Weekly Round Up: League action kicks off

Saturday marked the start of the 2025 league season. While it wasn’t the ideal start for our higher XIs, there were positives as the 5th and 6th teams picked up wins. More importantly, the weekend showed that we’re building for the future, with several young players making their mark by taking their first league wickets and scoring valuable runs.

There were also victories for our youth teams, with the U13s and U15s securing valuable wins, highlighted by some outstanding individual performances. The future of the club is certainly looking bright!

Player of the Week

This Week at Rayleigh CC

Tuesday 6th May:
- Colts Training, 18:00 to 19:00
- Evening League XI vs. Benfleet, 18:00 (Away)
- U15 Eagles vs. SOSEMT U15 Scorpions, 17:30 (Away)
Thursday 8th May:
- Adult Training, 18:00 to 19:30
Friday 9th May:
- Rayleigh & Maldon Womens XI vs. Galleywood (Away)
Saturday 10th May:
- 1st XI vs. Rettendon 1st XI (Home + Live Stream)
- 2nd XI vs. Old Chelmsfordians 2nd XI (Away)
- 3rd XI vs. Great Baddow 2nd XI (Home)
- 4th XI vs. Great Totham 3rd XI (Away)
- 5th XI vs. Rayleigh Fairview 2nd XI (Home)
- 6th XI vs. Willow Herbs 2nd XI (Away)
- 7th XI vs. Old Chelmsfordians 6th XI (Away)
Sunday 11th May:
- U13 Hawks vs. Rankins Vipers (Home)
- U11 Owls vs. SOSEMT Scorpions (Away)
- Sunday XI vs. Brentwood Victorians (Away)

Bathroom Renovation & Plumbing Experts

Score Big with Our Bathroom & Plumbing Solutions. From complete bathroom renovations to general plumbing and tiling – we handle it all with care and precision

Find out more

Match Reports:

Rayleigh fall short in gritty contest

1st XI vs. East Hanningfield | Lost by 3 Wickets

After winning the toss and asking to bat first, Rayleigh’s innings never really found its footing – aside from a composed knock from Ian Turnbull, who was the standout.

The early signs weren’t promising. Sam Keene and Jason Ox were both removed for ducks by Anthony Larcher, who struck twice without a run on the board. Steven Lynch managed to break the duck trend, but his stay was short-lived as wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

Turnbull, however, stood firm. He struck six boundaries and a six on his way to a well-made 52. Unfortunately, he found little in the way of lasting support. A brief contribution from Sam Harmsworth (18) and a few lower-order singles aside, Rayleigh’s batters came and went in a steady procession.

Jamie Woodland proved particularly lethal with the ball, taking 4 for 24. Rayleigh were bowled out for just 108 inside 27 overs…

The Rayleigh bowlers showed real fight. Danny Frost led the way with a fiery 9-over spell, picking up 3 for 44. He struck at crucial moments, removing Shah, Hughes, and Yagnesh Patel, and bowled with aggression.

Greg Hood was also in the wickets, finishing with 3 for 33. He accounted for both Morgan’s and later added Mark Woodland to his tally, giving Rayleigh a glimmer of hope. Samuel Verrinder chipped in with a tidy 1 for 15 from his 9 overs, keeping things tight and asking questions of the batters.

But with only 108 to defend, the pressure was always going to be on. Jamie Woodland (26*) and Sam Woodland (24*) guided the visitors home with a calm and unbroken partnership, navigating the final overs with composure.

In the end, Rayleigh were left to rue a handful of wayward deliveries and what-ifs from their own innings. Still, the bowlers can take plenty of positives from a gritty showing with the ball.

show less

Winter cobwebs fixed fast in league opener

2nd XI vs. Eastwood 1st XI | Lost by 5 Wickets | By Rob Littler

The 2s had the honour of opening the league season at Rawreth Lane, welcoming Eastwood in warm early-season conditions. With a fresh green wicket and cloud cover rolling in during the warm-ups, stand-in skipper Miller unfortunately lost the toss and was asked to bat.

