Another busy Saturday afternoon of sport this week, on what was a great day for the England Cricket team as an incredible test performance against Pakistan saw Zak Crawley and Jos Buttler share a record-breaking 359-run partnership.

But it was a non-event of a day for Essex, as day one of their Bob Willis Trophy encounter away to Hampshire failed to take place due to a damp pitch.

There was plenty of action to report locally though, with a busy programme of fixtures in the Shepherd Neame Essex League.

And in football, a number of our local non-League sides were involved in pre-season friendlies at which limited numbers of spectators were allowed for the first time since the game recommenced post-lockdown.

One of those sides was Brentwood Town, who got the better of Waltham Abbey in an eight-goal thriller and Billericay Town also won, as they continued their preparations for the new season with a win over Barking.

I also found time to play the following list of great music:

Don Henley – The Boys Of Summer

Killers – Caution

Lottery Winners – Love Will Keep Us Together

Lenny Kravitz – Ride

Colin Crooks feat George Redwood – Live The Night Away

Blanks – Favourite Nightmare

Temptations – Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)

Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could

Beabadoobee – Care

The Weeknd – Blinding Lights

Gilbert O’Sullivan – Get Down

Moloko – The Time Is Now

Johnny Hates Jazz – New Day Ahead

DMA’S – The Glow

Katy Perry – Smile

George Michael – Too Funky

Travis – A Ghost

Abba – Knowing Me, Knowing You

Paul Weller – Village

James Brown – Cold Sweat

Scott McWatt – Gimme All Your Love

Kinks – Plastic Man

Orson – Bright Idea

REM – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

Blondfire – Marigold

Oscar Lang – Apple Juice

Carrie Martin and Gordon Giltrap – Time After Time

Abi Flynn – Courage

Police – Walking On The Moon

Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love

Diana Ross – Upside Down