The run goes on...

The Rams made it eight wins on the spin as their unbeaten run (from 8th June) was extended to twelve matches (with ten victories). In their last home game of the season, at Spicers, they faced Sudbury. Both sides were missing their regular skippers through injury and Callum Guest again deputised. He successfully won the toss and decided to bat.

The Rams were unable to open up with the prolific pairing of Guest and Wayne White, the latter being delayed by school duties and so Lee Thomason accompanied the skipper. The visitors made early breakthroughs as first Thomason and then Guest, the league’s leading run scorer, perished with only twenty-one on the board. Thomason was caught behind off Jonathan Gallagher (1-8) before Guest gave his opposite number a simple chance off the bowling of Darren Batch (1-23) . Batch was only bowling because Gallagher suffered a nasty looking calf injury and had to leave the field, fortunately Sudbury’s injured skipper, Paddy Sadler, was able to substitute field. It was clear from Guest’s dismissal that the ball wasn’t coming on and this combined with slightly longer grass in the outfield meant that the target score would require some recalibration. Jack Beaumont was joined by long term teammate Ben Claydon and the pair added forty-one runs (from sixty balls) to take the score to sixty-two before Beaumont (22 from 39 balls)was bowled by Alex Quinn (1-53). The Ben’s Claydon and Clilverd then batted watchfully taking the Rams past drinks and into three figures in the twenty-seventh over. Claydon then moved to an excellent half century (off eighty balls) just before the partnership achieved the same milestone (from seventy-five balls).  Claydon (51) then feathered one behind off Ben Reece with the score on one hundred and sixteen at the end of the thirty-first. Clilverd was joined by White and the Cambridgeshire pair added twenty-three (from 31 balls) before Reece (2-35)  trapped Clilverd (15 from 44) in front. Yousuf Choudhary followed just five runs later to leave the Rams precariously placed on one hundred and forty-four for six as Manelker de Silva (1-41) picked up a wicket from a mistimed stroke.  Ethan Rice joined White and he batted sensibly as the pair added a crucial forty-four runs (from fifty-four balls). Rice was caught behind, giving the young Bobby East a third catch, off the bowling of James Poulson as the Rams went in search of late runs with just four overs to go. James Vandepeer followed eight runs later giving Poulson (2-34) a second wicket as the Sawston batter fell just yards from the boundary.  White, the only batsman to get close to a run a ball strike rate moved to his fourth fifty of his truncated season, to go with two hundreds. White has scored an impressive six hundred and fifty-three runs in twelve innings at an average of close to sixty. He with an unbeaten fifty-six and George Darlow (4no) took the score to two hundred and nine for eight as the innings closed.

The visitors started solidly with regular openers Batch and Jones and they had almost added a half-century stand when the lively Vandepeer was finally rewarded for an excellent spell when he had the reliable Batch (20 from 37) caught behind by Thomason in the fifteenth. The Rams then struck two more important blows within the space of four balls with the score on fifty-three. First Vandepeer (2-20) and Thomason combined again to remove Ben Parker, as the Sudbury man attempted a pull shot. The Sudbury skipper then fell to Beaumont (1-6) with an attempted reverse sweep which was smartly snaffled by those safe hands of Darlow. Ben Reece and De Silva then started to repair the damage as they added twenty-four runs (off thirty-six balls) with Guest rotating his bowling options. With two left handers at the crease Guest brought himself on and soon deceived Reece with a bit of flight bowling him with the score on seventy-seven. De Silva was joined by Kenny Moulton-Day and the pair added a useful thirty-five runs (from forty-three balls) as the visitors looked threatening on one hundred and twelve for four. However, the Rams then struck twice within three balls, as De Silva (29 from 39 balls) top edged a sweep to Claydon off the bowling of White (1-35) before Vandepeer caught Moulton-Day on the boundary off Darlow’s bowling.  Quinn followed fifteen runs later, before Poulson and East went soon after, all off the bowling of Darlow (4-24) as the innings closed on one hundred and thirty-one. Gallagher, sensibly, allowing discretion to be the better part of valour, by not risking further damage to his calf opted not to bat.

Elsewhere wins for Copdock and Horsford still means that the Rams are one of three sides that could lift the title going into the final week. Copdock saw off fourth placed Suffolk rivals Mildenhall and Horsford demolished Walden to leave the Essex side in deep trouble. Reigning champions Swardeston beat the free falling Bury to move above Mildenhall into fourth. Joe Gatting was again in the runs as Witchingham beat Frinton, and AB Wanderers defeated Witham. The position at the bottom of the table is slightly less complicated as only Frinton or Walden can finish bottom and enter the play-off lottery. Frinton are eight points clear of Walden meaning only a win can guarantee their EAPL place for 2025.

The Rams second team made the long trip into the Fens when they visited Wisbech. In a story typical of their season they bowled well before being unsuccessful in a modest chase. On Saturday a good performance with the ball saw Sean Ward (3-30) and returning skipper Ant Phillips (3-31) both lead the way with excellent support from Miguel Machado (2-30), Will Bailey (1-18) and Jake Raven (1-34) as the home side were dismissed for one hundred and sixty-eight. The Wisbech overseas Ryan Clark (47 from 67) top scored, with the bulk of the other runs coming from Josh Bowers (32 from 79), Danny Haynes (26 from 47) and James Williams (20 from 28).

Once again a few Rams got starts with the skipper (25 from 50) top scoring. Christy O’Brien (24 from 36), Luke Herdholt (23 from 37) provided the main support with only Bailey (15) and Julius Jackson (11) making it into double figures as SBCC fell twenty-six runs short. Spin twins Clark (3-35) and Gary Freear (3-20) were the most successful bowlers although seamers Kieran Haynes (2-38) and George Gowler (2-25) both picked up braces.

Other results meant that the Rams are guaranteed to finish outside the bottom two but their place in the Onyx Premier One may depend on Walden avoiding the drop from the EAPL.