section this season this team had every chance of competing well in this game.

The pitch had been left uncovered during Fridays rain and a good mornings rolling had left a firm strip with the outfield remaining fast, but conditions were far from easy with a hearty breeze blowing straight down the pitch.

Fielding first Brook got off to the best possible start as Aaron Scott, who had blagged the skipper into letting him have a bowl, struck with the first ball of the innings when a good length ball shocked the Belhus opener into chipping the ball to Harry Jackson at cover, the laconic all-rounder nonchalantly holding on to the catch one handed. In the batsman's defence, you don't see an action like Scott's every day, as it calls to mind the South African spinner Paul Adams's frog in a blender delivery, albeit with Scott being about a foot taller and significantly ganglier. And shit.

Joe Skippy Barwick struck soon after as Ted Ivory held on at the second attempt to a loose shot to gully and the similarly paced Andrew Pauling entered the attack and hit the stumps with his fourth ball to have the home team on 14-3.

A mini recovery followed with home skipper Jack Plane clubbing boundaries almost at will but he failed to wait for the deceptively slow/ stiff offerings of Owen Elsom and chipped to Adi Kumar at Mid off.

Elsom then had the batsmen scurrying home as a direct hit from square leg was a tad too late, but a different fate awaited when a single was attempted to skipper Shane Barwick, the left armer picking up one handed at cover and throwing down the stumps.

Belhus now had the inextinguishable Wayne Read at the crease and in partnership with keeper Jack Day Read started to farm the bowling around without taking any risks in terms of shot selection, however with the score on 129 and with Day having just passed his half century a quick single was called that Owen Elsom picked up and underarmed to the stumps, picking up his first run out since his Blythswood days, although the coach in Elsom notes that had the batsman slid his bat he would have made his ground.

Elsom then returned to the attack and bowled a tight spell that accounted for Belhus' solitary 1st team player Michael Fogg with a yorker.
Read just had time to complete a safe half century, what feels like about his 58th against Goresbrook, the Peter Pan of cricket leading Belhus to 155-7 from their allotted 35 overs.

The wicket takers were;

Scott 1-7
Skippy 1-9
Pauling 1-15
Elsom 2-13

After a moorish tea Aaron Scott and Alfie Atkins went out to bat and got the reply off to a good start that kept pace with the required run rate. Scott played circumspectly but never failed to despatch anything short or wide. Atkins took the aerial route and lead a charmed life as a succession of chances were spilled.

The first wicket fell with the score on 76 after a brief bout of confusion following a 5 hit by Scott which initially had Scott facing again as the bowler ran in. The umpires conferred and suggested that Atkins took strike, taking the young all-rounder by surprise as he immediately chipped to cover.

Harry Jackson came in and exquisitely drove to the long off boundary but then hesitated when called through by Scott and was run out by a yard. Next in was Danny Gillham jr who played a selfless innings giving Scott the strike, as after reaching a well deserved half century an unlikely century looked well on the cards for the heavy legged opener. In the event, Scott survived when a difficult chance was spilt at long on but then played on to a fuller ball from left armer Billy Maidment when on 81 allowing Shane Barwick to then play freely to see Brook home to a comfortable 7 wicket win with 28 balls to spare.

Batsmen:

Scott 81
Atkins 26
Jackson 5
Gillham 17*
Barwick 15*