3s back to winning ways

Goresbrook's 3rd XI returned to winning ways defeating the resurgent Burnham Sports 2nd XI by just 26 runs in an exciting encounter at the sun drenched Ford Sports Ground, Newbury Park on Saturday afternoon.

The side who took the field had experience to the wealth of 2,500 Goresbrook appearances and were led by Danny Gillham Snr who has now worked his way up from 4th XI vice captain to 3rd XI skipper within ten games this season. Making his league debut was Krishan Kumar, replacing his brother Adi whilst Andy Livett is swiftly approaching his one thousandth appearance.

Lee Jones was promoted from the 4s along with club stalwart Joe Wilkinson and the two Gillham's having returned from an international tour replaced the Parnell's who were replacing them on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Once the Burnham skipper had made his way to the ground Brook won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat in the afternoon heat. Burnham however only had five players at this stage due to navigational issues from the coastal town and the away skipper somewhat surprisingly turned down Gillham's offer of fielders including Marv, Keith Friend and Paul Lowe so the start was delayed until Burnham had nine players at around 1340.

Marv and Lee Jones opened for Brook. Just three overs in Burnham had a chance, Silvester bowling from the southern end of the Fords complex bowled a straight delivery that Livett edged through the slip cordon. Surprisingly the bowler appealed and the home umpire raised his finger to give the 119 times half centurion his marching orders, lbw without scoring. Livett though, presumably keen to introduce new laws to spice up his Saturday afternoon as he approaches the 1,000 game mark, launched a counter appeal, such was his surprise at the decision and his annoyance of having sat padded up for a full forty minutes after the scheduled start time.

Amazingly, the counter appeal was successful following a period of deliberation between umpires and several Burnham players, some of whom were becoming a little agitated, possibly from driving around Seven Kings and Ilford for several hours or possibly from the reversed decision. Away Skipper Campion was happy with the reversed decision following a discussion with Gillham at the first drinks break, although Paul Atkins the umpire who gave Livett out, was seen muttering about further discussions on the lbw law with the veteran opener in the Fords car-park, coincidentally a venue that Livett himself has suggested for debate on a previous occasion.

Livett's second chance was short lived though as he was given out lbw two overs later, walking across his stumps to a delivery that kept low at an end that was to cause problems all afternoon with its variable bounce. At that stage, Goresbrook were 13-1, or 2 depending on your view of such matters and Lee Jones was soon to follow, trying to play positively the talented all rounder found the going tough against the slow bowling of the first trio of Burnham bowlers and he stopped on a delivery that held up in a dust bowl giving the bowler a return catch.

With the early two losses the game was set for Keith Friend and Paul Lowe to dig in with a innings settling partnership and at first it was going to plan for the long time M&B duo. With the score ticking along nicely at a lively three runs an over for seven overs the pair played sensibly. Lowe however was next to go at the same end that ended Livett's second innings, edging behind to the first of the two Burnham wicket keepers. Reggie Perrin had taken the scalp for Burnham and although the sexagenarian bowled very tidily for his spell it was to be his only success. Perrin conceded just five scoring strokes in his nine over for eleven runs.

The powerfully built Jo Wilkinson was next in and next to go. The flamboyant number five played with his normal attacking style but failed to connect. A string of wafty drives and pulls were mistimed and the silver fox departed for just five runs being caught off the bowling of Silvester at long on after toeing a lofted drive.

The smaller and more talented Gillham was next to the crease and looked very comfortable before falling to a delivery that gained bounce at that troublesome end and he armed behind to the second Burnham keeper whose appeal may have swayed the umpire into giving the decision as it took a while to come. Meanwhile Friend was playing with a little more ease and he moved comforably through the early stages of his innings. Running several singles the big man looked comfortable in the increasing heat. He was to fall though to Campion who was causing all kinds of trouble to Goresbrook with his nagging line and length with a little bit of turn. Friend was bowled for a fine 27 that turned out to be the third highest score of the day.

The dismissal of Friend had brought Rotherham's finest export to the crease. The Yorkshire speed merchant came in with Brook wobbling at 88-5 with a 13 overs left to bat. It didn’t take long for Williams to get off the mark, a big hit through the on site scored a boundary and from then runs flowed. After Gillham Jnr was out his father came and went, stumped heaving across the line and missing the ball by a huge margin.

Williams though played his shots. Taking a liking to the bowling and his new found athleticism the Dales dynamo (RW - I'll let this go, despite the Dales being about 80 miles from industrial South Yorkshire) ran a series of ones and twos as the outfielders from Burnham were thwarting all boundary attempts well. Even though gaps were being found the boundary rope was well protected and the sweepers showed the prowess that the close fielders couldn’t match. However, having already dropped four catches close in, Burnham were soon to spill the most important chance of the game.

