Almost the perfect day!

Where to start is the biggest issue for the report writer this week, is it with our table topping first eleven, the battling twos, the unbeaten and table topping thirds or with the astonishing fourths.

In order to avoid the MOTD complaint, ‘why are we always last on’, I’m going to start with the fourth team. Fourth team cricket is not all about the results; it’s more about playing the game and getting as many youngsters transitioning into the adult game as possible, but it’s always good when they record a win. Yesterday they travelled to the unfamiliar surroundings of Guilden Morden to face Royston thirds in Division Five. The home side were indebted to four excellent partnerships as Daniel Bentley (34 from 64 balls) and Matthew Williamson (38 from 58) put on eighty-one for the second wicket; that coming after Zane Dennington (1-33) had removed the opener with the first ball of the innings! The Rams with their young attack to the fore struck back taking regular wickets as Alex Myles and Richard Nicholl (1-23) made breakthroughs to leave the hosts on one hundred and two for four. Connell Clarke (15) and Noah Harris steadied the ship adding a useful thirty-three; before Clarke became Myles’ (3-29) third victim. Harris then formed another useful partnership this time twenty-five with Thrivikram Kanchi (5) , but then another youngster Josh Coleman (2-40) with two wickets off consecutive balls reduced Royston to one hundred and sixty for seven. With Harris (43 no) from 60 deliveries holding firm and getting excellent support from Dan Morgan (19 from 8 balls) they managed another thirty-run partnership before SBCC skipper Dom Cameron (1-17) ended the fun. Harris  and Connor Little saw the score over the two hundred mark and the innings closed on two hundred and six for eight. The skipper would have been delighted with his young charges and particularly pleased with the improved wide count.

Normally, particularly at Junior Five level, a score above two hundred will win most games. Things were looking challenging when another youngster Sam Ronco and keeper Charlie Borley had both departed with only thirty-one on the board. Tom Parr (1-32) and William Foster (1-27) doing the damage. Eighteen-year-old Joel Dennington was joined by Cameron and the pair added an unbeaten one hundred and seventy-six in just one hundred and thirty-five balls! Cameron hit his second career ton, his first for the Rams, as he raced to one hundred and twelve not out from just seventy-six balls (9 x4, and nine maximums). His young partner providing the perfect foil as he hit his first ever half-century (55 no from 107 deliveries).  The Rams winning by eight wickets and six overs to spare, incredible!

The first team remained top of the EAPL with a fantastic one hundred and thirty run victory at Mildenhall. Although the Rams have a fantastic record against the Suffolk side the games have been usually nip and tuck. There were solid contributions all down the order as Nikhil Gorantla, Ben Claydon and Henry Wilson all made thirty-six (from 52, 64 and 70 balls respectively) with  Lee Thomason (34 from 46 deliveries) almost matching them. Some valuable late order runs from James Vandepeer (33 no) and George Darlow (15 no) where they added thirty-six runs from the final four overs to take the total above two hundred and fifty. Given the number of starts the batsmen made and the fact no-one went ‘big’ it probably means that  there was some help for the bowlers. Jack Loveday (4-31) and three for last year’s EAPL leading wicket-taker, KC Cariappa (3-54) were the only two to take advantage of the conditions.

With confidence, probably, low following a slow start to their 2025 campaign a chase of two hundred and fifty-nine was a big ask. Despite the relatively early loss of Joe Tetley and Jack Potticary (31) with Vandepeer (2-33) picking up both the Mildenhall reply was looking comfortable at eighty-three for two as Darren Ironside (39 from 107) and Dom Palmer (15 from 40). The Rams led by Darlow’s quick-fire brace (2-16 from 12 overs) picked up four wickets for just fifteen runs off seventy-nine balls. Jack Beaumont with his first to remove Mildenhall’s skipper Blackledge before Claydon (1-19) had the stubborn Ironside caught behind. Beaumont added another couple of wickets to dismiss Jon Allen and the dangerous Cariappa to leave the hosts on one hundred and fourteen for eight. With still just under fourteen overs to go; game over you would have thought. Tom Allen and Connor Cobbold however, had other ideas. They battled for seventy-one balls before Beaumont (4-30 ) trapped Allen in front with just ten balls of the scheduled overs to go. Wayne White (1-10), who last Sunday, took a last over wicket in dramatic fashion to seal a win for Cambridgeshire repeated the trick to end Cobbold’s resistance with the first ball of the final over.

Elsewhere in the EAPL Sudbury are sticking to the heals of the Rams as they chased down AB Wanderer’s three hundred and seven. Copdock and Raj Singh repeated last week’s last over heroics, this time with the ball, as they ended Frinton’s resistance with just five balls to go. There was also a nail-biter at Gt. Witchingham where Horsford’s brave declaration ultimately cost them the tie. Long time leaders Downham Stow suffered a heavy defeat at home to Witham. Swardeston held on for a draw at home to Bury.

