A massive weekend of cricket ahead
No not the Ashes, although with the game interestingly poised at the end of day two that might nearly be as big as the Rams weekend!
The first team face another big challenge when they entertain, for the second week running a side that sits joint second in the EAPL, namely Copdock and Old Ipswichians. Who are there after turbo charging their season with a stunning five run victory away at leaders Swardeston last week to leapfrog the Rams. If that wasn’t enough, the fact that the Sawston side contains a man, Ben Claydon, who until the close season was one of the Suffolk sides leading lights adds to the intrigue. No doubt our man will be just as keen to show his ex-colleagues that he made the right choice as they will be to suggest otherwise. Claydon will probably have to make his impression with the bat alone as he is still suffering with a back niggle.
The visitors may also have a similar bowling issue as Raj Singh was injured last week. The Suffolk side, like their County, are having a good season so far and will have that prolific batsman (from Norfolk) Sam Athurton once again spearheading them as he looks on course for another thousand run EAPL season. They also have Alex Oxley and Nico Boje amongst the leading run scorers. With the ball they have added a potent quick, rated in the same speed bracket as Renaldo Meyer (Frinton), and Tim Oakley has twenty-three league scalps to his name and sits just four behind Meyer. Oakley is a twenty-five-year-old South Australian who has made appearance for the state’s second eleven and was the leading wicket taker in their Grade cricket last year. Copdock are an excellent all-round side with skipper Jack Beaumont adding to the mix with bat and ball.
The Rams have an embarrassment of riches this week and skipper Dan Heath has had some difficult decisions to make. With the second team also having a big game, more of that later, the two skippers have had to take a balanced approach in team selection. Matthew Haque drops back into the seconds and is joined by our longest serving first teamer Mark Smith. Hopefully a game in the seconds will enable Smith to get back into the decent form that made him such a potent force in his EAPL debuts seasons of 2020 and 2021. In come the fit and available again Wayne White and Louis Kimber, these all-rounders enable Kieren Mackenzie to continue his rehab in the seconds.
The Rams have slipped to joint fourth but the top five is literally covered by a handkerchief, with five points separating first from fifth. Elsewhere leaders Swardeston face another tough assignment away to Bury who moved level with the Rams last week. Mildenhall still joint second will be wary of a trip to the resurgent Great Witchingham. Saffron Walden will want to halt their current slide and keep Horsford rooted to the bottom. Sudbury entertain Frinton looking to halt their own worrying slide down the table and stop Frinton’s momentum in its tracks. Wisbech make the trek to Witham looking to make its three wins on the spin.
With Irish-Croatian Kiwi Christy O’Brien away on World Cup duty for Croatia (in Romania) there is also a call up for English-Kiwi Mackenzie as he tentatively makes his way back from a broken thumb. He was fit enough to bowl in the Midweek win at Foxton but batting will be a bigger and probably more painful process. With a number of players away skipper Ant Phillips will be delighted to be getting Hague and Smith to boost his numbers and quality.
The Rams make the short journey across to Burwell and Exning where the Rams, still top of Whitings Two, meet their closest rivals. This will be the first time the Rams have played their near neighbours since the demise of the Burwell and Exning EAPL side. The Cambridgeshire / Suffolk club seem to have bounced back from that and seem to be a generally happy and buoyant camp. The Rams who are attempting to extend their winning streak to seven know this will be by far the most challenging game since they lost at the then leaders Saffron Walden.
In order to boost the third team second-team all-rounder Sean Jenkins joins what on paper looks like the strongest side they have fielded this year. The remarkable eleven-year-old Vivaan Kilaru retains his place. Skipper Jake Ellis hopes that a return to Babraham and this squad can kickstart the sides’ fortunes as they seek to defeat Bassingbourn and move out of the bottom two.
Unbelievably fourth team manager, Jeff Free, has had a nightmare week again has he has had too many available for the second week running. He has again shuffled his pack to pair some oldies and some youngsters so that he can keep as many involved as possible. It never rains but it pours when you are a fourth team captain or manager!
Finally, a mix of first and seconds visit Hornsey in the Conference Cup (Bertie Joel). The home side sit third in the Middlesex Division One. The victors will make it into the quarter final draw.