Weekly Round Up (w/e 18th August)

It was a tough week for the club, with poor availability and challenging fixtures against top-of-the-table teams leading to losses across all our Saturday league games. You can watch highlights of the 2nd team on our YouTube channel. With just two weeks left in the season, here’s a rundown of where each team currently stands in their respective divisions:

• 1st XI (Div 1): The 1st XI are currently 5th in the league, 45 points behind 4th-placed Ilford Catholic. With only 9 points separating Rayleigh from 6th-placed Ingatestone and 7th-placed East Hanningfield, the battle for mid-table positions is fierce.
• 2nd XI (Div 3): The 2nd XI sit in 8th place and face 9th-placed Great Waltham this weekend—a match that could be decisive for both teams in the context of relegation or remaining in the division next year.
• 3rd XI (Div 7): After their defeat last weekend, the 3rd XI find themselves edging closer to the relegation zone in 7th place. With only 14 points separating Rayleigh from 9th-placed Broomfield, a win from one of the final two fixtures is crucial.
• 4th XI (Div 9): A loss to a strengthened Upminster side on Saturday has dropped the 4th XI to 7th in their division. They need just one more win to ensure safety from relegation, but with a 37-point gap between Rayleigh and 9th-placed Navestock, relegation remains unlikely.
• 5th XI (Div 10): The 5th XI are currently 3rd in the league, trailing Great Totham—relegated from Division Nine last year—by 17 points. To challenge for a top spot, the team needs to secure wins in their remaining games, with other results also needing to go in our favour.
• 6th XI (Div 11): In a 12-team division, the 6th XI are positioned 7th. However, with only 20 points separating Rayleigh from 5th-placed Boreham & Roxwell, there’s still plenty to play for in the final stretch.

It’s been a good week for Rayleigh CC Under 11 Owls. On Sunday the team played a friendly against Hadleigh & Thundersely on the main pitch at John Burrows. Batting first Rayleigh scored 117-2 (net 107) with Henry, Jacob and Alfie all amongst the runs. In replay our first eight overs (bowled by our all female bowling line up of Isabel, Freya, Meg and Yukta) conceded just 28 runs and took 4 wickets. Hadleigh never recovered and finished 115-6 (net 85). Seven of the team will remain with our Under 11’s next season so looking forward to a strong 2025.

We were invited at short notice to enter a team into the Essex Mini Matchplay on Tuesday evening. This is an annual event held on the outfield of the Essex CCC ground at Chelmsford starting at 16.00 and continuing under floodlights until 21.00. Teams comprise 8 players who play four 8 over softball matches against other clubs. Everyone bats, bowls and keeps wicket for one over. It isn’t a competition (although the games are scored) and there is no winner. Its all about having fun and the experience. Rayleigh’s eight players comprised: Meg, William, Rian, Jacob, Harry Boyce, Harry Rykens, Jamie and Henry. We were ably supported by coaches Ian Turnbull, Kat Mayfield and James Balkwill.

In our four games we won two (Rayleigh 136 v Brentwood 90 and Rayleigh 90 v Hatfield Heath 83) and lost the two closest games of the day (Rayleigh 98 vs Writtle 103 and Braintree 72 v Rayleigh 70). However, results didn’t matter and a great time was had by all.

There was some brutal batting (including Jacob hitting the ball out of the ground), some amazing fielding and some fiery bowling. It wasn’t just about the cricket either, in between matches we met Charlie Allison who signed all of our teams shirts. We had our team photo with FirstBus (who sponsored the event – check out FirstBus East Instagram page for our team photo, due to be uploaded in due course) and who provided the team with some stylish new sunglasses.

We ate junk food and ice cream, we sang and danced to Sweet Caroline (complete with flashing county ground floodlights to add an authentic Ibiza feel) and we received our medals. Thanks to the coaches for their help marshalling the troops, the parents for providing transport, refreshment and very vocal support and the team for being well behaved and playing so well. I hope to be able to enter a team in this event going forward, it was lots of fun.

