Lack of sunshine on a ‘rainy’ day……………….

It was a pretty bleak day all-round on Saturday where the promise of sunshine and twenty degrees of heat failed to materialise. There was also a certain lack of internal glow following a disappointing day for the Club as it suffered a very rare feat of not recording a single victory!

The first team suffered more hiccups than the Play-Cricket network as they lurched to a second defeat of the season, this time against local rivals Saffron Walden. The day started well with skipper Dan Heath winning the toss and inserting the opposition, with a damp track and some expectation of a drying track later!

The Rams bowlers were soon on top as Bonham, Fraser-McGurk, Pierson and skipper Josh Down were all back in the Pavilion with just twenty-five on the board. Alex Evans (2-11) and James Vandepeer (2-28) making the early inroads. Harry Gallian (21) dug in to rebuild the innings alongside Finn Karsten (22). Gallian’s fifty ball vigil was ended by Mark Smith just after the dreaded drinks break with the score on fifty-five. Karsten was joined by Ashleigh Cox and they progressed the score steadily to ninety-one in the thirty-sixth over before a bit of a mix up resulted in Karsten being run out to end his fifty-eight ball innings.

Cox (39 from 56) and Ben Harris (21 from23), the former skipper, then shared a vital, certainly in the context of this game, forty-one run partnership in just seven overs. Cox’s dismissal on 132 then sparked another collapse as Ben Clilverd (2-31) and Kieren Mackenzie (2-32) cleared out the tail as the innings closed on 144 all out. This highlighted that batting, especially getting in, was still difficult but surely 145 was extremely gettable!

However, the Rams miserable run of poor starts continued as Guest, new opening partner Claydon and Spears all perished with just twenty-eight on the board in the tenth. Cox’s excellent day continued as he snared all three. Clilverd joined Charlie Lewis and they repaired the damage as they moved the score onto eighty for three. Alex Hancock then returned to the attack to remove Clilverd (22 from 82 balls) at the end of the thirty-second over. Mackenzie then fell to become Cox’s fourth victim (4-11) with the score on ninety-two. Lewis, crucially, followed in Hancock’s (2-38) last over with his top score on the day of forty-eight coming off 96 balls.

Alex Stafford followed three runs later, out to Karsten, leaving the Rams seven down and still needing 38 runs. Evans and Heath seemed to be managing this when Heath managed to find a fielder on the boundary from a bit of a long hop from Harris with the score on 127, now for eight. Vandepeer was bowled by Harris (2-27) before Karsten (2-16) picked up his second to dismiss Evans (17) leaving the Rams disappointed and eight runs short for a second defeat in three weeks!

The win catapulted the Crocus to second in the table. Bury went three from three to remain top as Great Witchingham suffered another defeat. Mildenhall lost the only other unbeaten record when they lost at home to Frinton. Sudbury successfully chased 185 at Copdock. Heavy rain in Norfolk meant that both Horsford (v Wisbech) was abandoned and Swardeston (v Witham) was cancelled. I said a few weeks ago that there were going to be a few strange results!

The bad news against the Crocus continued in Saffron Walden where the home side’s second string kept their unbeaten run going at the expense of their Rams counterparts in a comfortable seven wicket win. The Rams can claim that they were missing six or seven, primarily because of a wedding.

Stand-in skipper Matt Hague’s day started badly as he lost the toss and the Rams were asked to bat. This tells you all you need to know about the wicket as in normal conditions no one generally chooses to bowl first at the Anglo American Playing Field! The skipper sprang a surprise when usual nine, ten or jack Jake Raven ‘happily’ agreed to open up with Yousuf Choudhary. The skipper would have been reasonably relaxed as the openers Raven (19) and Choudhary (29) and he and fellow overseas Christy O’Brien moved the innings on to eighty-one for two at drinks. The slightly slow and sticky wicket combined with a slow outfield meant that boundaries were at a premium and no one really got in.

Unfortunately, the innings had a setback when Hague (10 from 57) and O’Brien (28 from 43) were both dismissed as they tried to accelerate. All-rounders Matt Worsdale (23) and Sean Jenkins then rallied to take the score from 95 for 4 to 130. However, when Sean Ward had joined them both back in the hutch the innings was in real trouble at 146 for seven. Some excellent batting from Will Bailey (22) and some sensible play and good running from a couple of debutants thrown in at the deep end, James Petzer (10 no) and Jake Paris (6 no) meant that the innings finished on 181 for 8. A total some thought would be challenging. Neil Henderson with 3-15 inflicted the middle order damage backing up the impressive youngsters Noah Ventiner (1-19), Josh O’Connor (1-16) and Stan Leech (1-37). Jack Sneath on his bowling comeback following a shoulder injury had a mixed day but still managed to bag a couple of important wickets.

