It’s been one of those seasons

Just when I finish celebrating, in my pre match preview, that the first team are only making one change from last week then Noah Thain gets called up to the Essex squad and Mark Smith is ill. Smudge has endured a difficult season but has been an almost ever present over the last ten years so it was unusual to be lining up without him. Callum McLean and Sean Ward came into the side. McLean at last getting some cricket under his belt with his match winning partnership with Jack Loveday for the Cambridgeshire Development XI on Thursday.

The Rams travelled to Bury St Edmunds with what looked like a weakened batting line up without Thain. Most observers think they have been a batter light all season. Perhaps that was in the mind of the Bury skipper when he won the toss and asked the Rams to bat. This apparent ‘weakness’ was again in danger of being exposed as Hatzoglou (9) was dismissed by Ali Allchin and ‘Mr Consistency’ Callum Guest fell adjudged LBW off the bowling of Max Whittaker. Guest ‘failing’ with just twenty to his name this week following his big ton last week. When Alex Stafford was well and truly castled one run and six balls later, by Alex Cruickshank, the Rams were in deep trouble at fifty-five for three.

Luke Spears was then joined by Ben Clilverd, who was able to bat this week, still hampered by a broken finger! This pair added an impressive 147 from 152 balls. Clilverd departed caught behind off James McKinney (1-44) (205-4) having scored seventy-six (off 88 balls, 9 x4 and one maximum). Tim Moses joined Spears and saw the Rams number three to three figures (off 103 balls). Moses (15) added fifty runs with Spears in just 43 balls. Moses then became Cruickshank’s second left handed victim (2-48) in the last over. Spears finished with an unbeaten 112 from 111 balls (13 fours and one six). The classy right hander having just returned following hand and hamstring injuries hitting his second league ton of the year (and a third overall), and taking his league aggregate to over five hundred runs at an average of 65. The Rams once again finding another hero when they needed one at they finished on 264 for 5. It truly has been one of those seasons!

Bury’s reply was soon in trouble as the new new-ball pairing of Alex Evans (1-16) and Tim Moses (2-23) brought instant rewards, both picking up one of the Bury openers (Alex Maynard and Max Whittaker) to leave the home side on three for two. The home side are on a miserable run and were bundled out very cheaply last week. Their hopes rested, perhaps, on the impressive Jacob Miltz and Josh Cantrell going big together, Miltz has netted over seven hundred league runs and Cantrell over five hundred. The home side were in need of a big partnership but it wasn’t to be as Moses dismissed Cantrell for twenty as the home side lurched to thirty-one for three. When Clilverd dismissed Harrison and Peter Hatzoglou (1-16) dismissed Allchin Bury were forty-six for five. Miltz and Ben Whittaker restored some pride with a fifty partnership but Miltz’s vigil (39 off 86) and stubborn resistance was ended when Clilverd (2-25) had him caught behind by Heath, one of five catches for the Sawston keeper.

Whittaker continued to bat for pride, as the required rate went off the chart, adding another forty-five with Cruickshank before the latter was dismissed by George Darlow (1-38). Whittaker then brought up his fifty (off 78 balls) before he was dismissed by Stafford (1-7) for fifty-three with the score on 148 for 8. Callum McLean (1-25) then picked up Owen Grisby before Sam Aldous and McKinney saw Bury to 173 for 9. The comfortable victory making it seven from seven in pink ball cricket for the Rams.

Elsewhere results were not kind to Bury and they are now bottom. Title challengers Mildenhall survived a late wobble to defeat third placed Sudbury by two wickets. The Suffolk side slip to fourth as Great Witchingham continued their late run to edge our Witham in a high scoring contest. Horsford remain fifth following their tight win at home against Frinton. Saffron Walden moved spectacularly off the bottom when they posted a massive 373 against Swardeston, to win by 154 runs.

The Rams 2nd eleven were hoping to put their nightmare run behind them and despite a couple of changes they were looking pretty strong on Friday night. This all changed when they lost a couple to the first team and were forced to borrow one from the third and fourth teams. Sawston skipper Nick Griggs won the toss and decided to bat against local rivals Foxton. They were looking to double their South Cambs rivals after enjoying a comfortable victory earlier on in the season.

