Rainhill Under 15s Maintain League Title Pursuit

Rainhill 97-7-4 (Lawler 19, Morrissey 15; Blackburn 2-17)
Leigh 74 All out (Cottrell 16, Batterley 16; Tyms 3-8, Lawler 3-12)

Scorecard

Despite earlier rain, Rainhill CC’s Under 15s showcased their mettle in a competitive encounter against Leigh CC, emerging victorious under drizzly conditions at Rainhill’s ground at Victoria Terrace on Wednesday 10th July.
The match proceeded amidst the buzz of the England Euros semi-final, yet all attention remained riveted on the cricketing action.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Rainhill CC set a target of 93 runs for 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.  Nathan Lawler (19) and Freddie Foulkes (14) opened confidently, rotating the strike and hustling for threes on a couple of occasions.
Contributions also came from Owen Morrissey (15) and Harry Ball (10), with Mattie Ambage (10 not out) and Ayaan Maheshwari (9 not out), guiding Rainhill to a competitive total despite the challenging weather conditions.

In response, Leigh CC’s innings was marred by Rainhill’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.  Jack Tyms starred with the ball, claiming 3 crucial wickets for just 8 runs.  Nathan Lawler  also picked up 3 wickets for 12 runs.  Tejas Sirikonda and Finlay Venables chipped in with a wicket each,  supported by Finn Millar’s economical bowling, with just 8 runs coming off his 4 overs.

Fielding was exceptional for Rainhill, highlighted by Tejas’ calm catch, Mattie’s composed catch in the deep, Freddie’s spectacular diving effort behind the stumps and MacKenzie’s catch to end Leigh’s innings.  The run-out orchestrated by Morrissey and Lawler further underscored Rainhill’s dominance in the field.

Overall, Rainhill CC’s Under 15s displayed resilience and team spirit, overcoming both the weather and their opponents to secure a well-deserved victory that keeps them in contention for the league title.

After the match, the team headed to the clubhouse to enjoy the rest of the England vs Netherlands semi-final. Amidst cheers and celebrations, they relished pizzas, hotdogs, cookies and brownies, thoroughly enjoying England’s victory and eagerly anticipating the upcoming final on Sunday.

Rainhill CC’s Under 15s not only displayed cricketing prowess but also camaraderie and sportsmanship, making the day memorable both on and off the field.

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