THURROCK marked their history-making indoor cricket foray at Grays School last Friday evening (12th October) with a comfortable win for their U12 “A” team over their “B” team counterparts. The Thurrock “B” team batted first and scored 66 for the loss of three wickets, with Luke Phillips top scoring with 16 and Harrison Barr contributing ten runs. But the “A” team attack kept the lid on things as Tom Redman picked up 1-11 from three overs, ably supported by the impressive Joshua Clarke, 1-7, also from three overs. The remaining wicket to fall was picked up in Reid Watson’s two-over spell which cost 16 runs. It was Redman and Clarke who eventually saw the “A” home to a five-wicket win as they both finished unbeaten on 17 and 10 runs respectively, despite the best efforts of Phillips who returned 1-17 from three overs.
As revealed last week, when Thurrock “C” took to the ‘field’ in the match with Belhus “A”, it was the first time that any club in the South Essex area had fielded three indoor teams at the same age group. Belhus “A” batted first, with opening batsman Ciaran Gunning holding his ground for a solid undefeated knock worth 16 runs. His opening partner, Joe Dalton, along with number three batsman Zak Wilson, both reached the compulsory retirement score of 25 in comfort to enable their team to close on 122 runs without loss. But the history makers put in a spirited effort with the bat to finish on 67 runs for the loss of four wickets as Joe Dalton produced the competition’s best individual bowling performance so far with three wickets for just 12 runs from three overs of pace. Billy Turley picked up the remaining wicket with the second ball of his first over as he finished with 1-10, also from three overs.
In the remaining match, Orsett lost to Basildon and Pitsea by three wickets. Orsett scored 67 for the loss of five wickets, for whom Sam Watson scored ten runs and Reece Scott hit nine runs, but Basildon and Pitsea replied with 68 for three. Daniel Blerkom did the damage for Basildon and Pitsea with eleven runs and 2-8 from three overs. Other good bowling figures came from Basildon’s Travis Singleton, 2-11 off two overs and Watson of Orsett, 2-7, also from two overs. Week Four fixtures (Friday 19th October): 6pm – Thurrock “C” v Thurrock “A”; 7pm – Orsett v Belhus “A”; 8pm – Basildon and Pitsea v Thurrock “B”.
