Old Ruymian Cricket Club
Match Report 11th August – 15th August 2025
Cricket Week 2025 proved once again to be a much-anticipated and enjoyable fixture in the Old Ruymian Cricket Club calendar. Some wonderful August weather provided a great backdrop to the week. Despite one cancellation, four out of five matches were completed successfully, involving over 28 players playing throughout the week. In addition to some spirited cricket, £315 was raised and donated to the Old Ruymian Club through new membership fees. A sincere thank you to the Old Ruymian Committee for their continued support and wisdom, and to Chris Freeman, Andrew Smith, and Sue Fenton at CCGS for their generous assistance throughout the week. Special mentions also to Andrew Signorell, Matt Williams, Ben Buckingham and the ORCC committee for their work and assistance during the week and David Carr for his wonderful photography during the week. We hope to get as many new players each year so please reach out if you are interested in playing or helping out during the week.
Monday 11th vs Nelson Cricket Club – Match Drawn
Toss: ORCC won and elected to bowl.
A strong bowling performance from ORCC restricted Nelson CC to 214/9 declared. Early breakthroughs from Joshua Christian and Joel Duraisingham, followed by tight spells from Andrew Signorell (2-19) and Matt Williams (2-19) kept the visiting side from running away with the game. Charlie Dadswell, Dennis Hester and Craig Alder also took 1-wicket a piece. In reply, the ORCC innings stuttered early with both openers falling cheaply. However, a composed 70 by Craig Alder and a gritty partnership with Callum Doody (57-run stand) rebuilt the innings. A middle-order collapse meant a draw was ultimately secured thanks to a defiant final stand by Joshua Mirams (3)* and *Andrew Signorell (0)*.
Nelson CC 214/9 declared (37 Overs)
Andrew Signorell 4-0-19-2
Matt Williams 4-0-10-2
Josh Christian 4-1-17-1
Old Ruymian Cricket Club 173/9 (34 Overs)
Craig Alder 70
Joel Duraisingham 19
Joshua Christian 17
Tuesday 12th vs Thanet Wanderers RUFC – Match Cancelled
Wednesday 13th vs South London Strollers – ORCC Lost by 7 Wickets
Toss: ORCC won and elected to bat.
ORCC got off to a steady start with contributions from Craig Alder (29), Pearson Hulks (28), and Ben Buckingham (25). However, a dramatic middle-order collapse saw five wickets fall for just 27 runs. Lower-order resistance from Neil Roby (18)* and Dave Walton (13) pushed the total to a competitive 161. Despite two early wickets from Andrew Signorell (2-31) and a tidy spell by Matt Williams (0-33), South London Strollers chased down the target with composure in 30 overs.
Old Ruymian CC 161 (35 Overs)
Craig Alder 29
Pearson Hulks 28
Ben Buckingham 25
London Strollers 165-3 (30 Overs)
Andrew Signorell 9-0-31-2
Craig Alder 4-0-26-1
Matt Williams 7-0-33-0
Thursday 14th vs Forty Club – ORCC Lost by 6 Wickets
Toss: ORCC won and elected to bat.
In what has become a fiercely contested fixture in recent years, ORCC faltered with the bat. Only Dhesh Padiachey (38) showed any resistance as the side crumbled to 83 all out amidst a flurry of run-outs and LBWs. In reply, the ORs bowled with great determination. Matt Williams produced a remarkable spell of 2 wickets for 0 runs in a double-wicket maiden, and Josh Christian bowled economically (1-12). However, the low target was chased in just 17 overs.
Old Ruymian CC 83 (30 Overs)
Dhesh Padiachey 38
Forty Club 85-4 (17 Overs)
Matt Williams 1-1-0-2
Joshua Christian 5.2-2-12-1
Friday 15th ORCC vs Alexandra Park CC – ORCC won by 8 wickets
Toss: ORCC won and elected to bowl.
The final fixture of the week—and a historic one played since 1929—ended with a dominant ORCC performance. The bowlers struck early and often, with Chris Ross (3-29), Guneet Singh (1-31), and Namish Jain (4-10) doing the damage. Jain's tight spell, supported by excellent fielding and sharp slip catching by Dennis Hester, restricted Alexandra Park to 145 all out. In response, despite the early loss of Senura Ratiyala (10), a commanding unbeaten 126-run partnership between Ben Buckingham (68) and Callum Doody (64)* saw ORCC cruise to victory with 8 wickets in hand and 12 overs to spare.
Alexandra Park CC 145 (35 Overs)
Namish Jain 5.2-2-10-4
Chris Ross 11-4-29-3
Guneet Singh 8-2-31-1
ORCC 146-1 (23 Overs)
Ben Buckingham 68
Callum Doody 64*