Depleted 2's go down fighting against Terling

Goresbrook’s second string produced a spirited display with a much changed side, as holidays impacted selection, but they ultimately fell 30 runs short against Terling. The visitors started well with 73 from opener Wilding, by some distance the best batsman of that name to play at M&B, anchoring their innings, but Goresbrook battled hard as the Terling batsmen looked to accelerate in the latter overs with wickets in hand. Young paceman Harry Jackson excelled with 4 for 34 and skipper Lee Ramduth also weighed in with 2 for 36 as Terling closed on 217-7.

The Goresbrook response was soon in trouble, as three early wickets for Nahorniak left Brook at 13-3, 3's pairing Tommy Puncher and Matt Jones finding runs hard to come by at this level and 2nd XI stalwart Mark Bird failing to extend his scoreless innings to a third ball. However a partnership between Keith Friend and Darren Robinson steadied the ship and finally had Goresbrook moving forwards, as befitting an alliance between a grizzled lock forward and feisty hooker, before both fell to the 1st change bowlers.

It wasn’t until Lee Ramduth joined forces with Matt Friend that the chase gathered any momentum, the pair adding 71 for the 8th wicket before Friend went for 23. From thereon, Ramduth ran out of support and was left stranded on 55 not out, Goresbrook being bowled out for 187 in the 43rd over.

The 2's remain 32 points clear of the relegation places, but with 2nd bottom side Rayleigh facing bottom side Rayleigh Fairview on Saturday, that gap is likely to close to an uncomfortable margin unless Brook can pick up a win at 4th placed Little Waltham this week.

Medical bulletins on Lawrence Walsh's dodgy knee are inconclusive at present, so the skipper is looking for an availability boost for the final two games so that we can maintain our status in Division Two, which is a good standard to blood the 1st teamers of the future.