Dramatic win for the 1s, as 2s & 3s also return victorious!

As Saturdays go, the one just gone will be hard to beat as Sawston and Babraham enjoyed a perfect weekend.

The Rams third XI sitting third in CCA Junior Three South took on leaders Fen Ditton, in what football pundits would have called a real 40 pointer! The Rams skipper Jake Ellis won the toss and decided to bat. In a side missing prolific opening bat Sean Jeankins, more about him later, the skipper opted to open the innings alongside the experienced Wes Potschul. The move paid off as Ellis (26) added 61 for the first wicket. Potschul (49) followed with the score on 86. The innings moved on to 113 for 2 before last week’s centurion Scott Barker was dismissed. When Sumit Siddharth (21) was removed the innings was in danger of running out of steam as Jon Purkiss (5-27) and George Silcock (3-38) picked up a flurry of wickets. Indeed, the hosts were grateful to late runs from Dom Cameron (20) to get them to a below par 166 and left hoping that their failure not to use six overs of their allocation wouldn’t be costly as Chris Wiseman (2-25) picked up a couple of late wickets.

Sawston’s embarrassment of riches allowed them to pair the experienced Tom Champness (2-21) and Sean Ward (2-17) with the new ball. In other circumstances both could be comfortably seen opening the bowling for the seconds. Champness adding a run out to his wickets as the visitors lost regular wickets Bramwell Govier (22), Adam Jackson (25) and Mitch Da Silva (36) gave the visitors a foothold and some hope. However, Dom Cameron, although wicketless, turned the screw with eight tight overs, as Naga Yanamendela (1-18) and Joe Latham (1-32) picked up wickets. Chris Kerby then helped to deliver late wickets and a twenty-run victory as he picked up 3-28. This defeat and a victory for Thriplow enabled the latter to leap-frog Fen Ditton at the summit, both will be looking over their shoulders at Sawston who remain third but just a dozen points off the top but, importantly, with two games in hand.

The first team secured an important and dramatic victory, as they defeated Horsford in our first ever meeting, and in the last red ball game of the season. The win combined with the draw between Gt.Witchingham and Swardeston and Bury’s defeat, coupled with the news on the points allocation for Swardeston’s three COVID cancelled matches has left the Rams with a healthy lead at the top of the table. The Rams have a 29-point lead over Witchingham with Swardeston a further seven back. That gives the Rams almost a one game buffer, but in the winner takes all 50 over games points and position can change rapidly. Sawston’s visit to Swardeston next week is a massive game.

On Saturday the Rams re-acted swiftly to news of Matthew Hague’s broken leg, and Charlie Lewis’s departure back to the United States by signing Aaron Thomason. Thomason is the brother of Cambridgeshire’s Lee and has first class experience with Warwickshire and Sussex. The Rams were also missing long term absentee Noah Thain and the in-form Rishi Patel, the later fresh from a maiden hundred for Leicestershire. His success probably means the Rams will see less of this talented player but we wish him well.

For once Sawston skipper Dan Heath didn’t win the toss and the visitors Horsford, fresh from their stunning victory over Gt. Witchingham, not surprisingly elected to bowl. The skipper opened the innings with himself and Thomason and the latter was dismissed in the first over. Heath helped Waqas Hussain add 42 for the second wicket. The experienced Hussain dug deep to shake off his ‘relative’ lack of runs this term as he then added a further 105 runs in partnerships with the Guests, Callum (21) and Ethan (17). However, when Waqas was out for 73 after a 149 ball knock the innings was still in the balance at 148 for 5 with the Metcalf’s, Callum (3-41) and Ethan (3-19) amongst the wickets. The Rams late middle order of Ben Clilverd (21), Alex Stafford (21) and George Darlow (27) combined to increase the total to a more challenging 235. Benjamin Panter (2-42) also picked up a brace.

The visitors got off to a flyer as Oscar Binny and Ashley Watson added 51 in ten overs. When one of this term’s unsung heroes James Vandepeer (4-32) picked them both up, in addition to William Rogers, and Ben Clilverd (1-24) had snared Ethan Metcalf the visitors had lost four wickets for just 18 runs. Vandepeer picked up his fourth when he dismissed Stephan Marillier, who has scored useful late middle order runs this season, Horsford were 82 for 5. Thomason (1-28) then added his first wicket for the Club before the rain arrived. Two rain breaks slowed the game down and an unlikely abandonment seemed the most likely result.

As the players returned the rain clouds grew and one more rain shower would have led to the game being ended prematurely. Horsford at this point were 8 down, with rain in the air, Darlow picked up the 9th wicket with Callum Guest finding the edge of the bat and the skipper Heath doing the rest behind the stumps for the final wicket in the next over, as the players left the field the heavens opened! George Darlow ended with 3-4, from four and Calum Guest (1-2). This underlining, if it was needed, what a massive loss Darlow’s absence has been throughout much of the early and mid-season.

Sawston and Babraham 2nds secured their seventh successive victory to almost guarantee themselves promotion and the title in the Cambs and Hunts Premier League Division Three. They faced a tricky tie away to second bottom AK XI, on what was a difficult surface, at the Alconbury Social Club. They lost the toss and were unsurprisingly asked to bat. For once prolific skipper Ben Benson failed and when Scott Stanford followed at 16 for 2 the home side had their tail up. However, a patient fifty ball innings from Josh Jordan (25) and an impressive mix of solid defence and powerful striking from Marc Pearson (53) enabled the Rams to move to 80 before Jordan was out. When Pearson followed at 109, his fifty included four boundaries and three sixes, there was still to a lot of work to be done. Ant Phillips (14 from 57) and Nick Griggs (19 from 44) batted with real discipline as skipper Mohammed Nadeem Zahid (1-11 from 9) and Muhammed Shabir (2-25 from 9) threatened. Will Bailey (17 from 19) and Sean Jenkins (19 from 15) then ensured the Rams posted a very creditable 187 for 7, as Razwaan Muhammed also picked up 2-32.

With rain, the home side’s scoring rate and the peculiar rain rules all threatening the Rams dominance of this match. Despite taking regular wickets with opening pair Griggs (3-34) and Jenkins (4-36) the home side were always in front, from the twentieth over despite being nine down, should an earlier rain delay be repeated and finish the day. Last wicker pair Awaiz Ali (17 from 25) and Hassan Ameir (21 from 27) added some late entertainment, the latter in particular with a couple of switch hits, before Torin Phelps (1-12) got his maiden second team wicket following promotion from the thirds. Stanford and Jake Raven picked up the other wickets. With Biggleswade losing out to the weather, but evening up the cancellations, and only getting bonus points for their dominance of a match at Eaton Socon it now means the Rams need one win from their final two matches to win both promotion and the title.