Sawston hopes go West in National Club Championship

Sawston and Babraham survived late drama to keep the only unbeaten record in EAPL 2022.

Bury St. Edmunds who have emerged as real title challengers were left frustrated for a second consecutive week as they narrowly failed to press home their advantage in a timed match. They won the toss and batted and were dominating the match in the early stages as Justin Bishop (68), Shaun Park (73) and Jacob Miltz (45) took the score to 180 for 1 in 46 overs. With another 20 overs and nine wickets available to the Suffolk unit the Rams were looking down the barrel of a 300 +run chase.

Callum Guest’s introduction (1-24), as it so often does, at first slowed progress, before he removed Park. Tim Moses, last week’s hero with the bat, then removed Miltz. The dangerous Ben Seabrook batting at four became Peter Hatzoglou’s first victim of the afternoon as the visitors slipped to 209 for 4. Sawston then picked up four wickets for 4 runs as the innings was derailed at 226 for 8, with Moses (4-32) and Hartzoglou (3-69) sharing the spoils. Moses who often bowls well without reward was this time ‘luckier’ and he added a fourth wicket as a late order rally took Bury to 245 for 9.

The Rams reply despite the early loss of Noah Thain (13) to a peach of a deliver from Ali Allchin (1-30) was looking good as Charlie Lewis and Luke Spears (35) had progressed the score to 79 for 1 in 21 overs. The visitors struck back to remove Spears, Guest, Heath and Clilverd as the home side slipped to 95 for 5 in thirty overs. Rufus Easdale continued his excellent early season form (3-51) as he picked up a couple of the wickets with Josh Cantrell (4-24) and Justin Bishop (1-25) supporting his breakthrough.

Lewis continued to anchor the innings and found an ally in Tim Moses who followed up his impressive knock of last week, and his first innings bowling to add 56 for the sixth wicket. The Rams were still well placed at this point needing a further 96 runs from the final twenty overs. Easdale then bowled Moses (32 from 39) to signal the end of the chase.

The visitors in a similar scenario to last week had twenty overs to bowl out the opposition, and to inflict a first defeat on the Rams. There was no hint of panic as Sawston moved patiently along to 176 for 6 with just three overs and two balls to go. Cantrell (4-24) then removed Hatzoglou (16 from 29) and then Lewis (64 from 169). When James Vandepeer followed two balls later Mckinney had six balls at George Darlow to win the game. Darlow taking the unusual survival option of smacking a couple of boundaries to survive on 10 not out as the innings closed on 185 for 9. Whilst disappointed with the result skipper Dan Heath could still be happy with the fact that the Rams were still unbeaten and had only lost six points of their lead in the league to rivals Bury.

There was better news as Mildenhall lost badly to Sudbury who continue to surprise. Frinton were heavily beaten at home by Horsford, Swardeston continued their recent improvement with a win a Saffron Walden and Witham had an impressive (their first) red ball victory at Great Witchingham. All this left the Rams 42 points clear of Bury in second. Mildenhall and Sudbury have a game in hand over the Rams and a win for either would reduce this lead at the top to twenty three points.

The Rams second team made the long trek north to Ufford Park, hoping to get their season back on track against an opposition sitting one point but two position higher in the table. After last week’s availability issues skipper Nick Griggs was pleased to have a full squad to choose from.

The host won the toss and decided to bat. Overseas Chris Dixon (4-17) removed Ross Keymer, Tom Hart and Andy Larkin all for ducks as the home side lurched to 20 for 3. Alex Stafford (2-21) then removed home skipper Joe Harrington (29). However, Charlie Agnew (27 from 68) and Wahid Javid (33 from 64) then batted patiently to add 43 and to take the score to 97 for 4. Stafford then removed Agnew and Steven Atherton (1-26) won the battle against fellow spinner Tanvier Hussain as the hosts slipped to 100 for six. Fellow spinner Ant Phillips then snared Javid and Muhammed Raheel after the pair had added twenty three valuable runs. The tail wagged a little before a run out and then Dixon picked up his fourth victim as the hosts were dismissed for 159.

Sawston’s batting last year was built around having great starts at the top of the order and for the first time this year they got off to an excellent start. Ben Benson (42) and new partner Matthew Day (20) added 57 for the first wicket. The Rams were looking comfortable until Hussain was introduced as he removed Day, and Marc Pearson in quick succession. Benson and Stafford (11) had repaired the damage before a wobble saw them both dismissed by spinners Hussain (3-28) and Agnew (1-26). At 93 for 4 new batsmen Ant Phillips (36 no from 58) and Sean Jenkins (18 from 52) decided to see of the dangerous spinners. With the back up bowlers not offering the same threat the pair added forty runs before Jenkins was out to Javid (1-20).

Some excellent strokes from Phillips and a six to finish from the skipper, Griggs, ensured a five wicket win for the Rams.

Sawston and Brabraham thirds were also beneficiaries of the improved availability of the sides above as Oliver Borley and Ian Smith reacted positively to being selected. Borley who has batted patiently in recent weeks added purpose this week as he shared an opening stand of 107 with the evergreen Wes Potschul (62) as the Rams were invited to bat by their opposition Madingley II’s. Smith then joined Borley as they added 137 for the second wicket, Smith hitting 14 fours and one six in a typically explosive knock. Borley maintained his concentration as he went to three figures just before the end of the forty overs. The opener finished on 104 not out (11 fours and one maximum) and he a Sanish Gopalan 16 not out took the total to an imposing 306 for 4. Prash Gajendra (2-20) picking up two wicket in an eventful two overs.

The Madingley reply was initially undermined by early wickets for Arya Saeb-Parsy (2-31) and Jon Windsor (1-28) before visiting skipper Abhiram Anatharumu (34) tried to spark a revival. However, ex-first team skipper Liam Flynn with 3-6 (from seven overs) and skipper Jake Ellis (2-19) made sure the visitors were dismissed for 149, with the help of 38 extras, as the Rams got back to winning ways in CCA Junior 2s.Despite a clash of fixtures with Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire that denied the Rams 5 first teamers a mix of 1st and second teamers took Brentwood to within two balls of defeat.

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Charlie Lewis, one of the heroes of Saturday’s draw, shrugged off the loss of fellow opener Peter Hatzoglou to build a fantastic knock. The Sawston opener batted through the forty overs to finish unbeaten on 120 not out (from 104 balls with 12 boundaries).

He had shared partnerships of 44 with Luke Spears (17) and thirty six with Ant Phillips (14) before he teamed up with skipper Dan Heath. They took the score from 80 for 3 to 162 for 4, in just thirteen overs with Heath adding 44 (from 43 balls). Alex Stafford (15) and James Vandepeer (19) with a rapid knock helped Lewis to set a target of 252.

Hatzoglou gained rapid revenge by removing Griffiths, who had dismissed the Australian in the Rams’ innings, early in the Brentwood innings. Aaron West, the Brentwood skipper, then steadied the ship with an 84 run partnership with Tom Oakley (36) and a further 126 with Jack Hebron (49). Despite the lack of wickets, spinners Stafford (0-33) and Phillips (1-42) had kept the scoring in check with Phillips picking up Oakley.

Hatzoglou returned to try and turn the screw and he dismissed Hebron. Luke Spears with a run out and Sean Ward picking up a wicket at the death (1-46) meant the Rams had kept the pressure on Brentwood. West however continued to resist as he moved to three figures before helping his side over the line with twenty required from the last two overs. He finished unbeaten on 135 (from 121 balls, 17 x 4 and one maximum) to win the game.