10/10 & the Rams go back to back!

Last year when the Rams won the EAPL title for the first time Mildenhall were amongst the strong finishers to grab third spot just behind seven times winners Swardeston. This year the Rams have again been top of the pile, except for a brief period in the middle of summer, but have been pursued doggedly by the Suffolk outfit all summer. With Mildenhall building on that fantastic 2021 season end form with solid recruitment to strengthen their 2022 campaign. Perhaps the cricketing gods or even the EAPL fixture compliers knew something, that perhaps we also suspected, when they paired these two in what would be the Rams final fixture of 2022 and Mildenhall’s penultimate one.

The Rams went into their final game, at home, knowing that despite a thirty six point lead at the top of the table only a victory (or a highly improbable tie) would guarantee them the crown. For Mildenhall they ‘simply’ needed two victories one from this week and then fittingly a final home game, in their Wamil Way Anniversary Year, against Swardeston. As benefiting a title decider there was a full house at Spicer’s. The Rams won the toss and decided to bat, the final home game being on a used deck and with a shortish boundary to one side. For once, skipper Dan Heath was not totally convinced of his choice as it was felt the pitch may offer some assistance.

Noah Thain, fresh from his magnificent innings from Essex u-18 (293 from 300 balls), opened up with Callum Guest his Cambridgeshire white ball captain. Thain was looking fluent until hit picked out Darren Ironside off the bowling of the vastly experienced Tom Rash with the score on just sixteen. That punch was repelled by a counter punch as Guest and Luke Spears then added one hundred and twenty four runs in exactly twenty-five overs. The pair had set up the innings fantastically well and the home fans were wishing and dreaming of a 280-300 run innings.

However, Mildenhall had other ideas as Guest (55 from 85 balls), Spears (73 from 89 balls) and Nathan Buck all fell within eighteen balls as first Matt Allen (1-57), and then Darren Ironside (2-41) struck what the Suffolk outfit were hoping would be critical blows. The slump taking the Rams from 140 for one to 151 for four with the crowd quickly having to recalibrate their expectations. Ben Clilverd (11) and Tim Moses began patiently to rebuild the innings as the visitors tried to squeeze. The Sawston pair had taken the score to 191 for 4 at the end of the forty-first when a disastrous run out swung the pendulum back towards Mildenhall. Moses was next to go after a terrific knock, blending patience, with his trade mark big hitting. This included a massive six over the car park and into the Cemetery. His innings of thirty-eight (from 42 balls) was ended unsuccessfully attempting to hit Tom Rash over long on.

Had the momentum swung Mildenhall’s way at 215 for six, maybe, but when Peter Hatzoglou (12) another victim for Rash followed at 227 for 7 in the middle of the forty-seventh it was looking like advantage Mildenhall. With skipper Dan Heath taking the initiative (21 from just ten balls), he added a valuable thirty-four runs with a combination of Stafford (10), Evans and Darlow (5 no) as Sawston maximised the last 21 balls to finish on 261. Tom Rash picked up two of three wickets to fall to finish with five for forty, before Heath was run out off a wide with one ball to go. There were mixed feelings at tea some feeling that the total was twenty-light whilst others feeling that it wasn’t a straight forward surface on which to get in on.

In what was the norm in the 2021 campaign when Mark Smith and James Vandepeer were successful at picking up early wickets; of late the new new ball pairing of Moses and Alex Evans have enjoyed similar successes in recent weeks. They both struck early to give a nervous home support some reassurance. Moses removing the very dangerous Jack Potticary (5) and Evans (1-35) the experienced Peter Worthington (14) as the reply stumbled at twenty-one for two. Ironside and Joe Tetley then started to repair the damage as they moved the score onto forty-eight in the tenth.

However, Moses (3-36) then landed a couple of blows, in the space of eight of his deliveries, as he trapped Ironside (17) leg before and then had Olly Jeffries magnificently caught behind by Heath. The Northants youngster edged behind and it looked like the ball would dissect Heath’s dive to his right and Darlow’s dive to his left at wide first slip when the Rams keeper flung out a right hand to pouch a catch. Surely advantage to the home side at fifty-two for four. It is worth mentioning that one of the big differences between the EAPL and the feeder leagues is the outstanding nature of the fielding. Despite, a couple, of notable, exceptions this was again a feature of the entire match.

With the Rams crowd breathing a collective sigh of relief and maybe thinking ahead to a title clinching victory, surely there was no way back for Mildenhall. However, great title fights require at least two great fighters and the visitors dug deep. Tetley, who seems to enjoy his battles with the Rams was joined by his skipper Tristan Blackledge. They added 118 runs in just under twenty overs and rarely looked in trouble as they batted sensibly, and ran well. The Sawston spinners, unusually, not seeming to offer the same threat as their Mildenhall counterparts. The Rams finally introduced the off-spin of Guest against his left handed mate and ex-MCCU colleague. There is great mutual respect between these two fantastic cricketers. Tetley won the first round before Guest (1-24) provided the knock-out blow to trap Tetley leg before. Tetley had scored a run a ball eighty-four in helping to take the score to 180 for five.

The game then swung again back towards the home side when Mildenhall skipper Blackledge was trapped by a ‘pumped’ Hatzoglou (1-44), Blackledge (49) falling just short of a deserved half-century off sixty-five balls. The momentum and optimism of the home crowd was then wrestled away, again, as Rash (20), and Matt Allen (17) took the score to 220 for six. The game was theirs for the taking as the Sawston spinners struggled to make a decisive break through. Great sides find ways or individuals to win matches and just as the home side support were preparing themselves for an honourable defeat and a magnificent attempt to retain the title the Rams found themselves another hero.

Motivated by some disappointment in his professional life and some personal disappointment with his dismissal Nathan Buck produced a devastating display of quick bowling. He had bowled quickly on a slowish deck, without luck in his first spell. With perhaps, the Rams final throw of the dice, he returned to bowl Allen on 220 for 7 and then trap Rush on 238 for 8. The visitors with Tom Allen (12 no) and Jack Loveday at the crease needed just twenty-four to win with five overs left. Allen had looked very comfortable against the spin, hitting a big six, and Loveday as his recent exploits for Cambridgeshire U-25’s was no mug, so the game was still in the balance.

The Rams also brought back Evans as they went for the jugular. Loveday showed his defiance when he struck Buck for four. He gave himself a bit of room to repeat the trick but Buck then bowled him with his next delivery. The exited crowd had hardly settled before Buck had Mildenhall’s overseas Naveen Gunawardena caught behind by Heath with his next delivery. Buck finished with 4-29 as the Rams incredibly made it back to back titles. In winning the match and the title they had made it a Club record and I think an EAPL record ten wins out of ten in the limited overs games.

The quality of the opposition, both on the day, and throughout the season meant that they had to be at their very best to hold off a very good Mildenhall side. As I reflected on a season where the Rams have achieved an incredible feat despite some availability issues and some injury problems I was perhaps thinking that they had achieved whilst not quite reaching the levels of 2021. At times during the season, I felt this side were a bit exposed and vulnerable. However, you underestimate this sides togetherness, skill and determination at your peril. A glimpse at table is also quite revealing as it shows that the Rams class of 2022 have amassed 420 league points this term, fourteen more than last year, having played two games fewer. Wow!

To whet your appetite for 2023 Mildenhall are guaranteed to finish second in 2022 and if they pick up twenty-five points next week they will have increased their own points tally beyond 2021 by an incredible fifty-three! Elsewhere Copdock chased down Horsford’s 322, Bury beat Saffron Walden, Swardeston beat Frinton and Sudbury beat Great Witchingham to guarantee a third placed finish.