3's squeeze Shenfield

A slightly below bar total of 158 was just enough for Goresbrook to take the spoils in Saturdays tier 4 Wilcox division encounter at the Annexe.
Inserted by the visitors, Brook were indebted to a fine 41 from George Sleight, who got the innings off to a solid start against a youthful but talented attack.
Sam Wood with 26, Leonard Thoufick with 22 and Owen Elsom with 13* were the only other double figure scorers as Brook rather limped to 158 all out with 31 balls left in the innings.
Elsom then struck in his 3rd over with a smart return catch while Thoufick was unfortunate that edges were not snaffled in the slip cordon.
Elsom struck a second time thanks to a fine diving reflex catch from Izzy Ochwo at slip but this was followed by a flurry of spilt catches that really ought to have been taken and some loose bowling that allowed the visitors to get up to 92 for 3 with Daniel Parnell nabbing Brooks 3rd. Ochwo soon got in the act again with a neat running catch at mid off off Dean Picken.
George Sleight entered the attack and bowling a tight outside off line, and coupled with well set fields, kept the visitors just behind the required rate.
Sleight picked up 3-22 thanks to Brook losing their butter fingers, as skipper Parnell, Sam Wood and that man Ochwo again put the presuure on the visitors to score boundaries as well as singles.
Elsom returned and nabbed a rare LBW which left Shenfield needing 11 off George Sleights last over- they could only mange 4 as Brook ran out victors by a 7 run margin.
Batting out the allotted overs would perhaps have made the victory more comfortable but Brook battled hard when the chips were down and defeated a young but resilient Shenfield 4th string.
Brook are home again next Saturday against Gidea Park and Romford 4's.