Last weekend marked the final round of friendly fixtures before the league season begins on Saturday 3rd May. It was a mixed set of results for the club, with victories for the 3rd and 4th XIs, but defeats for the 1st and 2nd XIs in low-scoring encounters.
This Week at Rayleigh CC
We’ve got a busy week of fixtures this week, including the start of the Evening League, T-Rippon Mid Essex League and the first planned fixture of the year for the 7th XI:
- Monday 28th April:
- Adult and Ladies Training, 18:00 to 19:30
- Tuesday 29th April:
- Colts Training, 18:00 to 19:00
- Wednesday 30th April:
- Evening League XI vs. Westcliff, 17:45 (Home)
- Thursday 1st May:
- Adult Training, 18:00 to 19:30
- Saturday 3rd May:
- 1st XI vs. East Hanningfield (Away)
- 2nd XI vs. Eastwood (Home & Live Stream)
- 3rd XI vs. Eastwood 2nd XI (Away)
- 4th XI vs. Rankins 2nd XI (Home)
- 5th XI vs. Eastwood 3rd XI (Away)
- 6th XI vs. Boreham & Roxwell (Home)
- 7th XI vs. West Mersea (Home, Wickford Memorial)
- Sunday 4th May:
- U13 Hawks vs. Westcliff Panthers, 09:30 (Away)
- U11 Owls vs. Hadleigh Heat, 09:30 (Home)
Match Reports:
Rayleigh Crumble as Dadhwal Inspires CSK Victory
Rayleigh welcomed Chelmsford Super Kings to Rawreth Lane for the final friendly of the pre-season before league action gets underway next week. After a heavy defeat to Belhus the week before, Rayleigh were looking for a more successful outting this time around.
Skipper Matt Verrinder lost the toss and Rayleigh were asked to bowl first. After a solid opening stand by CSK, which saw them reach 53 before the first wicket fell, Rayleigh’s bowlers turned the game with regular breakthroughs. Mihir Patel was the standout performer, picking up 3 for 23 in his 8 overs, including the important wickets of Kannan Ekanath and top-scorer Swami Bala, who was looking well set on 37 before being smartly run out by Sam Harmsworth and Matt Verrinder.
Ian Turnbull also played a key role in the middle overs, claiming 3 for 24, including two catches by Jonathan Cook, as CSK’s middle order began to falter. Turnbull’s aggressive lengths and smart variations put the batters under real pressure.
There was also a wicket apiece for Sam Keene (1 for 4) and Samuel Verrinder, who kept things tight with 1 for 17 from 8 tidy overs, including four maidens. Greg Hood kept the runs in check early on despite going wicketless, conceding just 12 from his five overs, while Nick Green toiled through six overs for 37.
From 93 for 3, CSK lost seven wickets for just 27 runs, collapsing under pressure as Rayleigh turned the screw. The visitors were bowled out for 120, setting up a very chaseable target for Rayleigh’s batters in the second innings…
show moreChasing 121, Rayleigh made the worst possible start, losing Sam Keene for 4 in the opening over. Ian Turnbull tried to anchor the innings with a patient 20 off 42 balls, but wickets tumbled regularly at the other end as Rayleigh struggled to build partnerships.
Rahul Dadhwal was the chief destroyer for CSK, producing a match-winning spell of 5 for 17. He ripped through the middle order, claiming the scalps of Jonathan Cook, Jason Ox, Sam Harmsworth, Samuel Verrinder and Matt Verrinder in a devastating spell that saw Rayleigh slump from 31 for 3 to 35 for 6.
Only Greg Hood (4* off 12 balls) and Nick Green (7 off 17) showed any late resistance, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Rayleigh from being bundled out well short of the target.
Mohammed Shihab backed up Dadhwal with 4 for 13, including the final wicket of Green to wrap things up in the 21st over. Rayleigh lost all ten wickets for just 67 runs, with six batters dismissed for single digits and three failing to get off the mark.
Despite a promising bowling performance in the first innings, Rayleigh were left to rue their missed opportunity with the bat — and will be hoping to bounce back next week in their league season opening against Broomfield.
show lessGreat Baddow Triumph in Low-Scoring Battle
A blend of youth and experience took to the field on the old ground against a strong Baddow side, with a few players perhaps trying to catch the eye of the 2nd XI skipper ahead of selection.
After making several frantic trips between the new and old grounds to ensure he hadn’t forgotten anything, Nolde finally won the toss and made the bold decision to bat first—much to the surprise of some of his teammates.
Noble and Bailey were asked to open the innings, with Bailey clearly taken aback given his performance the previous weekend! Both started cautiously, as Baddow’s opening bowlers kept things tight. Once the openers had bowled their five-over spells, Noble and Bailey began to play more freely, taking on the first-change bowlers.
Bailey looked to shift gears, striking two boundaries in as many balls, but was soon bowled—becoming the first to fall. Mills entered at No. 3 and immediately looked assured, compiling an impressive 49 with elegant drives down the ground and punishing anything short, giving the 2nd XI skipper plenty to think about.