After last week’s batting nightmare Chris Dixon was promoted from eleven to one and was partnered by Ollie Borley, with the usual opener Ben Benson dropping down to four in the absence of Ant Phillips. The openers gave the innings a solid or stolid start adding just sixteen runs in the first seven overs of the power play before Dixon was caught behind off James Scott (1-46). Borley playing the anchor role was joined by Marc Pearson. Pearson was looking for his fourth consecutive fifty plus score following his two weddings in the summer! Perhaps we should all try it! The professional groom added forty-six with Borley before the opener was undone by ex-Ram Steven Smith (1-44). His patient twenty-six coming off 72 balls before he returned to the hutch with the score on sixty-two for two. Pearson was then joined by Benson, these two sharing a bit of history, more than a few runs and some excellent partnerships ever since they started and starred in the Rams Under-11’s. They rolled back the years as they added one hundred and twenty-one runs off just 105 balls. Benson was then run out by Smith for sixty-three, scored off a mere 48 balls with ten boundaries. Skipper Nick Griggs after a terrible run with bat batted number ten last week but this week stepped up to number five, Griggs another ex- Ram Junior then added an unbeaten ninety-five with Pearson. The unbeaten partnership coming of just seventy one balls. Griggs playing second fiddle to Pearson as he saw his partner to his ton off 113 balls before the skipper had some late fun to finish unbeaten on thirty-one (from 36 balls). Pearson finished on 132 not out, not quite eclipsing his unbeaten 155 last year, from 124 balls with sixteen fours and three sixes. The innings closed on 278 for 3 which is about par these days at Spicers, with the parched outfield making chasing the ball futile.

The Foxton reply started well with openers Sam Pritchard and Cameron Wheatley adding eight-two for the first wicket in just over eighteen overs and setting a good platform for the chase. With veteran Aaron Pledger, another product of the Rams Academy, acting as the perfect foil skipper Nick Griggs introduced himself into the attack with spectacular results. He dismissed Pritchard (46), and then Wheatley (26) and George Dean in consecutive balls to undermine the Foxton reply as 82 for 0 became 86 for 3. Pledger continued to keep things tight and assist the required run rate to climb as he bowled his full ten overs for just thirty-two runs. James Scott and Tom Wilson then rebuilt adding fifty-eight for the fourth wicket. However, 144 for three became 149 for six in one eventful Matt Worsdale eight -ball over. Worsdale (3-42) playing only his second match following his move into the village from Cheshire. He dismissed Wilson (16), Scott (32) and Varun Vats in quick succession. With Sean Jenkins taking over the Pledger role (bowling his full allocation for just thirty-nine) Foxton veteran’s Jason Coleman and Smith recalibrated their sights and set out to get maximum batting points. They added forty-three together before Griggs returned to remove ex-teammate Smith (21). Sam Carrington joined Coleman and saw the score past two hundred before Griggs dismissed the former for his fifth wicket (5-33) with the score on 214 for 7. Coleman remained unbeaten on 37 but narrowly failed to achieve maximum bonus points as the innings closed on 217 for 8. The Rams finally ending their miserable run of results with a 61 run victory.

Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends as the Third XI chasing promotion slipped up at home to Haslingfield. There was further bad news when the 4th team had to concede their match, our first call off for about half a dozen years! At Babraham skipper Jake Ellis won the toss and decided to bat. The were soon in trouble as Gareth Everson and James Watson were soon back in the Pavilion at 11-2. Wes Potschul (24) and Joe Greenstock (17) had repaired some of the damage moving the score onto fifty-six for two. However, Rudi Winslow (4-26) then removed both and added Jo Latham and the skipper to his list of victims as the home side struggled to 86 for 6. Mervyn Shaji (16) and Tom Champness (18) both got starts but couldn’t push on. As the innings fizzled out from 112 for 6 to 132 all out. There were braces for Hugh Bryant (2-14), Popat Godhaniya (2-20) and Jack Read (2-39). In reply Shaji was again starring following his excellent performance with the ball last week as he picked up 4-21 to out-do Winslow. However, no-one was able to back him up despite a wicket each for Prashant Yadav (1-31) and Ellis (1-37). Nils Downes (57 from 66), Tom Parker (26 from 36) and that man Winslow (25 no from 13 balls) made decisive contributions as Haslingfield won, and doubled the Rams, by 4 wickets and inside twenty-three overs. The only good news is that the Rams remain second despite the loss.