WICKFORD I...........................198 all out

BILLERICAY I.........................187 all out

(Wickford won by 11 runs)

(Shepherd Neame Essex League)

Saturday saw a hugely disappointing result for Billericay. Just a week after they had gone close to beating the top of the table side, they managed to lose to the team propping up the table and without a win before Saturday's encounter.

Billericay will look to a lack of backbone in the batting for this dismal performance which saw wickets tumble when seemingly the platform for victory had been laid.

From 32 for three, Damian Brandy and Paul Southgate (32) set about repairing the damage which they achieved with a 78 run partnership.

However, the breaking of their partnership was the catalyst for a collapse of schoolboy proportions as four wickets went down for the addition of a mere six runs.

Brandy and Danny Pryke (13) then seemed to have got their side back on track as they took the score along to 147 but the departure of Brandy (85) saw the pendulum swing back in the visitors' favour.

The Billericay cause was not helped by a ninth wicket run out which left the last pair needing a further 46 for victory.

They got close with Ian Pont (13 n.o) seemingly marshalling his troops in true captain's fashion but it was not to be.

For Wickford, Morss (4-41). Hammond (2-27) and Baker (2-36) were the lucky recipients of a poor batting display by the home side.

Earlier, Wickford were indebted to Gray (26) and Sharp (88) for the bulk of their scoring, while Jon Walford (3-21) again proved to be the pick of the bowlers.

A trip to Woodford Wells faces Billericay this Saturday and they will be looking to win on a track that should favour their strong bowling line-up.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.