Rainham 2nd XI – 172-9
Thurrock 3rd XI – 176-6
Thurrock 3rds kicked off their season with a solid if not spectacular win against local competition as they ran out winners by 4 wickets on Saturday.
Rainham won the toss and elected to bat and for a time it seemed to be a decent decision. Callaghan and Moon were resolute against the new ball, content to work the ball around and ease their way into the game. Thurrock’s indiscipline with the ball added to the total as extras racked up a tidy half century over the 45 overs.
Thurrock needed something to click and they got it in Sajid Jawed. The Thurrock finger spinner followed up his 4 wickets the week before with a fine, probing spell. He removed Moon for 30, snaking one through onto the stumps, then added a second as Rainham tried to see him out. If Jawed’s fabulous 2-21 from 9 gave Thurrock the lift they needed, then young Steve Brooks 6 over burst lifted them into the ascendency. He removed the stubborn Callaghan for an attritional 34 and claimed Thurrocks 4th wicket. Brooks finished with 2-8 and now Thurrock had exposed the home sides middle order. Thoguh Mansfield (14), Simms(11) and McMahon (11) provided little cameos, the Thurrock bowlers were able to keep the pressure on and Simmons (2-34) & Shojahi (2-5) and Daniel George, (1-41), kept the hammer on til the close.
Thurrock got off to a terrible start, losing both openers to the new ball, but Lee Downes is now something of a veteran of league cricket now. Coupled with a true veteran in Chris Buckley, Downes tore into Rainham’s attack, carving great lumps for what looked a formidable total at tea. Buckley was happy to let the youngster dominate the innings, turning round strike cleverly, and Downes benefitted, bringing up a run a ball half century.
It looked as though Victory was a formality, but Downes faltered on 61 and Buckley followed soon after for 28. Thurrock still looked odds on but Alan Aviss then weighed in with a fine spell of 2-30 to reduce Thurrock to six down and still an alarming way from the finish line. However, in the kebab of Thurrock’s batting line up, they do have some chilli sauce: Iftikar Ali.
His side needed something and Ali delivered in explosive fashion. Never the most reserved, he had the ball caroming to all parts of the ground and Rainham’s tightening grip slipped away. Skipper Wayne Simmons played his part, blocking up one end for 14, but was easily eclipsed by Ifty Ali’s destructive hitting. He saw Thurrock home with no more mishaps and was only denied a fifty because he ran out of runs, his 46 not out sealing a confidence boosting win for Thurrock.
