The Rams remain unbeaten!

The Rams remained the only unbeaten side in EAPL 2022, in a high quality batting fest, and a game that was in the balance right to the final few overs.

Sawston with Callum Guest carrying his bat for a superb 140 not out posted 278 for 6 in their 64 overs. Cambridgeshire’s white ball captain faced 207 balls and hit 15 fours. He shared an opening stand of twenty-eight with the in-form Charlie Lewis (13) until Lewis dragged one on off the bowling of Christopher Garrad (1-27). Guest then added 132 for the second wicket with Luke Spears (45) before Spears became one of three run outs with Witham’s overseas Onke Nyaku having faced 102 balls. As is becoming an annoying feature in recent weeks the Rams then lost a couple of mid-order quick wickets as Alex Stafford and Ben Clilverd fell to Greg Stephens as 160 for 1 became 179 for4.

Skipper Dan Heath with 27 from 22 balls and Tim Moses (15 from 15) helped Guest regain some momentum before they were both run-out. Bedfordshire’s all-rounder George Darlow then helped Guest to close the innings at 278. With the pitch not offering a great deal of assistance, particularly to the seamers, some observers felt that the home side might have left a few runs out there and with it the door may have been ajar for the Essex outfit. The crowd boosted by the early and victorious return by the Rams second string sat back for an intriguing chase.

The Warriors line up with the inclusion of Essex opening bat Nick Browne who opened up with Witham’s regular opener Michael Godwin. The crowd’s nervousness was not helped as Browne moved to a half century with a six and took the partnership to 105 (off 168 balls). With tea approaching Darlow produced a superb delivery to dismiss Browne (53 from 93 balls). Godwin was then joined by his regular opening partner Chris Huntington. They had moved the score along to 147 when a call for a quick single and a bit of hesitation cost Godwin his wicket. Godwin had just moved onto fifty-two (from 105 balls) when taking a single to Guest, a dangerous thing to do even when the Ram has tired legs. Huntington (44 from 39 balls) and Cody Macdonald (13) took the score to 173 before Peter Hatzoglou removed both within three balls.

The game had swung back towards the home side, although bowling a side out on this deck was always going to be difficult. Nyaku then, typically, injected some urgency into the run chase with a breezy twenty-nine (from 14 balls). The Warriors were nicely placed with six wickets in hand and needing sixty-eight from the final ten overs. When Nyaku was stumped by Dan Heath with another good ball from Darlow (2-89), and Hatzoglou (3-51) added a third victim seven balls later it signalled, perhaps prematurely, and end to the chase. James Smith 26 not out (48 balls) and Kaan Hawes (5 no) comfortably saw the innings to a close on 241 for 6.
Elsewhere Copdock almost chased down Sudbury’s 277 as the scores finished tied with both sides scoring 277 for 9. There were excellent wins for the basement pair as Saffron Walden beat Great Witchingham and Frinton defeated the highly placed Mildenhall. At Swardeston the home side were astonishingly dismissed for 58, rumoured to be an unwanted EAPL record, by Horsford. All this left the Rams 40 points clear of Copdock and 41 ahead of Mildenhall who both can narrow the gap significantly if the win their game in hand.

An under-strength Rams second team without its last three captains Nick Griggs, Ben Benson and Marc Pearson as well as opening bowler Sean Ward travelled to local rivals Foxton Granta in hope rather than expectation. They were looking to build on last week’s impressive win over title favourites Castor and Ailsworth last week. Stand-in skipper Ant Phillips won the toss and inserted the home side, at Caldecote. He was immediately reward as makeshift opening bowler Will Bailey picked up four quick wickets including a snorter to remove the experienced Jason Coleman.

It was not long before his opening partner, and leagues top wicket taker, Chris Dixon (4-16) got into the act by taking the next four wickets. Bailey (5-26) won the race to five before Sanish Gopalan (1-5) wrapped up the innings for 53. Earnest Pretzlik (16 from 68 balls) joining extras as the only contributors making it to double figures. The Rams lost Robbie Matthews and Ian Smith in consecutive balls to James Scott (2-20) but Sean Jenkins (23 no) and Oliver Borley (17 no) saw Sawston home by eight wickets.

The cumulative impact of the missing players from the firsts and seconds as well of the absence of their skipper Jake Ellis contributed toward the Sawston and Babraham’s narrow defeat at Haslingfield. The Rams bowled out the home side for 146, despite them being handily placed at 105 for 2 at one point as Anand Boopalan (72) and Tom Parker (20) added useful runs.

The Rams bowlers took control as stand in Skipper Chris Kerby (2-11), Sam Browne (2-22) and Joe Greenstock (2-52) all picked up braces to support Prashant Yadav (1-7) and Arya Saeb-Parsy (1-18). The visitors also managing a couple of run outs. The Rams reply started badly as they lost three wickets with the score on four with Popat Godhaniya (4-28) making early breakthroughs. Greenstock (16) then helped the experienced opener Wes Potschul (44) at fifty-seven. Potschul then added another 16 with Jason Metson (28) before he was out. When Metson and Kerby were both dismissed on 102, the target looked a long way away. Yadav (14), Jonathan Windsor (11) and Sam Browne (5 no) took the game deep but Rudi Winslow’s 4-28 ensured that the chase faltered just five runs short.

The Rams fourth string won when Whittlesford defaulted, but after a monumental effort during the week to get a side managed to fix up a friendly with Ickleton. A fantastic effort.