Just after drinks, Noble was adjudged LBW to Hayley, Baddow’s first team skipper. Skipper Nolde joined Mills at the crease but looked like Bambi on ice, dancing around nervously. After being dropped twice, he was finally bowled by Hayley.
While Mills anchored one end, wickets fell regularly at the other. Eventually, the pressure told and Mills was caught in the deep. This was followed by a classic Mantle tea party in the middle of the wicket, resulting in Josh being run out in a mix-up. Rayleigh ended on 149-8 from their 40 overs—a competitive score, but slightly under par…
show moreAs Rayleigh took to the field, Nolde felt they were about 20 runs short. Andy Long kept it tight from one end while Godfrey threatened from the other, eventually making the breakthrough with a plum LBW—one so clear even the umpire couldn’t resist appealing. “Never go back on a wicket in April” echoed around Rayleigh.
After learning that Cam Mantle’s diet consists mainly of vapes and Red Bull, Nolde brought him on from the pavilion end after Andy’s spell. It was only later he discovered Cam likes to bowl his overs in one go. Cam immediately got involved, appealing enthusiastically (and perhaps optimistically) for an LBW that somehow was given—despite only he and Bailey going up.
Told he was “1-nil down,” Josh Mantle responded by picking up a wicket, with Fenton driving straight to Nolde. Approaching drinks, both Mantles kept things tight and were unlucky not to take more wickets.
Post-drinks, Nolde turned to the spin twins, Ryan and Archer. They continued to apply pressure, and Rayleigh looked to be on top until Wilson arrived at the crease. He took a liking to anything short or wide from Archer and Hart, swinging the momentum.
Wilson eventually fell to a catch at square leg by Cam Mantle—who made it look far more difficult than it was. As the game headed for a tense finish, Noble claimed a smart catch off Godfrey’s second spell, cheekily announcing it would be his only one for the year.
With the game in the balance, Nolde brought back Long to close from the pavilion end, only to be told that Andy doesn’t usually bowl a second spell. Baddow needed just four runs from the final over. That’s when things unraveled for the skipper.
With an easy drive to mid-off and the batter setting off for a single, Nolde opted for a run-out attempt—without collecting the ball. The ball trickled past him and into the boundary, sealing the win for Baddow. Nolde was already searching for something—or someone—to blame!
A valiant team effort, with a few areas to improve—chiefly from the skipper. Rayleigh ultimately fell short, losing by 3 wickets with 5 balls remaining.
show lessRayleigh Dominate After Shaky Start
Rayleigh overcame a nightmare start to post 207 for 8 in their 40 overs — a recovery powered by Shane McDonagh’s unbeaten 53 and an unmissable 58 extras that proved just as valuable as any bat.
Things went south quickly. The innings began with a misfire, as Dave Turner fell with the score on 15. The top three crumbled in the space of 8 runs — Andy Scogings was next to go, and then Terry Martin, who had tried to hold things together, departed for 8 with Rayleigh reeling at 23 for 3.
It only got worse as Philip Hammond was bowled with the score barely past 30. At 31 for 4, Rayleigh were in danger of folding completely.
Enter skipper for the day, Tom Peppiatt, who dug in and began to repair the damage. He found a fearless partner in James Offer, who injected some much-needed aggression with a blistering 34 off just 19 balls, including two big sixes. The pair added over 50 runs before Offer’s departure at 89 for 5 halted momentum again.
Peppiatt continued to hold firm and alongside Shane McDonagh, pushed the total past 120 before falling for a well-made 23 (including a sweetly struck straight drive for six).
From that point, McDonagh took control. Calm and composed, he anchored the innings brilliantly, punishing the bad ball and rotating the strike. He reached a crucial half-century in the closing stages, guiding Rayleigh through a tricky spell where Sangeet Prasad (17) and Tobias Allen fell in quick succession at 169 and 175 respectively.
Chloe Martin held up the tail with a resilient unbeaten 11, helping Rayleigh bat out their overs.
While Rayleigh’s batters contributed in patches, it was the bowlers’ generosity that padded the total — 38 wides and 10 no-balls made the opposition their own worst enemy, handing Rayleigh nearly 28% of their runs in extras.
From 17 for 3 to 207 for 8, it was a fighting effort with plenty of character, setting up a competitive target for the second innings…
show moreIf Rayleigh’s batting innings was a story of recovery, the bowling performance was pure domination — led by James Offer’s searing opening burst, a helping hand from Sangeet Prasad, and a late spell of “rabbit hunting” from the skipper Tom Peppiatt, who couldn’t resist padding his figures.
It didn’t take long to get going. Offer struck with just the fifth ball of the innings, sending Zakee Mirza packing, and from there it was carnage. Imran Shah and Imran Babar were both back in the ‘pavilion’ before the score had reached double figures — Offer on a hat-trick at one stage, leaving the opposition gasping at 7 for 3.
