2 Regulations Wins (sort of)

Being a Rams supporter is not an occupation for the faint hearted. Despite the considerable success over the last four years the average Ram supporter has tended to be put through the mill more times than they care to remember!

On Saturday things started well when skipper Dan Heath got back his happy knack of winning tosses and with a strengthened batting unit decided to bat. On a used pitch that offered both spinners and the quicks a good deal of assistance the fragile Rams batting was soon in trouble. The Copdock skipper, Suffolk’s slow left armer Jack Beaumont, had removed both openers Wayne White and Yousuf Choudhary and their quick Tim Oakley had added Luke Spears with just eight on the board.

The Suffolk side must have been absolutely delighted when Luke Froggatt (1-35) had his ex-teammate Ben Claydon ‘strangled’ down the leg side in his first over after replacing Oakley. After a twenty-run partnership, a huge one in the context of this game so far, between Louis Kimber (20) and Callum Guest, Beaumont (3-28 from 18 overs) struck again to leave the Rams forty-five for five at the first drinks break. Definitely advantage to Copdock after the first hour, as the side sitting second looked to build on their amazing win at leaders Swardeston last week. The Rams fared little better in the second hour as despite Guest’s continued stubborn resistance the home side lost Clilverd, Stafford and Heath all to the South Australian paceman Oakley. The Rams innings was in tatters at seventy-one for eight. Number ten Alex Evans helped Guest to see out the rest of the session as they reached lunch on ninety-seven off thirty-four overs. The only slight glimmer of hope was that Beaumont had almost bowled out!

After lunch, the ninth wicket pair ticked off their fifty-run partnership which came off ninety-four balls before moving past the one-fifty total in the forty-seventh over. Guest then brough up his personal half-century, which came off 101 balls, and a terrific effort in the context of this match. Alex Evans then equaled the vice-captain’s achievement when he got to fifty (off 81 balls). Harper (1-39) then struck to remove Evans to leave the Rams nine down on 166. Guest then added twenty-three more runs with Sawston’s handy number eleven James Vandepeer (14) before Oakley returned to complete his impressive five wicket haul (5-45). Guest who had a stellar year in the 2022 EAPL batted for 121 balls to finish with his highest league total this year of 61 not out. The Suffolk side needed 190 from sixty-eight overs to record back-to-back wins.

James Vandepeer ‘as usual’ delivered an early wicket this time the prize scalp of the prolific Sam Athurton. Despite losing Nico Boje (14) and Alex Oxley (25), to Guest (1-38 from 18 overs) and Stafford respectively, Copdock had move from 68 for 3 at tea to 100 for three in the forty second. Despite the slow progress they still had twenty-six overs to knock off the other ninety-runs. Kimber then picked up Beaumont (31 from 84) and Stafford (2-39 from 17) added Harper (9 from 25) as the Rams gained a foot-hold at 127 for five just after the commencement of the last hour.

There was still no need to panic with keeper Jacob Marston at the crease and being joined by Donald Mlambo who usually enjoys his visits to Spicer’s. Marston moved to fifty before Kimber struck again to remove Mlambo on 148 for six. With a minimum of eight overs to bowl the Suffolk side needed forty-two and had a batsman in Marston set, and the Rams still needed four wickets so all three results were still possible. Kimber then had Marston (56) caught behind when his patient 109 ball innings was ended. With Guest bowled out and Stafford having 1 over remaining, the home side were fortunate to have an experienced bowler in White to use as the fourth spinner. He struck with his third ball to remove Burle. Kimber then had two in two as his removed Froggatt and then Oakley, to ruin the Australian quicks day, as the Rams somehow won to move back to second in the table. Kimber (5-58) matched Oakley to pick up the second five-fa in the day. Copdock slipped to fifth.

Elsewhere Swardeston almost threw away a winning position for the second week running before getting over the line nine down at Bury, They remain top of EAPL 2023. Despite Peter Worthington becoming the seventh player in EAPL history to record a double century Mildenhall were thwarted by a stubborn last wicket partnership at Great Witchingham. Witham for the second week running somehow managed to win from a lost cause to deny Wisbech a third win on the trot. Saffron Walden and Frinton ensured that Horsford and Sudbury’s miserable runs continued.

