Tibbsy's Weekend Preview! 01/05 & 02/05

This week the season really gets underway with all four sides in league action.

The fourth team under the management of Jeff Free start off at home to Cam Kerala III. Cam Kerala are a developing club based in Cambridge and in recent years we have played against their firsts and seconds. Anyone who has played against them will be wary of a repetition of ‘the ball’, the ball of the century that dismissed Jason Metson a few years back!

Whilst results are always important, they take a necessary back seat to our other objectives at this level, the two most important ones being getting a side out for every game and blooding as many youngsters as possible, as they make the transition from junior to adult cricket. Jeff Free will looking for that special blend of youth and experience that will enable us to be competitive whilst getting everyone in the game. He makes no apology for prioritising youth.

Jake Ellis’s third team look to have enough ability and depth to arguably offer the Club’s best chances of gaining some silverware this season. They start their campaign away to Thriplow II’s. Ellis has an exciting blend of the long-standing players such as Sean Jenkins, Oli Borley, Wes Potschul, Sid Siddarth, Scott Barker, and himself and some new recruits in the form of Torin Phelps, and Dom Cameron. He also has a greater depth of talent than in any season he can remember, and may be able to supplement this with the addition of Club legends Liam Flynn, Robbie Matthews and Rob Benson.

He also hopes that senior team availability is good and that the fourth team and third team fringe players are able to increase competition for places. His already formidable squad is boosted this week by the presence of Tom Champness, Jon Curran and Ian Smith. The depth of his squad means that there are some good cricketers left on the fringes, please be patient it’s a long season and your chance will come.

The second string having strengthened significantly during the close season will be looking for a promotion. Tom Barnard, James Drummond, Ant Phillips and Olly North have all added to the squad this year and have made excellent starts both on and off the field. The squad will be missing the talents of Kane Munday but have gained the regular presence of Benji Benson, who looks in good touch with the bat and gloves. There are hopes that Matt Ellis will also make an impact and have the bonus that Tom Champness may be fit for a few games before his operation.

Their prospects are a little less clear given their elevation by a couple of leagues and the unknown factor of playing a lot of unfamiliar teams. They should be optimistic of a decent season if availability remains good and they continue to gel as a happy squad. With a decent squad of fifteen or sixteen evenly matched players it is important that everyone remains patient and waits for their turn.

They start with a home game against Biggleswade, who no-one at the Club can remember ever playing, at Spicers. On paper the visitors look a stronger batting than bowling side. Fortunately, Nick Griggs has lots of different options to hopefully peg them back.

Pre-season has provided most with an opportunity to build a little confidence so the side will go into the match full of confidence. Nick Griggs is able to name a full-strength side that is arguably of a similar standard to our first team of three years ago.

The first team travel to Sudbury, who were our closest challengers in the EAPL Southern Section last year. They have had a mixed start with one win and one defeat, meaning that they have lost two of the last three following our last day victory last year. They scored a comfortable win over Cambridge in week one but succumbed by 26 runs to early pace-setters Great Witchingham last week, despite a battling 49 not out from the prolific ex-Sawston Junior Adam Dellar. Their overseas Cornelius Van Der Walt has yet to fire but they still possess a decent side with Ben Parker in with early season runs, and Patrick Sadler who is the joint leading wicket taker in the EAPL (top with some lad called Henry Campbell).

The leading all rounder from our section of the 2020 EAPL Darren Batch has had a steady start and adds to their armoury. Recent seasons indicate if you finish above Sudbury, you are likely to be challenging for honours. With George Darlow out injured skipper Dan Heath will be hoping that some part-time spin can compliment Callum Guest and our in-form pace attack. Mark Smith, Tim Moses and Callum Guest all sit on the leagues Top 10 with the ball. He will also be hoping that Waqas Hussain can convert his ‘feeling’ of decent touch into solid runs and take his good starts in both innings, so far, to the next level. Vice-skipper Callum Guest and youngster Noah Thain will need to provide the glue around which the innings can be built with the more aggressive approach of our other top and middle order.

Ethan Guest has been added to the squad this week making a long trip from the Sussex coast, he will add some depth to the batting and is another that can bowl if required. Ethan in for Michael Cafferkey is the only change to last week’s team.