Thurrock III 165/6
Tillingham II 133 all out
By Charles Foster Kane
THURROCK’S enthusiastic third string reclaimed their place back at the top of the table after winning yet another crucial top of the table clash.
A few weeks ago Goresbrook were beaten and last Saturday it was the turn of then table toppers Tillingham to face "The Blackshots Experience".
Skipper Owen was without newly married Dean under the thumb Wright, but he was once again able to call on the services of Michael Parker who was returning from his one match lay off.
Tillingham skipper, "Mad Dog Mason" won the toss and in clear blue skies and warm weather, he inserted the hosts, whether the news of the Thurrock bowling performance last week had made it out to the far reaches of Essex might have influenced his decision, either way most teams would have batted on a good track.
Thurrock opened up with Dan Groves and the big man Wayne Simmons who was into the second week of his comeback. The openers see off the new ball fairly comfortably and put on 66 for the first wicket.
Simmons had another swish of his bat, which judging by the amount of wood in it would have various environmental charities quoting "an area the size of Wales lost each year", but even with a bat this big the ball was not reaching the boundary and this led to a tight second run that the fielding side won. Number three batsman this week was Iain Oakley, who like his doppelgänger Carl Froch, was jabbing and punching the ball around the Blackshots Cricket Ground.
He lost partners Groves for a steady 21 and McCartney for a duck before Owen joined him at the crease. Owen was prowling up and down the wicket like a bear with a thorn in his foot due to an injury last week, an injury that was not helped when trying to recreate Dirty Dancing at Wright’s wedding during the week! Eventually the injury won as Owen was run out for 18.
Tillingham were starting to get on top as the run rate slowed down before Michael Parker joined Oakley in the middle. The pair put on 62 runs in just under 10 overs to give the bowlers something to play with.
In the final over of the innings, Oakley was run out for 46, Feeney was yorked for 0 leaving the two not out batsman as Redman with 2 and Parker with 27 as his mission
"operation average" continues. At the end of their 40 overs Thurrock were
165/6.
After the interval Tillingham set about the run chase in a hostile environment. Picture the scene, you play your home games at a beautiful village green in rural Essex and then you are in the lions den of Blackshots field with quads and motorbikes buzzing around the outfield, a tower block full of spectators for a sight screen and 11 prowling tigers desperate to reclaim their place at the top of the table, or the Thurrock fielders as they are usually known!
The Thurrock team often use these unusual surroundings to their advantage and set about the Tillingham batting line up with the king of the swingers, Andrew Packer, and the oldest (except for Terry Hills) Swinger in town Mal Umfreville.
The first couple of wickets went to Umfreville as he removed both openers courtesy of wicket keeper Oakley and a catch on the boundary at Long Off from Parker.
The match was in the balance and Owen turned to the experience of Hills and the youth of young speedster Feeney. Hills bowled J Butterwick for a duck but the modest total meant it was still a tense situation.
Feeney then stepped up to the plate to rip the heart and confidence out of the Tillingham middle order with his thunderous pace. He combined with Redman to catch out Pursey and he clean bowled M Butterwick who had looked
dangerous on 37 runs.
Next on the Feeney hit list was Smith who was caught superbly by McCartney at backward point, but maybe the most satisfying was the wicket of Stiffell. Stiffell is a fellow fast bowler who had bowled Feeney for a second ball 0 in the first innings. Feeney went one better and trapped him LBW first ball for a golden duck.
By now the Thurrock fielders were gaining in confidence and we’re all over the Tillingham batsman like a cheap suit. Simmons proved he really is an all rounder by spinning out Mason and the visitors were relying on their tail to get the last 40 or so runs.
Young spinner Tom Redman ensured this did not happen. There were a few surprised looks when Owen bought the teen into the attack but he is in the men’s side on merit and the tail was not match for him as he first had Potton caught by Feeney and then number eleven Barrell was caught by Packer off Redman to wrap up a vital victory that puts Thurrock back on top by 11 points before the derby match away at
Hornchurch next week.
