Dust down those PJ’s!

Yes the season reverts to the pyjamas as the pink ball game returns, fifty over win or lose cricket.  Just how many players will turn up with the wrong kit is anybody’s guess!

Although the Rams have opened up a healthy lead at the top of EAPL 25 one poor performance can lead to a significant points swing.  The Rams travel to Witchingham not knowing what to expect as the hosts have blown hot and cold for most of the season. Their already talented squad has again been supplemented by the addition of Anglo-Australian Joe Gatting. This will help a batting unit that hasn’t fully fired, so far, this term only new recruit Nico Reifer makes it into the top thirty in the race to be the top run scorer although the dependable James Hale is only a few runs adrift of him. Jonah Wicks has also made an impression on a couple of occasions. With ball Hale and Nathan Muggeridge lead the way and there will be some envious eyes cast towards the leading wicket takers list which shows former stalwarts Stolworthy and Hanby both in the top ten with Stolworthy currently sitting at the top!

The Rams are delighted to welcome back Nikhil Gorantla following his stint as England’s twelfth man last week in an otherwise unchanged line up.  The Rams will be looking for another double as they won the red ball game at Spicers, in May, by four wickets. The Norfolk side have perhaps been unlucky as they will have met full strength Rams in both matches. Last year’s game at Witchingham was that incredible fifty over run fest which saw the SBCC openers’, Wayne White and Callum Guest, add three hundred and seven runs for the first wicket. There were over seven hundred runs scored that day. Ben Claydon’s superb knock last week saw him move into a clear third place behind Adam Jones and Sam Arthurton as he attempts to get to one thousand league runs. Lee Thomason, Guest  and Gorantla will want to push beyond the five hundred mark this week. The Sawston seamers will probably appreciate more of a game this week although it may be hard work on what is usually an excellent surface.

The game of the day sees Horsford in third travel to second-placed Copdock; both will be hoping for a slip up by the Rams but equally both know that a defeat may hole their title challenge below the waterline. Sudbury will want to build on last week’s win, which put them back into fourth, when they entertain Witham. AB Wanderers will be looking for a repeat of last week’s win as they seek another lifeline when they visit Norfolk rivals Swardeston. Mildenhall face Bury in a Suffolk derby and Downham Stow will want to fire again this week at home to Frinton.

The second team face another relegation six pointer when they entertain Blunham. They are delighted to welcome back Alex James, from the first team, and spinner Tarun Mouli returns to bolster the bowling attack. Both sides will be keen to put more runs on the board than was managed at the earlier meeting; where SBCC having bowled out their hosts for just seventy-eight lost by nine runs! The Rams have a healthy thirty-nine-point advantage over the side from Bedfordshire but will still be wanting a win to close on the sides above and escape the lottery of the relegation play-off.  It will be no great surprise to see that only Blunham’s Archie Houghton features in the top twenty of the Onyx Premier run scorers. Houghton, a Bedfordshire County player, is joint ninth on the wicket taking ladder but still trails the Rams’ Darcy Murphy by ten wickets.

The Rams third team must put last week’s gut-wrenching defeat at Buntingford, and their two unrewarded cup finals, behind them when they entertain Gt. Chishill. Their season after so much promise as fizzled out but at least they are still in the promotion race and have clarity. They will probably need to win all of their last four matches. Jake Ellis, at long last, has somewhere near his strongest eleven on duty this week. He has Roshika Hannadige, and Nuwan Athukorala back. Matt Day and the promising under thirteen bowler Gabby Harter making debuts as well as the fifty-something Gary Ellis making his home debut after making his first appearance at Buntingford last week. They like the second team will be hoping for a few more runs than in the first meeting. They bowled their hosts out for seventy-four but only got home by three wickets.

You know it’s been a great week for availabilities when the fourth team captain, Dom Cameron, emails the team across before lunchtime on the Thursday. He is once again delighted to have all of his young bowling attack available again. Another youngster Sam Ronco also boosts the squad with bat and ball. After a string of excellent performances he is delighted to retain the services of Zane Dennington and Arnav Wadekar. They look for another victory away at Newport following last week’s win over second placed Cambourne. The fourth team will want a bit more luck than in the first meeting when they were denied by the weather after dismissing Newport for just seventy-eight.