ESL side fall short at Chelmsford

Goresbrook suffered their first defeat of the season in the ESL going down to a strong Chelmsford side at Chelmer Park. With their Saturday game at Buckhurst Hill being abandoned due to flooding at Hill’s Roding Lane ground, Chelmsford 1st XI batsmen Dan Hagen and Jack Sterland would have been looking for some time in the middle on the Sunday, but both fell early, Sterland nicking Craig Ivey to the keeper and Hagan bowled by paceman Israel Ochwo. Aussie Chris Thanos was the only Chelmsford batsmen to come to terms with an excellent Goresbrook bowling performance, his run a ball 77 being the foundation of the hosts 195. He had some support from Devenish (24) and then a late flurry from Ben Clifford (29) took the score towards 200, but Ochwo and Kane Messenger mopped up the tail to bowl the hosts out in the 39th over. Shane Barwick also impressing with 3-47.

The Goresbrook reply struggled against some accurate bowling and at the midway point had only reached 60-3, leaving a mountain to climb in the last 20 overs. Although Jordan Calverley started to open up, hitting a fine 54 from 81 balls, he lacked any significant support as only Shane Barwick (22) passed 20 and the Goresbrook chase petered out to 158-8 from their 40 overs, Ben Clifford with 3 for 25 being the pick of the Chelmsford attack.