Unlucky for some

Sadly my prediction of a tough week ahead materialised for our two senior sides. Thirteen did indeed prove unlucky for the first eleven as they attempted to keep that magnificent run going against last year’s runners-up.

The Rams won the toss and decided to bat but were soon on the back foot as Copdock’s highly experienced seamer Andy Hanby accounted for both Yousuf Choudhary and Ethan Rice in identical fashion (leg before) with the score stuck on twenty-five. This brought the in-form Ben Claydon, a former Copdock man, to the crease together with Sawston’s skipper Callum Guest. The pair bringing up the sides first fifty in the fourteenth and then they took the partnership to the half century mark (off 66 balls) in the sixteenth. The Rams three figures came up in the twenty-third over (from 135 deliveries) shortly before Claydon moved to his fourth consecutive score of at least fifty for SBCC this season. This one arrived off seventy-three balls. The Cambridgeshire pair took the home side to one hundred and twelve for two at drinks before moving to a century stand (from 140 balls). Guest had just made his first fifty of the season (from 80 deliveries) when he steered Hanby into the grateful hands of cover with the score on one hundred and thirty-one for three. Thomason then joined Claydon and the pair are making an excellent combination this year. Once again, they formed a useful partnership taking the score past the one-fifty mark, before moving onto another fifty stand off sixty-six balls in the forty-second over.  The pair had just taken the score past two hundred when Thomason gave the Copdock overseas Cameron Strudwick his first wicket (1-47). Claydon then moved into three figures for the second time in four league outings, in a hot streak our man has scored three hundred and twenty-six runs (averaging 81.50). At two hundred and three for four with thirty-four balls to go the Rams were probably looking to light the blue touch paper and accelerate past two-fifty. However, momentum was lost when first Henry Wilson became Thomas Harper’s first victim and then crucially Raj Singh (1-49) dismissed Claydon in the space of three balls. Ben Clilverd followed soon after, a second wicket for Harper, before Alex James and James Vandepeer attempted to wrestle back the initiative with a twenty-four-run stand from just fifteen balls. Harper (3-44) dismissed Vandepeer (22 from 13) before James (11 from 7) and Mark Smith saw the Rams to a final total of two hundred and fifty. At half time on a surface that was not easy to get established on and free scoring was still reasonably difficult skipper Callum Guest was reasonably happy with the score.

The Rams hopes were increased as Mark Smith (1-53) removed the Copdock opener with just ten on the board. Unfortunately, for the Rams, the opener in question was Fergus Atkins and not the prolific Sam Athurton. The Norfolk opener settled into an excellent partnership with Suffolk’s Ollie Burle. The pair raced to a fifty stand of just fifty-six balls before taking the Suffolk outfit to three figures in the twenty-third over. The pair both reached fifties off an almost identical number of balls (65 and 66) before the pair registered their century stand (from 126 deliveries). Drinks came at one hundred and twenty for one, and the pair dismissed the curse of the break as they moved the score past one hundred and fifty. Athurton reached three figures (from 113 balls), for just the sixty-seventh time (on play-cricket)! before the two hundred was brought up in the thirty-eighth. The visitors required just under fifty with nine wickets in hand and only four an over required. However, that never say die spirit that the Rams have possessed ever since they joined the EAPL again surfaced as Claydon (2-46) and Clilverd (2-56) dragged the home side back into the contest. Athurton (110 from 125 balls) fell first when first team emergency stand-in Mervyn Shaji held onto a catch off Claydon. Claydon then picked up old teammate Alex Oxley with a beauty just eight balls later. Clilverd then joined the party by dismissing Burle (93 from 123) and then Copdock skipper Jacob Marston. The required rate had climbed to just under sixes for the first time and the nerves were fraying. However, Harper and the diminutive Ishaan Rakesh, who has been promoted into the first team this year, held their nerve to see the visitors home with five balls to spare. The Sawston skipper perhaps bemoaning the absence of all three left arm spinners, a point underlined by George Darlow’s five-fa for the County on the Sunday!

