Not for the faint hearted!

Not for the first time, I am suggesting that following the Rams should carry a health warning! Usually it is only one side in a particular week that causes palpitations; this week all three sides that played decided to have a go.

At Sawston the first team welcomed Downham Stow, the side promoted via the 2024 play offs, for their first ever trip to Spicers. The Rams skipper, Callum Guest, breaking, perhaps, with his favoured approach of batting first; won the toss and inserted the visitors. His decision influenced by the Midweek game, where he thought the lightening outfield would make it difficult to defend. He was also missing three of his trusted bowling options as none of our teachers were available. He did however welcome back James Vandepeer and Tarun Mouli to the starting line-up.

The Stow openers weathered the decent opening spells from Vandepeer and Mark Smith and had progressed the score to forty-three when, second change,  Ben Clilverd (1-27) made the breakthrough by trapping Finlay Wilcox (22 from 39 balls). The other opener William Denny (36 off 57) was then caught low down by Clilverd off the bowling of Vandepeer (1-55) with the score on sixty-one in the twentieth. Stow were then rocked as Mouli (2-45) picked up the dangerous pair of Freddie Fairey and Ben Wilcox as the left armer bowled a very impressive opening spell. In tandem with Ben Claydon the Rams had picked up two wickets from the visitors ‘engine room’ for just twenty runs in forty-five balls. Hudson De Lucchi, a capture from Witchingham and Arthur Wilcox then sat in taking the visitors to lunch, at the end of the thirty-fifth, on ninety-three for four. The pair saw Stow into three figures before taking their partnership to fifty from a sedate one hundred and eleven deliveries. They then took the score to one hundred and fifty in the forty-eighth; and with a maximum of sixteen over to go the Rams were perhaps expecting to chase a minimum of two hundred and sixty. Wilcox then made his personal half-century (off 77 balls) before a bit of ‘yes, no, yes, sorry’ saw De Lucchi run out by Mouli with the score on one hundred and sixty-four (after 52 overs). The skipper Patrick Yates joined Wilcox and they added fifty- two runs (from 44 deliveries). With the trumpet sounded for the final push Claydon (2-51) then picked up Yates (12 from 23) and then crucially Wilcox (76 from 95 balls) in the space of four balls as the innings lurched to two hundred and twenty-one for seven. The last four overs could only yield twelve runs. The SBCC skipper was delighted with his bowlers, and in particular Mouli, who despite his previous performances has been unlucky not to be a regular; as quality left arm spin is perhaps one area where we find ourselves overstocked, and the needs of the two senior sides have had to be  balanced.

The Sawston reply got off to a sticky start as Brett Stolworthy, the Norfolk opening bowler and another close season capture from Witchingham, extracted some steep bounce and Yousuf Choudhary was spectacularly pouched by Fairey. Any hopes that the baking sun would kill off the pitch were not to materialise as the wicket continued to offer assistance and in particular good carry and bounce throughout the game.  Nikhil Gorantla then joined the skipper and they had moved the score steadily to forty-two for one, in the fifteenth, when some unscheduled rain brought a thirteen-minute delay, followed by an early tea and then a three over reduction to the Rams innings (from 56 down to 53). After tea the pair progressed to a fifty stand (from 91 balls). Gorantla then move to his third consecutive half century (from 68 deliveries). The skipper (36 from 64 balls) then gave George Milton his wicket with the score on ninety-seven moments before drinks. Gorantla and the other very in-form batter Claydon then moved the score on by forty-nine runs (from just 56 balls) with Gorantla in particular starting to go through the gears. Gorantla (82 from 102) then gave the overseas, Sachindu Colombage, his first wicket of the day with a bit of a swipe across the line and with consecutive tons there for the taking. When Claydon became a second victim to Stolworthy and Henry Wilson a second victim for Columbage three wickets had fallen for just two runs in fifteen balls. The visitors were invigorated and sniffing a major scalp. With the tail a little longer than normal, and the required rate ticking up (although not frightenedly so) would the Rams shut up shop. However, Lee Thomason was probably the right man to have at the crease. After a patchy and at times unlucky 2024 season Lee has benefitted from moving up the order this term and has been very consistent for the Rams and Cambridgeshire. He teamed up with Ben Clilverd, another experienced hand, and they added fifty-two runs from seventy-one deliveries. They had just taken the score to two hundred, with thirty-four needed from thirty-eight balls, when Clilverd handed Columbage his third wicket.  Vanderpeer (19 from 18) came to the crease and quickly showed he was a handy number eight, rather than a very handy number nine, as he and Thomason added twenty-four (off 23 balls). Vandepeer with just ten required then handed Milton (2-26) a second wicket. Mouli trying to hit Stolworthy (3-61) over the top with six runs needed was caught with just seven balls to go. Smith successfully saw off the Norfolk seamer’s last ball. The visitors went for broke and Columbage was brought back for the final over, since you only get three extra points for a draw, perhaps it was worth a gamble. With Thomason facing and six required he released any pressure by late cutting the spinner for four off the first ball. The spinner got away with his second delivery which Thomason could only hit straight at deep backward square. Despite Smith’s eagerness to get on strike Thomason turned down the single. Thomason then hit an overpitched third delivery to the boundary to take himself to fifty (from 62 balls), Columbage to his ton (3-103) and the Rams to a two-wicket victory with three balls to spare!

