County’s big Colts dream crumbles (From Echo)

County’s big Colts dream crumbles

10:30am Thursday 22nd October 2009 in Sport

ESSEX hopes of capping a superb season in which they won the English County Championship for the first time in their history by retaining the South-eastern league colts overall title came unstuck.

For they were beaten 6.5-5.5 by Kent at Barton-on-Sea.

Essex might have known it was not to be their day when Three Rivers’ international James Webber had to cry off due to sickness.

Despite their great year, the foursomes have often proved the “Achilles heel” for Essex this term and it was the same story here.

Only winners, as Essex went down 3-1, were Thorpe Hall’s Matt Southgate and Reece Phillips (West Essex) who won 5 and 3.

Rochford’s Jay Beisser and James Scade (Braintree) went down 2 and 1.

The afternoon singles were an uphill struggle. In the top match Southgate was soon four down but recovered to two down.

However, he was closed out on the 17th 2 and 1.Beisser went down 4 and 2 the task proved just too much for Essex who, nevertheless, produced a fine defence of their title.

On the day some superb golf was played on a very picturesque course on a fine October day.

Southgate, who has also enjoyed a great year individually as well as his Essex successes, left straight afterwards for training with the England squad following his international call-up.