Mark Gilfrin is the talk of High Roding Cricket Club after he claimed a hat-trick in his side’s win over Sawbridgeworth.

Gilfrin’s three wickets in three balls turned the tide of the game for his 2nds team and he went on to claim a stunning seven wickets in total after earlier starring with the bat in High Roding’s innings as he also struck 65*.

On a day’s action that was interrupted by rain, Roding managed to score 207 off an adjusted 38 overs with Gilfrin’s half-century being added to by decent scores from the likes of Andy Duke (40), Grant Murray (27) and Adrian Pask’s (27).

With Sawbridgeworth steaming along at 104-0 in reply, Gilfrin was to change the match.

He took the wicket of the opener before in his next over claimed the wickets of three more unfortunate Sawbridgeworth souls to complete his sensational hat-trick.

The first ball of the next over saw yet another wicket and Gilfrin finished with figures of 7-27 from eight overs as Roding strolled to victory.

High Roding’s first team were also in action at the weekend but they continued their season of woe on the road at Great Baddow.

Roding were put in to bat in overcast conditions that certainly suited the Baddow swing bowlers and the visitors found it very difficult to get early runs on the board.

In fact only six runs were scored off the first five overs before a series of no balls helped along the score.

Their slow progress was halted when Adam Holdgate fell for 18 to leave the score on 39-1.

Steve Chambers then followed having scored 11 and the wicket was then occupied by Nick Bonner and Alex Pollard.

Slow bowling was then introduced and Bonner fell for 31 to be followed by Pollard. Rory Burns found the tail collapsing around him with those in at numbers seven, eight and nine falling for ducks.

Joe Grant and Burns tried to push the score along but with Burns falling for 23 Roding were left on 145 all out with five overs to spare.

Roding’s quick bowlers started impressively in reply with Grant showing great pace. However, dropped catches were Roding’s undoing.

Freddie Burns took 2-39 but a score of 146-6 saw the home side to victory.