Although the Old Boys picked up only three points from this defeat -- one less than neighbours Southend, the only team below them in the Division Two table, they were far from downhearted.

They gave second-placed Brentwood a good game despite being without a number of star players due to holidays.

In fact, first team skipper Jeremy Lawford, who was in charge for the first time following James Blackmore's move to Devon, might have been celebrating a winning start if his side had managed 30 more runs.

As it was a 106 total was always going to be difficult to defend -- even though they made a decent stab at it.

One major plus of having established players missing was that a number of the Old Boys' youngsters came in to give sterling displays.

Opener Robert Johnston, on his debut, made 18 and 17 year-old Russell Dennis hit 41 after getting off the mark with a six.

Brentwood were soon to know that they were still in a game when they took the crease with 21-year-old Tim Dennis taking 5-53 in a 15-over spell of hostile bowling.

Two other debutantes did well with the ball, Rob Naylor taking 2-21 and 50-year-old Terry Hammond Snr giving an impressive display of economy with 0-30 in eight.

Club captain Chris Bunce admitted: "It was disappointing that we couldn't score more runs, but we bowled and fielded well and the youngsters who came in certainly made their mark."

Published Monday, June 30, 2003

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