The final weekend of the season
SBCC potentially have a huge weekend ahead of them when they travel to Sudbury on Saturday, with the winners (or high point losers in SBCC’s case) looking to take the EAPL Southern Section Title.
The Section winners will meet the Northern Section Winners in an EAPL Title play-off game on the Sunday, at Mildenhall. If things go to form this is likely to be Swardeston who were crowned as the top Club side in England just last year (and who recently defeated the Cambridgeshire County side).
The expectation in sport ramps up quickly and as a result the SBCC team will probably be disappointed with their season if they don’t wrap the title up on Saturday. However, they shouldn’t be, in almost fifty years of playing and watching cricket in Sawston I can say without doubt this is the best side I have seen in my time. I would argue the case that there are a few individuals from the past that may have, in their prime, pushed for a starting berth in this side but as a team this lot would come top of the pile.
We have stuck with the side that won us promotion so convincingly last year, but also added a couple of players to strengthen the squad. George ‘Crash’ Darlow has made an impact with bat and ball (and car). Michael Cafferkey has proved what a good player we thought he was, in opposition last year, and surprised a few by proving that there is a nice bloke from Ramsey! Although I’m reliably informed that his soccer skills are greatly overrated.
We have had some great individual performances, however it is the common intensity, determination, sheer will to win and the ethos to back your mate up that has stood out. We haven’t relied on a few individuals, each week someone different has stuck their hand up and delivered when we most needed it. So, if our record of 8-1 becomes 8-2 let’s not be too disappointed; most of us thought 5-5 would have been an unbelievable first season. So, guys let’s just have more of the same and just do your best and hopefully that will be good enough. I know we have won a few new supporters and admirers, both from and outside the village.
Sudbury are one of the top sides in the whole of the EAPL, with two titles to their name in recent years. They too have a strong team ethic, and a few stars, and are in top form just at the right time of the season. However, hopefully, they will carry some mental scars from the huge defeat at Sawston just three weeks ago. So, win or lose we have shown that we can compete at this level and for that the lads should be justifiably proud.
We should also take the time to thank our third newcomer this season, our Cindy, who had ‘big shoes’ to fill in following Ann Pryor (our scorer for the last 10 years who’s untimely death at the end of last year shocked us all). Cindy has done magnificently – not easy when you have 14 new players to identify and you are using the pro-cricket scorer computer program for the first time. She is very popular with all the players, and not just because of the sweets she buys for the ‘spoilt’ players!
I know Dan and the boys would also like to thank the Club, its supporters, volunteers, Alan Poole and Marc Pearson, The Parish Council and sponsors for their unswerving support this year. I think the Club as a whole can be proud of its first season in the ‘big time’ and of the positive impression it has made on and off the field.