SBCC win the EAPL South title but lose the final!

SBCC secure EAPL Southern Title SBCC’s ‘regular’ season ended with them securing their ninth win from ten starts, in what, for many reasons has been another season to remember.

Following on from last year’s ‘invincibles’ season where they secured promotion from the Cambs and Hunts Premier League, and via two additional play off matches, no one was expecting this at the Club on their EAPL debut. Even allowing for the impact of Covid-19 on the league structure and playing strength of all teams this has still been a remarkable season. Any side that does doubles over the reigning Champions Frinton and the perennial challengers Sudbury can claim to have had a good season. The Club’s realistic ambition at the onset of the season was to be competitive and not to finish bottom; and to gain experience ready for a full season in 2021.

On Saturday SBCC needed a win or seven bonus points in a loss to lift the Southern Title ahead of main rivals and their opponents, on the day, Sudbury. Sudbury having home advantage and looking for revenge after a humbling defeat just three weeks ago. The first part of their day went well when they won the toss and decided to bat. The SBCC bowling attack that has been on fire this season again made early breakthroughs when Mark Smith snared both openers, Sudbury skipper Adam Mansfield and the prolific Tom Huggins. Smith was well supported by the miserly Tim Moses who was giving no freebies at the other end.

The early loss brought Suffolk’s Darren Batch to the crease and he adopted the anchor role, in a tricky situation of trying to set a decent target whilst not losing too many wickets to restrict SBCC’s bonus point haul. Batch batted patiently to score 68 not out (from 139 balls). He added sixty-two with Ben Parker (23) before James Vandepeer (2-24) took two wickets in two balls to reduce the home side to 85 for 4. Kenny Moulton-Day with a boundary laden 41 (2x4 and 4x6) in just 37 balls gave the innings the necessary acceleration.

SBCC introduced ‘golden arm’ Waqas Hussain who again proved to be a partnership breaker when he removed Moulton-Day at 148 for 5. With still fourteen overs to go, and a settled batsman at the crease Sudbury must have been looking for 230 as a minimum. However, the combination of spin duo of Callum Guest and George Darlow, together with the return of the parsimonious Moses (0-28, from 10 overs), and a conflict of purpose to score quick runs without losing two many wickets meant the innings stalled. Darlow picking up two wickets in three balls on his way to 3-16 from ten tight overs as the last fourteen overs only yielded thirty-one runs, as Sudbury were perhaps caught between two stools. So SBCC knew that they needed a minimum of 175 to secure them a total of six bonus points which would mean that they and Sudbury would need a ‘super-over’ to determine the title.

The massed SBCC support would have been nervous, despite the lowish requirement, given some of the scrapes the batting unit has got themselves into this year, even their impressive 281 from last week not without a few scares on the way. SBCC lost Vandepeer early and then the fluent Michael Cafferkey (26 from 26 ball) with the score on forty-one. Waqas Hussain (28) then joined Guest, who adopted the anchor role, and they doubled the score before Hussain again failed to fully capitalise on a good start. The SBCC innings baring a strong resemblance to the Sudbury innings to this point.

Ben Clilverd (16) then added a further thirty-one steady runs with the patient Guest. Any thoughts of a wobble were soon dispelled as Moses injected a bit of urgency with an unbeaten 24 from just 23 balls as he and Guest added an unbeaten seventy one (off 64 balls) as SBCC cantered home by six wickets and almost ten overs to spare. Vice-Captain Guest finishing on 66 not out from 94 balls (5x4, and two maximums) to see his side into the EAPL Play-off Final against Northern Section winners Swardeston, on the following day. Batch again picking up a couple of wickets.

In the individual performance front Batch’s runs propelled his to third in the highest runs stakes with Hussain and Guest finishing fourth and fifth. Batch’s amazing season was capped with him taking the bowling prize, as top wicket-taker, with Guest, Smith and Darlow finishing second, third and joint fourth respectively. Moses finishing joint seventh to underline the outstanding season from the varied SBCC attack. Mansfield just staying ahead of SBCC skipper in the ‘Golden Gloves’ category with Ben Clilverd on top in the out-field catching.

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SBCC fall at final hurdle SBCC suffered what is only their second defeat, of albeit a truncated season when they lost the EAPL play-off final to seven times EAPL winners Swardeston.

SBCC won the toss and decided to bat. Despite losing both openers relatively early on they had managed to get to 80 for 2, with the in-form Callum Guest and Waqas Hussain at the crease. However, when they lost Hussain, Ben Clilverd and Tim Moses in fairly short order they were struggling at 112 for 5 as Swardeston rotated their bowling options. Alex Stafford helped Guest to move the score along to 139 before he was out. Unfortunately, Guest (44 off 73 balls) perished two runs later as Toby Duncan (3-44) and Callum Taylor (3-23) mopped up the lower order. SBCC being dismissed for 162 in 38.5 overs.

The SBCC bowling unit have managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat on numerous occasions this season, however with no little or no recovery time even they were unable to pull off another stunning victory. The Swardeston batting unit were in good touch having rattled up 408 on Saturday at the same ground. A customary early wicket for Mark Smith, proved to be false hope as Jordan Taylor (97 not out from 132) steered his side home. He received excellent support from Alfie Cooper (22) and Stephen Gray (23 not out) as the Northern Group winners chased down the total for the loss of just two wickets. The fact that it took them 42.3 overs is testament to a bowling side that never gives in, skipper Dan Heath trying nine bowlers to try and find some breakthroughs.

Although disappointed on the day the SBCC side can look back with pride on their very strange debut season.