1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss!

The Rams recorded a win, a draw and a defeat with one side having a mid-season break.

The winners and taking their incredible run to six on the bounce were the second team. They had a home victory in Whiting’ Two albeit in the less familiar surroundings of Babraham Park. Thankfully, skipper Ant Phillips, won the toss and had no hesitation in choosing to bat on what was a scorcher of an afternoon.

The visitors, Stamford, were encouraged by the early removal of first team opener Charlie Lewis and his partner Will Bailey with just thirty-five on the scoreboard. This encouragement, however, was short-lived as Marc Pearson (47 from 54 balls) and Christy O’Brien (35 from 47) added seventy-five runs at slightly better than run a ball. Stamford then forced their way back into the game as 110 for 2 became 138 for 6. O’Brien was followed by Pearson, the skipper and then Scott Stanford as four wickets were lost for just twenty-eight runs in fifty-three balls. Last year this may have proven to be fatal, however, this year a greater strength in depth, and availability, means the side has more ability to deal with these setbacks.

Former skipper Nick Griggs and Callum McLean then added eighty-three runs in eighty balls. Griggs, at last, played a boundary laden knock (8 x4 and one maximum) which was once his trademark as he scored fifty-one off just forty-two balls. McLean supporting innings of thirty-six came off a more patient sixty-four balls. Both perished as Ben Doyle (3-66) picked then both up and added Sean Jenkins as the Rams pushed for late runs. The innings closed on 246 for nine, which is probably around par at Babraham. Tim Juggins (2-53) and Scott Chamberlain (2-42) both picked up braces for the Lincolnshire outfit.

Sean Ward (2-19) and Griggs (2-16) soon had Stamford deep in trouble at thirty for four. Jake Raven (2-32) then added a fifth as the visitors lurched to forty-six for five with only Lewis Spice (17) making it to double figures. Luke Toomey (20 from 67) and skipper Juggins (38 from 42) tried to steady the ship, and added fifty-one runs but when Raven removed Toomey the wheels came off once again. Stamford lost their last five wickets for just twenty-five runs. Bailey picking up 3-18 and skipper Phillips 1-3 as the Rams remained top of the division. Elsewhere Burwell and Exning and Saffron Walden both recorded comfortable victories to remain on the heels of the leaders.

In the battle between the sides sharing joint second place in the EAPL Mildenhall travelled to Spicer’s in a re-run of the 2022 title deciding contest. Mildenhall were delighted to win the toss and decided to bat. The Rams certainly enjoyed the best of the pre-lunch session as the visitors slipped to 115 for six. This was due to some excellent seam bowling Alex Evans and James Vandepeer (1-48) backed up by some superb spin bowling form Callum Guest (2-18) and Alex Stafford (0-27). They were aided and abetted by some indifferent shots and indifferent decision making which was in contrast to opener Matt Allen’s fluent innings (38 from 44 balls). Skipper Tristan Blackledge and Luke Du Plooy saw the visitors to 125 for 6 at the break.

This pair have dug in the past, indeed Du Plooy scored valuable match saving runs last week. The pair added seventy crucial runs as the ball softened and the sun further flattened the wicket. Ben Clilverd (2-37) then removed Du Plooy (48 from 36) as he added some control as the visitors threatened carnage following some wayward bowling. The Mildenhall skipper then found a new ally in Jack Loveday (30 from 46) as a further fifty-seven runs were added. Evans then picked up them both with Blackledge scoring (62 from 104 balls) and Clilverd another as 242 for 7 became 243 all out. Evans picking up his first five wicket haul for the Club. In a strange way both sides were probably ‘happy’ with the total, certainly the Rams would have taken that at the toss and Mildenhall would have bitten your hand off at lunch. The Ram’s attack was hampered by a back injury to the reliable Ben Claydon.

The Suffolk side’s momentum was carried over as Blackledge (2-23) and Loveday (2-49) both struck to remove Matthew Hague and Yousuf Choudhary early on. The home supporters thought that Luke Spears and Ben Claydon had seen the Sawston side through to tea. However, Ashtutosh Singh the Mildenhall overseas, an Indian first-class player for Chhattisgarh since 2016, had other ideas as he trapped Spears two balls from the sanctuary of tea. Mildenhall smelt blood and were delighted with their session’s work.