Elsewhere in the EAPL Witham took the last wicket with just four balls to go at AB Wanderers, for whom it’s beginning to look a little desperate with only Mildenhall currently within touching distance at the bottom of the table. Horsford successfully and relatively easily chased down over three hundred to move thirteen points closer to Sudbury at the top end of the table. The Rams now have a nice thirty-two-point cushion over Sudbury and a further five over Horsford in third. Copdock moved to fourth, with yet another Athurton ton, as Mildenhall’s woes continued. Swardeston secured twenty-nine points haul and the Norfolk bragging rights as they defeated Witchingham. Bury held on for a draw in a six hundred run fest at home to Frinton.

It was top versus bottom when the Rams travelled to top of the table Saffron Walden on Saturday. In the past it has been a nightmare for bowlers and not always the best of trips for the Rams seconds. This year the Rams second string were meeting the Crocus’ first eleven. The home side were on an eight-match winning streak which commenced with an all too familiar Rams batting collapse at Spicers in April.

The home side won the toss and not surprisingly opted to bat on an absolute scorcher of a day. The Australian like conditions suiting the Rams’ overseas as Darcy Murphy picked up two early wickets, with Ed Ball keeping things tight at the other end. Jake Raven (1-61) and fellow tweaker Miguel Machado then sparked a Rams like collapse as twenty-eight for two became fifty-six for seven in sixty-six balls. Xander Silverwood (19 from 22) and overseas Avinash Yadav mounted a counter attack with twenty-six runs coming off just twenty-two balls. Machado (5-33) then picked up Silverwood thanks to a relay catch by Joe Latham and Arya Saeb-Parsy. Yadav then added forty precious runs with Noah Vintiner (11 off 20) before Murphy (4-15) returned to remove the latter and then Henry Rodda two runs later. This left the overseas high and dry on forty-five not out as the league leaders were humbled for just one hundred and twenty-four.

The Rams were still searching for that perfect performance where both the batting and bowling units fire together on the same afternoon. Despite the relatively low chase confidence would not have been overflowing following their failure to chase seventy-eight a couple of weeks ago at Blunham. There were no clouds on the horizon, quite literally as well, as Julius Jackson and Alex James moved the score along to thirty-six in the eleventh. Silverwood (1-16) then removed Jackson but the Rams continued to progress nicely. James had been bumped up the order following a midweek fifty last week and a spectacular ton this week. Indeed he and Charlie Lewis, in at three, had shared a one hundred and ninety-nine stand on Wednesday. The reply lurched, however, as James (44 from 57), Lewis (28 from 49) and Machado for a thirteen-ball duck as three wickets fell for just three runs in thirty-one balls; as Daniel Farmer picked up two and that man Yadav the other. When skipper Dan Heath, Joe Latham and Ed Ball followed ninety for four had become ninety-seven for seven. This time Farmer (3-33) picking up one with Yadav the other two. Raven hung around to add eight runs with Murphy as the Rams made it into three figures. Yadav (4-38) then had Raven caught and his four wickets combined with those forty-five undefeated runs made him look like the match winner; as Walden were looking like they would snatch a victory to remain top. However, it was the Rams’ overseas that would take that gong and secure a vital victory, that moved them out of the relegation zone, as he finished unbeaten on thirty-one as he and his ninth wicket partner Geo Varghase added the twenty runs required.

