Please let us play cricket!

With just seven weeks left of the 2023 season, and the terrific Ashes series complete, most cricketers are wishing for some dry weather, some sun would be a bonus but right now we’d just take dry!

Sawston and Babraham are scheduled to play Witham at home on Saturday. The visitors have, like a good many others, been a bit up and down this year but overall, they must be pretty satisfied with the progress that they’ve made this year. They have won a couple of games from difficult situations but have had a couple of games that they’d like to forget. One of them was the big defeat they suffered at home to the Rams.

Zak Evans has scored loads of runs for the Essex side from the lower middle order, including in a couple of those wins they pulled out of the bag. They are usually pretty strong up top with Michael Godwin and Cody McDonald plus the occasional supplement from Essex’s Nick Browne. Greg Stephens their leading wicket taker will lead the handy spin attack with possibly Evans and Jamal Richards supporting.

A couple of the Rams have managed some cricket this week as Noah Thain made his full List A debut for Essex, although one of his two games was a washout; and Louis Kimber warmed up with 89 (from 62 balls) as Leicestershire impressively chased down Surrey’s 325!

There was more excellent news for Noah as it was announced that he had been selected for England U-19’s for the one-day series against Australia and Ireland.

Talking of selection, Wayne White won NV Play’s Celebration of the week award with a clip following his fourth wicket against Saffron Walden!

The Rams will hope that White and Yousuf Choudhary can make it three decent starts in a row and that the Ben’s Claydon and Clilverd can continue where they left off against Saffron Walden. Although they are both carrying niggles. The Rams will also hope that vice-captain Callum Guest carries his Cambridgeshire form from the Showcase match against Northants into Saturday’s contest. Alex Evans may be keen to mention Bedfordshire’s Showcase match against Essex, where he picked up a couple of early first-class scalps including one N. Thain! Kieren Mackenzie earns a recall after injury and following his four-wicket spell for the seconds.

The seconds make a trip to mid table Godmanchester, where former Leicestershire man and current Cambridgeshire one day player James Sykes is likely to pose a few questions with bat and particularly ball. The home side have like most of the sides outside the top three had a mixed bag of results and performances so far. The Rams will be looking to get back to winning ways after last week’s disappointing defeat. They need a win to keep ahead of the chasing pair behind them. They lose Mackenzie to the first team but recall Sean Jenkins and Oliver Humphreys. With batters Marc Pearson and Ben Benson away skipper Ant Phillips will be pleased to have Luke Spears in the side as he plays his first match after a nasty hand injury.

The Third team have a busy weekend and need to start winning games if they are to survive in Junior 1. They will hope that Foxton are not quite as strong as they were last week. They unfortunately lose Jenkins and Humphreys back to the seconds. They may include new signing Rajiv Ladva in the squad.

On Sunday they make their debut in the Walker Cup Finals Day. The Walker Cup is a T20 competition. They meet Histon III in a battle of the underdogs in the second semi-final. The winners of this tie will meet the winners of the first semi-final that features two local Senior league teams, and neighbours, Horseheath and Abington.

Sawston skipper Jake Ellis would probably prefer to face Horseheath if the Rams make it to the final as the Horseheath side is likely to contain three more from the Ellis clan!

The first Ram that successfully attempts and achieves the Broad bails trick gets free drinks all night however if they attempt it and it doesn’t come off they have to buy a Chairman’s Round!