Second place in Stanford Le Hope Tournament

Goresbrook U9's travelled to Stanford Le Hope on Friday for a five team festival. The format of the day was similar to the one at Belhus: 8 a side; 8 overs; 1 per bowler and 2 per batting pair.
Having a bye in the first round the kids warmed up extensively in the nets but ready or not found themselves up against the days eventual winners in Basildon and Pitsea first game.
All the bowlers kept a good tight line and restricted their opponents to a meagre total of 238 but failed to take any wickets. This proved costly as Brooks reply faltered with the loss of two wickets in the first 4 balls. This left a mountain to climb and indeed this proved to be insurmountable as a further 3 wickets were lost in the chase. 36 were still required when the last pairing of skipper, Stanley Sleight, and Freddie Atkins came to the crease and when Sleight hit the first two balls to the boundary hopes were raised but the boundaries fizzled out and the game ended in a 21 run run defeat. On most occasions the kids would have backed themselves to chase down such a small total but the lack of penetration when bowling and the loss of cheap wickets when batting were to prove costly.
The second game was against Thurrock and the kids produced a much more convincing performance with the ball with wickets for Albie Smith, Grace Wood, Stanley and Albert Sleight and catches for Stanley and, much to his watching parents delight, Archie Dias who cleanly took a skier at point. Thurrock could only manage 200 -4 from their allotted overs.
The reply was helped along by a plethora of wides and although three wickets were lost, one to a spectacular one handed running catch 234-3 proved more than enough.
Belhus were the next opponents and batting first the youngsters really made hay. Stanley and Albie added an undefeated 24 and Freddie and Albert an undefeated 25 which featured running between the wickets that had the spectators in awe.
The final score was 258-0.
Belhus' reply was soon up against the ropes as wickets for Freddie and Archie and 4 run outs by Albie, Albert, Liam Elsom and Freddie kept the score down to 186-6, a victory by a formidable margin of 72 runs.
The final game was against the hosts and batting first the kids knocked up an impressive 256-2, skipper Freddie Atkins top scoring with 15.
The hosts lost 6 wickets in their reply with 4 run outs by Albert x2, Albie and Stanley and a caught and bowled by Freddie and a castling for Grace Wood to complete a 36 run victory and cement 2nd place in the tournament.

Tournament totals: runs/out bowling
Freddie Atkins 34/1 2-12
Stanley Sleight 38/2 1-11
Grace Wood 15/1 2-17
Liam Elsom 20/1 0-12
Albie Smith 17/1 1-14
Albert Sleight 16/2 1-14
Archie Dias 5/2 1-26
Ollie Fredericks 3/1 0-8
Ben Atkins 1/0 0-3