Sawston and Babraham first team concluded their pre-season program with a thrilling three wicket win away at EAPL rivals Mildenhall. Whilst it was not as emphatic a victory as last week’s demolition of Saffron Walden it was non-the-less an excellent all-round performance.

Mildenhall who finished the 2022 season as one of the form sides in the competition had recruited heavily in the close season and four new signings Tetley, Jeffries, Catley and Du Plooy featured. The Rams shuffled the pack to make sure that as many of the squad gained match play opportunities ahead of next week’s EAPL curtain raiser at Swardeston. Out went Lewis, Fletcher and last week’s centurion Spears and in came Noah Thain, George Darlow and Mark Smith. Despite Thain’s long awaited return, from injury, the balance of the side had definitely shifted towards the bowling unit.

With that in mind Sawston skipper Dan Heath opted to bowl first. Last year Mark Smith and James Vandepeer formed a very potent opening partnership where in most games they made early breakthroughs. Things didn’t quite go to plan as Jack Potticary was again given ‘licence’ to take advantage of the first power-play. He struck a typically powerful 71 (from just 58 balls) and he and Darren Ironside added 79 in the first ten overs. Tim Moses (1-18) and Ben Clilverd (1-24) were introduced to stem the flow and this move worked as first Ironside (16) and Potticary fell in quick succession. The ex-Burwell pair of Tetley (29) and Jeffries (15) attempted to sit in and rebuild before pushing on again. However, spin twins Callum Guest (3-29) and Darlow (3-24) then weaved their magic assisted by some injudicious stroke play as the home side were reduced to 161-8. It took some sensible batting from another ex-Burwell man Du Plooy 23 not out to get Mildenhall to 212 as Callum McLean (1-33) and Thain (1-2) picked up the final wickets. Although this was a challenging total, with Sawston’s line up, you felt the home side had missed an opportunity to bat the visitors out of the game and put down a marker for the season ahead.

The Rams opened up with Thain and Guest, as the search for the right combination to replace Hussain and Hague continues. The visitors batted steadily as Guest anchored the innings but once they had lost Thain (14), Benson (23), Moses (7) and Clilverd (13) at 86 for 4 the winning line looked a long way away. With the Skipper, Dan Heath, promoted up the order to a ‘heady’ number six the home side were looking strong favourites. However, the captain and his vice-captain then added 75 for the fifth wicket with some sensible batting and excellent running. The optimism among the visiting fans was buoyed until Guest’s occupation (40 from 66 balls) was ended with a further fifty-two runs required. There was, however, still plenty of overs left. The skipper then played a match winning knock 71 not out from 107 deliveries to see the Rams home by three wickets. He received some fine assistance from Vandepeer (7), Darlow (14) and McLean (2 no) as again the visitors determination to win games surfaced. Jack Loveday (2-40) and Du Plooy (3-26) were the most successful of the home sides’s bowlers.

The Rams make it three from three…………..

On Sunday a mixed first and second XI travelled to the beautiful surroundings of Colchester and East Essex for a warm up game against a similar mix from the home side. The visitors batted first and despite losing Ben Benson with the score on 23, Charlie Lewis (57 from 76) added 116 for the second wicket with Ant Phillips. The latter then added seventeen with Tim Moses (9) and fifty-three with another seasonal debutant Alex Stafford (22). When Phillips retired unbeaten on 121 (from 118 balls, 9 x 4 and 2 maximums) it was left to the two skippers Dan Heath (38 no from 38) and Nick Griggs (27 no from 21) to take the total to an imposing 315 for 4. Charlie Allison with 2-30 emerged with real credit.

Moses (2-28) undermined the home side’s reply with two early wickets, and a run out off his own bowling and the home side continued to lose regular wickets as the run rate climbed and climbed. The Rams spin trio of debutant Steve Atherton (1-36), Stafford (1-40) and that man Phillips (3-28) then ensued that the home side couldn’t get near the target, despite some spirited knocks from the lower order of Offord (38 from 41), Thacker (21), and Watts (16). Seasonal debutants Griggs and Will Bailey also got their first wickets on the season, with Sean Ward unluckily not joining them.

The Rams ran out victors by 114 runs and with next week’s tough opening day at Swardeston Heath was in the enviable position of having full availability and the majority of the squad in good nick.

Skipper sees Rams home……………