Maund in seventh heaven after Jackson brilliance

Goresbrook 4s 273-5 (45 overs) beat Billericay St Johns 2s 129 All out 31 overs by 143 runs

Harry Jackson hit a magnificent maiden hundred as Goresbrook 4s remained top of the league with a comfortable win at St Johns on Saturday afternoon to register their seventh win in succession. Having won the toss and elected to bat a young opening pair of Adi Kumar and Harry Jackson took guard under cloudless skies at Billericay Rugby Club.

Kumar faced first and opening St John's bowler Paul Cox caused problems at the start with pace and precision. Fellow opener Jason Cox was just as swift and the opening combination troubled the young opening pair before Kumar fell in just the second over. Harry Jackson was joined by wicketkeeper batsman Danny Gillham Jnr and the two of them steadied the innings putting on forty runs for the second wicket with Jackson starting to look extremely solid in defence especially to first change bowler Gary Springfield who was quicker and more precise than the opening pair.

Gillham was not so defensively minded and was bowled by Springfield. Jackson was joined by Goresbrook veteran Scott Barwick who was making his first league start of the season, a full thirty two years since his debut. Barwick looked at ease, pushing easy singles while Jackson became more attack minded and upped his scoring rate that yielded just 20 runs from his opening 40 deliveries.

With the opening bowling trio seen off Jackson started to make hay as the sun shone. Mixing terrific drives with aggressive pulls. Jacksons fifty was imminent and it was brought up with a pull through midwicket. Barwick joined in with the aggression and smashed Shay Stevens for two huge sixes before missing a straight delivery from Cox. Barwicks forty came off just as many balls.

Jackson was next joined by Keith Daniel who is still searching for form but he was happy to take a back seat and enjoy the show that Jackson was putting on. Jackson was accelerating and after taking apart part time bowlers Stevens and Pramod he took apart the returning openers. Jackson's innings was not all about big hitting, his shot selection was out of the top drawer and his defence impeccable.

Jackson's second fifty was quicker, a run a ball and his maiden century was brought up with a four much to the delight of the sizeable Goresbrook travelling support that including Jackson's father who was unable to break the seal on the Billericay grounds bar.

Daniel finally departed for a patient 13, lbw again his downfall as he shuffled across his stumps. Alfie Boland was next in and the Under 13 starlet hit a sparkling 25 not out as Boland and Jackson put on 74 for the fifth wicket.

The St Johns fieldsmen were by now suffering in the oppressive heat coupled together with Jackson now hitting boundaries at will and the quick running that Boland now gave the pair. As Jackson tired he dealt more in boundaries including a flat six and his third fifty was completed in little over 30 balls. However he failed to carry his bat and was removed in the 44th over by a Cox delivery that finally beat Jacksons defence.

Lee Granger was next in and hit a quick-fire one off as many balls to close the innings.

With Qasir Mumtaz finally earning a promotion to the third team Tahmid Khondakar opening the bowling for Brook alongside season ever present Gillham snr. Cox and Stephens looked to get St Johns off to a good start as they chased an unlikely 274 for victory. They were aggressive from the off, looking to hit the ball hard early on. Following some trouble with line and length Khondakar improved and drew Cox into a drive that was caught by Adi Kumar at mid off.

Springfield soon followed as Gillham found his range and bowled the number three with a delivery that swung and moved off the seam. Alfie Boland replaced Khondakar whose five overs yielded a wicket for the cost of 21 runs.

Boland bowled just the single over which allowed Gillham to change ends and Alfie Atkins replaced him at the forest end. Atkins in his first senior game was excellent. His line and length was good and although he was punished a couple of times by Stevens he had tidy figures of six overs for 32 runs.

Stevens and Cox both looked in and although the target looked to far away they were not looking to give up their wickets cheaply. Cox, having survived a plumb lbw shout looked to hit and out and hit Gillham for a massive six before the paceman extracted his revenge two balls later with an unplayable yorker.

Boland replaced Atkins and was quickly into his stride as Kumar turned the screw at the other end. Boland finally removed dangerman Stephens for an excellent 48 runs with an in swinger that hit the batsmans pad and deflected onto the stumps. Cripps soon followed to the same bowler who found the outside edge and Gillham Jnr made no mistakes behind the stumps.

Kumar got a wicket himself as a full length delivery was driven straight at centurion Harry Jackson at short cover before Boland clamied his third wicket with another fine delivery that Pramod could do nothing about.

Having not batted captain Keith Maund decided to toss down some twirling deliveries but he failed to unsettle the St Johns tail enders. Following the end of Alfie Bolands overs that reaped three wickets for just ten runs Lee Granger was brought on with the hope that his pace would finally end the stubborn resistance of St Johns' tail.

Granger's first ball beat Faircloughs defences all ends up before two wide deliveries let him off the hook. The following delivery was a peach and Fairclough was powerless to stop the ball ripping out middle stump. Two balls later it was game set and match as Carpenter drove Granger straight to Harry Jackson who capped of a memorable performance with the winning catch.

Vice-captain Danny Gillham Snr commented to the website after the match "following the disappointment of missing out on a century two games ago Harry Jackson finally got his rewards, it was an excellent innings from a talented youngster and to go on to register 151 was superb. The team today had five under 13s and an under 15. This match was a potential banana skin but the boys who came in showed their worth and the strength we have in the colts section".

Goresbrook Batting
Harry Jackson U15 - 151
Alfie Boland U13 - 25 not out
Scott Barwick - 40

Bowling
Gillham Snr - 9-2-29-2
T Khondakar U13 - 5-0-21-1
A Boland U13 - 7-3-10-3
A Atkins U13 - 6-0-32-0
A Kumar U13 - 6-0-26-1
L Granger - 0.4-0-2-2