Had the wicket dried a little? Or was a more positive approach the way to go? Well, it certainly worked as second team overseas Brynn Mendel, fresh from an explosive match winning 88 not out for the first team, wasn’t going to die wondering. When he was beautifully bowled by Raven he had scored 41 (from 35 balls) including one huge six, and added sixty-seven for the first wicket with Luke Swanston. Whilst delighted to see the back of the Aussie it is never a great sign to see Walden legend and England Over-50’s World Cup winner Giles Ecclestone marching out to the middle. Raven and Hague did manage to exert a little control with Hague (2-19) managing to remove Swanston (32 from 50) and Sneath (20 from 36) to leave Walden on 114 for three. Ecclestone (37 not out from 78 balls) continued to move steadily through his lower gears and his calming presence assisting Leech (34 not out from 46) to add sixty-eight largely untroubled runs to take the Crocus, and cap a good day for their Club, to a seven wicket win with almost ten overs to spare. The Sawston side given the number of changes to the side were probably satisfied with their eight points but even more delighted with the integration of two more useful cricketers into the Ram’s family!

The third team including two Cambridgeshire colts Henry Cotton (Under-13’s) and Vivaan Kilaru (U12’s) making their adult debuts. In an ideal world they would have a gentler introduction via the Club’s fourth team but when needs must. They were unfortunate to run into Cambridgeshire legend Nigel Gadsby who added another ton to his vast collection. Their bad luck continued as Harry Hopwood, usually a first team player at Foxton Granta, was available for the thirds. Not sure whether this followed the cancellation of their first team match.

He added an explosive 77 to George Dean’s fireworks in an unbeaten 84 as the Foxton third team but their Rams counterparts to the sword in posting an impressive 301 for 4. Jon Windsor defying the odds to pick up 2-35 and Kilaru (1-45) picking up his first, of many to come, and not wilting under fire.

Despite Wes Potschul’s defiant 56 the Rams struggled to 116 all out with Kilaru (10) the only other batter making it to double figures. Charlie Middleton (3-22), Ollie Haire (3-19), Ollie Cambridge (2-16) and Joshua Saunders (2-14) making it a bad day in the office for the third team.

The fourth team, doing well to field a side, failed to halt the tide of bad results on the day. They batted first at home to Barley II’s. They could only post a modest and sedate 120 for 5 in their 40 overs. Rob Benson (38 from 68) and Sean Gardiner (34 from 46) were the only two batsmen to register double figures although youngster Nima Saeb-Parsy stuck around patiently for his unbeaten 7 not out. Ali Wallace with 2-5 was the most successful bowler. Barley only required a little over half the overs to knock off the runs for a comfortable seven wicket victory. Youngster Dylan Everson picking up a couple of consolation wickets as Newman (33), Pattison (28) and Blunt (27 no) saw Barley home.

The Club finally managed to register a win and avoid the ignominy of a five loss weekend when they advanced over their first hurdle in the National Cup. Taking the brave step to bat first on a still juicy track or was it bottling another chance to chase? Having won the toss, the Rams batted but found themselves in familiar territory as they lost Claydon, Guest, Lewis, Clilverd and Spears within the first dozen overs as they struggled to 47 for five. Three of them getting starts before losing their wickets.

However, Alex Stafford (25 from 43 balls) and first team debutant Christy O’Brien then added sixty-five precious runs for the sixth wicket with a mixture of aggressive shots and aggressive running. Stafford departed and was followed soon after by O’Brien’s fellow Kiwi MacKenzie as 112 for 5 became 114 for 7. Waltham, an Essex Sunday League side were back in the contest but the Rams still had almost fifteen of the allotted forty overs to bat if they weren’t bowled out. O’Brien completed his maiden first team half century scoring exactly 50 off just 53 balls before he succumbed to the 54th ball.

With the Rams 140 for 8 in the thirty-second they were still away off a decent score. However, a combination of skipper Dan Heath, James Vandepeer and Mark Smith managed to get the Rams up to 168 all out. Nomann Ali was the most successful bowler picking up 4-30 and he received good support Mehboob Elahi 2-47. At half-time the Essex side were ahead as most observers felt the total was a little light. The umpires, however, felt the score was competitive and although the wicket was drying it was still offering the bowlers some considerable assistance.

The visitors reply was undermined by an unfortunate run out and an early wicket for Claydon (1-22) as he and the impressive Vandepeer put the squeeze on. When Stafford (2-16) and Clilverd (2-30) bowled in tandem they both picked up a wicket and continued to stifle the run-rate as Waltham limped to 50 for four at the half way stage. Both the Rams bowlers picked up second wickets as the reply faltered to 71 for 6 in the 27th over with required rate climbing above seven and a half. The Essex side’s number three Hafiz Yawar Afzal continued to anchor the innings and he had managed to get the score to 103-6 in the 31st with run rate down below sevens.

However, Mark Smith (2-20) and Mackenzie (1-22) then struck to leave the visitors staring down the barrel at 124 for 9 and the required rate above elevens. Afzal completed his half-century (56 from 96) before Vandepeer (1-17) returned to take a deserved final wicket as the Rams restored a bit of pride to win by 38 runs.