3's Livett up

Goresbrook’s thirds avenged one of their two defeats this season with a 16 run win over Tillingham 2’s in an excellent game at the M&B Annex. Founder member Andy Livett was the cornerstone of the Goresbrook batting some 35 years and 1,000+ appearances on from his debut, Livett hit a fine 79, first combining with Jo Wilkinson to add 50 after Brook slumped to 36-3 and then adding a further 92 for the 6th wicket with Richard Williams, who made 43 not out as Brook recovered from 90-5 to post 188-6 from their 45 overs.

The Tillingham response started with a bang, as Chris Ashworth cleared the rope several times and lost two balls within the first 6 overs as the club have let the old tennis courts turn into undergrowth that David Bellamy would be reluctant to venture into, but once he was bowled for 36 to become the final wicket of Williams’s spell of 3 for 4 runs from 10 overs (the lumbering seamer's best economy rate since his fabled 5 for 0 at Nazeing Common), the visitors chase settled into a more measured response.

Smith and Ackers both scored in the 20’s as Tillingham made inroads, pegged back by a fine spell of 2-33 from skipper Danny Gillham, but a late cameo from Matt Snowdon who made 32 not out threatened to win the game for Tillingham. The game finally turned on two outstanding pieces of fielding from under 15 bowler Tahmid Khondakar, first Khondakar took a sharp low chance at backward square leg from a full blooded sweep shot and then his return from the boundary into the keepers gloves beat the desperate dive of number 10 Bennett to leave Tillingham 9 down and requiring 18 from the final 2 overs.

Keith Maund then nervelessly held onto a steepling catch from number 11 Mason off the bowling of Matt Jones (a fine achievement from the batsman to hit the ball in the air given by this time Jones was firing it in a foot outside leg stump) in the penultimate over to leave Goresbrook the winners by 16 runs, keeping the pressure on leaders Great Baddow, whom Goresbrook visit in two weeks.

First up though is the trip to the Divisions in-form side Hatfield Peveral, a team who are finishing fast and still have to play both of the top 2.