At tea, the complexion of Saturday's game was rather different to that after the interval, as at the break, Wickford had made significant and rapid progress towards their mammoth target.

Billericay skipper Ian Pont sat his players down and demanded an improvement and an increase in the intensity of their performance.

Consequently it was a different Billericay side that took the field for the last session and they quickly got on top and consigned the home side to their second consecutive heavy defeat.

The introduction of Andy Maxwell and Pont to the bowling attack proved to be the decisive factor as the pair ripped the heart of the Wickford innings which slumped from 78 for one to 116 for seven in quick time.

Gray (43) and Letch (39) had given the home side a superb start against some wayward bowling, but most of the rest of the order failed to make an impression.

Only late resistance from Baker (23) and Went (15 no out) gave the innings a semblance of respectability.

Of the bowlers, Maxwell was the pick with a 20 over spell that yielded four for 36.

Pont finished with three for 17 and Danny Law made further strides to finish with two for 35, the victory being sealed with over an hour of playing time remaining.

Earlier, the Billericay batsmen performed well in passing a triple century in just 60 overs.

After losing an early wicket Andy Bethell (29) and Danny Pryke (36) added 63 for the second wicket before Bethell was run out by a direct hit.

At 120 for four, the innings required a lift and this was provided by Danny Law and Damian Brandy as they added 103 in quick time.

Law completed a magnificent century which included 13 fours and five sixes.

His first 50 took a mere 42 balls and the second just 36. He was eventually dismissed for 119.

Brandy fell just four runs short f a deserved half century but even after his departure the innings didn't fall away and Paul Southgate (26 n.o) and Barry De Goode (27 n.o) put on an unbeaten 59 for the seventh wicket before the declaration was called.

Billericay's next League encounter is this Saturday when Woodford Wells are the visitors to Blunts Wall.

It is expected that Billericay will have a new bowler in their line-up, the mystery man having also just been signed by Essex.

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