After tea Singh, who had stolen the limelight with his magnificent 150 last week, struck a big blow when he trapped Cambridgeshire ’s white ball captain Guest leg before. At sixty-nine for four and with just over half the overs gone a draw was looking like the best the Rams could hope for. The Rams then rebuilt as Claydon and Stafford got the home side to the start of the last hour without further dramas. Initially seeing off the potent threat of Singh, Blackledge and Loveday before looking comfortable against the back up bowlers. Would the absence of Darren Ironside be a big miss? With a minimum of seventeen overs left and with Sawston 130 runs shy, and Mildenhall needing six wickets the crowd settled in for an hour of drama less cricket! How wrong they were! Stafford, a new father and now part-time cricketer, showed what a fantastic cricketer he is having batted sensibly for his thirty-one from thirty-six. He took ‘inspiration’ from some ‘kind words’ from the opposition and exploded into action as he and Claydon added a further fifty-two in the seven overs since the start of the last hour. This kept the home side exactly on the required rate with just ten overs to go and gave the Rams a brief hope of victory. However, Singh then made the breakthrough to dismiss Claydon (46 from 101) as he looked to match Stafford’s aggression and their partnership of ninety-seven was ended.

With an outside sniff of victory as a carrot the Rams promoted Evans. The loss of Stafford (69 from 63) to the first of two contentious LBW decisions ten runs later, following one reverse sweep too far, was a big blow as he had scored his last thirty-eight runs from just twenty-seven balls. The visitors then themselves sniffed blood and a victory as 166 for 4 had become 183 for 8 when Singh (5-55) added Stafford and Clilverd to his list of victims. Loveday adding Evans with a peach of a ball. The only crumb of comfort for the Rams with still just over seven overs to go was that Singh was running out of overs. Sawston skipper Heath (3 from 11) and Vandepeer (24 no from 32) and the umpires had seemed to hold firm despite some vociferous appealing when with four balls to go there was one final twist. Heath was rather dubiously adjudged to be leg before to his opposite number, Blackledge, and Mark Smith was required to see out the final three balls which he did quite comfortably.

Elsewhere the league leading Swardeston failed to convert home advantage and a winning position as they lost out by five runs in a nail biter against Copdock. This result and the one from Sawston kept Swardeston just a point ahead of Suffolk duo Copdock and Mildenhall. Bury’s win against Sudbury brought them level with the Rams both a further four points back, meaning that the top five are all within five points of each other. Great Witchingham’s demolition of neighbors Horsford means that the Norfolk outfit have quietly moved into sixth. Wisbech recorded back-to-back wins with an excellent win at Saffron Walden and Frinton took the spoils in the Essex derby at Witham. This leaves Horsford bottom and the plummeting Sudbury just below Wisbech.

The Rams fourth eleven who were once again almost embarrassed by the number of availabilities this week as exam season draws to a close. After two scores of two hundred and fifty plus in the last two weeks and one victory the side travelled with more confidence than normal. However, it is always a tough trip to second placed Camborne. The home side won the toss and unsurprisingly decided to bat. They were indebted to Siddhant Deshpande’s unbeaten eighty-five and fifty-four extras as the home side posted 193 for eight. Sawston ’s fifteen-year-old bowlers Joel Dennington (3-27) and Dylan Everson (2-40) were well backed up by sixteen-year-old Ben Latham (1-29) and the relative veteran Jon Windsor (1-26). In reply ‘veterans’ Gareth Everson (43) and Richard Leonard (45) were supported by Sean Gardiner (21) and Windsor (22) as the visitors fell just five runs short, perhaps ruing the thirty-run differential in extras!

The home side shared the wickets around as Abdul Jabber Durrani (2-28), Vivek Mahant (2-33), Martin Johnson (2-26) and Sudhir Shivananjappa (2-33) all picked up braces.