Sunshine and a full fixture list……………

With the sun finally making an appearance this week and five fixtures at the weekend it finally feels like the season has started. In a predictably unpredictable start to EAPL 2024 we have just two sides with perfect records as we await match day three of this campaign. The Rams make the journey down the A14 to meet one of those sides when they face Copdock and Old Ipswichians on Saturday. Ipswich could be the sporting capital of England this weekend if the town’s football club do the business on Saturday lunchtime.

The Rams travel to Suffolk following the morale and confidence boosting win last Saturday to get their own campaign underway after a chastening experience in week one. The side is boosted by the inclusion of the reliable Charlie Lewis, following the end of his 2023-24 football season, and the return of George Darlow following his injury (those tennis balls can be quite vicious!). Noah Thain is again retained by the Essex first team squad. Last year the honours were shared with home wins for both sides. Sawston winning the longer format game in July before a weakened eleven went down in the last game of the season, following on from them surrendering their EAPL title the week before. The Rams’ cause is boosted by the presence and local knowledge of Ben Claydon and Jack Beaumont, two ‘recent’ recruits from Copdock.

The home side won their first game at home to Saffron Walden by four wickets but were indebted to match winning sixth wicket partnership of just over a hundred by Chris Swallow and Thomas Harper.  Last week they humbled pre-season favourites Great Witchingham when they bowled the Norfolk side out for one hundred and twenty-nine. This game featured a debut for their Kiwi all-rounder Michael Rae, but even his three wickets were overshadowed by Fergus Atkins’ ‘four-fa’.  Statistically, with them bowling out two sides,  you could be forgiven for thinking that they are a bowling side however, that could be a dangerous line particularly as their line up contains the prolific Sam Athurton. Play-Cricket has almost twenty-three thousand runs recorded against his name, with almost seventeen and half thousand runs recorded in league games (mostly if not all EAPL games I would think). They are a good all-round side with lots of players willing to put their hands up. This is perhaps typified by long-term servant Chris Swallow whose stats show almost six thousand runs and almost four hundred wickets! Copdock finished eighth last year and will be looking to progress this year especially given their excellent start to the season.

The other side with two from two, Sudbury, visit the seaside, at Frinton, where the home side will hope  to get their season started. Elsewhere reigning champions Swardeston will want to get their title defence back on track, while opponents Great Witchingham will want to avoid a third successive defeat that may well ‘hole them below the waterline’ so early in the season. In another Norfolk derby Horsford will want to get back on track but AB Wanderers will be looking to build on last week’s first ever EAPL victory.  Witham away at Bury will be looking for back-to-back victories to remain unbeaten (they have only been defeated by the weather so far this year) with the home side looking to bounce back after defeat at Sawston. The other fixture sees Mildenhall, first week conquerors of Swardeston wanting to return to winning ways at home to winless Saffron Walden.

The Rams second team will want to put their early season batting woes behind them when the entertain Southill Park. The visitors will be buoyed by last week’s impressive victory over Eaton Socon, who usually finish in the top four. Last week’s win was built around a ton from Jonathan Huggins but he may not be available since it looks like he holds dual registration with Bedford CC. There was also five wickets for Adnan Bashir, a bowler the Rams will remember from their 2021 and 2022 tussles. The Rams skipper Ant Philips will be delighted to see the return of Jake Raven and Julius Jackson, released from first team duty, to strengthen the squad. His vice-captain and the Rams’ Club Captain Nick Griggs should also be available again.

The third and fourth teams start their campaigns with games at Ashwell and at home to Barley respectively. Third team skipper Jake Ellis will hope for a better first half of the season this year than last term and hope his charges can replicate the finish that they had to the 2023 season. They went from rock bottom to finish as the form team in the division and also won the Walker Cup T20 competition.

The fourths have a ‘new’ man at the helm as the experienced Adrian Platt, who returned to cricket last year after a few years out takes over from Jeff Free. Adrian’s experience working with the youngsters at Sawston United Youth Football Club makes him ideal to take on the fourth team role. The Club uses the fourth team to give its youngsters their first taste of adult cricket, blending them with a few experienced and ultra-experienced players!

Despite the sunshine earlier in the week,  the wicket at Babraham is still very wet and we must hope for some sunshine on Friday and Saturday to dry it out. With a local football side attempting to secure a league title and some away at University we may find resources stretched a bit in our first full week.

On Sunday the first team will attempt to navigate round one of the National Cup against North Middlesex. They will hope for better weather than last week which saw the first attempt cancelled before 9 am. With Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Bedfordshire again all on duty, well hopefully, in the NCCA T20 competition on Sunday, and Monday, the Rams will be missing a few on Minor Counties duty. We can only hope that the opposition also have a few playing for neighbouring NCCA teams!