Reepham & Salle Cricket Club match reports, 6 May
The First XI continued their good start to the season with victory in a rain-shortened match away at Lowestoft.
Agreeing on a 30-over game, captain Raj Chaudhary won another toss and elected to bowl first. A tidy opening spell from Raj and the returning Ollie Kerkham before excellent control from spinners Liam Riseborough (1-7 off 6) and Will Allen (2-20) kept a lid on the scoring throughout. George Wright bowled with real penetration and control to finish with 3-15.
The bowling units’ excellent work was not helped by some poor catching in the field, but luckily it did not cost the team too badly. With a pitch offering something for the bowlers, a soft outfield, big boundaries and rain in the air, a score of 96-8 left the game in the balance.
With rain starting to fall, it was imperative to be proactive in the run chase. Tom Brett (29) did this well, but a middle order collapse to leave RSCC at 55-5 with the rain getting heavier meant that a rebuild was needed. Will Allen (29 n.o.) took charge of the game excellently and eventually saw us home inside 20 overs.
Massive credit to the Lowestoft side for staying on in some wet conditions at the end to get the game to a conclusion.
The second XI faced Aylsham St Giles at home in a tough fixture. Batting first, no one really got going, with only two players reaching double figures in a total of 59. The visitors reached the target inside four overs with some destructive six hitting.
Another tough week but valuable experience and some hard cricketing lessons for the youngsters in the side. With early season availability issues, skipper Gary will be hoping for a settled side sooner rather than later.