Ellis and Francis opened but faced two outstanding in-swing bowlers who made life difficult from the start. Ellis was bowled by a full, swinging delivery, followed soon after by Littler and Francis to similar balls. Stirrup (4-19) and Worrall (2-18) didn’t ease up, and Rayleigh were quickly in deep trouble at 17-6 after 13 overs.

Walker (14) and Godfrey (12) added some brief resistance, handling the tight bowling well until Walker fell immediately after a bowling change. At 37-7, the tail was left to salvage something – enter Aaron “Rambo” Mayfield.

With solid defence and smart shot selection, he added 34 with Godfrey and another 39 with Mantle (3*), before being bowled for a well-made 37. His efforts helped Rayleigh reach 113 all out in the 38th over, with credit to Mantle for a gritty, valuable role at the other end…

With a small total to defend, Rayleigh needed early breakthroughs, but Eastwood raced to 20 in 3 overs. Their openers Coussins (46) and Hill (19) put on 60, effectively deciding the game. A risky third run saw Hill run out, which lifted the energy, and wickets began to fall – Mills (1-18) and Mantle (2-5) bowled tidily in tandem. However, Mantle’s spell was short-lived and the threat from Rayleigh dissipated like his fitness. Godfrey picked up a fifth wicket before Eastwood comfortably chased down the total with 20 overs to spare.

A disappointing result, but the fight shown after being 17-6 was commendable. Mayfield’s innings and the team’s spirit in the field were positives to take forward. On to OCs next week – hopefully with some top-order runs to come.

show less

Too Many Drops, Not Enough Runs

3rd XI vs. Eastwood 2nd XI | Lost by 55 Wickets | By Neil Noble

Rayleigh’s Saturday outing against Eastwood proved a frustrating one, marked by missed chances and a few what-ifs.

After losing the toss, skipper Trevor Nunn (9-1-17-1) and opening bowling partner Andy Long (9-1-39-1) set the tone with a disciplined spell, making scoring difficult for Eastwood’s top order. Benny Mahoney (9-1-38-1) added pressure with a lively spell, extracting bounce from the surface and keeping the batsmen honest.

Despite a steady flow of wickets, four dropped catches proved costly, allowing Eastwood opener Huckstepp to anchor the innings and punish any loose deliveries. He eventually fell for 82 to a well-deserved wicket from Ryan Hart (8-2-33-3), the pick of the Rayleigh bowlers, but the damage was done — Eastwood finishing with a total that felt around 40 runs above par.

In reply, Rayleigh stumbled early with both openers falling cheaply. Steve Sully (26), returning to the side, showed some class with the bat, and the Barkers offered resistance, beginning to swing momentum back Rayleigh’s way. However, Eastwood’s Hameed (8-2-30-5) turned the screw with a match-defining five-wicket haul. Despite flashes of a fightback, Rayleigh were ultimately dismissed for 125, falling 55 runs short.

Plenty of positives with the ball and glimpses of batting form, but a day that underlined the importance of holding on to chances.

Rayleigh Fall Short Despite Morgan Masterclass

4th XI vs. Rankins 2nd XI | Lost by 5 Wickets

With a dry spring and a hot lead-up to the first league game, Captain Morgan had a gut feel the Old Ground would once again resemble the Rayleigh bypass. Winning the toss, he opted to bat first.

Things started positively with Terry Martin and Steve Gosling looking steady, but a combination of bad luck and sharp Rankins bowling saw Rayleigh slump to 24-4 after 9 overs… prompting some raised eyebrows at the toss decision.

As Morgs walked out, he knew the situation called for a captain’s innings. Unsure at first how to approach it, the choice became clear once Rankins bowled to his strengths. What followed was a superb counterattack — 115* off 104 balls (16×4, 1×6), supported by a 96-run stand with Mark Bailey (20) and an unbeaten 91-run partnership with David Archer (26*). Rayleigh posted 211 — a total the 4s were more than happy with to start the season.

Early wickets from Yousuf Khan (6-0-34-2), including the dangerous Jack Broad via debutant keeper Prajin Raja, had Rayleigh believing. Sam Levett (8-1-27-1) struck thanks to a high swirling catch from Terry Martin, while Chloe Martin (5-2-14-0) applied the squeeze and Thomas Barker (4-0-33-0) showed his potential.