The club is happy to confirm that the colt end of year awards will be hosted at the clubhouse on Saturday 21st September in the evening. Times and more specifics will be confirmed in due course; however, please save the date and be ready to celebrate the achievements of our fantastic colts section (up to U15 age groups) on the night!

Celebrate the end of the 2024 cricket season in style at our Dinner and Dance Awards Night! Join us for awards, good food and music.

The event is taking place on Friday 11th October 2024 at Saxon Hall in the Jubilee Suite. Tickets cost just £35 per person (a reduction on last years costs) and include a two course meal, DJ for the evening and prizes/awards.

Find out more regarding the event and how to register by clicking here.

The 1st XI travelled to face top-of-the-table Little Baddow in Division One, knowing they had a tough task ahead. On what looked like an absolute batting paradise, Matt Verrinder lost the toss and Rayleigh were asked to field first.

Little Baddow capitalised on the perfect batting conditions, racing to 163 for the first wicket before Jake Osbourn trapped Waqas Mahmood in front, just two runs shy of his century. Not long after, Hal Pearson (87) was dismissed by Jason Ox, thanks to a sharp catch from Sam Verrinder. Despite these breakthroughs, Little Baddow had already inflicted significant damage and missed chances in the field unfortunately allowed Baddow to accelerate the run rate further. Tuttlebee (22 from 12), Haris Mahmood (29 from 19), and Farhan Mahmood (84 from 63) piled on the pressure, propelling Little Baddow to an imposing total of 365-5 from their 45 overs. Jake Osbourn ending the innings with Rayleigh’s best bowling figures of 2-43.

Rayleigh’s reply got off to the worst possible start, with opener Ian Turnbull falling for a five-ball duck in the second over. Sam Keene and Steve Lynch attempted to rebuild the innings, putting on a fifty-run partnership, before both were dismissed in the same over, falling to sharp catches by Waqas at short cover. Jake Osbourn looked promising before falling for 12, followed soon after by Jess Walker. With the score at 83-5, Rayleigh found themselves in need of a hero to both stem the flow of wickets and get the scoreboard ticking.

Enter Jason Ox, who took matters into his own hands with a blistering knock, smashing 113 from just 64 balls, including 12 fours and 7 sixes. Matt Verrinder provided solid support from the other end and with Rayleigh needing 150 from the final 15 overs, RCC sensed the chance of an incredible victory. However, with Ox falling soon after at 217-6, Rayleigh’s innings stalled and the game drifted away. Matt Verrinder (75) and Sam Verrinder (17) combined with a 50+ partnership to push the score up to 288-7 but ultimately fell 77 runs short, leaving Rayleigh to rue missed chances and a tough day in the field.

Captain Matt Walker welcomed top-of-the-table Beaulieu Park to Rawreth Lane, hoping for a solid performance on a surface that had been unpredictable in recent weeks. Unfortunately, Matt lost the toss, and Rayleigh were sent in to bat first on a pitch that had been doing plenty.

The innings got off to a rocky start as Ben Francis was dismissed for a golden duck in the second over, bowled through the gate by a ball that seamed sharply off the green deck. Littler and Francis Junior then looked to steady the ship, successfully fending off the good deliveries for the next few overs. Just as Littler began to find his rhythm, Beaulieu struck back, with young Josh Francis undone by a quick yorker that beat him for pace. As wickets continued to fall around him, Littler remained composed, punishing the bad balls when they came.

With the score at 70-6, and Rob Littler holding firm on 36, he attempted a late cut off the bowling of spinner Rajapakshe but unfortunately ended up deflecting the ball onto his own stumps. Rayleigh desperately needed a partnership to give their bowlers something to defend, and thanks to a gritty 55 from Bobby Mills and an unbeaten 26 from Trevor Nunn, they managed to limp to 177-8, batting out the full 45 overs.

Rayleigh’s defense started promisingly with an early breakthrough in the second over, as Garms took out middle stump. Nick Green then trapped James Alderson (21) LBW and shortly after, Shane Lake (4) was bowled by a turning delivery from Bobby Mills. With the scoreboard at 58-3, Rayleigh sensed they had a fighting chance if they could keep the pressure on.

