Goresbrook’s first eleven administered a nine wicket drubbing to visitors Stanford-le-Hope at May & Bakers Sports Ground on Saturday.

Visiting captain Thomas Willats won the toss and elected to bat first but was soon rueing his decision as ‘Brook’s strike bowlers Maswer Mansoor and Daryl Forward were in scintillating form with the new ball. Home captain Jordan Calverley adopted an attacking mindset with a well populated slip cauldron and the odd edge for four was more than compensated by catches being held when offered. Forward bagged 3 for 33 and also held two sharp catches himself whilst 15 year old Robert Clack school pupil Mansoor returned 2 for 23. Jack Scutt was the one visiting batsman to shine with the willow when clubbing 5 fours and a maximum in an impressive 35 but he saw wickets falling with alarming regularity, at the other end. What had looked a bad toss to lose suddenly paled into insignificance as Ted Ivory and Shane Barwick entered the fray, each bagging a brace of scalps, to mop up the tail reducing ‘Hope to a meagre 84 all out.

After the turn, Brook’s openers Toriqal Islam and ‘keeper Imon Ahmed dispelled any demons with the bat before the latter departed having made 17. Islam’s concentration never faltered and he fashioned eight boundaries in an excellent unbeaten 43 receiving staunch support from Calverley. The skipper breached the rope four times on his way to 20 not out as the pair eased the Dagenham side home to a handsome nine wicket victory, consolidating 4th place in the league table.

Goresbrook 1st 85 for 1 from 15.5 Overs (20 points) beat Stanford-le-Hope 1st 84 all out from 27.5 Overs (0 points) by 9 wickets