Thurrock CC 1st XI 126-9
Goresbrook CC 1st XI 127-7
By Bill West
Thurrock lost a low-scoring game at home to Goresbrook by three wickets.
Number four Daniel Laird recovered from a sickening first ball bouncer to top score with 32 from 40 balls.
Matt Hills made 18 and Glen Sands hit 15, but only 18 runs were scored in the final ten overs as Thurrock dug in and managed to bat out the entire 45 overs. Israel Ochwo was fantastic for the visitors with 5-27 from his ten overs. While the hosts were around 30 runs short due to the state of the pitch, 126 was still a defendable score.
Despite a small total, Goresbrook made hard work of chasing. Laird, Clarke Wren and Umar Ayub all bowled excellently, picking up two wickets apiece. But opening batsman Kurt Whisker stood out when others were falling around him to make 54. Number eight Shane Barwick scored a crucial 19 not out to seal the win for the visitors.
