BELHUS and Horndon on the Hill cricket clubs continue to go head-to-head in the youth indoor cricket competition at Grays School.

The Belhus A team overcame a serious challenge by the Orsett B team to emerge with a 25-run win.

Opening batsman Ryan Wells was the mainstay of the Belhus innings with 35 not out, while Jack Martin-Hussey was also undefeated on 29.

With Jack Wolfe hitting 20, Belhus were able to close on 111 for the loss of four wickets.

Harry Lockyer was the pick of the Orsett bowling with 2-21 from three overs.

Orsett made a superb start to their innings by plundering 42 runs from the first four overs, through Tom Haden, 11, and Lockyer, 18.

But the introduction of Wells and Martin-Hussey into the Belhus attack stemmed the flow of runs.

Martin-Hussey finished with 2-15 from 2.5 overs.

Orsett were eventually dismissed for 86, with Scott Plom top-scoring with 24.

Meanwhile, Horndon’s Connor Hammond hit the highest individual score of this U16 event to date with a fine knock of 55.

Horndon closed on 107 all out and Orsett A, in reply, were held to 77 for the loss of two wickets. Orsett’s James Harvey claimed 2-16 and followed that up by top-scoring with 29 not out.

The Belhus B team claimed their first victory of the tournament with a narrow one-wicket win.

Thurrock, batting first, posted what seemed to be an unassailable target of 104 all out from 11.5 overs. Caine Bundock hit a sparking 43.

For Belhus the most economical bowlers went for just six runs an over, being Sameer Sulemanjee (0-12) and Joe Downes (1-18).

Thurrock made early inroads into the Belhus batting. Bradley Stevens was eventually dismissed for 24 in the ninth over, which left Downes facing a monumental task with 35 runs still required with just 22 deliveries remaining.

Downes kept his nerve to earn his team a remarkable win. The competition resumes for its penultimate week on April 20.