Gidea Park and Romford 1st 183 all out
Belhus 1st 151-9
GIDEA Park and Romford closed the gap as the top two teams in the Shepherd Neame Essex League division two met in a drawn encounter at Gallows Corner on Saturday. The home side batted first and the mainstays of the innings were Shawn Findlay with 51 and Kasi Hoq, who scored 47. For Belhus, wicketkeeper Michael Fogg pouched three catches and executed a sharp stumping to boot while Daniel Dreher claimed six wickets for 61 runs from 15.3 overs, two of which were maidens. Connor Day and Danny Norris picked up two wickets apiece. After the break, the Belhus top order suffered a rare failure, but their innings was held together by Fogg’s 34 and a hugely impressive undefeated 62 from Norris, which included eight fours and one six. It was the last pair of Norris and Day who held on for the draw as Findlay, 4-19, and three wickets by Matthew Connaughton, earlier stunted any prospect of a Belhus win.
Gidea Park and Romford 2nd 216-8
Belhus 2nd 209 all out
A brave attempt was made by the Belhus last pair of George Maidment and Gary Sanderson to snatch a victory while looking down the barrel of defeat. Number eleven Sanderson joined Maidment at the crease with 34 runs required for an unlikely win. Sanderson smashed two maximums, but after the pair had put on a creditable 26, the six-hitter was finally caught as the visitors to North Stifford emerged as victors by just seven runs. Like their first eleven, the Belhus top order stuttered as both openers were back in the pavilion after just eight overs with the score on 28. The middle order flourished although no batsman was able to build a major innings. Jake Wolfe hit 32, Stephen Huckstepp made 37, there was 20 from Mark Sansom and 28 from Chris Baker. Belhus bowling honours went to Imran Mohammed and Matthew Williams with three wickets apiece, while Sanderson trapped two victims. Belhus gloveman Sansom held four catches behind the timbers. For Gidea Park and Romford, Kamuj Kumudiyariwa weighed in with 4-55 from 14 overs (two maidens).
Belhus 3rd 179-6 dec
Hadleigh and Thundersley 4th 64 all out
Latest recruit Russ Blackburn made his league debut for his new club at Ockendon Recreation Ground on Saturday and hit a fine 61 which included six fours and two maximum strikes over the boundary. He received good support from Tom Thompson 22, Richard Waters 20, Jack Plane 21 and Sam Hall with 18. These runs were scored quickly, which enabled Belhus to declare after 38.2 overs. In the Belhus innings, Ben Richards and Jarred Klein claimed two wickets each, while Callum Blackaby and Alfie Richer shared the remaining two wickets to fall. After tea, the visitors showed gritty determination to hang on for a draw, but Billy Maidment and Braydon Scarlett had other ideas. Maidment, in a devastating spell of 7.2 overs, picked up five wickets at a cost of just one run. Then spin bowler Scarlett bagged four wickets for 16 runs from nine overs (one maiden) as the Hadleigh resistance finally crumbled after 38.2 overs.
Belhus 4th 260-5
Gidea Park and Romford 4th 156-7
The highlight of this match was the maiden century of Zak Wilson of Belhus, who was undefeated on 108. But the home side held on for the draw as Belhus failed to take the remaining three wickets needed to win. Meanwhile, outside Shepherd Neame Essex League competition, the Belhus fifth eleven lost to their Wickford counterparts by six wickets, despite 68 from the experienced Don East.
