Great Totham and Coggeshall III steal the show

BDICL Cup.

Coggeshall Hamlet v Witham
Witham's woes in the League are not spreading to the Cup, which they seem to have every intention of trying to retain for a fourth consecutive season. Matthew Hart hit yet another half-century, 51 not out, as he helped Coggeshall Hamlet close with 139-3. He was aided by 28 not out from James Neale, 26 not out from Robert Jagger, I think, and 25 from Andy Goding. Witham were in no mood to hang around and Kaan Hawes was soon into good scoring form, so much so that when Matt Watson was dismissed in the third over for 0, there was already 22 on the board. All the other Witham batsmen got into the swing and added quick runs, so Witham reached 142-2 with eight balls to spare. Hawes top scoring with 32 not out, with Leroy Facey, 27 not out, Greg Taylor, 26 not out, and Jamie Rogers, 22 not out.

Coggeshall v Shalford
Coggeshall hit the day's highest score, 188-2, as they thrashed Shalford by 97 runs. Everyone contributed for Coggeshall, with their lowest score being Craig Lesiak with 16. Jim Rees lead the way with 53 not out, he return from retirement being greeted by a salvo of four sixes and a four. Rob Lees, back for the first time in a while, hit 36 not out, Ollie Blackwell, 31, and Ben Stephens, a rapid 26 not out. Five man Shalford had little answer, and were dismissed for 91. Lee Parish and Andy Bryant both scoring 28, but a brace of wickets for Lees and Stephens ended their interest.

Bocking v Braintree Youth
Braintree Youth's quest to get back on the League and Cup "double" trail continued after another hard earned two wicket victory over Bocking. The early exchanges favoured Braintree Youth with three wickets, Michael Joyce taking two of them, but Bocking rallied thanks to 37 from Bobby Don and 24 from Will Jackson as they closes on 108-5. David Hale also by then claiming two wickets. Braintree Youth did not find running scoring as fluent as they often do, as Bocking bowled well, but in the end David Denny's 27 not out, and Michael Joyce's 14 not out, got them the runs they needed with Joyce scoring all that they needed from the final over, to reach 109-4 with two balls to spare.

Braintree College v Great Totham
The upset of the round came as Third Division Great Totham progressed into the Semi-Finals after defeating Second Division Braintree College by 88 runs. Andrew Whiting hit 56 not out, aided by 34 from Paul Marks, and 20 from Steve Whiting as they capitalised on some not great bowling to amass 166-4. The Collegians had little option to throw caution to the wind, but it backfired on them, and in less than eight overs they were bowled out for 78. Trevor Spalding top scored with 30, as Colin Jones, and Andrew Whiting both claimed two wickets. Now they face the challenge of Braintree Youth on March 14th.

Reserve League Cup.

Bocking Reserves v Coggeshall A Reserves
Bocking Reserves' defence of the Reserve League Cup continued against Coggeshall A Reserves, as the team top of Division Two, not unsurprisingly, walloped the team bottom of Division Five, Coggeshall A Reserves, by 103 runs. Billy Hickman top scored with 51 not out as Bocking Reserves plundered a massive 178-4 at Notley, just 15 short of equalling the competition record. Danny McIntyre was also in form with 33 not out, but the bowling conceded 38 in extras. In reply their opponents reached 75-5 with Adam Egg top scoring with 27 not out, while McIntyre starred with the ball, taking 3-8. It is going to take something special from someone to prevent Bocking Reserves retaining the trophy for another year.

Rayne Reserves v West Bergholt
West Bergholt against Rayne Reserves had all the makings of an upset as the Division Three strugglers met a team chasing promotion from Division Five, but it did not turn out that way, and Rayne Reserves moved through to the Semi-Finals again by two wickets. Only Andy Buckley made any score for West Bergholt as they recovered from being 7-3 after ten balls. Andy was eventually dismissed at the end of the eleventh over having scored 43 of their 63 runs. Gareth Fisher taking 2-4 from a spell which included two maidens, and Richard Dawson, 2-18. Phil Wade then hit 29 not out, and Fisher, 18, as Rayne Reserves moved through to 64-4 and victory with two overs to spare.

