BILLERICAY I....................................194-8 dec

GIDEA PARK & ROMFORD I.......149 all out

(Billericay won by 45 runs)

(Shepherd Neame Essex League)

A Billericay side showing just one change from the team beaten at Wanstead the previous Saturday, Dave Thompson coming in for the unavailable Andy Maxwell, demonstrated great tenacity and teamwork to overcome Gidea Park at Gallows Corner.

An initial dilemma for skipper Ian Pont was what to do upon winning the toss.

In the event he chose to bat, a decision which appeared to be the wrong one when 22 without loss quickly became 34 for four as Gidea Park medium pacer Paul Winmill (3-14) made the most of the conditions.

The Gallows Corner track had been under water earlier in the week and had not surprisingly failed to dry thoroughly and offered Winmill some movement off the seam early on.

Stuart Powell joined Andy Bethell at the wicket and the pair embarked on a repair job for Billericay and steadily began to build a decent partnership of 62 that spanned the lunch interval.

The break had an adverse effect on the batsmen as both fell shortly after the resumption, and Powell fell to the first ball he faced off the bowling of Russell Collard.

Powell was out for a well made 32 and Bethell followed him to the pavilion with 39, an innings that featured a six and three fours.

As is often the case another wicket soon followed and Billericay had plunged to 116 for seven.

Dave Thompson and Richard Walford were then faced with rebuilding the innings and with Thompson taking the leading role. they did just that as the pair put on 38 before Walford was comprehensively bowled by Collard (3-35).

Pont then joined Thompson and suddenly the runs started to come quite quickly with Thompson demonstrating some lusty blows as he struck an undefeated 61 (one six and seven fours) and together with Pont (12 no) added a vital 40 in the last five overs.

The same pair then opened the bowling for Billericay and there was soon celebration in the camp as Pont trapped Hibbert lbw in just the second over.

Pont struck again with the score on 30 and from there wickets fell at regular intervals.

With Gary Marshall blocking up one end with a fine display of swing bowling that merited greater reward, pressure began to grow on the home batsmen.

Only Andy Churchill made much of an impression, and this despite being beaten time and again by Marshall.

Pont made a change and brought Damian Brandy into the attack in place of Marshall and he worked the oracle by trapping Churchill (53) lbw.

At 95 for six, the home side appeared to be in trouble but they were given a lift by Chris Sains (25) who was particularly severe on Brandy as he smashed his runs from just 17 balls and with five boundaries.

However, Pont accounted for him, caught behind, and the end was not too far away after that as Thompson was returned to the attack and cleaned up the tail.

This was a fine team performance from Billericay, particularly in the field where everyone gave 100 per cent and gave nothing away, and the bowlers all did their job with Pont (4-46), Thompson (3-24), Brandy (1-18), Jon Walford (1-23) and Marshall (1-31 from 16 overs).

Billericay travel to relegation threatened Loughton, who are trying not to join Wickford in taking the drop, this Saturday.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.