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Scorecard

Basildon & Pitsea CC 4th XI v Woodham Mortimer Cricket Club SECOND XI on Sat 24 May 2025 at 13:00
Woodham Mortimer Cricket Club Won by 28

Match report In a clash of chaotic brilliance, Woodham Mortimer 2nd XI faced Basildon & Pitsea 4th XI in a match defined by luck, leadership, and lunacy.
The coin toss was lost (heads, of course), but so began the show. Openers Gavin Cook and Andrew Brown set the tone—Gav with a calm 8 before deciding that batting was overrated, departing early. Andrew followed last week’s form with a sensational 41, including a six that may still be airborne over Vange.
At three, Mark Broadhurst, now under investigation as Basildon’s 12th man, chipped in with 1. Neil Cook also made 8, briefly confused about whether the ball had been bowled. Sparks flew. The flame had been lit.
Then came the fireworks. Enter Muhammed Umair Nawaz. Dropped multiple times, dismissed on a no-ball, and somehow immune to logic, he smashed a jaw-dropping 136. His innings was part divine, part absurd, and completely unforgettable—featuring 15 fours and 7 sixes that broke Basildon spirits (and possibly windows).
Captain George Verlander steadied the ship with a stylish 33, before trying to do his best Umair impression with a straight 6, which was gleefully caught at long on. However, he trudged off safe in the knowledge of his tail-order’s ability.
Post-George, the tail collapsed. Jack Preston scored 1 before returning to question his life choices, while Stevie Gunshon and Zaahir Patel embraced their inner minimalist by scoring 0 each – performance art, perhaps. Stuart Careless protected his average and Steve Collis wisely refused to join the madness.
WMCC: 256-8
After posting a magnificent total, largely thanks to Verlander’s inspired batting line-up selection, WMCC took to the field with a collective limp.
With ball in hand, Jack Preston opened with enthusiasm (if not accuracy), while Umair, though wicketless, launched a short-ball assault that doubled as trauma therapy for Basildon’s top order.
Verlander bowled a clinical spell and, after watching two dropped catches off his bowling, took matters into his own hands with a soaring grab to thunderous applause and a few muttered apologies from the guilty parties. A captain leads by example – and George’s example said: stop mucking about.
They said he was past it. They were wrong. Steve Collis, resplendent in experience and tactical nous, bowled an 8-over spell of controlled wizardry for just 26 runs, picking up a vital wicket. It was vintage stuff – think red wine, vinyl records, and leather armchairs. If you squinted, you could almost see the echoes of 2005. A true masterclass in "age before beauty." Fantastic.
In the field, Woodham’s athleticism could best be described as a fan-made thriller video. With a mobility rating somewhere between a scarecrow and a speed bump, the team’s agility kept the crowd entertained and George’s blood pressure elevated.
With the game in the balance and an unexpected turn of goodwill, Zaahir Patel, Stuart Careless, and Steve Gunshon collectively decided to keep things interesting. Between them, they offered Basildon 85 runs in 10 overs, occasionally threatening to invent an entirely new format of the game.
Zaahir’s mix of darting deliveries and “oops” moments earned him 1 wicket, while Stu and Gunshon took the brave stance of not taking wickets so Basildon could get within touching distance – only for Woodham to snatch victory like a pantomime villain at the last gasp.
Preston and Verlander return at the death to find their line and lengths, ripping through Basildon like a chainsaw through cheesecake, providing the opposition with their just deserts for giving Umair, the cat, all of those lives.
This was no ordinary game. It was theatre. It was comedy. It was Woodham Mortimer Cricket Club in full, glorious chaos.
WMCC: Won by 28 runs.
Player of the Match:
Muhammed Umair Nawaz – 136 runs, 9 lives, infinite legend status.
Investigation Pending:
Mark Broadhurst’s allegiance.
Honourable Mention:
George Verlander submitting sporting marks on time.

Woodham Mortimer Cricket Club SECOND XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
11nb 6w 8b 3lb 
for 8 wickets
28
256		        
Gavin Cook b Z Swain 8 13 2 61.54
Andrew Brown ct K scannell b P Ellis 41 64 5 1 64.06 1
Mark Broadhurst ct K scannell b T Currington 1 4 25.00
Muhammad Umair Nawaz Not Out  136 100 15 7 136.00
Neil Cook b J Anjilivelil 8 11 1 72.73 2 1
George Verlander ct T Currington b Z Swain 33 45 6 73.33 2
Jack Preston ct M Ather b K Jennings 1 4 25.00
Stevie Gunshon st K scannell b K Jennings 0 2 0
Zaahir Patel ct K Jennings b T Currington 0 6 0
Stuart Careless Not Out  0 2 0
Steve Collis  

Basildon & Pitsea CC 4th XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Zach Swain8.0147223.505.88
Ted Currington6.0136218.006.00
Peter Ellis8.0047147.005.88
Kirby Jennings8.0140220.005.00
Joseph Anjilivelil6.0238138.006.33
Reece Eustace4.003700.009.25

Basildon & Pitsea CC 4th XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
5nb 3w 12b 3lb 
for 10 wickets
23
228 (39.0 overs)		     
Abhijeet Bhandari b J Preston 12 27 2 44.44
Manikant Dhiman ct G Verlander b G Verlander 54 62 9 1 87.10
kiegan scannell ct N Cook b J Preston 0 2 0
J Cleavely st N Cook b S Collis 51 56 6 1 91.07
Muhammad Ather ct N Cook b Z Patel 10 23 1 43.48
Reece Eustace ct A Brown b J Preston 35 30 3 2 116.67
Ted Currington run out  (N Cook) 39 28 4 2 139.29
Peter Ellis lbw G Verlander 1 4 25.00
Joseph Anjilivelil ct G Verlander b G Verlander 0 2 0
Kirby Jennings Not Out  1 3 33.33
Zach Swain b J Preston 2 2 100

Woodham Mortimer Cricket Club SECOND XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jack Preston8.003548.754.38
Muhammad Umair Nawaz6.003700.006.17
George Verlander7.0130310.004.29
Steve Collis8.0126126.003.25
Zaahir Patel6.0039139.006.50
Stuart Careless2.002500.0012.50
Stevie Gunshon2.002100.0010.50

  • Umpire :
  • Scorer :
    Stu Careless