Saturday

Canvey Island I            214-7
Great Baddow II         139-6    
Canvey won by 75 runs 

Peter Cook provided the true performance of class on a day where grinding was the name of the game rather than showmanship. The top-of-the-table clash always promised to be a dour affair on a difficult pitch and so it proved. After an indifferent start, Cook came to the wicket and after a watchful beginning, started to push the bowling around in his studied manner. Eventually dismissed for 74 his innings provided the backbone to Canvey’s total of 214, supplemented at the end with brisk knocks of 35 from Dave Knox and 34 not out from John Gunn. In reply Baddow started slowly and never looked likely to match the required rate. Woolf (42) and Smith (52 not out) offered most resistance, with Lee Banks (3 for 21) proving the pick of the bowlers.

Canvey Island II         157-4
Ashingdon                  158-5    
Canvey lost by 5 wickets

Another fighting performance from Dave Shroder and Ken Roberts was not enough to bring Canvey their second win of the season on Saturday. Shroder (45) and Roberts (88 not out) combined to put on an impressive 125 for the second wicket, Shroder continuing with the form that brought a half-century in the previous game. However, once he was dismissed no one else was able to up the tempo against some accurate Ashingdon bowling, and Canvey closed on 157-4. Two early wickets apiece from Mark Gorman and Dave Higgins put Canvey in a strong position. However, there were undone by a belligerent unbeaten knock of 90 from Frost. A lack of incisive bowling support enabling Ashingdon to sneak home by five wickets.