The second team put in, perhaps, their best all-round display of the season when they held on for a draw against reigning champions Ramsey. Jaykishan Plaha (1-29) gave the SBCC Rams the perfect start when he took a wicket with his first ball. However, Michael Cafferkey and Ben Saunders then added one hundred and thirty-seven for the second wicket. On the whole the Rams bowled well under the pressure and Miguel Machado picked up the wicket of Saunders (65 from 78 balls) with a smart, if juggled, caught and bowled. Cafferkey and skipper West were setting up the innings when the Rams struck twice; first Murphy, with his spin, bowled Cafferkey (79 from 119) and then Machado(2-58) picked up another to remove Michael Saunders to stem the Ramsey tide on one hundred and seventy-two for four. Tarun Mouli (2-45) then picked up West (25) and Bradley (21) with fellow left armer Julius Jackson (1-34) chipping in as the Rams picked up three quick wickets for seventeen runs as the innings stuttered at two hundred and fifteen for seven. Elliot Cafferkey and Sundan Madushanka steered the visitors to two hundred and forty before the latter was run out off the last ball.

In reply the Rams lost Jackson and Mouli with just twenty-eight on the board, the latter looking good until he ran himself out!  In contrasting styles Charlie Lewis and Machado then added seventy-four for the third. Machado’s (54 from 61) dismissal by Michael Cafferkey (1-54) then sparked an all too familiar collapse. Lewis (35 from 98) was next out before he was joined back in the pavilion by youngsters Henry Cotton and Alex James; and Plaha as one hundred and two for two became one hundred and thirty-one for seven.  Ben Saunders (3-42) and Madushanka (2-18) doing most of the damage. Murphy and skipper Dan Heath in contrasting methods set about saving the game. Murphy, somewhat out of character, batted forty balls for his one! The big-Aussie was undone by turn and bounce from Madushanka with eight balls to go. Oli Borley a late replacement in the twos saw off the overseas’ last two deliveries. Heath, then,  took advantage of the clutch of close catchers to hit four boundaries in the last over to take him to his second fifty of the week (64 no from 63 balls) and the side to another batting point as the Rams held on at one hundred and seventy-seven for eight.

The thirds maintained their unbeaten start to the season when they entertained Ashdon at the Churchman Ground. The visitors won the toss and decided to bat. They were given an excellent start by Luke Ormsby and Jamie Millership with the former falling just seven runs short of both his half century and a century opening stand. After this breakthrough by Rams skipper Jake Ellis (1-30) the visitors added another thirty runs before they lost a couple of wickets for just two runs. Debutant Geo Varghese (1-25), and thirteen year-old Dhrona (1-40) collecting the scalps. Opener Millership was stumped off the young bowler (58 from 92 balls). The visitors pushed on past one hundred and fifty before Joe Latham undid Phil Salt (16). Ashdon then lost two more quick wickets in site of the next batting point as surprise packet, wicket-keeper cum bowler, Ethan Hayes-Fernandez picked up 2-8 in his solitary, if eventful, over. Jefford (20 not out) steered the visitors to a challenging if slightly below par score of one hundred and eighty-six. Ollie Humphreys, although wicketless, deserves a mention for his parsimonious eight over spell for just eighteen runs.

SBCC might have had some nerves about undertaking a chase of this size without the regular and in-form opener Wes Potschul. These worries may have increased when Salt (2-33) removed Humphreys with just seven on the board. However, Robbie Matthews, on his return to the side, joined fourteen-year-old Hayes- Fernandez and they added ninety-six for the second wicket. Matthews falling to Richard Osmsby, the first of his three, just after reaching his second half-century in five games (53 from 51 balls).  Ormsby (3-25) then picked up Latham and Dhrona, and a run out of Daniel Pretorious meant that the Rams had lost four wickets for thirty-three and were still fifty runs shy of the winning post. Torin Phelps with a breezy (23 from 27) added forty-one with the young opener before Salt dismissed him. Another of the SBCC youngsters, Arnav Wadekar,  then came out to see the Rams over the line with four overs to spare. Young Ethan finished unbeaten on sixty (from 97 deliveries) which was his best score for the Club; as in Junior cricket you have to retire on thirty or fifty.

The Midweek side caused a bit of an upset when they defeated Division One side Foxton Granta in the Cup, to maintain their unbeaten start to the season. They bowled their local rivals our for one hundred and seven. Darcy Murphy with 5-14 and two apiece for spin twins Tarun Mouli (2-22) and Sanish Gopalan (2-23) did most of the damage with skipper, Humphreys picking up the other. A rapid seventy (from 47 balls) from Dan Heath and nineteen not out from Dhrona saw the Rams home by five wickets.

Dhrona was in fine form for the U13’s along with skipper Nathanael Vice who both made retired thirties as the Rams defeated Haverhill by 69 runs. The U13B’s remain unbeaten and top their league.