Sunshine on a Raynie day.

Goresbrook 3's took to the road on Saturday in an effort to extend their winning streak to five games and that they ultimately did this was largely due to an impressive batting performance on a wicket that the heavens had opened upon barely an hour before the game; and a bowling performance of venom and guile from Paul Atkins.
However the sun was shining brightly when Bradley Winsley lost the toss and Brook were asked to bat first: Charlie Thompson and Aaron Scott took guard. Thompson attacked from the off, pulling and driving with aplomb; Scott, more circumspect, hitting the bad ball and defending the rest.
There was some unusual bounce coming off the soft top of the wicket and both openers gave chances from top edges that were not grabbed by the home fielders. These chances were to prove costly to Rayne as Thompson accelerated getting to a well deserved 50 from 64 deliveries and then going on to his century with a six ( albeit nudged over the line by the fielder)in a further 47 balls. This partnership of 155 ended when Thompson top edged behind for 108 which included 16 fours and 2 sixes.
This brought Jo Wilkinson to the crease and after nervously getting off the mark and smashing a trade mark six straight down the ground fell to skipper Browne for 15 as he looked to push the pace.
This brought the imposing figure of Dunstan Alfred to the crease and partnering a now more free scoring Scott these two batsmen took the final score to 227 -2, Scott having meanwhile got to another half century- from 103 balls with 9 fours- and Alfred racing to 36 from just 15 balls with 7 boundaries including one huge six that landed in the pub garden across the road. Scott batted for the full 45 overs for an undefeated 61.
After tea and a few banged heads on the 5'5" mantelpiece in the clearly historic Swan Inn across the road from the ground, Brook took to the field with the pitch now visibly drier. Rayne's openers took few risks in the opening overs and it wasn't until Paul Atkins entered the attack in the 11th over that the first breakthrough was made Bev bowling a full delivery that pitched on leg and moved back to take off. Two more wickets for Bev were quickly followed by one for Lee Jones. However Raynes position at the foot of the Division 10 table looked to be a false one as home number six Daryl Sleeman took a liking to the fare offered up by Ben Irving, Bradley Winsley and Owen Elsom, Elsom dropping a skier off his own bowling not helping one jot. Sleeman however was no match for Daryl Forward who induced a nick behind that Scott gobbled up. Having at this stage figures of 1-7 from 7 overs it was a huge shame that Forwards spell was cut short through a dicky hamstring, but forward momentum was continued as Atkins re-entered the proceedings with an astonishing spell of full pitched swing bowling. Bev bowled his fourth and fifth victims and then in his and the games final over bowled two more, from the fourth and then the final ball to give Brook maximum Bowling points to go with the four achieved by the batsmen. Atkins finished with 7-32 from his twelve overs, every one of his victims increasing the eloquence of Dunstan Alfred's accompanying Caribbean commentary including a seamless switch to talking about his own (albeit athletic) running catch at extra cover in the third person.
Brooks obvious bowling strength in depth had to be tapped into in this game and though the result was favourable and the margin not insignificant a stronger all round performance needs to follow in the coming weeks if this team are to 1) keep themselves in the second promotion spot and more significantly 2) challenge Thurrock for the title.