Hayward’s stellar weekend even outdoes Cameron

The first team returned to results cricket on Sunday and created a little bit of Club history when they made it through to the National Rounds, and the last sixteen of the ECB National Cup.

The Rams travelled to Brentwood, currently second in the Essex Premier League, where the home side won the toss and inserted the Rams; once again I think both Captains would have been happy with the decision. The Rams with Hayward once again accompanying skipper Guest set off at a fair clip; with the younger Hayward dominating the pair added seventy-three for the first wicket inside eleven overs. Guest (28 off 25) fell to Aaron West. Rice (51 from 42) then joined the opener and they added ninety-three from eighty-four balls. Jack Hebron (2-39) then struck to remove Rice and then Hayward(95 from 98) within nineteen runs of each other to leave the Rams on one hundred and eighty-five for three with just over eleven overs to go. With the last charge bugle sounded the visitors must have been targeting a score of approaching three hundred in their allotment of forty overs. The home side hit back to take regular wickets as the Rams didn’t quite get the finish they were hoping for; as Danal DiLmith Hemananda Gaswasin Arachchige picked up four wickets (4-42), West (2-57) a second and Charlie Griffiths (1-54). Claydon (18);Andrew (16); Thomason (22); Beaumont (11); and Clilverd (11 no) all made at least run a ball contributions as the Rams finished on two hundred and sixty-eight for nine.

The home side had progressed steadily to forty-three at the end of the ninth. Claydon then claimed the scalp of West (26 from 30), who’s century in the last round matched the one he hit to end the Rams run in the competition in 2022. Miguel Machado then  removed the other opener, Josh Knightbridge (15 from 28)  for no addition to the score. Will Buttleman (23 off 24) and Hebron (11 from 11) had led the recovery to sixty-three (at the end of the twelfth). The Rams then pounced as five wickets fell for just twenty-eight runs in fifty-six balls. Beaumont added a brace (2-19); Machado (2-24) and Claydon (2-35) doubled up and Guest (1-31) a first to leave the host’s reply in tatters at ninety-one for seven. James Redwood (35 from 37) and Joe Buttleman (15 off 27) advanced the score by forty-eight (from 50 balls) before a late flurry from Griffiths (21 from 14) saw the home side to one hundred and sixty-four all out. The seamers got into the action as Raj Singh (1-40) and Rice (2-11) finished off the tail.

The fourth team and their skipper Dom Cameron couldn’t scale the heights of Saturday when they lost to Linton in the Lower Junior Cup (T20). The visitor’s success was built around the opening partnership of Marston (43 from 42) and Layton (64 off 54) as they added one hundred and fifteen for the first wicket. Abbott added a useful twenty-one not out (off 14 balls) as Linton posted one hundred and fifty-eight. Coleman (1-26), Noushad (1-15) and Joel Dennington (1-30) were the only wicket-takers. However there was also some decent bowling from Myles, Joel Jordan and Muhammad Khan as the Sawston youngsters gained their first taste of adult T20 cricket. Molton taking a decent catch in the outfield.

The young Sawston side lacking the fire power and muscle of Linton would be reliant on Cameron, Noushad, Moulton and the in-form Vice to get them close. The cricketing Gods however reminded Cameron that cricket can be a cruel game when he was dismissed by a full toss. Late runs from Coleman (27 no from 30) ensured the Rams reached three figures after the middle order of Molton (14), Gardiner(16) and Dennington (15) had all got starts. Abbott (3-17) and Larcombe (2-18) were the most successful bowlers with Sutton (1-21) and Young (1-19) picking up the other wickets as Linton advanced into the next round.