I hadn't seen a 2s match for about 2/3 years but was at Billericay yesterday v Lancs. As Nat says it was a sad reflection on how thin our resources are, exacerbated by first team demands presumably-I made it Lancs had at least 8 contracted players on the field ,some with a lot of experience eg Bailey, Parkinson, Bell, Balderson, Bohannon, Hurst, while we had just one, who hasn't yet figured in the first XI in any format-Killeen, who I thought didn't bowl badly considering. In the circs I suppose we did well to scrape a draw. But there is zero atmosphere there in contrast to the old 2nd XI festivals at Coggeshall and Halstead or Bishops Stortford, where the home club made an effort. Coupled with the lack of any publicity about the team this is all part of the hollowed out, minimal club Essex is fast becoming under the present invisible management.
