Rye continue the challenge of battling low availability due to holidays, work, injury and life. So weakened sides were fielded at the weekend 21 and 22 July and it showed in the results.
The 1st Xl hosted Mayfield 1sts in a match sponsored by My Sweet Old Etcetera and lost the toss and were invited to bat. Rye could only accumulate 149 all out. Skipper Harry Smeed 49 was the main contributor to the total.
Mayfield eased past the total with 7 wickets and 25 overs to spare. Only Craig Pierce 2-44 stood out on the bowling front. The 1st Xl go again this week when they host St Peter’s from Brighton, sponsored by My Sweet Old Etcetera.
The 2nds also struggled away to Bells Yew Green 2nd Xl. Rye 2nds also lost the toss and were inserted. There was an initial bright start as Riley McCArthy 30 and Paul Hitchcott 44 shared a 68 run partnership. However the left arm spin of Anurag Gakhar dismissed them plus 5 others to take 7-20 and Rye were all out for 112. Bells Yew Green raced past the total on what is a small ground in just 12 overs. Matthew Best with 2-10 in 3 overs the best of the bowlers as Rye lost by 7 wickets. This week the 2nds travel to Eastbourne to play Kerala Strikers 1st Xl.
The performance of the week came from the Under 16s as they hosted Wye U16s in a game to decide who finished runners up in the League. Rye conceded 160-4 in 20 overs. In the field 13 year old Charlie Cooke had a hat trick of catches, including 2 on the boundary.
Charlie Cooke then hit 46 not out, supported by Bertie Furnival 50 retired, and Olly Balcomb26 not out as Rye reached the 161 target in just 17 overs, for the loss of just one wicket. This was the last game of the season, and all of the team are eligible to play in this year group next season.
Both Under 11 teams lost, but what is important is the performance. Only one of the 16 players involved was an Under 11, due to holidays. So the majority of the players, who were 9, really put in strong performances with bat, ball and in the field against older and stronger players.
There is one more practice session on Wednesday 29 July before the 2026 junior season concludes with the presentation evening on Saturday 5 September 5 at 7.30pm in the Pavilion.
The new season is already planned to start on Friday 9t October at Rye Leisure Centre. The club is offering:
- Softball cricket from 4pm to 5pm for 8 weeks. The sessions are all based on fun and enjoyment. The cost is £30 for all 8 sessions
- Hardball sessions from 5pm to 6pm in the nets. The cost is £50 for all 8 sessions.
To get involved contact Martin Blincow 07535482006 or blincsfamily@aol.com
The club is also hosting an event for the Sussex Cricket Foundation on Wednesday 26 August 10am to 3pm on the Rye Cricket Salts. For more details and to sign up click on this link.
Image Credits: Martin Blincow .