Division One: Desai stands by Wickford following team’s relegation (From Echo)

Division One: Desai stands by Wickford following team’s relegation

10:13am Tuesday 8th September 2009 in

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DESPITE seeing his team relegated in his first season in charge, Wickford captain Chirag Desai will not be standing down.

After the Patmore Memorial Ground side’s almost inevitable drop to Division Two next term had been confirmed by home defeat at the hands of Hornchurch, Desai admitted: “No-one wants to see their team going down in their first season as skipper.

“Having said that, what this club needs is a period of stability. I think I’m right in saying that Wickford have changed skippers each season for the past four years and I see my position as one of being part of a long-term plan.”

In fact Wickford gave one of their better batting displays against a Hornchurch side who, despite their victory, again just missed out on promotion to the top flight.

After Desai himself, who scored 30, and Danny Pryke (37) had given the hosts a decent start, Robert Rollins (32), Paul Corps (23), Matthew Nobes (25), young Sam Greaves (22) and Andy Baker (26) all weighed in with decent knocks.

They enabled Wickford to make 214 in 51.2 overs with Mark Whitlock taking 4-85 and Cameron Nupier 3-23.

However, former Westcliff overseas’ man Nupier made mincemeat of the Wickford attack in reply and hit 17 fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 106.

He got decent backing from Richard Burd (265) and Billy Gordon (24) as Hornchurch made a winning 218-6 off 34.2 overs with Baker taking 4-55.

“Obviously we’d love to bounce back and get immediate promotion next term, but only if we’re ready to play First Division cricket again,” said Desai.

“Youngsters are the future of our club and it was great to see young Sam Greaves batting with assurance against a bowler of Nupier’s calibre. He’s probably the fastest you’ll see at this level.

“But introducing youngsters is all about blooding them when the time is right and we now have to sit down at Wickford to talk about our long-term strategy.

“We applied ourselves well batting-wise in this game, something that was pleasing to see as we were almost certainly relegated beforehand.

“In fact if we’d shown that sort of application throughout we probably wouldn’t be going down.”

Basildon, who made the brave decision not to go with an overseas player this season but to develop club talent instead, ended the campaign rock bottom and without a win.

Against a revitalised Hutton side, only Tanvir Alam (39) and skipper Steve Brown (29) troubled the scorers to any great extent in a 119 all out total.

Anthony Hill took 5-33 and Danny Cocklin 3-13.

Hutton won on 122-4 with David Hammond pulling out the stops with 41 in an opening partnership with David Morgan (36). Jason Paterson weighed in with 32.

Gary Ayres and Asif Abbas collected two wickets apiece.

Wickford finished 11 points behind third from bottom Westcliff who predictably lost their last game at home to a Loughton side who finished runners-up, two points clear of Hornchurch, and go up with champions Ilford.

Loughton made 242-7 declared in 49.5 overs with John Mather collecting three wickets and skipper Tim Wade two.

But Westcliff suffered the kind of batting collapse that has dogged them for much of the term and were 138 all out in 33.5 overs.

Said skipper Wade: “We didn’t bat well with a few silly wickets being given away.

“We’ve had an escape by staying up, now it’s up to us to show that we can perform at this level. We’ve certainly got the players capable of it, but now we need to find the application.”

After a bright opening half of the season, Orsett struggled in the second period.

But their 60-run win over Fives and Heronians cast aside any lingering worries that they might be dragged into the relegation frame on the last day.

They finished fourth from bottom, 16 ahead of Westcliff and only three in arrears of Saturday’s opponents.

A major part of Orsett’s success earlier this term was their ability to bat deep down the innings — and they rediscovered that on Saturday.

After skipper Wayne Read (25) and Achala Siriwardhane (29) had given them a good opening, Jason Plom (40), Steve Mendes (35) and Alex Karkoski (41 not out) saw them to 207-5 declared in 52 overs.

But, after Gary Edwards (56) and Phillip Apps (44) had seen Fives off to a bright start in reply, they collapsed to 147 all out in 42.4 overs.

Consistent wicket-taker Shahid Khan, who took 56 this season, took 4-30 and Siriwardhane 4-21.