The Rams second eleven had a more routine victory in their top of the table game away at Burwell and Exning to stretch their winning run to seven games. On a tricky surface they lost Matthew Hague early on when he was bowled by Clinton Cornwell (1-39). Will Bailey and Marc Pearson rode their luck to withstand some excellent bowling from the unlucky Cornwell and in particular Manning. The pair stuck at it to reach drinks and the half-way mark at sixty-three for one. Knowing that they needed to kick on the pair increased the run rate with a mix of more aggressive running and batting. They had added 127 to take the score to 133 when Bailey (62 from 96 balls) was caught behind off Nic Huckle (3-41). When Pearson (67 from 94) was caught and bowled by Burwell’s overseas Ben Kelly (1-46) and Huckle picked up the Rams Kieren MacKenzie and skipper Ant Phillips the visitors had lurched to 153 for five. Nick Griggs (29 no from 29) and Callum McLean (20 from 32) again, after last week, formed a useful partnership to add forty-two valuable runs. Matt Worsdale (8 from 9) was out off the last ball of the innings as the Rams closed on 209 for seven. Manning (2-29) finally getting some reward by picking up the last two wickets.

The Rams knew despite the two-paced nature of the pitch and the slower than normal outfield that they would have to bowl well to keep their magnificent run going. Despite Mark Smith (2-23) picking up Simon Allen with a beauty the home side had progressed nicely to forty-eight for one with home skipper Paul Summerskill (25) looking in good touch. Smith then produced another ‘Jaffa’ to get rid of the skipper. Griggs and Raven then combined to strangle the scoring rate as Burwell attempted to rebuild. They had moved into the sixties before Charlie Sorensen, Chris Summerskill and Huckle all departed as sixty-four for two became sixty-five for five as Griggs (1-24) and Raven (3-35) pick up wickets. Dylan Hardy helped opener Simon Donald add twenty runs before the youngster became Raven’s third victim. Donald’s (43 from 81 balls) demise triggered another collapse as Hague (2-23) and MacKenzie (2-22) picked up three wickets for one run. A couple of lusty blows from number ten Daniel Baigent (19 no) got the home side to a batting point before Mackenzie picked up the last wicket to dismiss the home side for 135. The Rams remain top with Burwell still in second.

That’s where the good news ended as a strong looking third team lost to fellow strugglers Bassingbourn in CCA Junior 1. After being asked to bat Boricha (53), Ghosh (62) and Andrews (60) made telling contributions. Eleven-year-old Vivaan Kilaru (4-34), James Petzer (2-40) and the experienced Sean Jenkins (2-47) were the most successful bowlers as the visitors posted 219 for nine. In reply the Rams lost their top three with just seven on the board as Neil Smith (4-18) picked up early wickets. The home sides hope then nosedived as they lost two further wickets to leave themselves thirty-four for five as that man Smith struck again. Matthew Day (89 not out from 89 balls) and James Petzer (22 from 63) added ninety-nine runs to give the reply some respectability. Dommanige (2-43) picked up Petzer and skipper Ellis (11) before Kilaru added an unbeaten nine as the Rams finished disappointingly forty-three runs short.

The Rams fourth team faced a second consecutive difficult away trip when they visited league leaders Newport. Despite a good run of high scores, they were asked to bat first with only skipper Marcus Wetzl (17) and veteran Richard Leonard (34) making any headway. Moy (3-2), Shinwari (3-24) and Taylor (2-25) bundling the Rams out for just 111, with extras adding a useful twenty-seven. The home side with Shinwari (35) and extras (24) leading the way were cruising at sixty-two for one. However, Adrian Platt’s (6-17) and Sam Ronco’s (2-36) almost talking the Rams to an unlikely victory before the spin ‘twins’ ran out of overs. Paine (11 no) and Yarwood (3 no) adding a vital nine runs to see the home side, just, over the line.