The end of the road (almost)
Sadly, particularly for cricket badgers like me, we have almost reached the end of the season as the all the sides, except the 1st team, play their final fixtures of the season. The skippers in particular will be looking forward to some rest and recuperation without having to think about the trials and tribulations of getting a side out in what has been a trying season with injuries and other availabilities issues. It is almost ironic then that team selection, at least for the three most senior sides, has appeared, perhaps, to have been the most straightforward of weeks.
The Third team needing a win to secure a third successive promotion has once again been helped by the second team captain Nick Griggs. Sean Jenkins was released last week, as was, via circuitous route, Steven Atherton. These two remain in the squad and are joined by Oliver Borley and the available again Matthew Day. They are also boosted by the return of Scott Barker and Gareth Everson. If they needed added motivation then they receive it in the form of the opposition, Whittlesford, making it a very local derby! Skipper Jake Ellis will be looking to his opening bowlers Prashant Yadav and Mervyn Shaji to continue their excellent form.
The twos are boosted by the return of Mark Pearson, hoping to continue his magnificent run of scores, after a week off last week. He is joined by Chris Dixon, Olly North and Callum McLean, and a couple of veterans in the form of Liam Flynn and Aaron Pledger. Dixon back in the side despite an impressive EAPL debut last week. The Rams are visited by Southill Park.
This makes it the perfect day to formally Christen our new scorebox in the name of our late scorer Ann Pryor, who served both clubs with distinction and pride. The Rams will be hoping to double the side they gained promotion with last year, and perhaps dreaming of what might have been as the Bedfordshire side need only three points to guarantee themselves back to back promotions.
In their penultimate game the 1st team face a tricky tie away to Witham, our first ever visit, with the Essex side again likely to be boosted by the presence of Essex opener Nick Browne. Witham have shocked a few this term but have struggled of late. They will require no extra motivation as in 2019 it was the Rams that denied them progress into the EAPL. Apart from Browne, the usual openers Michael Godwin and Chris Huntington, have had excellent seasons and they are well supported by allrounders Jake Wakelin, Cody McDonald and overseas Onke Nyaku. With the ball Wakelin has been backed up by spinner Greg Stephens, but they may be handicapped by an injury to Nyaku. The Rams make only one change with all-rounder Alex Stafford returning in the place of overseas Chris Dixon, opting for the balance that AP offers on the Witham deck.
Callum Guest fresh from an eighty for Cambs needs another one hundred and fifty-three runs to make it an incredible one thousand league runs for the Rams this term. He will therefore like to repeat his unbeaten one hundred and forty from the drawn match earlier in the season. The Sawston batting unit will be looking to cash in on what is usually a batter’s deck at Witham. With the ball they will again be looking for early breakthroughs from the new ball pair, Alex Evans and Tim Moses, and will have Guest, Darlow and Stafford to hopefully make up for Hatzoglou’s absence. They will be hoping that last week’s brace will boost Mark Smith’s confidence and luck and we will also have Nathan Buck available to bowl. Witham will be wary of the Rams paceman, as they were undone by 5-53 from Smudge in the 2019 play-off game. The Rams will be looking to maintain their thirty-six point lead at the top of the table. Whilst it’s a handy lead its not a decisive one as Mildenhall could close the gap to just eleven points if they win their game in hand. Those looking for good omens will remember that the Rams clinched the EAPL title by winning their penultimate match of the 2021 away from home (at Great Witchingham). The fourths also finish their season with a visit to arch-rivals Whittlesford.