Prasad then got in on the act, removing Najee Mirza and Abishek Chaudhary in quick succession, with only a couple of boundaries keeping the scoreboard moving. At 11 for 5, you’d be forgiven for thinking the game was already up.
There was a flicker of resistance as Ashish Yadav and Boby Shaik managed to swing/moo their way to a 37-run partnership, but once that was broken — courtesy of a sharp delivery from Tobias Allen — the tail was well and truly exposed.
Enter the skipper. Peps, having watched his side rip through the top order, wandered over to take a look at the scorebook, sniffed out the lower-order rabbits, and fancied a nibble. He helped himself to 3 for 8 from four overs, including a cheeky caught-and-bowled and a juicy catch snaffled by Offer to complete the circle.
His final victim, Muttee Mirza, went down swinging (and missing), giving Peppiatt a stat-padding third that he’ll no doubt bring up for the rest of the season.
Chloe Martin joined the wicket party too, picking up the dangerous Shaik thanks to a sharp grab from Andy Scogings — and despite some wides creeping in across the innings (18 in total!), Rayleigh wrapped things up in just 25 overs, dismissing the opposition for 90.
A complete team performance with the ball, highlighted by Offer’s early thunderbolts and a late flurry of skipper showboating.
show lessFuture Stars Shine in 4th XI Win at Eastwood
The 4th XI took to the field against Eastwood with a blend of seasoned heads and fearless colts—and it was the youth that made all the difference in a composed and clinical bowling performance.
Eastwood’s openers made a cautious start, but it didn’t take long for Rayleigh to draw first blood. Rick Jackson was run out thanks to a sharp bit of work from Stephen Rothon, setting the tone early. Billy Gibbons looked to anchor the innings and batted doggedly for 34 from 82 balls, but struggled to find fluency against a disciplined Rayleigh attack.
Thomas Barker was relentless through his spell, using clever changes of pace to remove Bill Lovatt and later Dan Wooler. Luke Gould was equally impressive, picking up Freddie Reid and Kevin Robinson with tight lines and just enough movement to cause problems, finishing with a miserly 2 for 15 from six overs.
Phillip Bartlett threatened to swing the momentum back Eastwood’s way with a punchy, unbeaten 54 off just 42 balls. He capitalised on anything loose, finding the rope six times and running hard to keep the board ticking. However, support was limited as wickets continued to fall at the other end.
Prajin Raja and Stephen Rothon chipped in with wickets of their own, while Oliver Barker and Oliver Church both kept things tight, despite a flurry of extras—36 in total—offering Eastwood their largest contribution outside of Bartlett’s knock.
After 40 overs, Eastwood finished on 157 for 7—a target Rayleigh would’ve been happy to chase, especially with a confident batting line-up and the colts buzzing after their work in the field…
show moreRayleigh’s reply didn’t get off to the smoothest of starts, as two early wickets had the visitors wobbling at 12 for 2. Duncan Baldwin was bowled trying to assert himself, and Prajin Raja departed before he could settle—both undone by sharp opening spells from Eastwood’s attack.
Enter Stephen Rothon. Calm and composed, he wrestled back the initiative with a flurry of crisp boundaries, peppering the off-side with authority in his 35 from 40 balls. He was well supported by Oliver Guinn, who may not have scored quickly, but played a crucial holding role as the innings rebuilt around him.
When Rothon fell to a sharp return catch, the score was 60 for 3 and the game still in the balance. But the turning point came in the form of young Oliver Barker. Not content with his economical spell earlier in the day, the young colt played with maturity well beyond his years, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 56.
Despite the odd hiccup—Guinn and Church both falling in quick succession—Barker remained unflustered, rotating the strike and punishing anything loose. At the other end, Riley Hughes brought the finishing touches with a calm 15* to see Rayleigh home.
Chasing 158, the 4th XI crossed the line with 2.4 overs to spare, five wickets in hand, and the game managed beautifully—highlighting the growing maturity and promise of the club’s next generation.
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Fixture Booklet Ready for Collection
We’re proud to unveil the 2025 Rayleigh Cricket Club Fixture Booklet – back by popular demand for the new season, and available for the first time as an interactive flipbook!
A huge thank you to Lubards Farm for providing the initial funding to make the development of the booklet possible, and to NPC Group for designing and producing the booklet.
The book is now available for collection from the clubhouse.
Fantasy Cricket League
With the new season just around the corner, it’s time to sign up to the Rayleigh CC Fantasy Cricket League.
For just £10, you can enter your own fantasy team, with payments made via the fantasy league website. Team scores are automatically updated each week using Play Cricket data, so you can track your progress as the season unfolds.
Prizes this year have been increased (by popular demand) – with 1st place now receiving £100, 2nd place £50 and 3rd place £25.
Golf Day a Success
Thanks to everyone who came to our golf day on Friday 25th at Mardyke Valley.
A big thank you Philip Wolff for organising and Ben Francis for providing some free tee times that helped subsidise the day for everyone.
Richard Abley and JB walked away with the win, scoring a fantastic 47 points…