Shalford Reserves v Coggeshall III
An upset as Coggeshall III defeated Shalford Reserves, currently in second place in Division Four. Shalford Reserves did somewhat commit suicide by having some of their players arrive late, which meant that batting first they had to show early caution. They simply never did get going and with Alex Girling taking 3-15 and Jonny Girling, 2-22, Shalford Reserves were dismissed by their Division Five opponents for just 65. Coggeshall III took their time to reach their target, showing caution as much as they could, so as to alleviate silly mistakes. Greg Farley top scored with 24, but it was left to young pair of Chaplin and Brown to finally see them home to a famous victory with three balls to spare.

Kelvedon & Feering Reserves v Braintree Reserves
Kelvedon & Feering Reserves continued to hold their hex on Braintree Reserves, as Braintree Reserves made a total horlicks of their start to the match. 18-5 was on the board before five overs had been completed, as Jeremy King took 4-10, Dan Chalk did score 27 before he was run out with Braintree Reserves on 47. Ollie Parsons was then stumped in the first over of Kelvedon & Feering Reserves' reply, and two more wickets also fell before Chris Leftwich and Stuart Bonvini got Kelvedon & Feering Reserves through to 48-3 in the eighth over.

Current League Tables>>

February 28th 2010

Almost but not yet....but for some the damage has been done, but the first title is decided

Thirty-six points ahead and only forty-five left to be played for, that is the lead that Braintree Youth now possess at the top of Division One after increasing their lead with their 61 run victory over Kelvedon & Feering at Notley. Warren Celiz, Steve Hale, Dave Hale, and Andrew Sherry all reached scores of between 25 and 28 not out as Braintree Youth closed on 119-1. Michael Joyce soon struck twice to leave Kelvedon on 18-2, and Andrew Sherry later mopped up with 3-11 from eleven balls to dismiss Kelvedon & Feering for 58. Matt Bridger, with 23, was the only Kelvedon & Feering batsman to exceed 15. Coggeshall are now the only team that can also win the Championship, but they will require Braintree Youth probably to lose all their remaining matches while they win all of theirs. Coggeshall did beat Braintree, but Braintree did Braintree Youth a massive favour by taking four points away from the match. Coggeshall closed on 112-3, with Ollie Blackwell, 27 not out, and Craig Lesiak, 26 not out, gaining most of their runs. Braintree made slow progress at the start of their innings, and after five overs Lesiak and Ben Stephens had kept them down to 29-0. The tempo did increase, but too late to change the course of the match. Danny King, 32, and Daryl Hymas, 25, were Braintree's top scorers as they were dismissed for 92. Both teams had to draw on their reserve squads for this contest. The defeat did push Braintree down into fourth place. This was because Bocking defeated Shalford by 44 runs, to condemn Shalford to relegation back to Division Two. Bobby Don and Danny McIntyre both retired for Bocking, and Barry Edwards added 21 not out as they closed on 117-2. Shalford never really threatened to keep their hopes of salvation alive, and Lloyd Edwards and Paul Cockley both took two wickets as all five of the Shalford team were caught, leaving them 73 all out. One week earlier Witham defeated Coggeshall Hamlet in the BDICL Cup to keep their hopes of retaining the Cup alive, but this time Coggeshall Hamlet gained revenge with a five wicket that leaves Witham desperately clinging on to the trap door to Division Two. Even if their gained maximum points from their remaining three games, Kelvedon & Feering and Coggeshall Hamlet would each only have to gain eleven points from their three matches to send Witham back to Division Two for next season. Leroy Facey top scored for them with 25 not out, Jamie Rogers adding 20 not out as they closed on 87-2. Matthew Hart and Bertie Jagger then both retired with 25 as Coggeshall Hamlet moved through to 90-1 with nearly three overs to spare.

