This was the second draw in as many weeks, but what a contrast with the emotions at the end.              

Last week against North Weald both teams were full of excitement about the ebb and flow of the game and the fact that the game was still in the balance right up until the last ball. 

This week however had a dull conclusion and the feeling from the Rosaneri camp of what might have been. Nonetheless the draw was secured and Rosaneri move forward looking to the next game.                                       

The game started well for the Pinks and Sheridan balanced the bowling exceptionally well in very hot conditions. Stephen Underwood made a deserved breakthrough and followed up very quickly with the prize wicket of the home team’s danger man. 

Lindsell battled back after being bogged down by Jimmy Mitchell and Nick to push towards a decent but not startling total. A couple of late wickets were more than deserved by the pinks and were probably unlucky as a team not to claim 3 or 4 more. 

The Rosaneri reply with the bat got off to a good paced start with Tony and Big Mike putting a solid 35 on the board before the first departure. 

Mike batted superbly with Shell and the runs started to accumulate leaving 140 to get off 20 overs with 9 wickets in tact. At this point the away fans had real hope of a famous victory. 

A superb maiden club 50 for Mike was enthusiastically cheered by the Rosaneri boys and all the talk was of us kicking on for the win. 

However the scoreboard ground to a halt once Shell went trying to force the issue, and a flurry of wickets put the pinks well behind. Things had certainly got a lot tougher, but not impossible. 

With 80 required from 8 overs the white flag was waived much to the disappointment of the crowd. It was probably lucky that this game was being played in picturesque Essex rather than Eden Gardens in India where fires would have started and the bottles of urine would have been flying for sure.