Just an ordinary week of cricket...

After last weekend’s dramas, both at the Club and in the EAPL, my heart-rate could do with a nice relaxed weekend of cricket. Knowing our history that seems unlikely.

On Saturday the first team welcome Ramsey to Spicers, with both of the Rams going head-to-head. SBCC will welcome back several ex-players including Michael Cafferkey, Henry Wilson, Tarun Mouli and Dan Heath.  After an initially enduring a pretty miserable red ball season, including an eight-wicket defeat at home to the Rams, their season has been re-ignited by four wins on the trot (if you include the Frinton game). This run has been to a certain extent sparked by the form of their overseas Sandun Weerakkody. The first-class cricketer from Sri Lanka has hit over four hundred EAPL runs in the last month; his five hundred and sixty-two league runs still has him behind Ben Saunders (623 runs) who appears at number ten on the EAPL charts. Ethan Rice and Sawston skipper Callum Guest both ahead of their Cambridgeshire teammate. Mouli leads the way with the ball for the Fenland side with thirty-one wickets, he is joint eighth on the EAPL ladder with our own James Sykes both five behind Ben Claydon.

The Rams are unchanged from Sunday’s epic Rothesay ECB National Club Championship quarter final; and will be hoping to make it unbeaten in fifteen. Hopefully the strong Cambridgeshire contingent from both sides will resist the temptation to bully Suffolk’s red ball captain Jack Beaumont ahead of the start of Sunday’s three-day game at Copdock.

In the AVL EAPL the game of the day pitches the new record scorers Mildenhall at home to the new leaders Copdock; who will hopefully want to avoid the curse of the title favourites tag. Horsford will be desperate to avoid a fourth defeat in six games when they entertain Witham. Swardeston lurking menacingly in fourth will be hoping to inflict a six successive defeat on Bury when they meet at the Common. The Norfolk derby sees AB Wanderers entertain Downham Stow. The final game sees Frinton at home to Sudbury; after their record breaking hammering the Suffolk side will want a win to keep them clear of their hosts at the bottom of the table. The home side may have a new patron if Count Binface can cause an upset!

The second team receive a massive boost when former skipper Miguel Machado makes a return to the side for Saturday’s trip to Histon. Migs has been starved of action in recent weeks and needs some time with bat and ball to re-hone his skills which will be needed in the weeks ahead. He is joined in the side by Shiv Darbar who returns after a couple of weeks out with illness. Etienne Lamb joins his County Age Group teammate Dhrona and Dan Barnes returns after missing a couple. Skipper Julius Jackson will also be looking forward to the game after finding some Saturday form with the bat last week. Their hosts Histon find themselves, surprisingly, just one place above, the already relegated Rams, but are desperate for a win to avoid the drop. The reliable Ed Hyde (with 501 runs) leads the way for the Cambridge side with the bat; and spinners John Turner and Ben Leach both sit in the leagues top ten with fifty-seven wickets between them.

The third team travel up into the high altitude of Great Chishill with both sides looking for a third successive victory. The selection committee have once again been pragmatic trying to maximise the thirds chances of a victory, The hosts have James Piper and veteran Angus Gent in the top four in Division 1s runs ladder, Sawston skipper Jake Ellis is ninth. The Ellis’ Jake, and dad, Gary sit fifth and seventh in the contest to be the top wicket taker in this league; with Gent being the hosts top performer with the ball. The side from the hills came out on top by just six runs when the sides met at the end of May.

The fourth team have a home game, at the Churchman Ground, against very near neighbours Ickleton. Ickleton are seventh just above the drop zone but are only twenty-two points adrift of the Rams in third. Luke Sherry appears in the top ten with both bat and ball in the Division 4s standings and so is probably a man to watch. Ickleton will want to do the double over the Rams having won the earlier encounter by twenty-nine runs in a relatively high scoring contest. The Rams are their usual mix of dads and lads, youngsters and vets!