Chelmsford Cricket Club enjoyed a fairly decent weekend overall, especially in light of the selection issues lower down.

Three wins and one defeat on Saturday was an excellent return, and there was a good win over Buckhurst Hill with a weakened side in the Sunday League game.

The most disappointing aspect was the T20 defeat to North Middlesex in the Area Finals Day, the result of a poor performance.

The first team returned to winning ways with a four-wicket success away at Ilford in the Essex League Premier Division.

A team effort with the ball saw Ilford restricted to 163 with Karamat Ali claiming three wickets. In chasing this total down several batsmen got in, but none could advance past the 30s resulting in six wickets being lost.

The second team recovered well to win an exciting match against Brentwood by four runs. Excellent bowling and fielding by Brentwood allied with some poor batting saw Chelmsford restricted to 163.

The third team also recovered to win a game that it looked like they would lose. Poor bowling and fielding enabled South Woodford to total 185-9.

Chelmsford were 106-6 in reply and a South Woodford victory looked on the cards but Craig Thompson (55*) and Harry Arnold (45*) batted well to win the game for Chelmsford.

A weakened fourth team lost away at Hainault and Clayhall.

The fifth team drew away at Old Southendians. Jack Campion, with 109*, was the mainstay of Chelmsford’s 225-7, with Old Southendians on 212-8 at the end.

Abraham Kurian, with five for 67, did the most for Chelmsford in their pursuit of victory.

team travelled to Reading on Sunday for the area finals of the T20 competition, although

fairly quickly wished they hadn’t as a poor performance saw them exit at the semi

-

final stage. After

having North Middlesex 50

-

5 some slapdash bowling and fielding all

owed the innings to recover to

16

8

-

9

. Even so on a flat pitch with a fast outfield and one very short

boundary this should have been

gett

able. Not to Chelmsford on this day though, as they collapsed to 8

3

all out, with numbers 10 and

11 the third and fourt

h top scorers

.

The Sunday first team enjoyed

what was

an excellent win over Buckhurst Hill

by 31 runs

, given the

selection problems caused by the fixture clash. A side containing no Saturday first

-

teamers

accumulated 226

-

4, Chris Thanos making 60 and Lee

Cranmer 57*.

Wickets for all of Robert Hayto,

Liam Keaney, James Arnold and Alistair Fergus ensured that this total was not bettered, despite

Buckhurst Hill’s fast