History is made!

After failing to convert one of their three ‘match’ points in last week’s narrow defeat to Cambridge, Sawston and Babraham faced at tricky trip to Gt. Witchingham who have been one of the Rams main challengers throughout the season. Indeed, the side from north of Norwich had given Sawston a cricket lesson and a sound beating when the sides met in a timed match earlier in the season.

The visitors won the toss and second-team skipper Ben Benson (12) again opened with makeshift opener James Vandepeer (19). When Aaron Thomason joined Waqas Hussain, after the loss of both openers, the Rams had progressed to 57 for 2 in thirteen overs. The pair were batting well on a pitch that offered good value for your shots but also gave the bowlers some continuing incentive. They had moved the score along to 82 when Thomason was a little unlucky to be adjudged LBW. When Callum Guest (10) was out almost immediately after drinks the home side had strangled the scoring rate and were using a helpful surface where none of the batsmen never really felt ‘in’ on.

Alex Stafford entered the fray and was looking fluent before an unfortunate run out left the visitors in trouble at 107 for 5. Even the most optimistic amongst the faithful supporters was beginning to think that the title fight may need to go to a nail-biting last day! In proving the old adage that form is temporary but class is permanent Waqas Hussain delivered when it really mattered. After surviving a close LBW call he batted with increasing confidence, perhaps something that has been re-discovering over the last four or five weeks.

With help from the lower order, the Rams, once again showing the depth of talent and determination to fight. Patient knocks from the usually explosive Ben Clilverd (13 from 19) and Tim Moses (18 from 26) helped Hussain add 86 runs to take the score to a more respectable 191 for 7. Skipper Dan Heath then added some late order fireworks with 27 (from 18 balls). Hussain moved to his hundred with an exquisite ramp shot and he finished 106 not out (from 117 balls (10 fours and 3 sixes). George Darlow with 5no helped the final score to 250 for 8 at the end of the Rams’ fifty overs.

We got off to the perfect start when new ball pair Vandepeer and Mark Smith performed their usual trick of making early breakthroughs. They removed the dangerous James Spelman and Sam Arthurton with just fourteen on the board, the latter to a ‘worldy’ of a catch from Ben Clilverd. If there’s a better fielder in the league then I’d like to see him!

The next pair took alternative routes to get the home side back in the game Sam Clabburn trying to counter-attack and James Vales being altogether more circumspect. The home side had recovered to 47 for 2 and there were worrying signs in the field as Hussain struggled with first cramp and then narrowly avoided a nasty injury when his knee stuck in the turf as he put in a dive. Stafford then pulled up with a hamstring injury. Alex was then set to third man, to hide him in the field, but a top edged cut shot from Clabburn then flew towards third man, where Stafford, after a brief hesitation flung himself forward to take a superb ankle height catch off Smith’s bowling. Vandepeer (2-28) and Smith (3-35) then struck again in quick succession to leave the home side on 54 for 5.

The Witchingham hopes rested with Vale, who was unlucky not to score a ton in the reverse fixture. The Rams however put the squeeze on as Moses bowled seven excellent overs for a miserly seventeen runs. Spin twins George Darlow (2-12 from 9) and Callum Guest (3-17 from 5) then closed out the match ending Vale’s defiant stay for 35 before the innings closed at 110. The Rams winning the match emphatically by 140 runs and to clinch the EAPL title.

News came later as next week’s opponents Copdock had incredibly chased a massive 324 at home to Horsford. So perhaps it was just as well for the nerves of everyone that the title was settled! Further news filtered through that closest rival Swardeston had lost giving the Rams a 55-point lead at the top. It would also be good to acknowledge the fantastic and ‘classy’ attitude of the Gt. Witchingham players who acclaimed the Ram’s title win with great dignity, generosity and warmth despite their own disappointment, and regret, of what might have been.

The third team season ended in a disappointing defeat but that could not deflate the side that set out to win CCA Junior 3 South and delivered. In a rare game at Spicers, end of season renovation work was underway at Babraham, the visitors Lt. Shelford won the toss and decided to bat. They lost regular wickets and were indebted to David Bennett’s 42 (from 69 balls) and Fahmid Khan (21 from 24 balls), and to Sawston’s wayward bowling as 32 wides boosted the total to 150. Dom Cameron (3-25) and Jake Raven (2-5) were the most successful of the eight bowlers used on the day. The reply followed a similar vein to the first innings with leading bats Wes Potschul (18) and Scott Barker (18) unfortunately not being able to post a score after getting within 29 runs. Dom Cameron with 17 and Sam Browne 9 not out got the Rams to within sixteen bur Ali Pringle’s 6-24and that man Bennett 3-12 made sure that Lt. Shelford has some cheer at the end of a difficult season.