If week one of the league season was about finding our stride, week two was all about testing our nerve. Thanks to fantastic availability across the board, we were able to field seven strong sides this past Saturday. That depth was certainly needed, as our teams were pushed to their limits in a series of tight contests. Here is the roundup from an action-packed week two.
Fitness Sessions Return
Thanks to the positive response to the pre-season fitness and conditioning sessions that took place during April, the Club has booked additional slots for May and June.
The previous sessions were sponsored by DHH Panel Products; however, the following dates will require a small contribution (£5 to £6 depending on numbers) from members if they wish to attend:
All sessions start at 18:15, lasting an hour and held on the main ground at Rawreth Lane. Please contact Tom Peppiatt if you would like more information.
This Week’s Fixtures & Results
It’s already been a busy week across the Club, with the U15 Eagles, Evening League and Veterans Teams in action.
The U15s managed to record their first win of the season, beating SOSEMT comprehensively on a cold afternoon at Southchurch Park. Prajin Raja (22), Arvin Ghataura (17), Oliver Barker (18) and Riley Hughes (20) helped the side post 124/5. Riley Hughes (3-0-7-1), Frankie Polley (2-0-12-1) and Thomas O’Sullivan (1-0-10-1) were the pick of the bowlers.
The Evening League XI made the short journey to Church Meadow to play Rettendon in the Southend Evening Cricket League Premier Division. Despite a strong start from Ben Francis (50 retired not out), Ben Prophet (35) and Dylan Batt (28*), helping Rayleigh post a healthy 148-3, Rettendon were able to chase the total down with an over to spare.
On Wednesday, the Veterans XI played their opening game of the season against Old Victorians. Sadly, due to the weather, the game was abandoned in the second innings. Before the rain came, Old Victorians posted 193-3 from 35 overs. In reply, Rayleigh managed to post 70-4 from 19 overs. Despite the bad weather, it was great to see Chris Frost back in action, playing his first game for the Club in a number of years following injury.
Player of the Week
Take a bow, Benny Mahoney! Benny is your K9ology Player of the Week following a fantastic bowling and batting display.
He starred in a win for the 6th XI on Saturday, ripping through the Basildon & Pitsea top order and returning figures of 5-26 from eight overs. He also helped the team over the line with the bat, hitting a rapid 31* from only 16 balls – including six boundaries. Well done, Benny!
Week Two Summary
The Club managed to secure another excellent round of results in the league, with four wins and a tie. Availability was strong enough to warrant fielding a friendly side against Upminster, which resulted in a win and saw new members of the Club take to the field.
There were excellent individual performances across the board. With the bat, Rob Littler (71) continued his excellent run of form, while Terry Martin (52) and Craig Mansell (50) impressed with maiden half centuries for the season.
With the ball, aside from Benny’s heroics, Avy Sharm (4/12), Zach Skillett (4/18), Geoff Morgan (4/25) and Danny Frost (4/44) all managed to record excellent figures.
The following milestones were reached in the last few weeks:
You can view the full scorecards, along with a summary of our top performers, below.
Highest Scores
Best Bowling
Match Reports
Frost Bites Back: Rayleigh Defend 259 in Two-Run Thriller
Rayleigh 1st XI vs. South Woodham & Burnham 1st XI | Won by 2 Runs | Mid Essex League Division One
On a beautiful and sunny day at Rawreth Lane, Rayleigh welcomed South Woodham & Burnham to the New Ground. Given the conditions, the skipper had no hesitation in electing to bat after the opposition called incorrectly at the toss. Following a strong result the previous week, it was crucial for the team to back it up against an opposition who also had a good start to their league campaign the week prior.
Rayleigh set the tone early through Osbourn and Robert “Achilles” Littler, the latter making a welcome return to league action following a horrific injury in this exact fixture last year. The pair put on 33 for the first wicket, with Littler looking particularly fluent despite his lack of recent match time. Lynch then joined him to provide stability, helping to push the score past 100 in the 19th over. Littler secured a well-deserved half-century and looked to push on; unfortunately, perhaps with one eye on a half-time drink, he lost concentration and tapped the ball back to the bowler for an easy catch. Lynch also fell just short of his 50, nibbling one to the keeper, but the top three had done a fantastic job, taking the score past 150 after 27 overs. Cook continued to accelerate through the middle overs alongside Ox (23), and the score moved past 200 with 10 overs remaining.
South Woodham dug in, however, taking three wickets for no runs to wrestle their way back into the contest. This was largely thanks to a remarkable cameo with the ball from Hamilton: one over, two wickets, and zero runs! Useful late-order hitting from Turnbull (25) restored Rayleigh’s momentum, but another stumble meant they closed on 259-9 from their 45 overs. Littler (71), hitting 12 fours and a six, was highly impressive on his return, while Lynch (44) and Cook (42) were key contributors to a formidable total. For the visitors, Whittaker (3-52) was the pick of the bowlers.
