Cricket can be a staggeringly complex and baffling sport on occasions. How does one even begin to try and rationalise how with almost all club cricket washed out across Essex that the four promotion chasing sides in First XI Division 3 managed to complete their fixtures on a sodden day.

Harlow, who started the day with a 14 point cushion over rivals Leigh on Sea, faced the outstanding side in the division in champions West Essex. By hook or by crook they secured the maximum 8 bonus points and came within 5 runs of pulling off an unlikely win.

An overnight deluge in Highams Park had soaked the Rolls Sports ground and with excess water having leaked under the covers any play looked highly questionable. The umpires took the sensible decision to delay the start only for further downpours strike putting off the start until 2pm and reducing the match to 33 overs per side.

Harlow put the home side into bat but any doubts over the playability of the surface soon dissipated as West Essex flew along at a rapid rate. To Harlow’s credit they kept their nerve and Whitworth and Fuller struck in quick succession with the score on 76.

The hosts continued to bat aggressively with Harlow committed in the field and chipping away taking vital wickets. None of the bowlers were spared from the boundary hitting but it felt as if the fall of wickets was arguably more important on the day. Fuller dismissed the dangerous Zareef before Messenger dismissed the highly talented and impressive Zain Akhtar and Noman Javed who had both made half centuries. Umar Raza and skipper Yeats combined to superbly run out Awan as Harlow closed in on maximum bowling points.

Chris Whitworth returned to grab a late brace to add to his earlier wicket and Yeats bowled his opposite number Butt as West Essex posted 213 all out leaving Harlow a stiff target for the win.

Riddell 0-41, Umar Raza 0-27, Whitworth 3-35, Fuller 2-22, Messenger 3-49 and Yeats 1-20.

The Harlow reply was anchored by an excellent second wicket partnership between Chris Whitworth and 16 year old Billy Clark. The pair added 95 and when youngster Clark fell one short of his maiden First XI half century Harlow were remarkably ahead on the DLS calculation.

Alas, as wickets tumbled the visitors fell just off the pace required but some superb hitting ensured the all important figure of 165 to secure maximum batting points was comfortably achieved. Whitworth capped a fine individual performance to make 70 as late hitting from Umar Raza (who made 32*) and Jack Fuller got Harlow to within just 5 runs of the West Essex total.

Given the heavy squalls of rain and general damp conditions this match was a credit to West Essex who did absolutely everything possible to ensure play was possible and to the two umpires who used their experience and reading of the weather and cloud cover superbly to allow play to continue in challenging circumstances.

A narrow defeat but in many respects an excellent result for Harlow who enter the final day of the season at Marigolds next Saturday knowing a victory over Woodford Green would see them promoted at long last.