But Rankins batted smartly, punishing anything loose. Even with wickets from Archer (7-0-45-1) and Wright (5-0-25-1), they kept the chase on track and crossed the line with 8 balls to spare.

5s Make Light Work of Eastwood

5th XI vs. Eastwood 3rd XI | Won by 6 wickets | By Marc Smith

Rayleigh 5th XI delivered a commanding performance to secure a 6-wicket win against Eastwood 3rd XI, thanks to a superb bowling display that set the tone for the match.

Rayleigh’s bowlers were relentless from the outset, making it extremely difficult for Eastwood to build any momentum. Sangeet Prasad led the attack with an outstanding spell, claiming 4 wickets and consistently troubling the batters with his accuracy and movement. He was well-supported by James Offer, who chipped in with 3 wickets of his own, helping to dismantle the Eastwood batting line-up. The disciplined bowling effort saw Eastwood bowled out early, setting a modest target. Rayleigh debutant Tobias Allen secured his first league wicket with an accurate 3-over spell to help along the way.

In reply, Rayleigh batted with composure and intent. Dave Turner anchored the innings with a solid 22, while Elliot Davies added a fluent 24, both playing key roles in guiding the chase. Their contributions ensured that Rayleigh remained in control throughout, reaching the target comfortably in just 22 overs.

It was a comprehensive team effort and a performance that showcased Rayleigh 5th XIs growing confidence and cohesion on the field.

Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat

6th XI vs. Borham & Roxwell | Won by 14 runs | By Duncan Bond

The 6th XI were poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, before eventually snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, in their opening league encounter of the season at Rawreth Lane.

Put into bat after losing the toss, Rayleigh got off to a strong start with an opening partnership of 86 from Steve Adams and Duncan Baldwin. Adams struck a fluent 65 before becoming the first of three victims to the nagging slow pace of Michael Bruner.

Steve Rothon joined Baldwin at the crease to add a further 77 runs before falling for 33. Baldwin eventually departed for a well-made 58, and after a few brief cameos, the two young Olis – Guinn and Church – pushed the total up to a competitive 200.

In reply, Luke Gould (7-0-30-2) struck early, removing both Harish and Ling for ducks to leave Boreham reeling at 11 for 2. However, a brutal counterattack from opener Vamshi, supported by Naveen, saw the visitors rally with a 135-run partnership that threatened to take the game away from Rayleigh.

Enter Golden Arm Steve Adams (8-1-23-2), who, recovering from a major knee operation over the winter, broke the stand by trapping Vamshi lbw for a destructive 79. Soon after, Naveen was clean bowled by 12-year-old debutant Shri (8-1-37-1) with a cracking delivery, swinging the momentum back towards the hosts.

Duncan Bond, having been dispatched in his first two overs before drinks, returned to take three of the last four wickets — finishing with 6.1-0-39-3 — including a sharp caught and bowled to dismiss Boreham skipper Ken Greenaway and seal a dramatic win. Behind the stumps, Oliver Guinn had an excellent game, keeping tidily throughout and providing a calm presence as the pressure built during the second innings.

A thrilling, hard-fought victory that sets the tone for an exciting season ahead for the 6s.

Other Results

7th XI vs. West Mersea 3rd XI: West Mersea won by 4 wickets
- Andy Lynch – 51* from 68 balls
- Josh Rockenbach – 31* from 31 balls
- Naiyan Shah – 7-0-21-2
Under 13 Hawks vs. Westcliff Panthers: Rayleigh won by 20 runs
- Tobias Allen: 2-0-7-3
- Ridan Advani: 2-0-15-2
U11 Owls vs. Hadleigh Heat: Hadleigh won by 71 runs
U15 Eagles vs. SOSEMT Scorpions: Rayleigh won by 8 wickets
- Daniel Murray: 2-0-22-2
- Josh Rockenbach: 3-0-6-2
- Lewis Mills: 37* from 24 balls
- Oliver Barker: 24* from 13 balls
- Oliver Guinn: 21 from 37 balls
Evening League XI vs. Benfleet: Benfleet won by 41 runs

Proud partners of Rayleigh CC

Design that stands out and delivers.

Need a creative partner who knocks it out of the park? Let us lift your branding and help your business hit new heights!