South Woodham & Burnham’s reply began shakily as they slipped to 12–2, courtesy of an aggressive opening spell from Frost and a juggling catch by Lynch. At the other end, Sam Verrinder bowled with superb control once again, keeping the run rate down and building pressure on the batsmen. However, opener Fenton anchored the innings with a patient 63, while real momentum came from Hamilton’s explosive 84 – capitalising on a few dropped catches. Hamilton’s boundary-laden innings featured 15 fours, taking advantage as Rayleigh maintained a tight, attacking, wicket-seeking field. This aggressive strategy ultimately paid off when the reintroduction of Frost yielded the crucial wickets of Hamilton and Fenton in successive overs, leaving the middle order needing 89 runs off 82 balls. Tom Silvester (32) led a rapid counterattack, and at 220–5, the visitors were well in the hunt. Nathan Pretty’s unbeaten 33 kept their hopes alive deep into the final overs, but Hood and Turnbull held their nerve, grabbing a wicket each to ensure the opposition were left needing too many in the final over.
Although Frost started the final over with a wide, he successfully saw the game out, allowing Rayleigh to celebrate a hard-fought victory. Frost’s 4-44 was a fantastic return. A special note must also go to Sam Verrinder, whose economy rate of 3.11 in a high-scoring affair was exceptional, helping to put the chasing team on the back foot from the very start.
The Rayleigh Player of the Match award went to Danny Frost. Although several players produced standout batting performances, Frost’s spell of bowling was the decisive influence. He ripped through the top order early and returned at the death to take the crucial wicket of Hamilton. Without that breakthrough, Rayleigh would almost certainly have lost the match.
By Robert “Achilles” Littler
Mind the Gap: Canary Wharf Commute to Ongar to Derail Rayleigh
Canary Wharf Royals vs. Rayleigh 2nd XI | Lost by 8 Wickets | Mid Essex League Division Four
The 2nd XI faced a tough afternoon against Canary Wharf in the fourth division. After winning the toss, Canary Wharf elected to field, putting the 2nd XI in to bat first.
Rayleigh struggled to build lasting partnerships, ultimately being bowled out for 123 in 33.5 overs. Runs were hard to come by against a disciplined attack and a low and slow pitch; Andrew Barker, Sam Harmsworth, and Siva Ranjan each top-scored with 13 runs. The damage was done by the Canary Wharf bowlers, as Chetan Soni, Krishna Balasubramanian, and Rahul Arote claimed three wickets each.
In response, Canary Wharf comfortably chased down the target, reaching 127-2 in exactly 27 overs to seal the victory. Archit Garg anchored the chase with a solid 55, while Aakaash Ramnath Sankar remained unbeaten on 26. For Rayleigh, James Offer and Bobby Mills managed to pick up a wicket each.
Despite the loss, a major bright spot for Rayleigh was the incredibly economical bowling of Nick Green, who delivered nine overs – including four maidens – while conceding just 11 runs.
Morgan’s Magic and Patel’s Patience Secure Dramatic Tie for the 3rds
Rayleigh 3rd XI vs. SOSEMT 2nd XI | Match Tied | Mid Essex League Division Six
The 3rd XI welcomed Southend-on-Sea & EMT to the Old Ground for what turned out to be an absolute nail-biter. After winning the toss, Southend elected to bat first on a deck that looked deceptively dry and flat. However, the pitch misbehaved from ball one, and the visitors soon found themselves falling like dominoes thanks to a fantastic opening spell from Geoff Morgan (9-2-25-4).
Morgan was exceptionally unlucky not to walk away with a five-wicket haul, finding himself on the wrong end of multiple decisions. Despite some attempted mid-innings pinch-hitting from the opposition, Rayleigh’s attack kept them on a tight leash, ultimately restricting Southend to 161-9 from their 45 overs. Sangeet Prasad (9-2-31-1), Tom Peppiatt (9-2-27-1), and Kalpesh Patel (9-1-35-2) all chipped in with crucial wickets; with a better rub of the green, Rayleigh could easily have skittled the visitors for much less.
In reply, Rayleigh’s chase started shakily as they lost regular wickets throughout the innings. The top order struggled to find their rhythm on a deteriorating deck that seemed to get worse with every over bowled, serenaded by a constant chorus of appeals. The resistance was anchored by Oliver Guinn (31) and Kalpesh Patel (39*), who dug deep to propel the total to 121-6 before Guinn fell to a sharp caught-and-bowled effort. Brief counter-attacks from Geoff Morgan (11) and Sangeet Prasad (8) kept Rayleigh well in the hunt, setting up a frantic finale.
The drama peaked when the task of securing the winning run fell to number 11, David Archer. Despite his best efforts to get the team over the line, Archer spooned a stray delivery wide of off-stump in the air, leaving the scores perfectly level and ensuring nothing could separate the sides.
Canewdon Pitch Stars in Rayleigh Derby
Rayleigh Fairview 2nd XI vs. Rayleigh 4th XI | Won by 20 Runs | Mid Essex League Division Ten
The Rayleigh derby arrived this weekend, with the 4s making the trip to the ever-unpredictable wicket at Canewdon for a fiercely contested clash against Rayleigh Fairview 2s.
