Rams left frustrated, and defeated…

Sawston and Babraham visited Saffron Walden as second met third in the EAPL. The Rams won the toss and opted to bat.

For the second consecutive match they were given an excellent start by Cambridgeshire pair, Wayne White and Yousuf Choudhary. They raced along to fifty without loss in just forty-five balls. They continued to score freely before White however was adjudged leg before with the score on eight-nine with Ali Hancock’s last ball of the fourteenth over. Sawston consolidated as Louis Kimber and Choudhary added just twenty-six more runs in the next eight overs. The home side crucially struck two blows with the score on one hundred and fifteen. First Kimber chopped on with Hancock (2-64) picking up his second before Choudhary (42) followed just three balls later as he was dubiously caught behind off Oliver Rae. New pair Ben Claydon and Noah Thain then saw the Rams through to lunch by adding an unbeaten forty-three in the next ten overs (158 for 3 in 34 overs).

Sawston’s hopes of pushing on after lunch were hampered when Rae picked up his second (2-64) to dismiss Thain (32) just four balls after the resumption. Callum Guest joined Claydon as they added twenty-seven runs before Guest was dismissed by Jack Sneath (1-30) with the score on one hundred and eighty-six for five in the forty-fourth. The Ben’s Clilverd (36 from 42) and Claydon then upped the rate to add sixty-six in just seventy-seven balls. Former Walden skipper Ben Harris (1-83) having Clilverd well caught by the Walden overseas Brynn Mendel. The Rams then lost Alex Stafford bowled by Finn Karsten (1-24) before Alex Evans gave the capacity crowd (it was Walden’s VP Day) some entertainment with a rapid twenty-six off just fourteen balls. He sacrificed his wicket going for an impossible third, after some ‘comedy gold’ over throw, after playing the last ball back to Harris. Claydon finished unbeaten on seventy-six (from 107 balls) as Sawston closed their innings on 311 for eight.

James Vandepeer (1-23) performed his party-piece early wicket when he removed Walden opener Tom Bonham at the end of the seventh with the score on twenty-one. The home side’s skipper Josh Down joined opener Hari Kukreja as they crawled to the safety of tea with just forty-four on the board after eighteen overs. The skipper was dismissed by Kimber (1-44) for twenty-four with the score on sixty-three in the in the twenty-fifth over. This brought the explosive Mendel to the crease and in an attempt to entertain the masses he scored a boundary laden forty from just twenty-six balls before he was caught in the deep off White. The Aussie had added sixty-five with former Singapore u-19 Kukreja in just sixty-seven balls. The excellent surface at the Anglo-American playing fields always makes it a challenge to bowl sides out unless they are pushing for the win.

With game petering out for a draw White and Stafford breathed new life into the Rams attempt to get a win when White removed Luke Swanton and Sneath and Stafford removed the stubborn Kukreja (75 from 133 balls) as 156 for 3 became 178 for 6 in the space of twenty-six balls. Harris and Karsten seemed to be weathering the storm before the former ran out of patience and was bowled by Stafford (2-27) playing an expansive shot! A fired up White (4-53) then removed Karsten with the score on 199 for 8 and just under five overs to go.  However, Hancock and Rae safely saw the home side through to the end.

Leaders Swardeston, although with still seven games to go must regarded as hot title favorites as an eight-wicket demolition of Witham meant their lead at the top was increased to twenty-six points. Despite excellent wins at Frinton and Great Witchingham for Mildenhall and Bury respectively that put them joint third, the gap to the leaders is forty-five points which is a about two game cushion. It would take a brave man to bet against the title not returning to Norfolk! Walden slip to fifth and Copdock down to sixth after Sudbury’s stunning victory in a high scoring game. At the bottom Wisbech held on to secure a draw but Horsford closed the gap by ten points on the day, as an impressive total and early declaration almost paid off for the bottom side.

The Whiting’s Division Two title and promotion race was blown wide open as Saffron Walden stopped the Rams seconds from securing their tenth successive victory. The Rams have lost just twice this term and both times to Walden.

