The Spring Farm Park club headed to the leaders looking to make a name for themselves and they duly delivered

Jas Hothi admitted Saturday was a special day for Rainham after they were the first club to beat Springfield in the T-Rippon Mid-Essex League Premier Division this season.

Heading to Coronation Park as huge underdogs, the new boys showed their potential once again with a stunning display.

Up against a previously unbeaten side, Rainham scored 247-7 with the bat before they got the hosts all out for 200.

Hothi said: “Everyone was really looking forward to the game. They are the best team in the league and to go to there, at their home, and be the first to beat them this season was brilliant.

“They were very gracious in defeat as well and their captain was complimentary and I am really proud of the team.

“I spoke about how we need to try and learn from situations and we showed again on Saturday we are learning all the time.”

Rainham’s batting innings turned into the Ronnie Jackson and Garnet Shallow show and not for the first time this year.

The former scored a brilliant hundred while Shallow fell 15 runs short of a deserved ton before Jon O’Neill struck a quick-fire 31 at the death.

“Ronnie and Garnet seem to enjoy batting together and it was nice to see Ronnie get a big one,” said Hothi.

“He has got a few 80s this season and I was so pleased for him to make it up to three figures. It was fully deserved.

“Both of them have been our most consistent batsmen this year and I am sure Garnet will get a century over the next month.”

After a fantastic effort with the bat, Rainham knew they needed a good start in the field and all-rounder O’Neill stepped up.

The talisman claimed an early wicket and eventually finished with figures of 4-44, but it was far from a one man show in the field.

Both Biren Patel and Bhavik Patel played their parts with economical figures during the middle overs to put the pressure on and Springfield couldn’t cope as they were dismissed for 200 to suffer a first league defeat of 2018.

Hothi added: “We knew they would try to go for it in the power play overs, but Jono was pumped up and got a wicket with his first ball and came back at the end to finish it off.

“The key to restricting them scoring was getting wickets and Biren and Bhavik deserve a lot of credit.

“Both of them made sure the runs dried up and we managed to hold our nerve to get what was a really good win.”

Rainham remain in fourth position, but will take a huge amount of confidence from this victory moving forward.