Division One: Skipper not browned off as Wickford beat Basildon

11:50am Monday 15th June 2009

By Paul Alton

BASILDON and Pitsea skipper Steve Brown refuses to be downbeat — despite the new towners being rock bottom and some 36 points in arrears of their nearest rivals.

Saturday’s six-wicket defeat at the Patmore Memorial Ground at the hands of local rivals Wickford means that Basildon have collected only 20 points in six matches.

He said: “We played a big part in a good game of cricket and none of my players has anything to reproach themselves for.

“We certainly didn’t let ourselves down in any aspect of the game. We decided not to go for an overseas’ player at the club this year and instead rely on club talent.

“We knew that this decision would make it tough competing against some very good sides but, particularly in recent weeks, we’ve acquitted ourselves well.

“Take Saturday’s match for example; our opener Michael Gray hit a superb 58 and that’s probably one of only four or five half-centuries by a club player, rather than an overseas’ visitor, for Basildon in the last four or five years.

“We batted well enough to offer Wickford a defendable total and certainly didn’t bowl that badly either.

“It may not look like it when you see the league table, but I’m convinced that we’re going in the right direction.”

Brown had particular praise on the batting front — Wickford won the toss and put Basildon in — for late order man Michael Blerkom.

After Gray’s 58 and 25 from Luke Daw had helped the visitors on their way, Blerkom made sure of a decent 173-9 total with a defiant unbeaten 28.

Home skipper Chirag Desai took 5-40 and Matt Nobes 2-39 with Andy Baker and Daniel Pryke weighing in with a wicket apiece.

Desai (53) and fellow opener Ross Daynes (34) sent Wickford on their way to victory and the job was finished by Paul Corps (24) and overseas’ man Darren Van Dyk (36) as the home side made 174-4 in 35.4 overs.

Joked Brown, whose side host Hutton next week: “I’m an old mate of Chirag’s and I shared his jug after the match so at least I got a beer out of him.”

Wickford, who face a tough task at top dogs Hornchurch next week, collected 18 points and Basildon five.

Orsett, still the top local side in fifth position, made top dog hosts Hornchurch fight all the way in an exceptional game before losing by 29 runs at home.

On a perfect playing track, the visitors won the toss and batted and made 243-9 in their 52 overs thanks to skipper Paul Murray’s 74, Kym Beazleigh’s 42, and a sparkling 76 from Cameron Nupier.

Said home skipper Wayne Read: “We were happy to keep them to that total as they only added 37 runs in the last 10 overs which was due to our hard work in the field.”

Orsett never tried to close the game up. Said Read: “We were flying along on a belter of a track, but our big problem was that we were losing wickets all the time.”

They finally reached 214 in 35.4 overs with Read himself making 23, Alex Karkoski a maiden league half-century with 52, Mendes 29 and Shahid Khan 48 not out.

At 152-6 Orsett felt they still had a reasonably victory chance, but C Smith (4-63) and M Whitlock (3-58) took the visiting bowling honours leaving Orsett to pick up eight points against the 20 collected by the top dogs.

Read’s men, just 16 points in arrears of Hornchurch, attempt to get back to winning ways at Fives and Heronians next Saturday.

Another cracker of a match —every game in Division One produced a result — saw Westcliff collect nine points from a seven-wicket home defeat by Ilford.

South Africa overseas’ man Barry Rhodes and young Sam Weller continued their outstanding batting form of the previous week when Westcliff were put in.

Rhodes hit 77 off 71 balls after opener Jon Pratt had seen the seaside hosts off to a good start with 32.

Rhodes and Weller (50) joined in a fourth wicket partnership of 129 and the total was helped along by Tim Wade (35) and Duncan Paveling (26 not out). Theeban Tavarasa and Proneb Roy took two wickets each.

Westcliff made 271-6 in their 52 overs and, with the visitors not having sent down their tally particularly quickly, Ilford had only 44 to come in reply.

But that mattered little as the impressive Modasser Ibrahim (107 not out) and Hameed Gul (unbeaten on 75) saw their side home in 41.1 overs. Peter Barnes (2-31) was top Westcliff bowler.

Said Westcliff skipper Tim Wade: “It was a good game of cricket on a Chalkwell Park pitch that played very well.

“But we had no answer to Ibrahim, who played a chanceless innings. It’s the first time I’ve seen him and on this performance he’s going to do very well.”

Wade now prepares his troops for a tough trip to Loughton next week. They currently stand sixth in a desperately tight division, just two points in arrears of Orsett. And Wickford are just four points further back Ilford took 18 points here, double Westcliff’s tally from the afternoon.