Rye entertained Stirlands Cricket Club on Saturday May 23. Rye won the toss and elected to bowl first, on what appeared to be a decent wicket, preferring to chase down a score with assistance offered to the bowlers at this early stage of the season.
What followed was an extremely disciplined bowling and fielding performance from the home side, for the third week in succession. The stand out performance was the bowling performance of Kshemal Waingankar, who bowled unchanged to pick up excellent figures of 15-3-39-8. Waingankar took the first seven wickets to fall and essentially crippled the Stirlands innings from the outset. However, this was an excellent all round bowling performance, with both Gary Willis 9-2-24-0 and Craig Pierce 7-3-15-2 providing sound support, with effective economy rates placing pressure on the batting unit of Stirlands. The only Stirlands batter to come to terms with the Rye attack was William Gubbins (29 not out), who played well with a straight bat and patience against what was a very miserly bowling unit.
Having bowled out the visitors in just 31 overs, Rye had to negotiate a 45-minute period before tea in what was a tricky chase. Both James Hamilton and Dan Seabrook dealt with the opening attack of Ajinkya Deshpande 5-0-24-0 and Paul Dorkings 7-1-28-0 comfortably, to go into tea 41 for 0.
After tea, Seabrook then moved things up a gear and proceeded to hit George Briance for 25 runs from two overs, to move to within touching distance of victory. However, with only two runs required, Seabrook fell to Briance trying to see Rye finish in style. Seabrook finished with a well made 61 at a strike rate of well over 100. James Hamilton’s 23 not out saw Rye over the line and able to pick up 30 maximum points for the third week in succession.
This win puts the team joint top of division four with Slinfold who are the only other club to have secured the maximum 90 points possible. Stirlands returned back to the western most corner of the county with no points to show for their efforts, a long journey to make for a nil point return.
Rye 2nd XI took a very youthful side to Crawley Eagles last Saturday and although defeated, the youngsters produced extremely good displays, promising much for the future. Crawley scored 210-9 dec in 51 overs. The stand out element of this part of the game was the Rye fielding. Ben Wood took two great catches, and Olly Rhys Jones had two direct hits for run outs, one from 70 yards away on the boundary. Billy Blackford 1-42 bowled without luck. Ross Pierce, 2-26 was the most successful along with Rhys Jones 2-44.
The Rye response was going well at 53-1, with Peter Thomson hitting 33, but then inexperience became a millstone, as wickets were given away cheaply to poor shots and two self- inflicted run outs. Olly Rhys Jones 14 and Martin Blincow 12, offered 20 overs of resistance, but Rye were finally dismissed for 95. However important lessons are being learnt for the future.
This Saturday May 30, Rye 1st XI travel to Henfield, the 2nd XI host Burgess Hill in a match sponsored by Mrs Cook, and the 3rd XI travel to Willingdon 3rd XI.
On Monday the U11a team are away to Kennington Hawks, the U15s are home to Boughton on Tuesday, on Wednesday the T20 side travel to Buxted Park, and on Thursday the U13s are home to Boughton – a busy week ahead.
Photos: Janet Tiltman