Hornchurch Athletic 1st XI 221-9
Thurrock CC 1st XI 222-7
Thurrock CC miserable season may have taken a positive turn right at the last, with a surprise win at fourth placed Hornchurch Athletic on Saturday. Hanging on the precipice of relegation, Thurrock knew they needed victories rather than bonus points in their last two matches and delivered 20 of them at the first attempt.
Control of the game meandered between the two sides almost right until the end. Thurrock won the toss, fielded, and immediately had success, Andrew Hills and Imran Mohammed both snagging wickets with the new ball and restricting Hornchurch’s early flow of runs. Thurrock seemed to have begun well, but Hornchurch Skipper Paul Humphries joined Ross Rafferty at the crease and his aggressive approach rattled Thurrock’s confidence with the ball.
With lines and lengths wavering the pair cashed in, striking a succession of boundaries to all parts of the ground. Thurrock’s fine start was undone as the total cruised past three figures, as did the Humphries and Rafferty’s partnership. Shojahi managed some kind of control with his offspin to peg Hornchurch back, but the innings still looked to be favouring the home side as both batsmen posted half centuries and begun their assault in the final few overs. That was until Matt Hills’ vital second spell.
Humphries had accelerated to 71 when he slashed at a Matt Hills delivery and only succeeded in slicing it to Hills’ brother Andrew. Thurrock rallied manfully in the closing overs. Matt Hills then struck three time in quick succession, the first two also courtesy and his brothers hands and the next the prize wicket of Rafferty for 75. Hornchurch made it into the last over and past 200, but with Stanikzai (1-30) nabbing one at the death and Hills’ fifth wicket for just 35 ensured they never got too far past it.
Grays needed to hit the ground running, and for a time Andrew Hills seemed to do just that, crashing 17 at the top of the order. But the slowing Hornchurch track did for him as he popped up a simple catch to square leg off Doyle (2-27), who had just had wrought a similar dismissal the over previous. Hammes (1-35) then weighed in early in his spell and Thurrock were reeling at three down.
Abdul Stanikzai’s contribution to his and Umar Ayub’s partnership of 61 may have been only 4, but it was vital in stemming the flow of wickets. Ayub was in fine form at the other end, slashing drives and hoisting pulls to the fence with a pleasant regularity for Thurrock as their faltering chase regained its feet. But disaster was waiting round the corner.
After guiding Thurrock to within exactly 100 runs of victory, Stanikzai finally succumbed to Humphries, who then added a second for figures of 2-37. Thurrock may have been able to ride this but Ayub, on 48 and looking for all the world a match-winner, got the first straight shooter of the day from Crane and was helplessly struck on the shoe laces in front of the stumps. Suddenly Thurrock’s dominant position was again one of frailty. Or it was until Imran Mohammed joined Matt Hills and changed everything.
Mohammed didn’t do things by halves. He launched into the bowling, smashing boundary upon boundary through the covers and over the sightscreen. Hills swept, drove and cut his way to 29 unbeaten, but the innings truly belonged to Mohammed. The pair put on a staggering 82 in just 36 balls with Mohammed taking one of those overs for 28. Fittingly, the big-hitting tail-ended sailed Thurrock past 200 and posted his half century before, four runs short of victory, getting bowled on 53 and getting an ovation all of his own. Matt Hills thumped the winning runs through cover and Thurrock’s hopes for survival took a mighty turn for the better.
