RUARDEAN Hill celebrated two records in their win over Rockhampton Thirds in the Gloucestershire Cricket League on Saturday (May 16).

At 16 years and 311 days old, Sam Skelton became Ruardean’s youngest-ever player to score a century on a day when the highest score in the club’s 136-year history was recorded.

Skelton hit 111 off 114 balls in a total of 341-5 as Ruardean ran out winners by 105 runs in a rain-affected Division 6A match with Archie Jayne and Nick Jayne both claiming a brace.

Skelton and Gruffydd Jones opened the batting after Ruardean were put in and they piled on 111 runs for the first wicket.

After a maiden opener, Skelton scored two fours – the first of 17s – with the opening deliveries of the second.

A further 10 boundaries followed in the next six overs with Jones claiming three in the seventh.

The partnership was broken when Jones was caught and bowled for 64 with the runs coming at more than one a ball.

He had faced 50 deliveries and had hit 13 fours.

Archie Jayne hit two fours in the middle of the 17th before he was bowled for 10 with the penultimate delivery to make it 123-2.

Skelton responded with three boundaries in the next two overs as another big partnership began.

He and Nick Jayne would go on to make a stand of 119 for the third wicket.

Skelton was proving to be a real thorn in the side of the Rockhampton attack, taking 13 runs off the 25th over including a four and a six.

Jayne had also contributed a couple of fours.

He became the second Ruardean player to score at more than one a ball.

He had scored 42 off 40 balls, including five boundaries when he was caught and bowled in the 33rd over to make it 242-3.

Replacement Aaron Underwood would go on to contribute 60 runs off just 22 balls.

He announced his intent with 19 off the 36th over including three fours and then a six off the first four deliveries.

Skelton’s mammoth innings came to a close midway through the 37th when he caught with the total 279-4.

With just 15 balls left, there was still enough to add 62 to Ruardean’s total.

Stu Cornwell-Boote hit three maximums off 11 balls – including the last delivery – to finish on 24 not out and Underwood was bowled in the final over having hit four fours and five sixes.

Chasing a revised target of 281 off 29, Rockhampton got off to a fast start with 20 off the first two overs.

Archie Jayne bowled Boucher with the second ball of the third and added a second when he caught and bowled Phelps in the 10th to make it 61-2.

A third wicket stand of 37 was broken when Nick Jayne bowled Bainbridge who had 30 off 24 balls.

Rockhampton then lost their next two wickets for 16 runs.

Nick Jayne claimed his second, catching and bowling Hopkins for 41 and then Skelton had Gill caught by Archie Jayne.

Aaron Barnett had Sherred caught by Jones to make it 157-6.

The innings closed on 175-6, 105 short of the target.

Ruardean Seconds won by five wickets after restricting Westbury Seconds to 122-9.

Dennis Cholefko took 3-3.