Hornchurch captain Billy Gordon hoping rain stays away

Hornchurch captain Billy Gordon is hoping the rain stays away this weekend as his side look to maintain their hopes of a double.

The Hamro Foundation Essex League Premier Division leaders head to bottom club Loughton on Saturday, sitting 27 points clear at the summit.

And they head to Hutton in the quarter-finals of the Dukes Essex League Cup on Sunday, having seen their league clash abandoned last weekend.

“We’ve just got to keep going,” he said. 

“Loughton have got some good players, there’s no whipping boys in the league this year.

“If we play well, hopefully we will be alright. The forecast is saying showers again but hopefully it’ll be ok.

“The weather has been a bit crap for the last couple of weeks, with showers all the time.

“Hutton in the cup quarter-final. It’s another trophy we’d like to win if we can.

“We’re as strong as we can be for the weekend with Jamie Sorrell back for Luke Edwards on Saturday, then Luke for Jamie on Sunday. We’ve just got to try and play well.”

Gordon put Hutton into bat at Harrow Lodge Park and threw the new ball to spinners Adeel Malik and Ronnie Saunders.

The move appeared to be paying off too, as Malik (3-30) and Saunders (3-36) reduced the visitors to 22-4, then 78-6, before an unbroken 34-run stand saw Hutton reach lunch without further loss.

“We knew the weather was coming so we used an old pitch and we started really well,” added Gordon.

“We tried to get a sneaky quick win, but we just ran out of time.

“They had one partnership towards the end and we got to lunch, but we didn’t come back. Once it started raining it didn’t stop for about 12 hours!

“It was a shame, it was a game we wanted to play and expected to win. Especially with the games as they were with some of the other teams playing each other.”

Second-placed Colchester saw their meeting with third-placed Colchester rained off, as Brentwood’s encounter with Wanstead suffered the same fate.

But Hornchurch remain in pole position with six games to go and the club are also preparing for a special charity fun day in support of Oddballs on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

“It’s an eight-a-side T10 tournament with our four main sponsors,” said Gordon.

“It should be good fun. There will be music, a bouncy castle, some of the lads are getting their chests waxed to raise money for charity!

“Oddballs is a good charity to help and we’re hoping loads of people come over. It should be a really good day, weather permitting!”