Below-par Sports suffer defeat (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Below-par Sports suffer defeat

4:45pm Thursday 2nd July 2009

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BELOW-PAR Burnham Sports suffered a nine-wicket defeat away to Old Chelmsfordians at Lawford Lane.

Sports were chasing a fifth successive T Rippon Mid-Essex League first division success but never looked like recovering after being bowled out for 169.

That was some 80 runs short of the kind of total that they had hoped to post and the Old Boys were not extended to take advantage.

Sports begun well enough, winning the toss on a sultry day and moving to 62 for one in the 14th over.

However, not for the first time this season, they struggled to impose themselves when the slower bowlers were introduced into the attack.

Paul Green (31), Joel Whittaker (30), Jamie Hamilton (29) and Ali Allchin (29) all got themselves established without being able to go on and make a significant score.

The rest of the batting was flimsy, with Neil Saunders the only other to get into double figures.

Tom Lee finished with four for 47.

Old Chelmsfordians had their noses firmly in front and tightened their grip via the aggressive Damian Westwood, who made a rapid 35 before having his off stump disturbed by Allchin.

It was to prove Burnham’s only scalp, though, as Mark Wickham (71 not out) and Dips Patel (47 not out) resisted the efforts of seven different bowlers.

There was no doom or gloom for Burnham’s second team as they trounced Rettendon by ten wickets in their division eight fixture.

Mike Forshaw’s decision to bowl reaped a rich dividend as Rettendon were shot out for 84.

The evergreen pair of Roger Perrin (12-4-20-3) and Greg Campion (9.4-1-24-4) did the bulk of the damage, with the lively Ashley Wade (7-2-9-2) also impressing.

Fourteen-year-olds Fuad Ahmed and Tom Stephens kept up the pressure during their ten overs.

The bowlers were ably supported in the outfield, with Forshaw and Wade sharing four catches.

A heavy downpour threatened to spoil all of Burnham's good work but, thankfully, the elements relented. When they did, teenage brothers Sayeid Ahmed (50 not out) and Fuad (30 not out) needed only 21.2 overs to complete victory.

This Saturday, the seconds host Writtle (start 1.30pm), while the first team travel in the opposite direction.

On Sunday, Burnham have a Warsop Central Essex League fixture at home to Rayleigh.

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