Sayeid Ahmed and Andy Stephens seem likely to miss Burnham Sports’ must-win clash away to High Roding on Saturday.
Ahmed is observing Ramadan, while Stephens has been unable to run for almost three weeks after injuring a joint in his left foot. Rob Layzell remains on the sidelines, too, after breaking his finger and requiring corrective surgery.
Stephens watched from the sidelines as his team-mates suffered a humiliating ten-wicket loss to Springfield, at Millfields, last weekend. It was Burnham’s seventh successive loss but, with High Roding and Little Baddow also having a dire time, they remain in with a chance of avoiding relegation from the T Rippon Mid-Essex League Premier Division.
“Two teams will be relegated and it already looks between us, Little Baddow and High Roding,” Stephens said. “We’ve got our work cut out and things will be grim if we cannot stop finally stop the rot on Saturday, but we’ll keep plugging away.
“A few of the lads are struggling for runs and wickets, but morale remains good and nobody has thrown in the towel.”
Springfield showed Burnham no mercy, crushing them in ruthless fashion after being set 170 to win.
Remarkably, opening batsmen James Latimir and Charlie Prudence rattled along at ten runs per over, taking little more than an hour to complete the task. The pair put on an exhibition, playing some lovely, controlled strokes all around the ground.
Jamie Hamilton, the Burnham captain, tried seven different bowlers to halt their progress but to no avail.
Latimir ended just two short of a deserved century, hitting 16 fours and three sixes in his dazzling 55-ball romp. Prudence finished on 68, finding the boundary a dozen times.
“The sun came out after tea and the pitch flattened but full marks to their guys, they battered superbly and didn’t give us a sniff,” Stephens said. “We’ve never experienced anything like that.”
Earlier, Sports had lost a flurry of early wickets after being put into bat, before Robin Whittaker (54) struck a fluent half-century to enable his side to reach 169. Jack Silvester (20) was among six others to reach double figures.
Meanwhile, Burnham’s 2nd XI were recording a third successive win in division nine, although their victory at East Hanningfield & Great Burstead was only gained off the very last ball.
The home team, chasing 204 to win in the 40 overs per side game, needed 14 off the final over, bowled by Neil Saunders.
That became six off the last ball but Saunders deceived Fowler and had him stumped by Neil Wade. It completed an excellent day for both players - Saunders had earlier made 46, while Wade had already stumped three other batsmen, creating some kind of club record.
David May shone with bat and ball - he made 41 not out and took three for 24, while the evergreen Ed King, top scorer at the club this year, made another 30.
This Saturday, Burnham’s 2nd XI entertain their Broomfield counterparts (start 1pm).