The day started well for the home side as Sawston skipper Ant Phillips won the toss and asked the visitors to bat. Sawston’s opening bowlers Sean Ward (1-17) and Will Bailey started impressively but only had a solitary wicket to show for it as Walden lost their first wicket on fourteen after eight overs. First change Callum McLean struck in his second over to remove Mihir Chandraker to leave the visitors on thirty for two. Kieren MacKenzie then removed opener Jonathan Brace (16 from 52) with the first ball of his spell as the visitors slumped to forty for three in the eighteenth. Mackenzie then picked up Tom Pluck and Ryan Deamer and McLean (2-11) weighed in with Felix Serby’s wicket as the Essex outfit lost three wickets with the score on forty-eight. The Rams pair bowling thirty-six balls for just three runs as the home side tightened its grip. When Neil Hendersen became MacKenzie’s fourth victim (4-19) with the score on fifty-seven the game looked up for Walden. The eighth wicket pairing of Daniel Farmer and Henry Farmer had other ideas. They added one hundred and eight runs in one hundred and eleven balls both scoring fifty-two, Farmer off eighty-nine balls with Wiseman’s runs coming at a run a ball. Just when it looked like the visitors were not just getting to respectability but also denying the Rams full bowling points Matthew Hague struck with the last three balls of his spell to finish with three for thirty-four as the inning closed on 167 at the end of the penultimate over.

Despite the tail wagging the home side would have been quite happy to have ben set 167 if given that option at the toss. Indeed, despite the early loss of Bailey to Noah Vintiner (1-25) the home side were looking well placed at sixty-six for one as Hague (38 from 33 balls) and Pearson (21 from 29) added fifty-eight runs in just forty-eight balls. The Rams were cruising to victory and perhaps became complacent? The visitors struck twice in quick succession as Neil Henderson (1-22) snared Pearson, to end a costly over, and then just ten balls later Deamer removed Hague. The fact that Deamer was bowling at all was a result of Henderson suffering an injury that would further hamper the visitor’s efforts. With Deamer bowling in tandem with ex-Ram Steve Atherton the Rams decided that anything Walden could do they could do better! Hague was quickly followed back into the pavilion by Benson and Griggs as sixty-six for one soon became seventy-four for five in a mere twenty-three deliveries. The deep Rams batting line-up meant there was still no need to panic. However, with the Rams still just shy of three figures Deamer (3-26) and Atherton struck again almost in unison as Mackenzie was followed by Christy O’Brien (15). The Kiwi keeper who had earlier taken three excellent catches was unable to finish his day on a high. When McLean had become Atherton’s third victim (3-34) the Rams still needed sixty. They still had skipper Phillips, Ward and Jake Raven. The penultimate pair slowly started to even up the contest between bat and ball, particularly after seeing the back of the spin twins Deamer and Atherton. With the Crocus a bowler down with the absent Henderson the skipper decided to introduce the now very part-time spin of Chandraker.  The ninth wicket pair had added forty-three when Ward (20 from 46) was out leg before to the leg spin of Chandraker. The last wicket pair moved the score onto 155 and within touching distance of the target when Chandraker (2-7) caught and bowled Raven to win the game. Sawston skipper Phillips was left high and dry on thirty-three (from 60).

There was further bad news for the Rams as second placed Burwell had a thirty- point victory to close to within seventeen points of the leaders, with Walden a further eleven points back. The Rams are still well placed as although they still have Burwell to play there is also a last week of the season showdown as Saffron Walden visit Burwell.

The Rams third team also suffered a defeat this time at the hands of promotion chasing Elmdon. The visitors Elmdon won the toss and decided to bat at Babraham Park. Their innings was anchored by veteran Neil Winter who scored an unbeaten eighty. He was ably assisted by the Barkers, Julian (45) and James (48) as the visitors posted 220 for four. There was a wicket each for Jason Metson (1-18), James Petzer (1-35), Oliver Humphreys (1-35) and Vivaan Kilaru (1-44). 

In reply Andrew Sutton (3-24) undermined the top order of Wes Potschul, Niall Barber and Metson. Joe Latham with sixty-five gave the home side hope. Although skipper Jake Ellis (15), Petzer (16), and Humphreys (12) all made starts no one was able to go onto make a telling contribution. Kilaru remained unbeaten on twelve as the Rams ran out of steam and time on 178 for 8. Michael Price supplemented Sutton’s efforts with two wickets for thirty-four.