Maund's Perfect Dozen

Goresbrook 4s 200-9 45 overs beat Galleywood 3s 39 all out by 161 runs

Goresbrook's 4th XI ended their season in style by thrashing Galleywood by 161 runs at Lake Meadows on Saturday afternoon to increase the winning run to a remarkable twelve games. On a wet green track within the park complex Goresbrook won the toss and elected to bat. Brook had many changes from the title clincher the previous week due to Premiership football commitments and late summer holiday breaks. George Smith and Sam Wood were handed senior debuts.

David Leadbeater and Adi Kumar opened the batting for the visitors and after an early flurry of runs Matthew Felton found his line and length and tricked Leadbeater into a rash shot that the home bowler caught himself. His very next over the same delivery accounted for Kumar in the same way and Brook were in trouble at 14-2. Hero Paul Lowe and young wicketkeeper batsman Danny Gillham Jnr steadied the ship and added a tremendous 53 runs for the third wicket before young Gillham was bowled by Wood's flame haired spinner Nicholas Blore for 18 runs.

Last weeks match winner Kaylan was next in and he set his stall out from the start by smashing Chris Egan for a flurry of boundaries before taking a liking to Richard Radley who was dispatched for two huge sixes in three balls that scattered the local residents in the park's playground. Kaylan continued to play without fear as Lowe absorbed the pace of Simon Singleton from the other end.

Lowe finally fell for a patient 39 from 80 balls as he top edged a Blore ripper to the Wood keeper. Debutant Sam Wood was next in and scored his fist senior runs with a beefy pull through square leg for four runs before being run out as he and Kaylan looked to run a second. Maund was next to go, undone by the returning Felton who produced a ball of the season as his delivery moved from a foot outside off stump to take leg stump.

The senior Gillham was next in and his intentions were clear as he cut Felton hard for three before dispatching a classy on drive for a one bounce four. He was undone the following ball though from ex county cricketer Christopher Blore who showed his first class pedigree to bowl Gillham with a perfect delivery. Billy Parnell was next in and played for the team rather than protecting his fabulous average of 62. He and the now bogged down Kaylan added a quickfire 28 runs with plenty of quick running before Parnell for 7 departed going for a big shot that was caught.

Second debutant George Smith was next in and was run out for a platinum duck as he and Kaylan went for an unlikely second before Tahmid Khondakar blocked out the last few balls to thwart Galleywood's attempt to get maximum bowling points.

Kaylan finished unbeaten on 69 with from 65 balls in an innings that made a mockery of the slow batting seen higher up the order.

With a season of low quality teas and bereft of any victoria sponge, Galleywood provided fine fare with a mixture of homemade sandwiches made with poppy seed bread. The highlight though was surely the rock cakes that were made to perfection and had been bound by eggs laid by chickens in the home team skipper s back garden.

With plenty of runs to play with Brook opened the bowling with Khondakar and Smith. Khondakar was fluent and beat the bat on numerous occasions whilst debutant Smith provided equal control from the other end. The Wood opening pair looked comfortable though on a drying pitch that lacked bounce and pace. Khondakar finally got the breakthrough in his final over. A trademark in swinger that pitched away from the batsman was thick edged by Ted Ebare to gulley where Sam Wood took a fine catch to the delight of his watching parents.

George Smith finished his opening senior spell with two maidens from his five overs for just four runs. Gillham Snr was brought into the attack and he started an attack on the excellent Radley who was just looking to survive and wasn’t being tempted into anything outside off. Meanwhile Kumar was taking regular wickets from the other end with his excellent range of spin.

First to go was Blore Snr who drove straight to Parnell at mid off who showed his safe hands. Then followed Felton and Mower who were caught on the back foot to turning deliveries and had there defences breached. Kumar's fourth was by way of another excellent catch by under 13 skipper Billy Parnell and his fifth was another ripsnorter that bowled Blore Jnr. Kumar finished with amazing figures of 5-9 from five overs.

Meanwhile Gillham was beating Radley all ends up and finally bagged his wicket with pacey delivery that sent the middle stump cartwheeling. Parnell and Sam Wood were now brought into the attack and Parnell bowled Egan with a fine leg spinner before Sam Wood took centre stage and took his first senior wicket with a finely flighted off cutter that bowled Jamie Gray.

His next over brought more success as he found his range and sealed Goresbrook's 161 run victory with another fine delivery that bowled Michael Gray.

Following the match Keith Maund spoke to the website 'This has been a special season with lots of ups and downs, we have worked hard throughout the year and even though we have lost lots of players to the higher elevens as the season has progressed we have still been able to field strong teams. The colts coming through have been amazing and have filled the positions of experienced players with ease. They will be looking to get promoted themselves in the next couple of years as they exceed the ability of the older players in the other teams. Our club is all about the colts and with the first eleven winning division one and fielding a side that have all played in our colts setup, it shows our current crop of youngsters that they can progress here. There are many people I would like to thank for their help and support as the season has gone on, they know who they are and they will be rewarded in due course. This is one of the highlights of my cricket career and hopefully we can emulate this in a higher division next season'.

Goresbrook Batting
Kaylan - 69no
Lowe - 39
Gillham Jnr - 18

Bowling
Khondakar - 5-1-14-1
Smith - 5-2-4-0
Gillham Snr - 5-2-8-1
Kumar - 5-2-9-5
Parnell - 2-1-0-1
Wood - 2-0-2-2