Scores end level in amazing Rye encounter

Rye Cricket Club's first team was involved in a remarkable drawn game where the scores ended level on Saturday.
Tobias Farrow was Rye Cricket Club's man of the match in the remarkable drawn game against Mayfield seconds.Tobias Farrow was Rye Cricket Club's man of the match in the remarkable drawn game against Mayfield seconds.
Tobias Farrow was Rye Cricket Club's man of the match in the remarkable drawn game against Mayfield seconds.

Rye ended their innings on 245-8 in reply to the 245-7 posted by hosts Mayfield seconds in Sussex Cricket League Division Four East.

Despite missing out on a fifth league win of the season by a solitary run, Rye are still 10 points clear at the top of the table seven games into the campaign.

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Rye captain Harry Smeed lost the toss and his team was asked to bowl. Rye again got off to a great start, reducing Mayfield to 46-3 courtesy of three wickets from Cleon Reece (3-35).

Tobias Farrow (0-14) and Fin Thomson (1-37) bowled tightly and a wicket for the latter had Rye slightly in front of the game with the score at 95-4.

Jamie Fielding (2-20) bowled with great skill to pick up two wickets, and Smeed and George Wathen closed out the innings bowling well, but Ryan Banham (63 not out) struck the ball well to give Mayfield a very competitive score.

Rye got off to a flyer in reply courtesy of a quickfire 45 from James Hamilton. Wathen (30) struck the ball beautifully until given out LBW, but when Smeed fell for 12, Rye were struggling at 98-4.

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Mickey Toomey (50) and Tom Williams (9) took the score along to 160-6, but when Reece and Toomey fell in quick succession to leave them 214-8, Rye felt the game might be gone.

Up stepped Concepts of Rye man of the match Farrow (33 not out), however, and he belted the ball around.

With 10 needed off the final over, anything could have happened. Farrow hit the ball out of the ground off the third delivery, but as it had clipped the branch of a tree inside the boundary, four runs were awarded instead of six.

Rye needed four from the last two balls. Some quick running between the wickets earned them a two, meaning they wanted two more off the last delivery.

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In a nailbiting finish, Rye could only manage a single off the final ball so the game ended in a draw, but a magnificent innings from Farrow nearly took Rye over the line.

Rye will host local rivals Crowhurst Park this coming Saturday in a match sponsored by My Sweet Old Etcetera.

Standings (all played 7 matches): 1 RYE 155pts, 2 Rottingdean 145, 3 Buxted Park 142, 4 St Peters 135, 5 Cuckfield II 121, 6 Mayfield II 114, 7 Bells Yew Green 108, 8 CROWHURST PARK 106, 9 Glynde & Beddingham 98, 10 Hellingly 80.

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