Chelmsford Edge Victory Against Brentwood at Chelmer Park!
- Oakley Bromfield
- Jul 6, 2021
- 5 min read
On Saturday 3rd July Brentwood Cricket Club took a short trip down the A12 for the derby clash at Chelmer Park versus Chelmsford Cricket Club. Both teams were met with damp and drizzly conditions at the arrival of 11am so a delay in the start of play was instructed by umpires Todd Holland and Graham Smith.
Luckily the delay lasted only twenty minutes so play was able to start at 11:20 with nine overs taken away due to bad weather. With Brentwood having won the toss and choosing to field it was Chelmsford who had the delight of batting first.
Throughout the morning there were patches of consistent rain which enabled the umpires to take the players off and cries for the covers to be swiftly brought on were heard. Lunch was taken early. Thankfully there was no severe or heavy downpour of rain during the afternoon sessions so the match was able to continue and a result was formed. Let's take a look at how Chelmsford vs Brentwood unravelled...
Chelmsford openers Jack Sterland and Dan Hagen looked to begin their innings as sturdy as they had done all season, when the pair reached 24 without loss after the first 7 overs. But Brentwood claimed their first wicket when Tom Oakley caught Hagen out from the bowling of Thomas Moore and the batsman left the field with 10 runs off 21 balls with the hosts at 27/1 off the first 8 overs.
Ben Waring joined his captain, Sterland, at the crease but the pair only lasted five and a half overs as Waring was caught by Aaron West off Charlie Griffiths' bowling in the 14th over. The number three batsman sent walking with 4 runs off 24 balls.
To Chelmsford's despair, Sterland was bowled by Griffiths two overs after Waring's departure for a steady score of 28 from 46 balls and Brentwood nailed the hosts to 53/3 after 16 overs. Now, James Clifford and Robert Catchpole were the two batsmen at the crease and they were tasked with plugging the loss of wickets whilst increasing the run rate to a more comfortable score. However, after adding a mild 12-run partnership, J. Clifford and Catchpole were broken up when Middlesex's Australian oversees Christopher Green had J. Clifford out LBW. Chelmsford's number 4 out for 13 runs off 24 balls and the hosts at a troubling 69/4 after 21 overs.
J. Cook joined Catchpole and the pair looked well equipped to guide Chelmsford to a more comfortable score. Catchpole, the more aggressive of the two, looked to hit boundaries and did so with a few fours whilst J. Cook eased himself into his innings and took a look at what the wicket was doing. But after adding 16 runs between them to the board, J. Cook played one into the hands of Eddie Ballard from C. Green's bowling in the 27th over. Chelmsford at 89/5.
Ben Clifford joined Catchpole and looked in good shape after hitting two fours in his first four balls, but in the 28th over he was caught by Harry Phillips off the bowling of Griffiths. Chelmsford at a measly 94/6.
Brad Green joined Catchpole and the pair lasted four overs before Griffiths claimed yet another wicket, his fourth; this time caught and bowled. In the 32nd over, a brilliant wicket-maiden from the Brentwood bowler saw Catchpole depart for 17 runs off 49 balls and the hosts at a substandard 97/7.
In the over that followed Griffiths' wicket-maiden, C. Green chose to follow it up likewise. An excellent wicket-maiden from the spinner saw fellow 'surname sharing' B. Green out after being caught by Phillips. Back to back wicket-maidens for Brentwood meant that Chelmsford were at an alarming 97/8 after 33 overs.
Oliver Devenish and Liam Keaney were once again (like many times this season) tasked with manoeuvring Chelmsford out of trouble by digging in and scoring vital tail-end runs and to a certain extent- they did. Keaney, with the help from Devenish, steered the hosts to 123 before he was caught by T. Oakley from Griffiths' bowling; a fifer for him! Keaney out for a small but very important 17 runs off 34 balls. Devenish soon followed his partner when he was caught and bowled by Griffiths for a crucial 18 runs off 32 balls and Chelmsford finished on 134 all out after 43.5 overs. Brentwood's Griffiths finishing with 6 wickets!
Ballard, alongside Essex's promising young opening batsman Will Buttleman, needed to get their side off to a strong start to put the pressure on Chelmsford's bowling attack. But sadly for Brentwood, Buttleman was adjudged LBW from Andy Styan's delivery in the 8th over, the batsman out for 12 off 20. Three balls later, Jack Hebron was also given out LBW, this time from Keaney's bowling. The away side were off to a horrible start at 20/2 from the first 9 overs.
C. Green and Ballard put on a much needed 37-run partnership which spanned across 15 overs before Chelmsford got their third wicket. Waring caught C. Green from Devenish's bowling in the 24th over and the Australian spinner departed the field on 18 runs off 48 balls with his side on 57/3.
Two overs later, a fired up Devenish struck again, twice! The Chelmsford all-rounder bowled Ballard out (25 off 78) on the first ball of the 26th over and then bowled Balmford out for a duck three balls later. An incredible over for the hosts and with Brentwood at 61/5, it was fair to say the momentum was swinging in the favour of Chelmsford.
The relentless wicket taking from the home side didn't stop there. In the over that proceeded Devenish's double, Waring stepped up to claim T. Oakley's wicket after he was caught by J. Cook. Brentwood at a worrying 63/6 after 27 overs.
Aaron West was the next batsman to depart after he nicked one behind to keeper B. Green from Waring's bowling in the 29th over, a wicket-maiden for the Chelmsford spinner. Two wickets in two overs from Waring, having conceding only two runs from them and Brentwood were collapsing fast- 67/7.
Phillips joined Moore but the pair only managed a 4-run partnership before B. Green swiftly stumped Phillips out for a duck, off Devenish's bowling. Brentwood at a catastrophic 71/8 from 32 overs.
Moore and Griffiths steadied the rapid flow of wickets when the pair put on a remarkable 32 run-partnership from 67 balls. But unfortunately for the away side the honeymoon period was over when Waring had Moore out LBW for 25 runs off 47. Limrick joined Griffiths but like Moore, was given out LBW from the bowling of Waring two overs later. Waring and Devenish finishing with 4 wickets each. So with Brentwood all out for 109 from 45 overs, Chelmsford take the victory and earn themselves a vital 25 points in the charge for the league title. Of which they will look to add to when they face Colchester at Castle Park in their next fixture.
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