Twos Fall Just Short

After the disappointment of the late cancellation last week the 2s got their season underway with the long trip to picturesque Brockley.

Captain Ben Gibbons made the perfect start in winning the toss and immediately chose to bowl first.

Luke Sanders and Callum Figg took the new ball looking to take advantage of the lord’s like slope running across the ground.

Sanders took the 2s first wicket of the season having Jeffries superbly caught be Rufus Miller.

Coming on first change Jim Gregory made it 41-2 striking mccaffery plumb in front. A critical 90 run partnership then followed during which Maldon slowed the scoring rate with canny bowling and excellent Fielding.

Wily Al Johnson 2-35 then struck twice in an over to peg Brockley back. Fellow spinner James Ellis 3-52 then struck at the opposite end but neither could stop Huffer 85no guiding Brockley through to 189-8.

After enjoying the hosts stunning tea Maldons run chase started slowly with 5 runs off the first 5 overs including the dismissal of Stuart Coker for 1.

A 66 run partnership between James Ellis 41 and Angus Beames 54 brought Maldon back into the game with a mixture of solid defence and selective hitting. After the dismissal of Ellis and James Gregory to successive deliveries Maldon rebuilt again with a 61 run partnership between Beames and captain Gibbons 45. However once both departed leaving the score at 147-5 the Brockley attack strangled the Maldon tail of Johnson, Foakes, Miller and Figg regularly taking wickets leaving debutant James Stock 20no stranded at the wrong end in the critical last few overs, Unfortunately no11 Sanders was unable to hit the last ball for 6 for the tie leaving Maldon short on 184-9.

Despite the defeat a haul of 8points leaves the 2s 4th in the table with lots of positives to take from the opening game and into week 3, home to Hadleigh.