Note: 5 seconds later, this 10-year-old Galleywood bowler will take the wicket of Darren Smith!!! Three pints should be enough to erase the memory…

In the preceding seasons to 2005, Rayleigh had gone from strength to strength, but all the improvements in the club and the new ground had not translated into results. Would 2005 be the season where all the investment started to pay off? After narrowly missing out on promotion in 2004, the Firsts were even more

Batting Danny White 130 not outSimon Harwood 122Chris Eldridge 102Mike Griffiths 100 not outCraig Baird 93Mike Hillis 82Murray Hall 80 not outLuke Hedges 79 not outTerry Tofts 77 not outChris Horsley 58Matt Nobes 54 not outJohn Ginbey 53 not outRoss Callow 51John Walsh 46Tom Neave 46Michael Robinson 36Mike Humphrey 27Callum Ginbey 26 Bowling Andy James

Highest Score : John Wright 154*, First XI vs RankinsBest Bowling : Andy James, 8 for 34, Third XI vs Galleywood IIIBest Rayleigh Innings : 296 for 5, First XI vs RankinsLowest Rayleigh Innings : Fifth XI, 27 all out vs Havering-atte-Bower IVBest Partnership : 197, John Wright & Paul Dudmish vs RankinsFastest Fifty :

{gallery}2004/archive{/gallery}

After a great season for Rayleigh in 2003, hopes were high at the start of 2004. Talk was of perhaps all three league teams chasing promotion, and with new players joining and the strengthening of the club from the colts coming through into the adult sides, things look set for a promising season. May After