However, Vivek Devgun and Kaushik Pandirkar had other ideas. The pair wrestled the game away from Rayleigh, with Devgun leading the charge. When Pandirkar finally fell to the slow bowling of Rob Littler, courtesy of an excellent catch in the deep by Mills, the damage had been done. Devgun scored a well-paced century off 107 balls, including 18 fours and a six. Beaulieu Park cruised to victory in the 33rd over, leaving Rayleigh to reflect on what could have been.

Rayleigh won the toss and elected to bat first on the old ground, with Brad Walker stepping in as skipper for Neil Noble.

The innings started positively, with Rayleigh putting on 42 for the first wicket before Mark Bailey was caught for 6. However, wickets then began to tumble rapidly, leaving James Balkwill stranded at the other end. John Wright was the only middle-order batter to reach double figures, scoring 19 before being trapped LBW.

Balkwill eventually fell after a well-made 46, but Brad Walker managed to hold firm with the tail, contributing an unbeaten 35* to push Rayleigh to a semi-respectable total of 155 all out.

On a deck harder than the nearby A130, St Andrews wasted no time in chasing down the target. They cruised to victory in just 29 overs, with John Wright (9-0-26-1) and Sam Levett (5-0-26-1) making the only breakthroughs for Rayleigh.

Captain Morgan and his troops descended on Havering for an away fixture against Upminster—a team the 4s had comfortably beaten earlier in the season. However, it was clear that Upminster had strengthened their side for this important fixture against Rayleigh. Geoff continued his streak of losing tosses, and Rayleigh were asked to bat on a wicket that looked anything but usual.

Despite a resilient performance from Andy Scogings (28) and a quick cameo from Richard Barker (23), who made batting look easy on a track that was low, slow, and unpredictable, wickets tumbled. Once Andy was dismissed by a sharp run-out, it was left to the last two batters to show the rest of the team how to stick it out.

Andy James and Alan Brown put on a stoic display, blocking out over after over and picking up runs where they could, helping to push the score to 111 all out. Brown was the last to fall just as he seemed to be finding his next gear.

In response, the Upminster openers punished the Rayleigh bowlers, capitalising on any short or full-length deliveries. Andy James managed to make the breakthrough, bowling Aaron Applegate for 22. Upminster’s opening bowler and number three batter was the next to fall, thanks to a sharp catch from Tom Lloyd off the bowling of wily AJ. Tom also contributed with a fantastic run-out in the following over, and James picked up another wicket courtesy of a catch from Andy Scogings, who managed to redeem himself after struggling with the yips earlier in the innings. Despite a brilliant catch by Alan Brown off Umer Khan’s bowling, the game had already slipped away from Rayleigh.

The match left the 4s with plenty to ponder—another 30 runs could have made all the difference.

The 5s travelled to the idyllic Great Braxsted Cricket Club to play top of the table Great Totham.

Smith won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that paid off as the bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, dismissing Great Totham for just 148 in 37.5 overs.

James Offer set the tone by taking the first wicket in the opening over, eventually finishing with 2 for 31 from his 8 overs. Marc Smith was the standout, claiming 3 wickets for 19 runs, including the crucial dismissal of top-scorer John Chadwick for 63. Chloe Martin and Mark Callaway also chipped in with 2 wickets each, helping to dismantle the middle and lower order.

Rayleigh’s fielding was sharp, with key catches held by Elliot Davies and Shane McDonagh. Despite conceding a few extras, the bowling unit kept the pressure on, ensuring Great Totham never gained momentum, leaving Rayleigh with a modest target to chase.

However, Rayleigh struggled to build partnerships with the bat and wickets fell regularly. Terry Martin (27) and Philip Hammond (28) were the only players to provide some resistance. Imran Shaikh’s 3 for 15 and Max Clarke’s 2 for 25 proved too much for Rayleigh, who were bowled out for 124 in 33.5 overs, falling short by 24 runs.

Despite a promising start, Rayleigh couldn’t capitalise, leaving Great Totham victorious.