With Brook in big trouble at 110-9 following Khondakar's duck and Atkins failing to get his bat down and getting stumped, league debutant Krishan Kumar was dropped first ball. Krishan plays a different game to his brother Adi. Whilst Adi is patient and is happy to play the waiting game, Krishan doesn’t. With the slower bowlers Krishan takes aim and tries to hit the ball as hard as he can.

Given his reprive Kumar sent a Shipton delivery to the fence and ably backed up Williams who was by now motoring and looking to push the score on quickly. Williams was rightly taking as much of the strike as he could and running furiously between the wickets with Kumar struggling to keep up.

With the overs running out the boundary was breached and several big hits went to the fence. Kumar dotted out the last three balls off the 39th over before Williams struck fifteen off the last over to seal two batting bonus points for the hosts and a magnificent 51no in a game changing partnership as Brook finished on 152-9.

Tea was taken in the back bar and was of the love it or hate it variety in comparison to that served up at other venues during the 2015 season thus far. Those with a lactose intolerance were poorly served, however dairy product fans were in heaven as the sandwich collection was comprised of cheese and onion, cheese and salad and cheese and pickle. Alternatives to the fromage based fare were the lightly touched bit of green stuff (with scattered cheese) or the lightly filled tuna and mayonnaise. The fruit tray was excellent however with sizeable bananas, grapes and sliced oranges. Crisps were not scrimped on as a multi bag of Walkers was used and even the Worcester sauce flavoured bags were consumed. The highlight of this tea was the biscuits. Custard creams and malted milk didn’t last too long and the Nice biscuits were untouched until late on before being half eaten by Joe Wilkinson and Gillham Snr before Atkins pocketed the rest for Monday mornings tea break.

Burnham opened with Sims and Gosling whilst Williams (optimistically) declared himself fit enough to open the bowling alongside Khondakar. Williams opened with a maiden whilst at the other end Burnham's number two Gosling took guard and promptly confused young paceman Khondakar. His batting stance is very similar to that of the first XI's Jordan Calverley but is perhaps a few degrees more open, if that is possible whilst still being physically able to see the bowler. Once Tahmid had worked out that the batsman was actually ready to play he steamed in and was promptly dispatched back over his head for four runs by the nose pierced opener. The second ball was smashed in similar fashion through midwicket for four more before and then a further boundary on the last ball of the over.

Williams bowling with some pace into the wind dismissed Sims with the first ball of the third over, bowling Sims before accounting for Young in the same fashion four balls later but in the process injured his calf muscle, apparently not for the first time in a long Goresbrook career, and finished the over with a two pace run up following a very sporting act from Gosling who gave Williams treatment for suspected cramp.

Khondakar continued against Gosling. Tahmid, who is a district player on merit and not by association is made of stern stuff and plugged away against the confident opener and in his second over bagged the big wicket. A quick delivery nipped back in off the seam and bowled Gosling who made his way back to the pavilion having scored his 13 from 5 balls. With a low total defend this was a big wicket.

With the burly Yorkshireman unable to continue the enigmatic but equally burly Paul Atkins continued the Brook attack from the A12 end. Atkins started well against Shipton and Evans but was replaced by Lee Jones whilst skipper Gillham replaced Khondakar. Gillham, refreshed from his sun lounging experience was full of energy and confidence following his viewing of the Glenn McGrath master class earlier in the day and this paid dividends in his second over as he bowled an excellent bouncer that Shipton could only top edge to Livett who ran fully thirty yards to take a good catch at mid off.

King was next to go, another Gillham bumper was top edged and Gillham Jnr ran twenty yards to make an excellent catch for the first time off his fathers bowling following three drops over the last season and a half, all of which were routine and were bad mistakes by the young wicket keeper who has been disciplined for each of those drops.

Jones captured Hand in his first over. Once he pitched the ball up Hand couldn’t handle the pace and line from the young paceman and he was bowled middle stump. Evans was next to go having stubbornly hung around for an hour for his 30 but he was unable to keep out a Gillham inswinging delivery.

At this stage Goresbrook looked like comfortable winners, but Perrin felt otherwise and was ably assisted Rich, the pair putting on 28 runs to give Burnham some hope on 96-7 before Perrin was bowled by a Gillham delivery that swung in and seamed out before clipping the top of off stump. The five fer was completed when the home skipper dismissed the away skipper plumb lbw (in the bowlers view) an alternative view was held by the umpire, who adjudged the unfortunate Campion caught behind, the ball clipping the top of the pad on the way through....

At 100-9 it seemed like a matter of time before Brook wrapped up victory but Silvester was hanging around, reducing after match drinking time and the runs required with every successful swipe. Silvester didn’t learn his batting from a manual but had an eye for the ball and once in was difficult to dismiss. The returning Williams was unable to dismiss the number eleven despite pitching the ball full and straight and he and Rich started to make Brook sweat as they got inside 30 of the target.

Khondakar returned though and his third ball back bowled Rich and the hosts grabbed victory by 26 runs in this Trippon Mid Essex League division nine encounter.