For the second consecutive week, skipper Smith lost the toss and Rayleigh were inserted on what can only be described as a dubious surface. The pitch offered everything: balls staying ankle height, others rearing towards the helmet, and some stopping in the surface altogether. Batting was never going to be straightforward.
Openers Terry and Phil approached the challenge superbly, showing patience to build a hard-earned opening partnership of 50. Hammond was the first to fall, but Martin continued to battle, reaching a well-deserved half-century. With Deacon dismissed at 106-2 around the halfway mark, Rayleigh looked well placed to post a commanding total.
However, the innings shifted dramatically. As wickets tumbled in quick succession, John Wright was left trying to shepherd the lower order, but there was little support from the tail. Numbers six, seven and eight combined for just a single run between them, while Smith endured the shortest of stays at the crease with a golden duck. From a promising position, Rayleigh were eventually bowled out for 156 after 35 overs – a score that felt competitive given the conditions, but perhaps slightly under par considering the start.
Fairview began their chase positively, but the breakthrough came early when one of their openers gifted his wicket with a needless run out. From there, Rayleigh tightened their grip on the game. Wickets fell regularly as the bowling attack exploited the inconsistent surface superbly. Chloe Martin produced an outstanding spell, bowling with excellent control to finish with remarkable figures of 5-2-5-3, while Zach Skillett tore through the order with an excellent 7.4-2-18-4. At the halfway stage of the innings, Fairview were struggling at 76-8 and the game appeared all but over. To their credit, the final pair dug in admirably and frustrated Rayleigh with a determined last-wicket stand that narrowed the margin considerably. Eventually, Fairview were bowled out for 136, giving Rayleigh a 20-run victory in a game that proved far tighter than the skipper would have liked.
Hitting Top Gear: Mansell’s Half-Century Drives Rayleigh to Victory
Rayleigh 6th XI vs. Old Chelmsfordians 5th XI | Won by 3 Wickets | Mid Essex League Division Eleven
Rayleigh posted 176 all out in 37.3 overs. The innings was brilliantly anchored by Craig Mansell, who top-scored with a vital 50 runs, striking four boundaries along the way. Captain Raymond Hart supported the effort with 20 runs, while Richard Barker and Ben James both chipped in with valuable knocks of 18. The home side’s total was also significantly bolstered by 30 extras. For Old Chelmsfordians, Michael Weale was the chief destroyer with the ball, claiming 3-38 from his eight overs. Kieran Shelley also provided a highly efficient spell, taking 2-13 in 6.3 overs to help wrap up the Rayleigh innings.
Defending 176, Rayleigh’s bowling attack put on a masterclass in shared responsibility to bowl the visitors out for 164 in 39.5 overs, sealing a 12-run victory. OC’s chase was initially steadied by Mark Bowerman, who scored 28. However, the most dangerous period for Rayleigh came from the middle order, as Kieran Shelley struck a resilient 41 and Michael Weale added 31.
Despite these efforts, Rayleigh’s bowlers continually chipped away at the batting lineup, with six different bowlers getting their names in the wicket column. Thomas Barker (2-13), Henry Barker (2-16), Tobias Allen (2-21), and Ben James (2-23) were all outstanding, claiming a pair of wickets each. Riley Hughes and Richard Barker grabbed one wicket apiece.
Five Wickets and the Winning Runs: Mahoney Dismantles Basildon & Pitsea
Basildon & Pitsea 6th XI vs. Rayleigh 6th XI | Won by 11 Runs | Mid Essex League Division Twelve
Wickford Memorial Park witnessed an absolute masterclass in all-round cricket on Saturday as Benny Mahoney almost single-handedly dragged Rayleigh’s 6th XI to a gritty victory over Basildon & Pitsea.
After Rayleigh won the toss and smartly elected to field, the home side’s top order was decimated. Basildon & Pitsea collapsed in spectacular fashion, plummeting to 35-7. The chief architect of this destruction was Mahoney, who bowled a lethal spell to claim 5-26 from his eight overs. He was brilliantly backed up by Oliver Milchard, who kept the pressure on with a tight 2-24. Basildon’s only real resistance came from Prasad Akki, who fought back valiantly with a counter-attacking 63. Fittingly, it was Mahoney who finally ended Akki’s knock with a run-out, wrapping up the hosts’ innings for 136 in 29 overs.
Chasing a modest 137 for victory, Rayleigh did their best to make it a close. Despite solid top-order contributions from Stephen Rothon (29) and Mike Mayfield (22), regular wickets kept Basildon firmly in the hunt as Rayleigh stumbled to 101-6. David Thompson and Joe Hill did the damage for the hosts, picking up two wickets apiece.
However, cometh the hour, cometh the man. Mahoney strode to the crease and anchored the tense final stages. He steered Rayleigh out of trouble with a composed, unbeaten 31, guiding the 6th XI across the finish line to reach 137-7 in the 33rd over to seal a hard-fought, three-wicket win.