Bocking Reserves have the honour of being the first team to wrap up a Championship as they take over from Braintree as the Division Two Champions, for them the equivalent of being League Champions as they cannot compete in Division One. Their cause was helped in no small by the failure of all three teams that could have overtaken them to win, while they won themselves. They did defeat one of them themselves as they overcame by Helions Bumpstead by five wickets. Helions Bumpstead made little in the way of stern opposition as Tyler Peacock took 2-19 at send them spinning towards a total of just 76. Bocking Reserves then took less than nine overs to reach 77-1, with Rob May ending on 25 not out, and Danny McIntyre on 26 not out. Oddly, even though they gained just one point, Helions Bumpstead moved into second place. This was because of the nightmare suffered by Terling against Coggeshall Reserves. Shaun Bragg, 26, and Ben Stephens, 23, helped ailing Coggeshall Reserves close with 98-5. Terling last just eight overs in reply, as they fell apart for just 37. Two wickets for Ben Stephens. Braintree College, earlier, failed to make up too much ground on the two teams above them, as they were defeated by, already relegated, Rayne. Phil Wade, 34 not out, Richard Whiteside, 28, and 24 from Garry Hughes, helped Rayne to 119-5. Braintree College seemed to have matters in hand as they reached 98-2 with three overs and a bit remaining, but then two wickets in three balls, and three in seven, put them under pressure. James Garner had hit 25 before he was run out, but it came down to Dan Garner, but having taken the Collegians to 113 he was caught with two balls remaining for 40. It was Rayne's first league win over Braintree College in sixteen years and one day. Dunmow's concession to Boreham, and the points deduction for no officials, has plunged them deep into the relegation mire, and two wins from their final two matches, and some luck in other matches, can save them from joining Rayne in Division Three.

One year ago, Sampfords Reserves were Champions of Division Five with Woodham Mortimer as their runners-up. Now there is every possibility that Sampfords Reserves will finish last in Division Four, whilst Woodham Mortimer will progress into Division Three as Champions of Division Four. They now lead the table by 35 points with three games to go, and need only eleven to be assured of the title. Though, for a time, they did struggle against Helions Bumpstead Reserves. Losing Geoff Reddin for 0, early on, was not helped when Damian Fannon was dismissed "obstructing the field" for 21. Simon Barrett hit 24, but it was Chris Shaw's 29 not out that finally helped them close on 109-5. Not a great score but they put Helions Bumpstead Reserves under early pressure with two early wickets, and that as good as ended the contest. Keith Mitchell, 3-6, and Simon Barrett, 2-25, seeing them off for 71. Shalford Reserves had a very close call against Sampfords Reserves, before winning by one run with a run out off the final ball. Only Barry Gilbey kept Shalford Reserves, as he hit 50 of their total of 85, Gary Swain taking 3-19. Sampfords Reserves lost early wickets, but 33 from Brian Poulson and 25 not out from James Smith got them back in the race, until the dramatic final ball saw Shalford Reserves win by one run. Earls Colne and Braintree Reserves both gained five points on Shalford Reserves with maximum point victories. Braintree defeating High Garrett by six wickets for the second time this season. Peter Perkin hit 47 not out as High Garrett closed on 122-4, but Braintree Reserves kept themselves ahead of the rate and won with ten balls to spare. Geoff Eveling, 28, Steve Gladen, 26, and James Chalk, 26, all retiring before Steve Isaac, 21, and Dan Chalk took them to 123-0. Earls Colne repeated their total attained against Margaretting at Notley in November, 115, but this time for five wickets. Joe Smith starring with 52 not out, with Himesh Patel adding 22. Not too much of a contest after the break as Margaretting were dismissed for 62. So the promotion race behind Woodham Mortimer is heatting up, but it will really all centre around Earls Colne, whose last three matches are against the other three teams in the top four. The bottom three are really now the only contenders for the one relegation berth.

