Golborne CC U15s 107/4 (Ling 42*; S Lawler 10-1, N Lawler 13-1,
Rainhill CC U15s 87 All Out (Ram 27* Lawler 17; Sanjush 11-2)
Rainhill Under-15s showed heart, and no shortage of promise on Wednesday evening as they travelled to Golborne for their latest league fixture in the WDJCL.
Despite fielding only ten players — six of them U15s — and ultimately falling short on the scoreboard, the young Rainhill side turned in a performance that offered much to be proud of.
Asked to bowl first after losing the toss, Rainhill made a steady start with Mattie Ambage removing the Golborne captain early. Skipper Nathan Lawler followed that with a fine spell, picking up a wicket and conceding just 13 runs from his three overs. The most heartening moment of the innings, however, came courtesy of Sarah Lawler. Just 11 years old, Sarah delivered her very first over at U15 level and marked it in style by claiming a wicket — a moment that brought plenty of smiles and underlined the club’s belief in nurturing young talent. With Sid Ram keeping things tight and Golborne restricted to just 107-4 from their 20 overs, Rainhill could be pleased with their bowling effort.
The chase began with purpose. Captain Nathan Lawler wasted no time, cracking four boundaries in a punchy 17 off nine balls. But just as Rainhill looked to be gaining early momentum, wickets began to fall. Mattie Ambage was unfortunate to be caught and bowled, and despite a flurry of classy shots from Tejas Sirikonda and a composed effort from Nathan Williams, the run rate began to stall. Alf Nulty provided a spark, striking a boundary off his first ball before succumbing to the very next — a bittersweet cameo that typified Rainhill’s evening. Sid Ram battled on valiantly, finishing unbeaten on 27, but found little support as the innings closed on 87-7.
Though the match ended in defeat, Rainhill took the game far closer than it might have seemed possible at the outset. With such energy and commitment on display, this team’s best days are surely ahead.
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