2s take Forward step at Great Waltham

After going 13 games without defeat on their way to what will surely be a deserved Division Two title, few people would have put Great Waltham's unbeaten run at risk against the 2's, a side whose batting has fired approximately once this season (admittedly just down the road from Great Waltham's picturesque ground). Even fewer would have wasted any money on new skipper Aaron Scott's men once rain took 30 overs out of the game with the Goresbrook score on 19-2 after 9 testing overs from the Fitzwalter brothers. The skipper and Danny Gillham the men to fall in identical fashion, gloving catches to the keeper/slip cordon as the ball bounced and moved back in to them.

That rain delay, which saw the players off the field for a little over 2 hours, including an excellent tea, was probably curtailed a good half hour or so before the pitch was actually fit to play again, as the home captain was keen to provide a few extra overs as some incentive for a resumption given the apparently hopeless position that the visitors found themselves in.

That generosity looked well placed as Stuart Greaves and Jordan Harris, who had battled hard against the new ball, both fell soon after the resumption and then Lee Jones drove expansively down the Bakerloo line, only for the ball to tail in along the Victoria and remove his leg stump.

That left us at 32-5 after 13 overs, not traditionally the launching pad for a winning score, but from there the tide started to turn as Craig Ivey's natural ball striking finally provided a response to some excellent seam bowling. Ivey found an ally in Richie Williams, whose left handedness provided a few free runs as the Waltham change bowlers struggled to adjust their lines as the ball moved around extravagantly. Once Richie remembered how to bat after 1 game in the last 2 months, the pair took the score over 3 figures with plenty of expansive strokes, some of which actually connected with the ball, and despite a full length arse over tit incident never looking far away on a muddy crease area, they managed to run/slide up and down enough to give us something to bowl at, before Ivey nicked one to the keeper in the 28th over.

Unfortunately umpire Harris missed the edge and Ivey didn't feel disposed to help him out by walking off, so the partnership continued to an "unbroken" 84 in a somewhat tense atmosphere, Richie hardly improving the unfortunate bowler's disposition by slapping him back over his head for four in the final over, the innings closing on 116-5, Ivey ending up a run short of 50.

116 in 30 overs didn't appear to be much of an ask for the unbeaten leaders, which was certainly a view shared with the batsmen in the final couple of overs, however after 2 hours of rain, the pitch offered plenty of movement and bounce for a decent seam bowler.

Daryl Forward on his day is certainly a decent seam bowler and Richie definitely was on most days 5 years ago, so after an innocuous couple of overs to warm up, the question was, could either of them make this their day? The answer, underlined by the best catching display by a Goresbrook 2nd XI for many a year, was an emphatic yes, as Forward started the ball rolling by finding Swan's edge which was held sharply by Harris at slip.

Richie then unleashed what passes for his bouncer these days and found some tennis ball bounce, which it appeared initially had just helped the prolific Clout to top edge it for four over Forward at backward square leg. Forward thought otherwise however and he made significant ground to hang on to a terrific running catch.

15-2 looked to be game on and with both bowlers visibly fired up, the next half hour passed in a blur of back of a length bowling, which was occasionally dispatched to the fence, but more often than not ended up with a slash outside off stump and a catch of some description behind the bat. The skipper held on to a stinger at gully to dismiss Bloom, keeper Gillham leapt to pouch a rising edge to send Duggan back, Harris took a second catch diving forwards just off the floor (kudos to the square leg umpire who confirmed it was good) and Great Waltham men came and went.

It wasn't all adrenalin cricket, home skipper Harris, a man who we've seen plenty of in our past encounters, was a rare front foot dismissal, Stu Greaves volunteering to go in at short extra cover after watching a couple of sumptuous pull shots from a batsman camped on the back foot. His initiative was immediately rewarded as Harris drove loosely at fuller one and hit the ball straight into Pretzel's hands.

When the dust settled, Matt Friend had held on to another slip catch, somebody had finally missed a straight one and Great Waltham were 40-8 with both bowlers having 4 wickets.

At this stage, with both men tiring and Richie being sent out to pasture after 8 overs 4 for 26, the momentum switched, Forward started to drag the ball down somewhat to be punished through square leg and the veteran Mark Chapman bludgeoned new bowler Billy Smith for a couple of straight sixes to start a fight-back.

Chapman added 30 with Josh Fitzwalter, before Forward induced another edge and Matt Friend held a simpler slip catch, Forward eventually bowled out taking 5 for 38 in his 10 overs, leaving just one more wicket required for victory. That wicket wasn't going to be given away unfortunately though, number 11 Harman amassing 15 runs via both edges and a spanking cover drive off Shaun Ross and Chapman progressing into the 30's with some smart batting interspersed with the odd bit of brutality.

As the score passed 100, there was a collective sharp intake of breath from the fielders, but Billy Smith had settled into a good rhythm, his T20 instincts kicking-in to ensure that he bowled flatter to restrict Chapman's swinging arc and with 16 still required, Smith sneaked one through an attempted forcing shot to seal the match and 16 much needed win points for the relegation battling 2's.

Little Waltham's win at Terling means the buffer between us and the relegation places remains still slender and Scott leads his charges to Rayleigh next week with 3 changes, as Matt Friend's is now lost to senior football officiating, Gillham jnr is required in the Premier Division and Richie is required to entertain a 3 year old. Such is the life of a 2's captain....