There was double delight for Burnham Sports as both of their teams averted relegation on a dramatic final day of the season.
Burnham’s 1st XI went into their last T.Rippon Mid-Essex League first division match, away to Great Totham, needing a victory to guarantee safety and stayed up in style - winning by five wickets after being set 240 to win.
Grant Smith (66), Fuad Ahmed (48) and Dominic Whittaker (23) played pivotal roles in the run chase, with the sixth-wicket pair of Jamie Hamilton (37 not out) Joel Whittaker (22 not out) finishing the job with a flurry of fours and sixes. Victory was achieved with the luxury of seven overs remaining.
Smith has again been Burnham’s most reliable batsman this year, winning the averages with comfort.
Earlier, Robin Whittaker capped a fantastic campaign by taking four for 40 to help restrict Totham to 239 all out in the 45th over. He finished the year with 41 wickets at a cost of 15 each.
The home side were indebted to Hardy-King, who smashed 67 after his team had slumped to 118 for eight. Joel Whittaker and Hamilton each took two wickets.
As it transpired, other results meant that Sports could have lost and still beaten the drop. They finished sixth in the table and, with better batting, can look forward to a more prosperous time in 2014.
Meanwhile, Burnham’s 2nd XI went into their last game, at home to East Hanningfield & Great Burstead, needing a win to have any chance of staying up in division eight.
Greg Campion’s men achieved that in commanding fashion by 83 runs.
Put into bat, they accumulated 227 for two. Opening batsmen Neil Saunders (40) and Andy Stephens (37) offered a solid platform before Neil Wade and Steve Sims prospered.
The third-wicket pair both hit half-centuries and put on 130. Wade was in ruthless mode by the finish and ended unbeaten on 72. The 18-year-old left-hander accumulated 455 runs during the season - more than any other player at the club - and also impressed with his wicket-keeping.
Sports then bowled out the visiting team for 144, with David May, Campion and Roger Perrin sharing the wickets between them.
Burnham’s joy initially turned to gloom when they discovered that Old Chelmsfordians, their relegation rivals, had also won. They had resigned themselves to playing in division nine next year but then came a final twist with news that Southend-based Trojans had lost and, in addition, been docked 20 points for breaking league rules.
The transgression by Trojans enabled Sports to hop above them.
“It was a great final day for everyone involved at the club,” Stephens said. “The firsts have shown tremendous resolve in recent weeks and ended up almost mid-table. I’m sure next year will be a more comfortable ride for them.
“The seconds needed an unexpected helping hand but would have been really unlucky to be relegated, having won seven games this year and chalked up almost 200 points.”
Sports finish their season with a 40-over Warsop League game away to Billericay (start 1pm) on Sunday.