Scorecard

Thurrock v Burnham Sports CC 1st XI on Sat 18 Jul 2015 at 1pm
Burnham Sports CC Lost by 5 wickets

Match report Burnham Sports have reached make or break point in their challenging season, with their next two matches being “must-win” fixtures against fellow strugglers Hatfield Peverel and Little Baddow. They play the former at home this Saturday (start 1pm).
Sports need to win both fixtures to give themselves any realistic chance of survival in the T Rippon Mid-Essex League Premier Division and, in all probability, they will also have to beat High Roding, another team in the relegation mix, when they meet them next month.
Talk of three victories in swift succession seems fanciful when Sports, bottom of the league, have yet to win a game all season. Their latest defeat was at Thurrock last weekend, when they lost a tight encounter by five wickets despite making a creditable 225.
“We’ve left ourselves with a very narrow escape route but we are not ready to wave the white flag,” Andy Stephens, one of the club’s longest-serving players said. “We are probably playing as well now as we have all season and have got ourselves into winning positions in three of our last four games, without being able to finish the job off.
“Our next two matches, against clubs who are also near the foot of the table, are key. If we can win both, then we will probably be out of the bottom two. Lose both and the last month of the season is going to be pretty long.”
Burnham have six matches left in total but their other three fixtures are against teams who, at present, fill the top three spots in the division.
Thurrock are fourth but Sports gave them a scare when they travelled to the parched King George V Playing Fields.
Batting first, Burnham did well to accumulate 225 for nine on a dry pitch tailor-made for spinners.
Jack Silvester (40) and Fuad Ahmed (43) shared in a solid second-wicket stand of 59 after Paul Green (15) had been adjudged LBW. Silvester made his runs off only 44 balls, finding the boundary on seven occasions.
Robin Whittaker (36), Joel Whittaker (18), David Bridge (14 not out) and last man Dominic Whittaker (10 not out) also made contributions, with Rahim (four for 42) being the pick of the home bowlers.
Ayub and Fullbrook, the Thurrock openers, looked to have put their team in total command after putting on 100 in 18 overs. However, spinners David Bridge (10-1-44-3) and Jamie Hamilton (10-1-36-1) then bowled superbly in tandem and were chiefly responsible for them slipping to 151 for five, with only 13 overs left.
With the forceful Fullbrook (95) dismissed and new batsmen at the crease, Burnham were right back in contention but Matt Hills, who had scored 99 in the reverse encounter, defied them with an unbeaten 58, guiding his men home with 16 balls left.
Meanwhile, Burnham’s 2nd XI were beating Thurrock’s 3rd XI by six wickets at Millfield.
Chasing 172 to win, Burnham breezed home thanks to the hard-hitting Nick Gosling thumping 93. He hit 12 fours as victory was wrapped up with almost nine overs to spare.
Neil Saunders (34) and Steve Sims (18) both enjoyed partnerships with Gosling, before David May and Jack Shipton hit a flurry of boundaries to finish things off.
Earlier, Saunders (9-0-36-2) had played his part in limiting Thurrock. Roger Perrin and May combined to take two for 48 from 18 overs, while Greg Campion and Brian Leech also took wickets.
Between them, the five Burnham bowlers had a combined age of more than 250.
This Saturday, Burnham’s 2nd XI play away to Tillingham. The game will be played in Bradwell.
Burnham’s remaining matches
July 25 Hatfield Peverel (home\)
August 1 Little Baddow (away)
August 8 Bentley (home)
August 15 Springfield (away)
August 22 Hign Roding (home)
August 29 Old Chelmsfordians (away)


Burnham Sports CC 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
9nb 15w 13lb 
for 9 wickets
37
225		        
Jack Silvester ct Rahim 40 44 7 90.91
Paul Green lbw Laird 15 31 3 48.39 1
Fuad Ahmed b Sands 43 64 7 67.19
Joel Whittaker ct Rahim 18 16 3 112.50
Jamie Hamilton ct Rahim 4 2 1 200
Robin Whittaker ct Sands 36 56 4 64.29
Sayeid Ahmed ct him 6 9 1 66.67
David Bridge Not Out  14 31 1 45.16
Tom Silvester ct Sands 2 9 22.22
Andy Stephens b Laird 0 1 0 1
Dominic Whittaker Not Out  10 13 1 76.92 1

Thurrock Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
A.Hills5.012800.005.60
Laird10.0150225.005.00
M.Hills1.001000.0010.00
Wren10.014400.004.40
Rahim10.0042410.504.20
Ayub2.001400.007.00
Sands7.002438.003.43

Thurrock Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 9w 1b 2lb 
for 5 wickets
13
229 (42.2 overs)		     
Ayub b Bridge 26 5
Fullbrook ct Stephens b Bridge 95 18
Laird ct D.Whittaker b Bridge 2
Sands b Hamilton 7 1
O'Neill ct Green b Silvester 6
M.Hills Not Out  58 7 1
Henry Not Out  22 2
   
   
   
   

Burnham Sports CC 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Robin Whittaker6.014300.007.17
Andy Stephens5.002900.005.80
David Bridge10.0144314.674.40
Jamie Hamilton10.0136136.003.60
Tom Silvester6.2041141.006.47
Paul Green4.002500.006.25
Fuad Ahmed1.00800.008.00