2's heading Forward again

A spectacular bowling performance from Daryl Forward, who decimated the visiting Great Waltham batting with a 10 over spell of 6 for 16 ensured that Goresbrook’s second string bounced back from defeat at Hornchurch Athletic last week. Forward, who made his 1st XI debut in 2015 and will be pressing for a recall based on this performance, took full advantage of a helpful pitch, juiced up by a tea-time shower, to zip the ball around at a decent pace. Three of Forward’s scalps were taken by keeper Craig Irving as the ball did too much for a visiting batting lineup, who with the honourable exception of Samuel Harris who dug in for a fine 43, weren’t prepared to graft towards a modest total on a surface which was admittedly difficult after the rain.

After Forward’s spell, two wickets from Lee Jones and a run out put the visitors on the brink before skipper Lee Ramduth used skippers prerogative to come on at prime time to take the final wicket to fall, that of Harris, who had scored half of his side’s runs, Irving taking a fourth catch behind the wicket.

Earlier, the Goresbrook batsmen struggled to score freely, as Scott fell early lazily hanging his bat out to present a difficult under-edge chance that the Great Waltham keeper held onto. Numbers 3 and 4 offered little, with Lawrence Walsh sent in above Tottenham supporting Mark Bird to commemorate a 21st successive year of north London dominance, but then edging behind for 3 with Bird being hounded from the crease for just 6 shortly afterwards.

33 from Irving ensured that the innings got off to a reasonable start, but when he became the third of three wickets from Fitzwater, that reduced Brook to 65-4. A rebuilding job was in order and Ramduth (33) and Afzal Hussain (28), returning after nearly three years out of the game, obliged, advancing the score to 120 before the next wicket fell.

Once that partnership was broken however, the flood gates opened, as Waltham opener Carroll returned to pick up three cheap wickets, the innings subsiding quickly as Goresbrook were dismissed for 155, the tail being swept away leaving Jones stranded on 6* as the rest of the lower order were unable to match his Germanic efficiency against a moving ball.