Wood beaten by just two runs away from home on Saturday

Harold Wood vice-captain Shahbaz Khan was gutted to lose by just two runs at home to Buckhurst Hill in Shepherd Neame Essex Division One.

Wood lost the toss and were put into the field at home, but figures of 5-41 from Taqi Abbas helped dismiss the visitors for 226.

Though skipper Raihan Hussain (74) and Craig Perrin (62) both hit half-centuries for Wood in reply, a lower-order collapse saw them fall agonisingly shot as they were all out for 224.

The result will certainly have hurt the Wood squad, and Khan himself admitted he was gutted to lose by such a small margin.

“To lose in the manner we did was really disappointing because it was so close,” he said.

“There were moments when we were right on it, but our last five wickets went far too cheaply.

“We looked on course to do it at one stage, but then we collapsed badly and that hurt us.”