SOSEMT 291–0 (Net 291)
Rayleigh 305–1 (Net 300)
Rayleigh won by 9 runs
Team: Conor (captain), Matt, Josh, Max, Alex B, Henry, Owen & Craig
On a sunny day at Garons Park in front of a large crowd, Rayleigh finally ended their Kwik cricket jinx as they triumphed over SOSEMT in the final.
The team had been strengthened by the return of 3 District players from holidays and other commitments to ensure Rayleigh’s best possible side. Skipper Conor won the toss for the 3rd game running and again elected to insert the opposition. The stage was set……
SOSEMT proved to be the strongest opposition we had met so far and despite some accurate, rapid bowling, the opposition rattled along at a strong rate. Max and Matt opened up well, and Henry took up the mantle. A special mention goes to Craig for a spirited first bowl in the competition as he strove to contain some aggressive hitting. It was left to Conor and Josh to apply some further brakes to the scoring but SOSEMT had done well not to lose a wicket in posting a challenging score.
The twins opened up confidently and got the scoreboard ticking over quickly with some big sixes interspersed with some quick singles. Alex and Owen, after a slightly slow start had the rate progressing nicely to a stage where Conor and Matt needed 20 off the last 2 overs to secure victory. Again, after a slightly slow start, some belligerent hitting from Matt took Rayleigh to the brink of victory. One more twist saw a mix up in the running that ended in Conor being run out and Rayleigh pegged back. It was appropriately left to skipper Conor to hit a big six followed by a quick single to ensure victory.
I have left this report scoreless deliberately as all the boys contributed whether in the field or with bat in hand, and each in their own way displayed tremendous skills and/or levels of character. All the various practice drills endured at Rawreth Lane every Saturday morning finally paid dividends. The boys were a credit to their parents, themselves and the club. Ravi Bopara presented the medals and trophy to a delighted team, and the smiles made the last 4 days all worth every second. The boys returned triumphantly to the clubhouse, surprising members present for Presidents Day with jugs of Cola as well as the more traditional libation, with the trophy taking centre stage on the bar.
Thanks go to Paul for a stirring team talk and to Matt for ensuring we knew where we stood at all times with the score. Thanks to goes to all the families, friends and club members present (Lawsy – you are a star) for making the day so special and to Brian for keeping you all updated so quickly.