Weekly Round Up: Double Tie Drama, U19s Go Top & Sunday Shenanigans

It was a weekend to remember at Rawreth Lane, with matches going right down to the wire across all three pitches. However, it was the 2nd XI who stole the spotlight, taking their division three clash with High Easter to the very last ball in a thrilling tie. Meanwhile, away at Baddow, the 1st XI also found themselves locked in a dead heat as their fixture ended level. A tied game is rare enough – but for two league matches to finish tied in the same week is something that may well be a first in the club’s history (I’ll wait to be be proved wrong by some of our club historians).

Despite all the drama, it was the 4th XI who stood tall as the only winners of the weekend, edging another thriller on the old ground. A strong team effort with the bat saw Baldwin (39), Guinn (31) and Wright (31) lay the foundations, before the bowlers took charge. Wright (3/15) led the attack superbly, backed up by Mantle (2/26) and Martin (2/37) — the latter also pulling off two outstanding catches to seal the victory.

Read all the match reports from the weekend below.

In non-league action, the Sunday XI produced a dominant performance to thrash Newham in a one-sided encounter. After losing the toss, Rayleigh were asked to field first and made full use of both the pitch and the opposition’s generosity. Tom “Short Leg” Peppiatt (4-3-6-3) set the tone with a devastating spell, well backed up by James “Buffet” Balkwill (4-1-13-2), Josh Rockenbach (5-0-18-2), Dave “Cultivator” Archer (7-1-27-2) and Oli Milchard (5-2-11-1).

Newham were bundled out for just 82 inside 25 overs, and Rayleigh wasted no time in reply – cruising to the target in only 12.4 overs without losing a wicket. Sree Gopalan (32*) and Sarath Kotamathi (41*) sealed an emphatic 10-wicket victory.

A Monday night win over Westcliff-on-Sea Titans was enough to keep Rayleigh at the top of the SECPG U19 League. Despite playing on the wrong pitch (blame the stand-in manager…), Rayleigh’s bowlers kept things tight to restrict the visitors to a modest 112-6, with wickets shared around the attack. In reply, the Harriers showed maturity beyond their years, calmly chasing down the target in just 87 balls. Sam Keene (51) anchored the innings superbly, carrying his bat to guide the side home

Join us next weekend (Saturday 29th August) for our annual end of the league BBQ following the conclusion of games at Rawreth Lane.

The bar will be open till late and it will be an excellent opportunity to catch up with members, friends and family to celebrate the end of the league season.

Rayleigh 1st XI shared the spoils in a thrilling clash at Great Baddow Recreation Ground. Batting first, Rayleigh posted 202 all out, with Ian Turnbull anchoring the innings with 53 and Samuel Verrinder contributing 37.

In reply, Great Baddow also reached 202, with Jacob Haley top-scoring with 50. Rayleigh bowlers shared the wickets, with Samuel Verrinder (3/47) and Sam Keene (3/25) doing the bulk of the damage. Despite some late fireworks, the game ended in a tie.

In a must-win game for the 2nd XI, skipper Nolde won the toss and inserted High Easter on a used track, hoping some variable bounce would be too much for their talented top order. The innings began perfectly as Brisland chipped a drive straight to Walker at mid off, but the pitch started to play a lot better than initially thought.

Norgrove (76) and Abbasi (120) then batted superbly, putting on 174 for the second wicket, with the Rayleigh bowlers not doing too much wrong. Some late hitting from Matt Green put High Easter in a commanding position at 290 off their 45 overs. Despite the large total, Rayleigh bowled well; Nick Green (9-2-42-0) was his usual economic self and skipper Nolde (5-0-34-2) picked up his fellow captain Gliddon and star man Abbasi.

In response, Rayleigh got off to a flying start, with Nolde (51) showing his opposite number Gliddon what a captain’s performance looks like. Nolde’s 30-ball fifty included nine fours and one six, before he unfortunately fell to a top delivery from Brisland that reared up off a length and caught the glove. Walker received a very similar delivery the ball after, leaving Balkwill and Rajagopal a difficult task steadying the ship while keeping the pressure on.

This did not faze the latter at all, who hit a blistering 38 off 28, but both fell either side of drinks, with the former hitting a comparatively snail-paced 48. Cox fell trying to put the pressure back on to High Easter, leaving a difficult job for the Rayleigh lower-middle order. Godfrey (16), Hart (40), Skillett, and Mantle (17) all stepped up to the plate, putting on 40-run partnerships for the 6th, 7th and 8th wickets, which set up a thrilling final over.

The equation: 15 runs needed for the win, Sam Skillett on strike, Steven Hills to bowl. Skillett smashed the first ball over long on. Nine needed off five. Hills brought it back with a tight three balls. Nine needed off two. On the penultimate ball, Skillett could only find the long on fielder, but he and Green scampered for two. The win was out of the picture now, but six was needed to tie. Hills bowled a low full toss and Skillett connected well with his driver bat, sending the ball sailing over the boundary, with it lodging in one of the pavilion’s roof tiles.

