SBCC end pre-season 4/4
The 1st team managed to end a successful and cold pre-season programme with 4 wins from 4 games.
SBCC travelled to St. Ives to play their third pre-season warm up game against St. Ives and Warboys on Saturday. With extreme low temperatures they were all in need of a warm up thankfully the Headingley snow didn’t come South.
SBCC won the toss and decided to bat. Waqas Hussain carried on where he left off last Sunday scoring 63 from just 39 balls as the ball flew to all parts as he hit nine fours and three sixes. Sixteen-year-old Noah Thain (40) underlined his promise as he added sixty runs for the second wicket with Hussain, and a further forty with Callum Guest (18). The innings then lost its way as 133 for 2 became 164 for 8, with Kevin Gilder 4-52 being the most successful bowler. However, SBCC again showed they bat deep as George Darlow added 81 valuable runs with the aid of James Vandepeer (14) and Mark Smith (6 no). Darlow hitting a typically robust 58 from just 39 balls (5 fours and 3 maximums). The innings closing at 245 but disappointingly with still twelve overs to go.
The home side’s reply was undermined early as Mark Smith (2-41) took his almost customary early brace and Tim Moses added a third wicket to leave the hosts on 38-3. Vandepeer added a fourth wicket to remove Greiller (17) with the score on 67. Nick Kumpukkal and Jack Ranganathan (14) then staged a bit of a recovery adding almost fifty runs for the fifth wicket. Surprise packet Thain then taking over from an injured Ben Clilverd then picked up four wickets for 20 to leave the innings in tatters. Darlow removed the dangerous Kumpukkal for exactly 50 off just 58 balls before Alex Stafford (1-0) picked up the last wicket and recorded on the way to a 120-run victory.
Sawston completed their pre-season matches on Sunday with a trip to rivals Saffron Walden. Dan Heath, sponsored by Accountibbleity, again won the toss and again decided to bat first. Waqas Hussain’s rich vein of form continued as he made his third successive score of fifty or more, this time exactly 50 off 59 balls (6 fours and one six). Callum Guest providing the backbone to the SBCC innings sharing stands of 46 with Hussain, another 58 runs with Alex Stafford (25 from 23 balls) and 69 with the skipper Heath (35 off 33). When Guest was finally out for 73 from 92 balls at 242 for 6 the vice-skipper had helped his side add exactly 200 runs whilst he was at the crease. Home skipper Ben Harris added wickets to his original tight opening spell and ended up with (3-40). Once again George Darlow (26 from 17) provided some late runs as the Sawston innings closed on 287 for 9.
A steady reply from the home side was undone by the introduction of spin twins Darlow and Guest after Walden had recovered to 48 for 1 following the early wicket from James Vanderpeer. Darlow picking up 3-32, and effecting a run out and Guest 2-49 as Walden were reduced to 99 for 7. Two of the home side’s promising youngsters Stanley Leech (27) and Alex Pierson (18) then staged a mini fightback before Stafford (2-27) picked up two wickets and Vandepeer (2-17) returned to close out the innings on 148.
This match concluded the pre-season for the Rams and whilst results are not the be and end all skipper Dan Heath will be pleased that they have kept their happy knack of winning games going. He is likely to be more pleased that all the batters have had time in the middle and all have made at least one decent score. He will also be delighted that the bowling unit appears to be as dynamic as they were last year. SBCC visit Burwell and Exning to start their EAPL season next week.
