Rayleigh: 285 for 6, net 255
SOSEMT: 306 for 8, net 266
SOSEMT won by 11 runs
Rayleigh team: Joe Peppiatt (capt), Callum Bond, Jamie Coleman, Alex Dawkins, Harry Donoghue, Liam Harrold, Harry May, Cameron MacDonald, Jess Walker, David Wood.
Joe captaining the side for the first team this season, kept up the B team tradition and lost the toss. So we were put into bat. Playing a captain’s innings Joe rose to the occasion by hitting what must be a career best 13 runs including two super fours to get the innings off to a flying start in this top of the table clash.
It was not until the 11th over that Rayleigh lost their first wicket. The middle order batted steadily, but could not keep up the run rate of the opening two batsmen. Alex and Jess, batting at the end, upped the run rate again but were also undone by a fine caught & bowled and a run out to reduce our net score to a competitive 255.
SOSEMT batted well but Rayleigh didn’t quite have the control in our bowling that we have had in recent weeks. That said we still got eight wickets with Alex, Harry D and Jess each claiming two.
However the performance was a creditable one today. SOSEMT achieved the win only in the very last over. We didn’t have our strongest side out, but the boys who played gave it their best shot and it was just one of those days where you have to hold your hands up and acknowledge that we were beaten by the better side on the day. Only just, mind you, only just!