Price is right but Wells see their title hopes disappear

29 July 2010

SNEL Premier Division

Woodford Wells 250 lost to

Brentwood 251-5 by five wickets

YET ANOTHER stylish batting display from Nathan Price was not enough to stop Woodford Wells crashing to defeat, as their title challenge suffered a potentially terminal blow, writes Rob Hendry.

Brentwood, the top side in the division, made hay with the willow to extinguish Luke O'Reilly's hopes of improving their fourth- place position.

"I think that's our title hopes gone now. Apart from Nathan we just came up a bit short with the bat," the skipper lamented.

"They were the better side and, in the end, they didn't even have to force the issue. Our total was never going to be enough.

"We went into their reply thinking we were going to win or lose, but as their innings went on a draw went from being the unlikeliest option to the most likely.

"We might have managed it, but they scored something like 36 from their last four overs to really knock us out."

Electing to bat first, O'Reilly's side made a promising start against such capable opposition, as a partnership between Rishabh Shah (36) and Robert Marshall (25) raced themto 75-1. The innings then seemed to collapse as Marshall and Lieper fell in quick succession to leave Wells languishing at 81-3.

Enter all-rounder Price, whose partnership with William Rogers (25) and then Maruf Chowdhury (15) injected some urgency into the middle-order, as Woodford raced to 198-5.

Price eventually went at 231-6, and with him went Wells' threat as the tail was bowled out, scoring only a handful more runs through Rory Ellison (12), Thomas Styles (4) and O'Reilly (4).

The innings was thwarted by commanding attacking bowling from Nuwan Shiroman (3-53) and Ian Belchamber (4-30), who caught and bowled dangerman Price.

Wells still had a glimmer of hope, but it seemed to be extinguished as Brentwood raced well above the required run-rate in reply.

First Jonathan Walford (60) and James Redwood (61) helped them reach 123-2, after opener Aaron West had been dismissed to leave Brentwood at 83-1.

Then Redwood and Richard Walford (27) turned the screw, as Wood closed in on their target at 192-4.

Max Osborne (33) and Gulfraz Muwas (16) eventually finished off O'Reilly's charges, as Wells bowler Rory Ellison (2-84) failed to find a route through a ruthless home defence.

After a crucial period of games against sides around them in the Premier Division table, Woodford now lie level with Loughton in fourth on 159 points.

Languishing 32 points behind Saturday's first-placed opponents, Wells will host third-placed Chelmsford this weekend with youth in mind.

"We're going to try and blood some of our youngsters now," claimed O'Reilly.

"Although we also have some returning players in Adam Wheater and Dan Majid, who should still make us dangerous.