Five-star Fenn inspires Hutton

Romford Recorder: Stuart Feeley in batting action for Hutton (pic: Gavin Ellis/TGSPHOTO)Stuart Feeley in batting action for Hutton (pic: Gavin Ellis/TGSPHOTO) (Image: ©TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468)

Gidea Park & Romford came up agonisingly short in their Essex League Division Two clash with Leigh at Gallows Corner.

Matt Connaughton struck early with the new ball after Leigh won the toss and chose to bat, but the second-wicket pair put on 68 before Shawn Findlay made the breakthrough.

The total moved to 114-2 when Russ Collard bowled Dean Waller and wickets fell at regular intervals after that, as Pete Collier (2-21) and Zisan Abedin (2-51) combined.

Connaughton (4-15) came back for his second spell and mopped up the tail to end the Leigh innings on 192.

But Park lost Abedin before a run had been scored and Collard followed cheaply to leave them 20-2.

Captain Jamal Francis (24) and Elliot Joyner both fell with the score on 38 and Sam Hewitt departed to leave the home side 48-5.

Collier gave Findlay dogged support in a 48-run stand, to which he contributed six runs, but Michael Pegram did not last long as Park slipped to 98-7.

James Pegram provided a perfect foil for Findlay, hitting a six and five fours in his 35 to take Park to the bring of their revised target of 173.

But after his departure, tailenders Connaughton and Charlie Haddon were dismissed by successive balls from Patrick Groves (4-38) to leave Findlay stranded on 71 not out, having hit five sixes and five fours in a 59-ball knock, and Park defeated by just two runs.

Hutton claimed a convincing win at Horndon, after a five-star bowling display from Mitchell Fenn.

Put into bat by the home side, Hutton dug deep to eke out a total of 143 in 49 overs.

Wickets fell at regular intervals and Hutton also had to deal with a short rain break, but skipper Stuart Feeley led the way with 42 from 91 balls.

Daniel Hagger (20) and Tom Patterson werre the only other Hutton batsmen to reach double figures, but Carl Mumba and Patterson struck early with the ball in Horndon’s reply to reduce them to 3-2.

Mumba (2-21) had more success, before Fenn ran through the middle order to leave Horndon 79-7.

And after Jon Hammond (2-22) nabbed a brace to take Hutton to the brink, Fenn completed a 53-run win and fine figures of 5-20.