Rainham v Lashings World XI, August 28th, 2006
(150th Year Celebration Match)
In their 150th year celebration match of the season all was set for a big crowd puller on August Bank Holiday Monday at Berengrove Park with the visit of Lashings World XI. Marquees, hot dog and ice cream stands were positioned at the Berengrave Lane end and the club bar was open for the day. Unfortunately, heavy rain during the morning cast doubt on the proceedings but the strong wind that accompanied it did enough to dry the surface sufficiently to allow the match to start in unpleasant showery and windy conditions. This obviously affected the attendance which totalled about 300 spectators, disappointingly lower than originally anticipated.
The crowd mingled with names like former West Indian Test heroes Gordon Greenidge, Alvin Kallicharan and Ritchie Richardson while former Kent and England cricketer Chris Cowdrey, assisted by several attractive women tried to sell his latest children’s cricket book to the gathered throng. At the same time a wet and frozen David Wood promoted his Rainham C.C. book ‘150 not out’ with copies on a table beside the boundary.
After speeches in the corporate tent by various Rainham and Lashings officials and a demonstration of opera singing by Zimbabwe’s Henry Olonga, play eventually got underway after a delay and Lashings batted first in a match reduced to 35 overs a side.
Rainham had a great start by dismissing Zimbabwe’s Greg Flower, former West Indian captain Ritchie Richardson and Sri Lanka’s Aravinda Da Silva, all for single figures, causing the superstars to stutter at 43-3 to the delight of the Rainham fans. This was predictably short lived when Rashid Latif (56) joined Henry Olonga (115) to share a fourth wicket stand of 138. Neither batsman had problems as they attacked a determined Rainham bowling attack. Eventually Lashings declared at 222-5 off 34.4 overs, a formidable score under the prevailing conditions. Rainham took heart from a good performance in the field and Tom Waters recorded the best bowling analysis with figures of 3-19 off 5.4 overs.
In reply Rainham struggled early in their innings against bowlers Ewing and former Essex and England spinner Peter Such, although James Austin (27) and Kevin Waters (19) kept their side in with a slight chance at 62-4. Once big hitter Nick Plumridge had been dismissed at 151-8 Lashings had victory in sight before Alvin Kallicharran finished things off by bowling Kevin Taylor and Daryl Foote. Earlier, determined batting by Matt Goodwin (37) and Paul Swaine (20) ultimately allowed Rainham respectability as their innings closed at 154 after 33 overs. Ewing 5-58 and former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif 2-46 were the pick of the Lashings bowlers as the visitors won by 68 runs.
Happy to perform at Berengrove Park for the second consecutive season, Lashings players and officials had nothing but praise for their hosts on a day to remember in celebration of 150 years of cricket at Rainham Cricket Club.
David Wood 2008
