4th XI vs Orsett & Thurrock CC, 5th XI

1st vs 3rd in a very important Fixture. Once again we have been placed in the most competitive 4s League with 3 teams vying for promotion. For us this means that any team in our league coming “the best second” is very unlikely with the other 2 leagues seeming like 2 horse races. For Orsett & Thurrock, Horndon on the Hill and us, this means it is a race to finish top and with just .75 Average Points separating the 3 teams it looks like we are heading for a very close finish.

We started on a more positive note with the coin toss falling in our favour for the first time in 4 weeks. Meaning we could bat second for once, limiting ourselves to 20 points but stopping Orsett and Thurrock from having any chance to bat out for the draw, ironic considering how the game turned out. 

El Capitano and JMac opened the Bowling. JMac was in particularly good form getting the ball to swing with that extra notch of pace, not affordable to his bowling partner. They managed to restrict the opposition side to 34 from the first 13 overs taking 3 wicket. JMac taking 2-19 in his opening salvo. In usual 4s fashion the middle overs released some pressure on the opposition taking just the 1 wicket and costing 108 runs to the total between overs 14 and 32. At this stage Orsett and Thurrock sitting on 142-4 with 13 overs left. L Parkes being particularly resistance adding 71 to the opposition score individually after being dropped on 49. The return of El Capitano and JMac returned to the crease to restrict the opposition, finally bowling them out for 158. El Capitano took 5 for 28 from his 13 overs, JMac added 1 more to his account taking him to 3 in the game and MJ also got himself another wicket for the 4s conceding just the 1 run from that same over. Phil the Hill also taking 1 wicket in his spell which ended with a 6 step run out as he figured out 4s cricket is purely bowling straight and not fast. But it was not his bowling that deserve all the plaudits, it was his heroic batting but we will get to that.

We ended the first innings quite confident with a relatively deep batting line up, added to the fact we had bowled them out in 39 overs we had 46 overs to score 159. A Run-rate of just over 4 an over seemed very achievable for the boys, sadly it just wasn’t to be. Clubman Dave took his customary batting spot at 1 and looked composed, he was joined by HShorey Tikky Tokky who in the field has diamond hands, taking one of, if not the best catch of the season so far at square leg. Sadly for HS he was unable to score big today with just the 1 run before being dismissed. Max Toolan was batting 3 and looked due a big score after nailing a few into the leg side, unfortunately he was left disappointed again after smashing one to cover off the oppo leggy. It wasn’t time to panic yet, at 24-2 JMac joined Clubman Dave to the crease and the pair settled the nerves putting on a 35 run partnership before Clubman chipped one up. The mystery spinner joined Jmac at the crease and in usual fashion tried to hoik his first few deliveries over cow. In fairness to Dunleavy he did then smack one back over the bowlers head for 6 so as the old fashioned saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The pair both put on 20 odd but neither could press on and get a big score. The fall of both these wickets left us 87-5, and shortly after 87-6 with the fall of the Roo for 2. 26 overs had been bowled at this point so we had a minimum of 20 overs remaining needing 72 runs, the game now was hanging in the balance as we entered the tail end. Runs were not needed quickly but wickets not falling now became a priority. Double J fell not long after in the 28th over for 1 run, the frustration in the Shenfield lads starting to show. At this stage the bat bat bat bat bat bat for the draw decision was taken. El Capitano lasted 26 balls, his good form with the ball did not translate to the bat. Orsett and Thurrock were at this stage surrounding the bat, with spinners at both ends and a short leg in the bottom 3 with the bat looked unlikely to survive the minimum 14 overs left. Phil the Hill joined MJ at the crease, sadly MJ was dismissed in the 35th over leaving Macca Jnr and Phil the Hill with 11 overs to bat, in the end Orsett and Thurrock managed to bowl an extra 5 overs. Macca Jnr whose previous top score for Shenfield was 4 and Phil the Hill who had previously failed to get off the mark so far this season, dug in beautifully. All I could think about while watching the pair of them was the Great Escape in 2009, although neither similar in looks or stature to Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar they both encapsulated the roles perfectly. Phil the Hill faced a mammoth 67 deliveries, top scoring on 26 while Macca Jnr faced 34, in the process doubling his previous top score for the 4s. We ended up on 141 just 17 shy of the opposition total, in hindsight now the jubilation of remaining in the title race by not conceding 25 big ones to 3rd place has worn off, there is a slight undertone of disappointment that we were not able to chase down the total. 

Luckily for us all the stars had alined on Saturday with 2nd place Horndon on the Hill also dropping points to Upminster. Somehow we have managed to stay top of the table with 4 games remaining. The points situation is as follows:

Div 18 West

Fives & Heronians -> 1st = 16.23 Average Points

Walthamstow -> 2nd = 15.92 Average Points

Wanstead and Snarebrook -> 3rd = 14.33 Average Points

Div 17 East

Southend on Sea EMT -> 1st = 16.54 Average Points

Benfleet -> 2nd = 16.23 Average Points

Orsett and Thurrock -> 3rd = 12.62 Average Points

Div 16 Central

Shenfield -> 1st = 15.75 Average Points

Orsett and Thurrock -> 2nd = 15.25 Average Points

Horndon on the Hill -> 3rd = 15 Average Points

The 1st place in all 3 leagues goes up while the best 2nd place team is also promoted. We must finish first! 4 games to go. Up the Shen.