Walthamstow 138-10
Horndon-on-the Hill 222-6
(Division Two)

WALTHAMSTOW were unable to build on their opening win and crashed to a heavy 84-run defeat at Buck Walk at the hands of Horndon-on-the Hill.

Having won the toss home skipper Greg Harris elected to put the visitors in to bat first on a damp track. And with Dave Stitson (11) and Bip Keeping (one) quickly removed by Michael Harris it seemed a good decission. But opener Paul Bennett (82) would prove far more difficult to remove.

Coupled with knocks of 16,18 and 30 respectively from Steve Mendes, Khartade and Liam Hubbard, along with an excellent undefeated 52 from Jason Plom the visitors battled their way to a very useful 222-6 from their alloted 48 overs. Michael Harris was the E17 boys' star man with the ball with figures of 4-99 from his 17 overs, while brother Greg along with Dave Burnage both chipped in with a wicket each. Stow openers Ashley Leat (16) and Ben Smith (30) got the home side's reply off to a reasonable start, before Mendes (5-37) began working his way through the Walthamstow order. And with Haroon Malik (13), Faisal Sattar (10) Michael Harris (30) and Burnage (15) picking up the only other double figure scores Stow were well short of the required run rate.

And any hopes they had for holding out for a draw were swept away by Dave Goldstone, who took care of the tail, with a three-wicket haul that saw him with figures of 3-42 and saw Walthamstow fall some 85 runs short of victory.