Rams hang on despite toil in the field

On a stunning summer’s day, the Rams were not surprised in the slightest when Saffron Walden won the toss and decided to bat. This decision saw immediate vindication as Nick Taylor and new opening partner Luke Swanton added almost one hundred for the first wicket.

For the second week running Swanton (47) was out just short of a half century, he made a similar score last week for Walden II’s against their Sawston counterparts. Last week he was unhappy with an LBW decision this week there was no doubt as Peter Hatzoglou cleaned him up. Taylor was joined by Josh Down and they took the score to 206 before the opener snicked off Tim Moses (1-43) behind to Dan Heath. Taylor making 107 (from 158 balls) and his third league century of an impressive season so far. Down was joined by the in-form Nikhil Gorantla, who was fresh from an unbeaten double ton for Essex II’s.

Last week’s hero for the Sawston side, Noah Thain (3-71) then gave the visitors brief hope as he picked up three wickets, with Hatzoglou (2-70) picking up a fourth as Walden ‘slumped’ from 221-2 to 239-6. Down’s downfall (47 from 57) was followed Gorantla (20), Stan Leech and overseas Jade Deklerk. Home skipper Ben Harris with a typically lively 46 (from 33) balls then snuffed out the Rams chances as he added 78 with Jack Sneath (26 not out from 23). These runs coming at almost nine and over as the Rams attacked tired. Nathan Buck back in the side picked up 2-59, including an amazing catch by Heath, as the innings closed on 323 for 8.

The Rams who are never short of bowling options would perhaps have liked the missing two left arm spinners George Darlow and Alex Stafford as well as long-term absentee James Vandepeer to have been around to share the load on what was the usual ‘road’ at the Anglo American Playing Fields. Playing at Saffron Walden, particularly in the longer format, can give the side batting first a difficult decision to make. Although the track at Walden is an absolute belter for batsman and offers pace and bounce to the bowler it can sometimes be difficult to bowl out sides and claim a win in the second innings.

Ben Harris may have been tempted into an early declaration, particularly as the Rams batting line up was further weakened by an injury to Luke Spears. He was maybe swayed by the memory of the Rams chasing down 280+ last year. In the end he gambled to leave the visitors out in the sun for the full sixty-four overs.

Any hopes of an amazing chase were soon removed as Sawston lost both openers to the bowling of Ali Hancock (3-32) and with the usual number three Spears eventually batting at number ten the visitors had their backs to the wall at 35 for 2. Thain promoted up one to number three and Hatzoglou promoted (by a good few) to number four repaired the damage before Hatzoglou (31 from 28) was undone by Jack Ormsby (1-77) with the score on 103 after 21 overs. Teenager Thain unfortunately followed after compiling an impressive 73 from (86 balls) with the score on 127. Buck (37 from 39) then added 31 with Dan Heath before both were out on 158. Thain and Buck undone the spin of Deklerk (3-26 from 18 overs) and Hancock picking up Heath.

With six wickets down and at least twenty overs to go there was a real possibility of the home side gaining a win to lift themselves out of the potential relegation spot. Tim Moses (28 from 40) and Callum McLean (14 from 38) then ate up thirteen overs before both fell just after two hundred came up on the board. McLean becoming Deklerk ’s third victim before Moses fell to the part time spin of Leech (1-7).

As Walden hustled to get in an additional three overs Mark Smith, promoted to number nine, chewed up 30 balls for 9 not out whilst the ‘promising’ number ten, Spears, made 29 not out (from 45) as the league leaders held on for a draw at 240 for8. Despite only picking up eleven points it turned out to be a good day as Mildenhall (with four) and Copdock (with 10) lost ground on the Rams. Mildenhall’s startling batting collapse meant worse news for Walden as Great Witchingham picked up twenty-eight points to move into mid-table. Elsewhere wins were at a premium with Horsford’s win against Witham being the only other win on the day. Swardeston and Copdock had a similar feel and result to the game at Walden, but the Frinton game against Bury could have gone either way before the game was drawn.

Sawston II’s up and down season continue. They were again hampered by injuries and availability issues, some from the first team and others from within their own ranks. This time another ‘batting comic tragedy’ saw then repeat the trick of losing to the then bottom of the table side at home. The afternoon started well when skipper Nick Griggs won the toss and batted on what looked like a belter of a track. Despite makeshift opener Chris Dixon making a fluent 38 (from 55 balls) the home side found themselves, familiarly, at 68 for 6. Charlie Walker-Smith (3-29) and Jamie Baker (3-40) doing the early damage for the visitors Waresley. Dominic Ashcroft-Walker (1-24) picked up Dixon. However, Ian Smith, brother of first teamer Mark, defied a nasty figure injury (done during the warm up) to score a superb (78 from 74 balls, 9 x 4 and four maximums). He added 69 with the patient Sean Jenkins (24 from 62) and then 48 with Sanish Gopalan (19 from 33) as the home side managed to get to 191 all out. Richie Ellingham 2-7 made sure that the score remained well below par.

Waresley’s overseas Patrick Parsons (59) and Ben Irish (32) put on 67 for the first wicket to illustrate the benign nature of the surface. Steve Atherton (2-21) with two wickets in two balls then gave the home side hope. But skipper Dominic Farr (19) joined Parsons and took the score to 100. When Parsons followed seventeen runs later both out to Ant Phillips (2-41) could the home side drag it back? In truth they huffed and puffed but failed to create real pressure as Ashwin Reddy (19) and Sam Johnson (37) edged Waresley to a three wicket win. Dixon picked up two late wickets (2-41) and Jenkins (1-31) as the Rams lost ground on the leaders in Whitings Two.

There was much better news as the Club’s third string picked up their fourth consecutive league win to close on the leaders in Junior Two South. They somehow managed to field a decent side, helped out at the eleventh hour by the fourth’s team opposition defaulting. The faced local rivals Thriplow in a battle between third and fourth. Despite losing last week’s centurion Gareth Everson and Sumit Siddharth with just six on the board veteran opener Wes Potschul was joined by Scott Barker. Potschul has been steady again this season whilst Barker has been a bit out of touch. The pair added 104 for the third wicket before Potschul was out for 54. Barker then added another forty-eight runs with Jason Metson, who answered the plea for players to make his second appearance of the year. After a duck on his first outing, he managed a useful 34 this time around. Barker (53) followed three runs later. Skipper Jake Ellis (39) then helped the tail to get the home side to a decent 217 for 9. Ben Savage (2-14) picked up late wickets to help Oscar Toogood (3-30) and Sam Jansen (3-36) restrict the total. Daniel Carr (37) made light of losing a couple of early wickets as the Sawston opening bowlers Prashant Yadav (1-22) and Matt Free (1-25) exerted some early control.

The visitors gained a toehold but three wickets from skipper Ellis (3-34) meant that they kept losing wickets. When Metson (1-41) dismissed Vijay Gorantla (30) the game was up for the visitors. Toogood (24 no) and Eben Walker (17 no) added consolation runs to take Thriplow to 177 for 7. The win takes the Rams clear in third and only eleven points behind NCI in second. The fourths after performing another miracle and working hard all week to get a side out were handed 20 points when Coton defaulted at the eleventh hour.