The Rams third string were depleted by a wedding, and faced a difficult task of preserving their unbeaten run when they met third placed Aspenden, Standon and Puckeridge (ASP). Young Alex Myles (1-35) promoted from the fourths made an early breakthrough. However this brought together two of ASP’s better players, Scott Caine (who was averaging 115 before the start) and skipper R Fitzgerald. These two added one hundred and seventy-two for the second wicket. Fitzgerald (90 from 105 balls) was bowled by Rams debutant Devanand Veettil. Caine (82 from 111) was then bowled Vivaan Kilaru (1-30) as he like Myles bowled excellent eight overs. Veettil(2-41)  and another of the Rams youngsters Dhrona (1-2) both picked up wickets as the innings ended on two hundred and eleven for five.

In normal circumstances, with a full batting line up and a lighteningly fast outfield, then that total although challenging would have been well within the home sides’ compass. Despite the lack of other senior batters Ellis was pleased to have Wes Potschul back from holiday. He and Dhrona (21 from 32) added sixty-four before Johnson bowled the youngster. Things were still looking on track at eighty for one before Johnson (3-26) caught and bowled Potschul (49 from 67) and then doubled up to remove Adarshpal Brar, another called up from the fourths.  The reply stuttered at eight-five for three before Arnav Wadekar (15) and the skipper (18) moved the score along to one hundred and ten before Ellis was undone by Caine (1-45). Debutant Veettil came to the crease and added twenty-six with Wadekar. The youngster was undone by R Fitzgerald (2-28) who then repeated the trick to remove fourth team skipper Dom Cameron as the innings lost momentum at one hundred and forty-four for six. However some powerful batting from Veettil and excellent support from Kilaru saw the Rams towards and unlikely victory. However, Jon Steel held his nerve and dismissed first Veettil (67 from 42,  7 x 4 and 4 x 6)and then Kilaru (16 from 17) within eight runs as the innings lurched to two hundred and three for eight. The Rams required just nine with ten balls left. Crucially, however, both set batsmen had been dismissed and two run outs saw the innings close with the Rams just eight runs from victory! The Rams remain top but Buntingford are now the only unbeaten side in the league.

As I mentioned above the Midweek side thanks to a sparkling ton from Alex James and a half-century from Charlie Lewis posted two hundred and thirty for one in their twenty overs in the Cup semi-final. Spin twins, twins in the same way as Arnie and Danny or the Summerlin Twins, Jake Ellis (4-34) and Dhrona (3-18) starred with the ball as the Rams defeated another side, Cambridge Old Monks, from Division one on their way to the final.

In another excellent week for the Grifframs the Under-11 girl’s softball team remain top of their division. Our under 15 Premier side comfortably won a local derby against Little Shelford to move back to joint top with Saffron Walden. The under-13 also won at Bottisham and remain top in Under-13b. The boy’s under-11 had an excellent victory away at City of Cambridge. The under 15B team tasted defeat against Audley Wenden.

Amongst the fantastic team performances were some individual bits of brilliance from:

Ferdie Piper 42

Ethan Hayes-Fernandez 39 no

Felix Hincks 38

Nathaniel Vice 32 rtno

Muhammad Khan 32 rtno and 3-6

James Chaplin 24 no

Aabir Shah 21 no

Lewis Robinson 2-6

Ethan Cashmore 2-8

Joel Jordan 2-10