Rye’s fortunes were mixed over the bank holiday weekend, but the 2nd XI managed a well-deserved victory.
Rye 1st XI
Bexhill 1st XI
Rye travelled to Bexhill 1sts looking to bounce back from the previous week’s defeat.
Rye’s captain Harry Smeed won the toss on what looked a good wicket so chose to bat.
Rye got off to an awful start losing two wickets in the first over, and when Harry Smeed fell for 10, the score read 12-3, but Rye Concepts man of the match Luke Payton (59) and Seabrook (10) built a good partnership and aided by some later order runs from Tobias Farrow (24) pushed the score up to 165 which Rye thought offered a chance with the wicket offering a great deal of assistance to the bowlers.
Unfortunately what proceeded was a batting masterclass, as Bexhill openers Bryant (57) and Burgon (104), knocked off the runs without a wicket lost, they latched onto anything of line and length and made light work of the Rye score. The umpires commented that the wicket was a real Jekyll and Hyde, offering no assistance to the Rye bowlers.
Rye 2nds
Laughton 1st XI
Rye 2nds on Saturday hosted Laughton 1st XI, in a match sponsored by The Mermaid Inn. Laughton won the toss and straight away chose to bat, coming out with all guns blazing. They raced to 124-2 off 24 overs as Jamie Russell 39 and John Plomley dispatched the ball to all areas. Billy Blackford the unlucky bowler amongst the runs, as opportunities for wickets were missed.
The introduction of leg-spinner Martin Blincow changed the complexion of the game. He bowled 7.3 overs and took 6 wickets for 10 runs as he removed the middle order. Harry Rhys-Jones with 2-45 provided a foil as Laughton were dismissed for 183 in the 40th over.
Rye’s response was steady against tight bowling. An innings built around Mark Cook’s 42. His demise saw Rye’s batsmen come and go as shots were played in order to achieve victory. Just as the elusive first victory seemed to be slipping, Harry Rhys Jones, took the game by the scruff of the neck, and began plundering the boundary. With the first ball of the last over, Harry dispatched the ball for six over the pavilion, and secured 30 points for Rye.
Rye 3rd XI
Eastbourne 4th XI
Rye third team hosted Eastbourne fourths for their first home game of the 2019 season and on losing the toss were asked to bat first.
Rye got off to a rapid start with Freddie Mackenzie hitting three sixes off the second over of the innings before being caught off the last ball of that same over having scored 19 leaving Rye 25-1. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as Joseph Terry finished with figures of 3-44 from 7 overs.
Michael Sharkey provided some resistance scoring 20 before being caught off the bowling of Jacob Kelly (1-27). Callum Hadaway (13) and James Jury (10) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures before both fell victim to the bowling of Oli Tutt (4-9 from 3.2 overs). Rye were dismissed for 95 in 18.2 overs, the other Eastbourne wicket taker being Freddie Bobbin (1-10).
Eastbourne batted straight away and found it difficult to score against some tight bowling from Jack Keen and Freddie Mackenzie, the latter finishing with figures of 1-7 from 6 overs. Nick Hoadley scored 10 before being dismissed with a direct hit run out from Callum Hadaway. Zak Hebron (37) fell just 3 runs short of Eastbourne reaching their target thanks to a brilliant caught and bowled from Reece Martin (1-7) with Eastbourne sealing victory within 19 overs.
Coming up
Rye 1st Xl will be looking to bounce back this weekend, June 1 and 2, when they host Rottingdean on Saturday then Mayfield in a T20 on Sunday. Both games are sponsored by My Sweet Old Etcetera. The 2nds travel to Pevensey 1sts, and the Thirds travel to play Pett 2nds.
The Under 13s lost to Boughton. Boughton scored 139-6, despite Sam Channon taking 4-0 in 9 balls at the start. In reply, Rye reached 107-4, as Joseph Kemsley scored 32 not out. Another creditable performance by a young team. Next week the U15s travel to play Mersham on Tuesday, and the U13 travel to Egerton on Thursday.