A cracking end to a cracking game, in which every Rayleigh player contributed, compared to High Easter’s three TFCs. Both teams should be proud of the result, although both will have felt they should’ve won. The 2nd XI travel to Purleigh next week, hoping to go one better.

Rayleigh 3rd XI were narrowly beaten by South Weald 2nd XI in a clash at Sandpit Lane. Batting first, Rayleigh posted 130 all out from 42.1 overs, with Mike Mayfield (23) and Kalpesh Patel (20) leading the scoring. Despite fighting knocks from across the order, the innings was dominated by South Weald’s Matthew Imbert, who ran through the Rayleigh lineup with 5 wickets for just 21 runs.

In reply, Rayleigh made early inroads through Xavier Garms (8-1-43-5), but South Weald’s batting depth ensured they reached 131-7 in 27.2 overs. Rayleigh showed glimpses of promise, but couldn’t quite convert their efforts into a win.

Rayleigh 4th XI welcomed Chelmsford Super Kings 2nd XI to the old ground at Rawreth Lane on Saturday, and it was a classic encounter where every run, wicket, and run-out mattered. After winning the toss, Rayleigh elected to bat on what should have been an easy wicket to bat on.

Opening the innings, Terry Martin made a measured start with 24, including four crisp boundaries, before falling to Balaji Karthikeyan. Duncan Baldwin then took centre stage, carving 39 runs off 74 balls with six boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Jake Deacon made a quickfire 16 off just six deliveries, giving the innings a much-needed jolt. Oliver Guinn (31) and John Wright (31) added solid contributions in the middle order, ensuring Rayleigh posted a competitive (although about 50 runs below bar) 190-9 from their 40 overs.

CSK’s reply started promisingly with Kannan Ekanath top-scoring with 44, but wickets fell at regular intervals. Rayleigh’s bowlers kept their cool under pressure. John Wright was the pick of the attack, claiming 3-15 in eight tight overs, while Chloe Martin (2-37) and Joshua Mantle (2-29) ensured the Super Kings never got comfortable. A couple of sharp run-outs, including one by Riley Hughes, chipped away at any hope of a late surge. Ultimately, Chelmsford fell just five runs short, all out for 185 in 39.4 overs.

The win gives Rayleigh a full 25 points from the clash, highlighting a strong all-round team performance. Special mentions go to Duncan Baldwin for anchoring the innings, John Wright for a lethal bowling spell, and Chloe Martin for contributing with both catches and the ball.

Rayleigh 5th XI hosted Basildon & Pitsea 5th XI on the back pitch at Rawreth Lane, hoping to build momentum and continue their push for a top spot in the league – but it turned into a day of near misses. After winning the toss, Rayleigh opted to field first, and initially, it looked like a decision that could pay off.

Shane McDonagh was the thorn in Basildon & Pitsea’s side, claiming 4 wickets for just 23 runs, while debutant Hossain chipped in with 3 scalps of his own. Yet, Basildon & Pitsea’s Prasad Akki dominated the middle order, smashing 68 off 53 balls with 14 boundaries, ensuring the visitors posted a competitive 184 all out in 37.1 overs.

Rayleigh’s chase never quite found traction. Philip Hammond led the fight with a resilient 47, including nine boundaries, and Hossain added 30 in support. But wickets fell at the wrong moments, and despite some resistance from the middle and lower order, Rayleigh were bowled out for 153 in 35.2 overs – 31 runs short. Paul McKeon was the destroyer-in-chief for Basildon & Pitsea, taking 4-25, supported by Ali Abbas (2-20) and Jayvant Jadhav (2-21).

Sadly, the result means Rayleigh cannot get a place in the top two of the league in 2025.

The 6’s visit to Mountnessing to play Hutton 5s ended in a somewhat comprehensive defeat. Under the backdrop of the 19th century windmill, the home team won the toss and decided to bat first.

Although the early Rayleigh bowling was relatively tight, it was clear to see that Hutton were a much stronger side on this occasion, than when they were beaten in June at Rawreth Lane.

Matt Burr (110) and Alex Burton (78) were dominant in helping the hosts to a score of 256 for 3 from their 40 overs. The Rayleigh wicket takers were Paul Cox, Luke Gould and Naiyan Shah with one a-piece. A shout out to captain and stand in wicket keeper Ray Hart who took the gloves to save forfeiting the fixture and produced a competent display, conceding just three byes and claiming a stumping.

After a much appreciated tea, offered by the hosts, Rayleigh went out to bat. However it was clear that they weren’t going to be strong enough to chase down 256, as wickets fell at regular intervals. The visitors ended 153 all out from 32.3 overs, losing by 103 runs.

However, there were a few plus points. Young Shri Balamuragan played some lovely cover and off drives on his way to 36 runs from 37 balls. A special mention also to Phil Wolff, who answered a late call into the 6s and top scored with a delightful 41 runs, before unluckily seeing the ball trickle back onto his stumps. A bit like the sails of the 1807 built windmill, Wolffie’s legs no longer work and he was unable to kick the ball away in time!