Not too much changed at the top of Division Five, as they top three all won. Woodham Mortimer Reserves still lead by three points as the top three also all gained fifteen points. Ian "Eye" Ball hit 56 not out, and Dave Goodchild, 38 not out as Woodham Mortimer Reserves hit 137-4 against Kelvedon & Feering III, who could only manage 71-5 in reply. West Bergholt hit 151-5 against Coggeshall III's. Chris Southernwood, 36, James McClewan, 33 not out, and Matt Francis, 26, scoring most. Coggeshall III's must be saving themselves for the Cup, as they were dismissed for 66, with Matt Francis taking 3-10, and Southernwood, 2-9. All too easy for Little Bardfield Reserves as they met a four man Coggeshall A Reserves team. Coggeshall A Reserves scored 77-2, a score that Little Bardfield Village Reserves knocked off in 4.1 overs. 79-0 at a shade under 20 runs per over!!! Sam Bass hitting 30 not out, all in sixes, and Alan Kemp, 29 not out. Finally, in the lower half of the table, two teams that will be in Division Five next season, Halstead and Boreham Reserves met with Halstead winning a low scoring match by 14 runs. James Mickley hit 34 as the five man Halstead team were dismissed for 69, Mike Bruder taking 3-8. Boreham Reserves then succumbed for just 55, with Bruder scoring 20 of those runs.

March 7th 2010

Braintree Youth champions again

Braintree Youth are the 2009-10 League Champions, a six wicket win over Braintree secured a record ninth title, a record they no longer have to share with Braintree. At the other end of the table Witham kept their slender hopes of salvation alive with a three wicket win over Bocking, but Kelvedon & Feering need only five points from two matches to prevent Witham from staying up. Coggeshall Hamlet are now safe after defeating Shalford. Coggeshall are also certainly now going to finish as runners-up after their win over Kelvedon & Feering.

It has been a five year wait for Braintree Youth to finally win their record breaking ninth League Champions and how appropriate that they did so with victory over Braintree at the Leisure Centre. Braintree have not defeated Braintree Youth at that centre in eleven attempts since their last victory in January 2005, and they never looked like ending that streak this time around. Braintree Youth soon grasped the upper-hand and never let their grip slacken off. Jamie Foyster, with 26, was the only batsman to make a decent score as Braintree were dismissed for 87. Three catches behind the timbers for stand-in keeper, Steve Hale, and a brace of wickets for his brother, David. Steve and Dave Denny then both made it through to retirement before it was left to Dave Hale and Andrew Sherry to level the scores. Neither was to have the honour of scoring the Championship winning run though, that distinction actually fell to a wide delivery sent down by James Chalk. So now they will once again grace the County stage, and try to recapture that crown for the League, as I regard it as being currently "on loan" to Fives & Heronians. Coggeshall are ten points away from securing the runners-up berth after defeating Kelvedon & Feering for the third time this season, all three matches almost being identical as Coggeshall have recorded wins of 23, 29, and now, 30 runs. When they met in the Cup in January, Coggeshall scored 130 and Kelvedon 107, this time around it was 133 against 103. Ollie Blackwell, Craig Lesiak, and Jim Rees all scored 25 not out, and Carl Bragg, 24 not out, as Coggeshall closed with 133-1. Conversely, Kelvedon & Feering could not anyone to retirement, a few got close and that made the difference as they were bowled out for 103. Luke Scot top scoring with 22, while Ed Smith and Matt Bridger both departed on 19. At least Kelvedon know that just five points from two matches against Bocking and Coggeshall Hamlet will keep them up regardless of Witham's results against Coggeshall and Braintree Youth. It does not look good for Witham at all, with those two daunting fixtures. However, they did display plenty of fighting spirit in defeating Bocking by three wickets. It maybe too late to save them now, and had such positive play been displayed earlier in the season then they would not in the dilemma now. Bobby Don was largely responsible for making a contest of it, as he hit 48 of Bocking's total of 108, with Will Jackson adding 21. Two wickets for Jamie Rogers, and Rogers was later to play a leading role in getting Witham through to 109-3. His 27 not out, and Kaan Hawes' determined 34 not out, swung the match back in Witham's favour. Third place could well be Bocking's final position but much will depend on their final match of the season against Braintree. Shalford have been doomed to relegation for some time, and their contest with Coggeshall Hamlet probably was their last chance to win a Division One match for some time, as they face Braintree Youth and Coggeshall before meeting Division Two opponents next season. However, Coggeshall Hamlet were in no mood to be generous as they had to secure their own future first. Matthew Hart hit 50 not out, and Robert Cross, 36 not out, as they closed on 144-4. Shalford never got in the contest after that and were bowled out for 98, Dan Grice top scoring with 34, with Lee Parish adding 25. Two wickets for Matthew Hart as well as a half-century.

