One last push!

In a dream end for the EAPL Committee and its sponsor, Thurlow Nunn, the EAPL 2024 title could still be won by one of three sides going into the last round of fixtures. The outsiders of the trio are Horsford, who need both the other sides to lose and hope that the Rams cannot pick up five bonus points in a loss. Copdock must win and hope that SBCC lose for the side from Suffolk to capture the title.

Copdock are at home to the in-form Swardeston and Horsford face another tricky Norfolk derby when they entertain Witchingham. The Rams visit Frinton, the last side other than the Rams and Swardeston to win the league (in 2019). They may need a win to keep above Walden, and out of the relegation play-off lottery as Walden visit the out of form Bury. Unless the results go very badly the Rams will preserve their astonishing record of never finishing outside of the top two, a truly remarkable effort.

The Rams are seeking a ninth win on the spin and a thirteenth game without defeat in a run going back to 8th June.  In the same period Horsford have tasted defeat three times with seven victories, and Copdock have eight wins but crucially three defeats (with one of them against the Rams).

Awaiting either Walden or Frinton in the play-offs are two sides that have recent experience of these high-pressure sudden death games Halstead (from the Two Counties) and Downham Stow (from the  Norfolk Alliance). Halstead will be hoping to make it third time lucky having missed out in the last couple of years. They will be joined by Ramsey from the Cambs and Hunts Premier league. Halstead have been drawn at home to Ramsey in one of the semis, with Downham Stow awaiting their opponents from the EAPL.

The Rams supporters will be hoping for a repeat of the comfortable red ball victory that saw them defeat Frinton by nine wickets at Spicers, but things are rarely that straight forward, especially where the Rams are concerned! I’m not sure that my nerves will take another last ball / last over thriller! The Rams are expected to be unchanged from last week with Dan Heath still unfit and unable to play in what would have been his final game as skipper. I’m sure that the Rams will want to give him a title winning send off!

On a personal level Callum Guest needs to outscore Copdock’s prolific Sam Arthuton by seventeen runs to be crowned the top scorer in the league. No one is going to catch Kc Cariappa, currently on forty-two league scalps, as the league’s top bowler but James Vandepeer will need to out-strike Copdock’s Raj Singh by four to overtake his rival to be the top seamer. Irfan Karim, of AB Wanderers, with thirty dismissals leads the way by five in the keepers’ standings. The Rams have Alex Evans, George Darlow, and Lee Thomason all up there with the leading fielders.

The Rams second team’s future in the Onyx Premier One may be dependent on Saffron Walden not being relegated. Although they have finished outside of the nominal two relegation positions there may be a third team demoted if Walden are relegated back to the Cambs and Hunts (Onyx) feeder league. A win against Burwell and Exning may be enough to preserve their status, although their rivals Blunham and Old Leysians have winnable games on the final day of the season.