Copdock needed this win to get them back in the hunt following two defeats. The surreal feel to the season continued as it became four games without a win for Mildenhall and Swardeston. The Suffolk side were defeated at Witham, who have a decent record against them, and Swardeston lost by just three runs in a five hundred and fifty run thriller by the sea at Frinton. The new boys Downham Stow now have the only unbeaten record in EAPL 25 as they saw off fellow unbeaten side Sudbury by three wickets. Horsford were very impressive winners away at Bury. AB Wanderers who specialise in tight finishes were just pipped with two balls to go at home to Norfolk rivals Gt. Witchingham.

The second team thanks to a stag-do, teacher unavailability and school’s matches were forced to ring the changes as they cobbled a side together for a tricky trip to Eaton Socon. Skipper Dan Heath had five players making their second team debuts and three of these were making their first starts for the Club . They suffered a torrid time not for the first time at the hands of Jon Carpenter whose innings of exactly one hundred was stopped by a fantastic run out by Miguel Machado. Further runs from Matt Pateman (54), Olly Jeffries (44) and Tom Banks (58) pushed the Hunts side past three hundred. There were another two wickets for SBCC overseas Darcy Murphy (2-61), a first Club wicket for Ed Ball (1-66), one for Julius Jackson (1-50) and another run-out giving the Rams six points. There were useful spells, in the circumstances and under fire, from debutant Geo Varghese and keeper-cum-bowler Dan Heath.

The batting again failed with only Murphy (22) and young debutant Yashitha Fernado (11) reaching double figures as the Rams were skittled for just seventy-eight. The home sides’ speedsters Ray Jordan (3-11) and Scott Stevenson (2-22) were impressive before joseph Donnelly (2-16), Daniel Darvell (1-2) and the experienced Joe Dawborn (2-13) presided over the last rites.

Despite the availability issues that impacted the senior sides, plus a few of their own, the thirds and fourths miraculously managed to get full sides out. This involved registering a few retired cricketing dads and press ganging a few fourth team seniors who only the week before had been enjoying their retirement on the sidelines with a beer. At least it gave them another opportunity to build on their legend (at least in their own minds!).

Incredibly they both came away with victories and along with the midweek side are still unbeaten this term. The Third team won a low scoring thriller at Gt. Chishill to go two from two and joint top of Junior One South.  Sawston skipper Jake Ellis won the toss and opted to bowl. With only opener Alastair Cockerton (14) and late order James McCaughran (25) making it into double figures as Nuwan Authokorala (2-11), Arnav Wadekar (2-13) and youngster Daniel Pretorious (2-1) backed up Ellis (4-16) as the home side were bundled out for seventy-four.

The SBCC reply was going reasonably well as youngsters Sam Ronco (15), Pretorious (10) and Ben Latham (12) all got starts. However, a flurry of wickets meant that Authokorala’s thirty-one not out was needed to clinch a three-wicket victory.

The fourth team entertained Stapleford at Babraham. The home side won the toss and unusually opted to field despite new skipper fielding a side with its highest average age for a good number of years! Biswas (31), Cairnduff (21) and late order runs from Lancaster (34) ensured the visitors posted a respectable total of one hundred and forty-eight. Youngsters Zane Dennington (1-12) and Josh Coleman (1-23) set the tone up front, as skipper Dom Cameron (2-37) and the wily Adrian Platt (4-36) ensured a regular fall of wickets.. Alex Myles, another youngster, picked up another couple of wickets (2-21)  following his impressive debut season last year as the Stapleford total was restricted to manageable proportions.

The home sides ‘banker’ Rob Benson went early sparking concerns over the batting depth. However two of our self-styled ‘retirees’ Richard Moulton (53 from 87 balls) and Marcus Wetzl (16 from 67) struck up a vital partnership, doubtless honed in the White Lion over the Winter! Wetzl clearly thinking he was on an hourly rate and not a price! Again a small flurry of wickets frayed nerves before the skipper with twenty-one (from 16 deliveries) steadied the ship. Dennington and Coleman then finished the job they had started as the Rams won by four wickets with just over six overs to spare.