Game 5 saw Rayleigh take on Orsett B, looking to build on a reasonable first half of the season. Batting first, Rayleigh made 117-4, with good contributions from Max Jones (11), Craig Smith (16), Matt Dobson (20) and top scorer Josh Jones 21 not out. This proved too much for Orsett’s second string with some tight bowling and wickets from Conor Slough (1-35) and Josh (1-9) meant they could only reach 85-2 in return.
The next match saw Rayleigh take on Belhus A who had been bowled out the previous week for 3. They were more determined this week but still struggled against a good opening blast from Josh and Matt which saw only 12 runs conceded and a wicket for Josh in the opening 4 overs. Further pressure from Conor, Owen and Max with tight bowling and good all-round fielding restricted Belhus to 63 all out, with Conor ending with 3-19. In reply, Matt (25 not out) and Max (20 not out) took Rayleigh to the brink of victory with a chanceless, opening stand of 60. Craig’s 2 not out meant Rayleigh reached their target of 64 nearly 5 overs to spare without losing a wicket.
In the 7th game of the series, Rayleigh played Thurrock B and came out on top in a tight finish. Winning the toss and bowling first, Rayleigh restricted Thurrock to 57 off the first 10 overs; however some late big hitting and some wayward bowling saw Thurrock post a competitive 86-5. Luke Sullivan and Conor Slough both had figures of 1-9 from 2 overs, with Conor chipping in with 2 run outs as well. In reply, some early quick wickets put Rayleigh on the back foot and behind the required run rate, but solid contributions from Conor (9) and Josh Jones (7) gave Luke the platform he needed to play an outstanding and ultimately match winning innings of 21 not out to see Rayleigh home by 1 wicket with 5 balls to spare.
And so to the last game. Unfortunately Rayleigh only had pride to play for but for opponents Orsett A, a victory would secure them the title. Orsett won the toss and inserted Rayleigh. Josh and Matt put on 48 for the opening stand against some good bowling with Josh scoring 25 (retired) and Matt 18. Having taken 10 overs to do so, there was a predictable clatter of wickets as Rayleigh went in search of some quick runs for a competitive total. Special mention goes to Adam ‘Brylcreem’ Sullivan for his 4 not out on debut as an emergency stand-in. Look out Luke! When Orsett batted, an opening stand of 33 in 4 overs killed the game as a contest; however it was good to see Matt pick up his first wicket of the campaign, with a fine catch by Conor. Despite some tight bowling from Luke, Conor and Adam, Orsett reached their target comfortably with the best part of 3 overs to spare, without losing a wicket.
And so the season finishes. The boys ended with a creditable record of 5 wins and 3 defeats to finish 4th, getting stronger as the season went on. All in all, 10 boys were used with Max finishing as top batsman and Conor as top bowler but in truth everybody chipped in at some stage. Six different boys top scored in various matches, with 4 of them reaching the retiring mark of 25. In the field, 5 different boys had best bowling performances, with Conor getting 4 run outs and Craig taking 6 wonderful catches behind the stumps. They all were a credit to the club. Nine of the ten boys will be available for the same age group next season and will be much the wiser and stronger for the experience this season.
Thanks to the mums and dads for getting the boys to the games each week and helping to put the mats away afterwards. Roll on the summer!!