Weekly Round Up

The 2023 NECL season got off to an excellent start with Sudbury and Colchester & E.E. providing a thrilling finish. With the weather in the previous week, causing groundsmen all over the county no end of problems in preparation, it was remarkable that the game went ahead.

In a game reduced to 35 overs per side, it was Sudbury who took first knock after Colchester & E.E. won the toss. The Sudbury top order all made good starts without going on to post anything big, indeed the highest score of the day came from Ben Reece (47 for 41 balls, including 4 sixes). Isaac Tombs (39), Jordan Morris (29) and Jonathan Amos (25no) boosted the total to 188 for 6. Jonty Ray (2 for 28) was the most successful of the visiting bowlers.

Darren Eckford (29) and Joe Austin (27) gave the visitors a solid base in their reply, before Jonathan Amos (3 for 44) claimed both their wickets. The Colchester reply was then very much dependent on a middle order stand between Keir Young (26) and Jonty Ray (36), after a number of wickets tumbled. Jordan Morris (2 for 29) and Ben Reece (2 for 31) also amongst the wickets for Sudbury.

In the end the game came down to the last wicket pairing of Ben Stephens (7no) and Vikas Agarwal (12no) to see Colchester to the narrowest of victories with two balls to spare.

This coming weekend Colchester will look to continue their winning start, as they welcome promoted West Bergholt to Castle Park