Sampfords almost back in Division Two

Sampfords last played a Division Two match in the spring of 1994. Sixteen years of Division Three and Four isolation have followed, but now they are just four points away from returning to Division Two. Four points they should gain from matches against Three Fields and Kelvedon & Feering Reserves. Six points will make them Division Three Champions for the first time as their previous promotions to Division Two have both been as runners-up. Witham Reserves could have secured their position in Division Three for another season had they gained two points from their match with Sampfords, but they were never remotely close to that. Steve Thrower, 27, Ryan Webster, 26 not out, and 23 from Colin Caister enabled Sampfords to close on 122-4. In fact they had scored 32 from the first two overs, and Witham Reserves managed just 33 before being dismissed. No one reached double figures for them as the Sampfords bowlers shared five wickets between them, and Caister claimed four victims behind the wicket. Great Totham last gained promotion to Division Two in 2001, but they have given themselves every chance of getting back there. There may be a pack of dogs on their tail, but a two point lead over Little Bardfield Village and with matches against Coggeshall A and Witham Reserves to come, gives them a distinct advantage. They met another of the pack, neighbours, Kelvedon & Feering Reserves and came out on top by just seven runs. Andrew Whiting, 29, Peter Shortland, 27, and Colin Jones, 20, helping them reach 101 all out, as Josh King claimed 2-16. It was not a massive total for Kelvedon & Feering Reserves to chase, but it must have seemed like a mountain when they lost three wickets in their first two overs to be on 11-3. Josh King, 33, and James Bonvini, 32, did their best to get them back in the match, and they got them well and truly back in before Andrew Whiting trapped Josh King in front off the fifth ball of the final over. Kelvedon & Feering Reserves had made it to 94, but the five points does keep them in contention. Little Bardfield Village squeezed in between them, in third place, after defeating Coggeshall A by 34 runs. Matt Graham, 26 not out, Joe Owen, 25 not out, and 22 not out from Peter Bray helped Little Bardfield Village to a total of 114-3. Matt Graham then dismissed Ryan Parker in the opening over, and with John Blackwell run out for 6 soon after, Coggeshall A's chances soon faded. Terry Hollingsworth top scored with 26, as they were dismissed for 81, Peter Stone taking 3-6. Only a miracle can prevent Coggeshall A from dropping into Division Four after three seasons away from it. Three Fields missed their chance to move into second place, and they dropped to fifth, eight points behind Great Totham, when they were defeated, for the second time this season, by Rayne Reserves. Michael Smith top scored for Three Fields with 23 as they were bowled out in the eleventh over for 90. Phil Wade, 29 not out, and Nick Alen, 21 not out, then took Rayne Reserves through to victory at the start of the final over with 92-4. They moved ahead of Witham Reserves by virtue of having won more matches.