1/2 on Bank Holiday weekend for SBCC!

The weekend started badly for SBCC on Friday afternoon when 2nd XI opponents Buntingford called to say they couldn’t raise a side. A quirk of the points system meant that if Horseheath played and collected thirty-one points out of a possible forty then they would pinch the Group O title from the unbeaten SBCC.

The 1st XI was again indebted to their fast draining ground, at Spicers, groundsman Alan Poole’s positive attitude to get the game on, and to the team of volunteers who assisted Alan to make sure the game at Sawston was the only won completed in the whole of the EAPL. Another game at Bury was won by the home side but with only 19 overs in the second innings with DLS being used to decide the result.

At Sawston, Dan Heath, won a toss that he perhaps would have preferred to lose and against the local ‘wisdom’ of the Club elders decided to bat. Given the difficult wicket and ground preparation conditions of this week, with the damp strip which had laid under the covers for far too long this week, a damp outfield and the threat of rain later in the day the perceived wisdom was to bowl first.

Sudbury arguably the best side in the EAPL over the last three seasons, who went close to completing a title hat-trick in 2019, having snared two title wins in 2017 and 2018, were boosted by the return of Tom Huggins. The Suffolk player and Essex batting coach is right up there in the top echelons of EAPL players being a prodigious run scorer and wicket taker. SBCC’s batting has proven to be a bit flaky this term and this was not helped when one of their better bats this year Michael Cafferkey needed to be replaced late in the week, with Josh Jordan promoted from the seconds. However, Jordan’s solid defence and patience was the order of the day as the Spicer’s surface, understandably, offered assistance to the seamers and spinners alike. Jordan (26) survived the early loss of SBCC talisman Waqas Hussain and the in-form Charlie Lewis to help Callum Guest (25) take the score to 71 for 2. However, this soon became 84 for 6 as the home side lost a flurry of wickets to a mix of good balls, exceptional catching, a ‘comical’ run out and one unhappy batsman bemoaning a tough decision from the umpire. Tim Moses (13) and Dan Heath (18) helped the score along to 136 for 8, before skipper Heath ran past one and was stumped by his opposite number. Last week’s late order batting hero George Darlow with 35 not out (from 27 balls, 4 x 4, and 2 x 6) again made a vital contribution as Scott Stanford helped him to take the score to 159 for 9. Huggins (2-18) and Riddick (2-10) picking up braces as Sudbury’s six bowlers all picket up at least one wicket.

SBCC skipper, Heath, would have liked another twenty runs but still felt they were in the game if his bowling unit again performed to the maximum of their ability. The home support was soon in raptures as Mark Smith removed Higgins, with the first of a hat-rick of Ben Clilverd catches, with the first ball of the Sudbury innings. Impressive and hostile spells from Smith and Tim Moses soon reduced the visitors reply to tatters as five for two soon became 20-6 and any hopes of a DLS assisted victory being blown away. Moses (2-18 from eight), made way for Ben Clilverd (3-9) whose 3 wickets in four balls sensationally closed the Sudbury innings on 46. Kenny Moulton-Day (22) with some solid ball striking was the only batsman to reach double figures. Smith celebrating his recall to the Cambridgeshire side by picking up his EAPL best figures of 5-21 from his 10 overs. The win stretched SBCC’s cushion at the top of the EAPL Southern section to 39 points over Sudbury, with four games to go. Later in the day there was great news for the 2nds as bottom side Newport had pulled off an unlikely victory at Horseheath, and SBCC had their third title in the bag.

SBCC completed their home matches when they entertained Copdock and Old Ipswichians on Bank Holiday Monday. SBCC had put themselves in a tremendous position on Saturday following their sensational demolition of Sudbury on Saturday, opening up a thirty-nine-point gap at the top of the table.

On Monday Copdock won the toss and decided to bat. Mark Smith continued on from his five-for on Saturday, and his four for Cambridgeshire on the Sunday, when he picked up two early wickets as the visitors found themselves in a bit of trouble. However, Ben Claydon remained resolute as he shared partnerships of thirty-one with Hugh Thomas (23) and forty-eight with Donald Mlambo (14) aided by a couple of missed opportunities in the field. SBCC spin twins George Darlow (0-16) and Callum Guest (0-26) strangled the scoring rate with 20 overs of spin but crucially for Copdock they were wicketless as the visitors kept wickets in hand for the final onslaught. The Copdock hundred was not reached until the thirty-fourth over and Claydon’s fifty coming off 105 balls with only one boundary.

At forty overs the game was nicely balanced with Copdock 120 for 4. However, they were able to add seventy-five runs in the final ten overs. This was despite occasional seamer Waqas Hussain picking up 4-13 assisted by two decent catches in the deep from Smith who also picked up a third wicket (3-52) as the innings closed on 195 for 9. Claydon top scoring with 75, to go with his big ton in the reverse fixture, Copdock skipper Chris Swallow adding a useful 32.

Sawston experimented by promoting lower order batter George Darlow to open following his last two heroic knocks. Sadly, this experiment failed and the home side’s Achilles heel was again exposed as they found themselves in deep trouble at 60 for 5 with the visitors varied attack all in the wickets. The home side however rallied as Callum Guest (50) and Tim Moses (35) took the score to 128. Guest remained patient as he tried to bat around the tail but the home sides’ hopes were extinguished as they lost skipper Heath to a disastrous run out and Claydon returned to finish off the lower order on his way to 5-27. Sawston tasting a league defeat for the first time since the end of the 2018 season, and first ever league defeats in the SBCC colours for the likes of Hussain, Lewis, Guest, Moses and 2020 recruit Darlow.

Sudbury closed the gap at the top of the table with a six wicket win at Bury, but despite this and SBCC’s defeat Sawston’s lead at the top was increased over the weekend by a couple of points. They now lead the table by nineteen points and, so, still have the Southern Group title in their hands. They do, however, face three tough away games at Bury, Frinton and hopefully a title decider at Sudbury on the last day of the ‘normal’ season.