3s off the mark

The evergreen Keith Friend saw the 3s home with a composed 41* as Danny Gillham’s men registered their first win of the season at the 4th attempt.

The Goresbrook bowlers impressed on a decent MABA pitch with Joe Barwick in particular sending a message to the selectors, the apricot avenger using the unseasonably warm air currents to drift the ball away from the bat to good effect, bowling impeccably to his field on his way to 4 for 29. With Shaddai Smith and Paul Atkins also in the wickets, it was left to Dapper Dan O’Sullivan (3 for 4) to demolish the tail to leave the 3's chasing 135, usually a cakewalk on the Annex especially when the boundary is set about 20 yards behind the crease.

The Brook chase looked well on target after Joe Curley (20) and Paul Lowe (30) got them off to a good start, but some abject shot selection saw the lower middle order collapse in a rash of ducks, the absence of the steadying hand of Jo Wilkinson (still incapacitated by a torn calf that some are calling the most significant injury to a grey since One Man's Aintree fall in 1998) taking most of the steel out of the 3's middle order.

The collapse left the hosts relying on Friend’s experience to shepherd the side home and few Goresbrook batsmen sell their wicket more dearly than the cider loving ex-second row. Friend found an unlikely ally in Barwick who took root for 29 balls for a single whilst Friend whittled down the 18 required runs initially in singles and then with a pair of boundaries to finish that were rapturously received by under pressure skipper Gillham, who had received the vote of confidence (from himself) on Friday after the 3's dismal start to the season.

Plenty to work on, but some points on the board and some players to return, the season starts here for the 3's!

Card here http://wickhamessex.play-cricket.com/website/results/3137672