Purleigh Cricket Club

28/04/2026

🏏 Cricket is back!

We start our League Division 2 campaign away at South Weald this Saturday, with our first home fixture the following week against Broomfield.

30/08/2025

24/08/2025

🏏🥇League Champions! That's two promotions on the bounce for Purleigh as we claimed the league title this weekend.

⬇️Match report below ⬇️

PURLEIGH'S HIGH FLYERS REACH FOR THE SKY

As if to predict the outcome of the day's events, the cricketers were treated to a fly-past from the Red Arrows at the start of the game, followed by aerobatics from a Hurricane and formation flying by five bi-planes from Stow Maries airfield. Purleigh duly obliged with a thumping win over Rayleigh 2nds while High Easter did us a favour by overcoming Brookweald to leave Purleigh uncatchable in next week's season finale, confirmed as champions of Division 3 with a game to go.

Put in to bat, Purleigh raced off the runway with a series of boundaries as Chris Freegard and Josh Taylor hit 57 from the first seven overs. Taylor holed out two balls later, and Dan Oliver probably felt like it was his darkest hour after patting back the next three balls, then mis-cueing the fourth to midwicket, now 57 for 2 after eight overs and Rayleigh hoping to find a gap in the Purleigh defences. But Jordan Oliver settled in for a long sortie with the captain, together adding 172 in 28.5 overs before Jordan was caught and returned to base for a valuable 59 (11 fours). Meanwhile, Chris had continued to pepper the boundary and was 139 not out when Ranjan joined him at the crease. Ranj's engines were well and truly fired-up as he machine-gunned a rapid 48 in 20 balls, blitzing six sixes, 69 added in 5.3 overs with Purleigh ace Chris, who fell next with 158 (27 fours, 4 sixes) to his name, propelling Purleigh to 298 for 4 with 2.4 overs left. To their credit, Rayleigh had not headed for the air-raid shelter, but stuck at their task picking up two more wickets. Jai Patel had to enter the fray to face the final delivery and promptly smashed it for six, taking Purleigh to an unassailable-looking 323 for 6 from their 45 overs, and a win predicted on the radar.

Jai started with a maiden and a wicket-maiden as the Rayleigh tactic was to target Matt at the other end. But Matt struck back with two victims in this mini dogfight to make it 47 for 3 in the 15th over, as the visitors fell further behind the required run rate. Shahid removed skipper Nolde for 66, later snaring two more wickets. Melvin bowled his 9 overs conceding only 15 runs, Chris took two, with a catch by Ed Oliver meaning that all four Purleigh catches were held by a different Oliver. Once again, Purleigh could not take the final wicket, and Rayleigh ended on 186 for 9, a home win by 137 runs. A celebratory visit to the Bell ensued, hopefully nobody left legless. On to next week for the battle of Brookweald, which should be notably less tasty with nothing hanging on the result.

02/07/2025

9️⃣ Games🏏 9️⃣ Wins🏆💪

Purleigh completed the perfect start to the league season by going unbeaten for the first half of it. Saturday's victory in a close and competitive game against Brookweald gives us a healthy lead at the top of the table.

We face High Easter on Saturday at the Purleigh playing field.

⬇️Match report and scorecards from the weekend on the link below⬇️

https://purleigh.hitscricket.com/scorecard/fixtureID_917998/Saturday-1st-XI-v-Brookweald-1-28-Jun-2025.aspx

27/06/2025

🏏Purleigh made it eight wins from eight last weekend with victory away at Rayleigh.

Top of the table clash tomorrow as we face second place Brookweald on the Purleigh playing field.

🎪We will also be running our usual games at the fete on Sunday, see you there!

15/06/2025

🏏Lucky number 7️⃣

Victory vs Navestock on Saturday makes it seven wins from seven for Purleigh CC and we remain top of Division Three. A visit to bottom of the league Rayleigh next weekend.

⬇️Match report and scorecards on the link below⬇️

08/06/2025

6️⃣ Wins from 6️⃣ for the Purleigh boys after victory away at Great Wakering this weekend, snatching the win as the heavens opened 🌧️

⬇️Match report and scorecards on the website⬇️

🏏Two home fixtures this week, T20 on Tuesday evening followed by a meeting with Navestock on Saturday. How long can our winning run continue for?

26/05/2025

🏏Purleigh made it four wins from four with a victory away at Eastwood on Saturday. A solid, if unspectacular, all round performance that ensures our good start to the league season continues.

⬇️Match report below courtesy of Ed Oliver⬇️

05/05/2025

🏏Cricket is back on the menu👌

And Purleigh served up an opening day victory away at High Easter. Unfortunately a tight match that went to the wire meant we missed out on post match grub at the nearby Axe & Compasses so we went home hungry.

Home next week vs Springfield.

⬇️Match report from Ed Oliver below⬇️

01/09/2024

🏏Promoted!

A victory in our final match of the season at Basildon & Pitsea yesterday confirmed our second place finish in the league table, ensuring we'll be playing Division 3 cricket for the first time since 2017 next year.

After a great start to the season we had a wobble in the second half but still finished just ten points behind top spot.