Heartbreak again for the Rams
On Saturday the Rams met Horsford, the two sides were locked on the same points at the top of the AVL EAPL table going into the last week of the season. The Norfolk side had ridden their luck against the Rams in the reverse fixture when some unusually wet weather, for this summer, saved them. However, Horsford swept to a first ever win at Spicers which took them to a first ever EAPL title.
The visitors won the toss and opted to bat. The top four all fired as Jason Reynolds (30 from 37), youngster Jc Malherbe (45 from 78) and overseas Jordan Neill (54 from 43) all made valuable contributions. However, the match winning innings was played by Niel Hornbuckle, a former South African professional who despite still suffering with a hamstring tear smashed one hundred and sixty runs (off just 135 balls). The opener, who is also Norfolk’s Head of Performance Pathway (County Juniors), shared two hundred partnerships with Malherbe and Neill as the visitors smashed their way to three hundred and ten for five in their fifty overs. The backbone of the Rams run of fifteen unbeaten games before Saturday has been led by some superb bowling and fielding performances. On Saturday the bowling and fielding unit were hampered by Callum Guest’s absence and a side-strain that prevented Ethan Rice from bowling. In truth only James Sykes, who got through his ten overs for just thirty-six runs escaped punishment. There were solitary wickets for stand in skipper Ben Claydon, Ben Clilverd, Jack Beaumont and Wayne White in a bowling and fielding display that lacked its usual intensity.
Sawston’s unlikely pursuit of the mammoth total was undermined as both openers White and Ralph Hayward were both undone by unfortunate run-outs. With an absence of individual big scores and large partnerships the season ended with a one hundred and thirty-four run defeat. Ethan Rice (38 off 63) and late runs from Clilverd (24 off 38), Julius Jackson (19 off 20) and some big hits from Sykes (18 from 10) enabled the Rams to get to one hundred and seventy-six. There were braces for Callum Metcalf (2-42), Neil (2-28) and Ryan Findley (2-14) as the visitors showcased their all-round skillset as they moved to a deserved title winning success. The team and their large band of supporters got to enjoy their first ever title win before heading back to Norwich to continue the celebrations.
On Sunday Shepherds Bush, who had defeated the Rams in the Rothesay ECB Club Championship semi-final, became the Club Champions of England when they defeated New Fearnley in the final.
To go so near to lifting the AVL EAPL and Rothesay ECB Club Championship is a fantastic effort and the players and volunteers that back them up should feel justly proud. It probably didn’t feel that way, assisted by a headache, when they woke up on Sunday! The Rams have four titles and two second placed finishes in the six years that they have competed at the pinnacle of East Anglian cricket.