Calverley ton too much for East Essex

Goresbrook's final pre-season game was a convincing victory over ESL East Division side East Essex Stallions, however Brook were indebted to a superb unbeaten 120 from Jordan Calverley after lurching into trouble at 57-4, with Charlie Thompson failing to score, Shane Barwick and Adi Kumar getting starts, but falling for 12 and 16 and then skipper Jordan Harris being run out for 1.

However, a 60 stand between Calverley and the ebullient Billy Chapman took the score onto 117 before Chapman, the main aggressor in the partnership, nicked off for 34. However, having played himself in responsibly after his duck for the league XI the day before, Calverley then switched through the gears, as although nobody else reached double figures, the scoreboard rattled along, Goresbrook closing on 211-8, all batsmen with the exception of Joe Barwick getting some time in the middle.

The East Essex response got off to a flying start as Barwick took some punishment and new ball partner Shaun Ross was also somewhat wayward. Both men did pick up a scalp, Ross taking 1-30 off 6 overs and Barwick 1-36 from 5, but it wasn't until the introduction of Billy Smith's spin and Craig Ivey's 57 varieties, that the wheels started to come off for the Stallions, the pair rattled through 11 overs taking 4 for 10, effectively ending the game as a contest, leaving the tail for the skiddy Kane Messenger and the pacier Billy Chapman, both men taking 2 wickets, as East Essex were hustled out for 116 in the 32nd over for a 96 run win.

Skipper Jordan Harris was unavailable for comment post-match, as he shot off before buying his round, but centurian Calverley praised the bowling attack once he'd bought his jugs,

"once the shine went off the ball, I thought we bowled in the right areas with some good variation and the fielding performance was pretty good. Plenty of positives to take into the season.

Also, due to a late cancellation, I've also got a personal training session available for booking on Tuesday night. £15 and the slot is yours."