Calverley's men come back from the dead

Jordan Calverley led a combined 1s & 2s selection (short of an 11th man due to the unfortunate combination of a Chelsea v Spurs cup semi-final, a West Ham home game and assorted birthdays and stag dos) to a 1 run win in a closely contested game at Bishop's Stortford against the home side's 2's.

Batting first, Brook didn't get off to the ideal start against some tidy bowling, Aaron Scott had already been dropped twice before Danny Gillham clipped a leg stump half volley straight to short fine leg, who held onto a sharp catch, Scott then failed to take advantage of his good fortune seeing his middle stump sent towards the Herts/Essex border as he aimed an expansive drive at a full length ball to depart for 22. The skipper was also soon back in the hut as Wacey seamed the ball through his defence to leave us at 56-3.

Fortunately Shane Barwick was in great touch, following up his 87 from last week with a fine 53 during which he was sound in defence and brutal against anything short. Barwick retired on 53, bringing up his half century with a biff down the ground shortly after pulling up with a hamstring niggle. That left Toby Maund at the crease and after a very watchful start, he opened up in tandem with Lee Ramduth to take the side towards 200, Maund eventually retiring on 50 to allow Daryl Forward some time in the middle.

That time in the middle turned out to be 2 balls at the non-strikers end before Forward ran himself out and a slightly shambolic end to the innings saw the last pair swinging and missing repeatedly to leave the hosts requiring 200 to win.

After Daryl Forward picked up the opening wicket of Lloyd in the 2nd over, the hosts took control with a 100 partnership between skipper Felstead and number 3 Adam Bassingthwaighte who looked a fine prospect, albeit a challenge for whoever puts names on the back of Stortford's kit...

Felstead eventually went for 58 but with Venus immediately looking at home, whipping anything straight through mid-wicket and Bassingthwaighte, opening up after passing 50, a home victory looked a formality. However Bassingthwaighte's retirement on 74 to allow the hosts' middle order some time in the middle opened the door for Calverley's men and with the fielding stepping up a notch and 2's skipper Lee Ramduth bowling an excellent spell of 3 for 25 to follow up his 4'fer at Winchmore Hill last week, wickets started to fall and 25 from the last 5 overs became 6 from the last with two new batsmen at the crease.

Shane Barwick then reprised his last over from Barking last year, with 6 balls fired in to the blockhole around off stump, and the Stortford batsmen were unable to find the gaps for singles let alone the boundary, the last ball being hit to long off for two when four was required to win, leaving us winners by a solitary run.

All in all, a useful outing with virtually everybody getting some time in the middle and seven bowlers used on both sides and if the Goresbrook win owed much to the retirement of Bassingthwaighte, Calverley can take pride in the way his men rallied late on after being under the cosh for the middle overs.

Scorecard here http://bishopsstortford.play-cricket.com/website/results/3154541