Two wins and a title not a bad day at the office…………

The Rams lined up with a couple of changes with Wayne White and Alex Stafford unavailable, and with Louis Kimber (with Leicestershire) and Noah Thain (playing for England’s u-19’s) otherwise engaged; this resulted in call ups / recalls from the second team for Matthew Hague and Kieren MacKenzie.  The Rams faced an in-form Horsford side who had two wins on the bounce prior to their narrow defeat by Champions elect Swardeston last week. I’m not sure who would have been more disappointed with the Rams rain induced defeat at Wisbech, the Rams or Horsford? Wisbech’s victory meant that the gap at the bottom between the Fenland side and Horsford was reduced to a solitary point.

Horsford, the visitors, won the toss and opted to bowl on what appeared to be a surface that may give the bowlers some encouragement. It was also the sensible approach to have a ‘bob-each way’ in order to potentially maximise any bonus points, should they lose!

A new opening partnership of Hague and Yousuf Choudhary made a bright start before the latter holed out tamely off the bowling of Horsford skipper Neil Hornbuckle with the score on twenty-six. Hague and Spears then progressed the score to fifty-three when the Horsford skipper induced another loose stroke this time from Spears to pick up his second wicket. Hornbuckle (3-26) fully justifying his decision to open up with his own spin, a brave decision particularly as he was bowling at the end with a short leg side boundary, then picked up Hague (34 from 48) with the score on sixty-four. The opener disappointed to hit a loose ball to the left of Callum Metcalf who took an excellent catch. This excellent bit of fielding set the standard which the Norfolk side displayed all innings. The Rams stuttering start continued, with the score on eight-one, when Sawston lost Ben Claydon to an excellent delivery from Gustav McKeon (1-26) who had replaced Hornbuckle at the Cemetery end. Ryan Findlay (1-25), the Norfolk spinner, was rewarded for his excellent spell when Callum Guest mistimed a shot and was caught off a skyer. The Rams were in dangerous territory at ninety-eight for five with all of the top order back in the pavilion. Some of the pressure was then relieved by two partnerships featuring Alex Evans. The Rams left-hander added thirty-two (from 29 balls) with Ben Clilverd and then a further seventy-six (from 75 balls) with Rams’ skipper Dan Heath. Clilverd (11) was trapped in front by Benjamin Panter (1-26). Then the highest partnership of the day was ended when Evans (48 from 55 balls) was caught on the boundary off Will Rogers with the score on two hundred and six with just under five overs to go. Kieren MacKenzie was then run-out three runs later. Heath was joined by James Vandepeer and the pair added a further twenty-two before Vandepeer (12 from 11) was stumped off the bowling of Rogers (2-39) on the final ball of the Rams fifty-overs with Heath remaining unbeaten on thirty-nine (off 50 balls). The visitors would need two hundred and thirty-two to win.

Simon Chipperfield (16 from 11) took a liking to the first five balls of Hague’s first over before the Aussie struck on his sixth ball with Guest taking an excellent catch. Vandepeer then removed left handers Jason Reynolds (6) and Ethan Metcalf (2) to leave the visitors struggling on twenty- eight for three. Rogers and Hornbuckle then added thirty-six runs. Alex Evans struck to have Hornbuckle (15) strangled down the leg side and two runs later he removed Rogers (24) to leave the chase in tatters at sixty-six for five. Horsford however, regrouped and were slowly repairing the damage with William Bryan (9) and McKeon (29). But with score on one hundred and two Clilverd (1-23) trapped Bryan in front. Fifteen runs later McKeon chopped on as Guest picked up his first wicket. Guest and Clilverd continued to squeeze the run rate and Guest then picked up a second wicket (2-28) when he dismissed Findlay (12). With score on one-hundred and thirty-three for eight the visitors needed just short of hundred with fifteen overs remaining. Following the pattern of the first innings Horsford then formed a couple of late order partnerships as Callum Metcalf (33 from 60) and Panter added forty-four useful runs. Although scoring at a lively rate the required run rate continued to climb ending up at around eight per over. Alex Evans (3-37) had Metcalf caught to give him a third wicket. Cameron Graveling (11 from 13) then joined Panter and the pair took the total beyond two hundred, for another precious bonus point, adding an unbeaten forty-one to finish just thirteen runs short. Panter in an excellent knock finished on forty-four not out (from 48 balls).

The Rams had dug deep and showed a tremendous amount of character to put last week’s defeat, and particularly the manner of that defeat, behind them and keep focused.   

Elsewhere Mildenhall after loaning a couple of key players to their second team must have been delighted to defeat champions elect Swardeston. Although the title is very much theirs to lose, their own defeat and the Rams victory has reduced the lead at the top to twenty-five points. The Norfolk side only need one more win to clinch the title. Bury’s defeat against Copdock means that the Rams need only fourteen points from the last two games to finish second. Mildenhall’s win and Witham’s win at home to Sudbury mean that both sides have chances to catch third placed Bury. In the other games Walden beat Frinton and Great Witchingham did their Norfolk neighbours a big favour in inflicting a heavy defeat on Wisbech. The gap at the bottom has increased but only to four points. ‘Squeaky bum time’ at the bottom, pardon the pun, with just two games to go.

The Rams third string finished off their league campaign when they were visited by NCI III in a game that would guarantee the victors a fourth placed finish. The day started well as Jake Ellis won the toss and elected to bowl. Mark Rose (32) was the only batter to make a serious contribution, although Yash Verma (13), Hume Fisher (16), Ben Fawkes (17), Matthew Lavender (11) and Colin Campbell (11) all got starts. The Rams picked up regular wickets as NCI were bowled out for one hundred and twenty-six. James Petzer (3-21) again highlighted what an excellent recruit he has been this year, He received superb support from long-term Ram Sean Jenkins who returned the excellent figures of three for eighteen from eight miserly overs. Joe Latham (2-20) picked up a couple of late wickets with skipper Ellis (1-19) and Jon Windsor (1-16) picking up the others.

The Rams opened up with their own Mr. Reliable Wes Potschul and thirteen-year-old Henry Cotton. Wes has more seasons under his belt with the Rams than Henry has had birthdays! The pair took the score to seventy-eight before Potschul (39 from 43 balls) was dismissed by Campbell (3-20). The loss of Potschul induced a mini collapse as Campbell picked up Scott Barker and Latham. Sanjeev Balasuthenthirarajan (1-28) then ended Cotton’s resistance (34 from 70 balls) to leave the home side on eighty for four. Skipper Ellis and Jenkins then slightly steadied the ship to move the score along to ninety-three before Regan Uddin (1-11) struck to remove Ellis. Jenkins and Petzer (4 no from 24) then added an unbeaten thirty-eight to take the Rams to a five-wicket win. The classy Jenkins finishing on forty-two not out (from 52). The Rams adding a fourth-place finish, to secure the goal of staying in Junior 1 in their first season to an earlier and historic Walker Cup win as they enjoyed a terrific last five weeks of the 2023 season.

Perhaps the biggest celebrations of the day were reserved for the news that Saffron Walden II’s had not been bowled out at Burwell and Exning. Although Burwell and Exning eventually won a nail-biting game they could only get twenty-five points. They needed the full thirty to overhaul the Rams second team. So, the Seconds won the Whitings Two title and will play their cricket in 2024 in Whitings One. This is the highest level they will ever have played at and the highest level they can play at, Whitings One is just one division below the EAPL!