Scorecard

Rayne 1 v Purleigh CC Saturday 1st XI on Sat 26 Aug 2023 at 1 pm
Purleigh CC Won by 132 runs

Match report PURLEIGH PREVAIL PEERING THROUGH POOR LIGHT

In a highly unusual turn of events many of the Purleigh players had arrived at Rayne before any of the home side had turned up, leading to a late start that nearly cost Purleigh dear.

Winning the toss, skipper Chris Freegard reverted to the successful blueprint of batting first, with rain forecast for later this gave the chance to bat in better conditions, although a couple of wickets still fell to unplayable shooters. Openers Chris and Josh rattled the scoreboard and peppered the boundary to reach 34 in 5.3 overs before Josh was bowled for 9. Mark Rynn looked solid contributing 11 while adding 38 with Chris, until the former was the first Purleigh batter to be bowled by a ball that kept ridiculously low. Steve Rynn fell for 3 and at 81 for 3 the Purleigh innings was at a crossroads. Up stepped Jordan Oliver, putting on 118 with the skipper who reached yet another hundred in the 33rd over, finally out for 111 in the 35th (bowled by another daisy-cutter) at 199 for 4. Jordan, now the senior batsman at the crease marshalled proceedings and ushered the score to 240 before mis-cuing, caught for 60 after a valuable knock. A Shahid special, 11 from 3 balls, saw the Purleigh total to 257 for 8 from 45 overs.

Persistent rain at the tea-break caused another delay and many sides would have thrown the towel in and gone home with points shared, but the Purleigh skipper fancied his bowlers' chances, and the game eventually restarted - but with little hope of completing 45 overs before the light would fail. Melvin John and Matt Oliver tentatively bowled one over each before another, shorter, rain delay. After the resumption the surface was too slippery to run in properly, so all bar the nimble-footed Shahid bowled off shorter run-ups, although any disadvantage was amply compensated by the ball nipping and leaping off the juiced-up pitch, to which multiple bruises on keeper Ed Oliver's torso will testify. Shahid made the first breakthrough at 22, bowling opener Ayres off his pads with a full delivery. A stroke of luck followed for Purleigh as the other opener had to retire himself out to go to work (very village) at 51, then Matt Oliver held a vital catch as Rayne's best batter Mehboob drilled one to him at mid-off. Wickets now fell regularly as the batsmen continued to play their shots when they could have opted for survival mode, waiting for an inevitable abandonment for bad light. Perhaps the number 11 should have done just that in the 38th over after a couple of attempts by the umpires to call it off, this would likely have been the last over as it was getting properly dark for cricket having passed 8pm in late-August. But with two balls to go, he could not resist a big shot, top-edging to square leg where Matt Oliver again kept his nerve to clutch a skyer - good job it came out of the sky, not the dark trees - to win the match and collect maximum points for Purleigh, just reward for bowling in less than ideal conditions, and full credit to Rayne for playing on too, ending 125 all out from 37.5 overs, Purleigh winners by 132 runs.

Purleigh CC Saturday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 10w 9b 8lb 
for 8 wickets
28
257		        
Christian Freegard b Chacko 111 18 2 1
Josh Taylor b Khan 9 2
Mark Rynn b Chacko 11 2
Steve Rynn ct Mehboob b. Bull 3
Jordan Oliver ct Ali b. Ayres 60 8 1
Jai Patel ct Mehboob b. Ayres 13 2
Melvin John b Ayres 6 1
Matt Oliver Not Out  5 2
Shahid Yasin Not Out  11 1 1
Callum Annette b Ali 0
Ed Oliver   1

Rayne 1 Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
D. Bull9.0136136.004.00
N. Khan5.0130130.006.00
J. Chacko9.0044222.004.89
P. Shaw5.003500.007.00
M. Ali9.0030130.003.33
S. Konikkara2.003000.0015.00
M. Ayres6.0043314.337.17

Rayne 1 Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
9w 9b  
for 10 wickets
18
125 (37.5 overs)		     
M. Ayres b Yasin 8
N. Khan Retired Out  22
R. Mehboob ct M. Oliver b John 18
L. Crawford b Yasin 9
J. Atkins b Patel 14
D. Bull ct E. Oliver b. Patel 1
M. Ali lbw Freegard 8
J. Chacko b Patel 7
R. Whiteside ct Freegard b. Taylor 1
P. Shaw Not Out  15
S. Konikkara ct M. Oliver b. Freegard 4

Purleigh CC Saturday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Melvin John9.0224124.002.67
Matt Oliver4.021000.002.50
Christian Freegard6.541326.501.90
Shahid Yasin9.0139219.504.33
Jai Patel5.011234.002.40
Josh Taylor4.0118118.004.50