The finishing straight
The Rams are scheduled to play their final home game of the 2024 EAPL season when they face ninth placed Sudbury. Sudbury will be looking to build on their excellent win, against Great Witchingham, and will probably be relaxed knowing that they only need seven points from the final two games to guarantee them a place in EAPL 2025, which may make them a dangerous opponent.
The red ball game earlier in the season ended in a rain effected draw, with the Rams pushing unsuccessfully for the win. Their overseas Manelkar De Silva leads the way with the bat and opener Adam Jones joins him on the list of the leagues’ top ten run scorers, with support coming from the evergreen Darren Batch and the two Ben’s Reece and Parker. Callum Guest remains top of the run scorers’ chart with Copdock’s Sam Arthurton chasing him. Of the bowlers De Silva and the experienced Reece lead the way each with twenty-three league scalps, level with Guest and George Darlow but a few behind James Vandepeer and last week’s bowling sensation Jack Beaumont. The Rams will be pushing for their eighth win on the spin knowing nothing short of a victory will suffice. They will still be missing injured skipper Dan Heath and so Guest will again have the reigns. The Rams make one change from last week’s line up that performed so well as Alex Evans is out and Yousuf Choudhary deputises.
Elsewhere in the EAPL there is a massive game at Mildenhall where they entertain Suffolk rivals Copdock, in a clash of fourth versus second. Mildenhall will need a win to keep themselves in contention for a top three finish and Copdock require a win to keep them in the race for the title. Horsford after last week’s defeat will hope to stay in the hunt for the silverware when they visit the bottom side Walden. Swardeston with a dash for the line will still be eyeing a place on the rostrum and will want a win at home to the out of form Bury. Frinton will want to build on last week’s win by defeating mid-table Witchingham to ease away from the bottom of the table. Witham and AB Wanderers meet in Essex, with the visitors only requiring three bonus points to avoid the relegation play-offs. Witham will be looking for at least a good haul of bonus points to stay out of the mire but will want to make home advantage pay off.
The seconds make the longest trip of the season when they visit Wisbech. The Fenlanders fuelled by yet another Gary Freear century won the game at Spicers despite being under the cosh. The Rams despite a twenty-eight-point gap from the bottom two still need points to guarantee their Onyx Premier One safety. One of the relegation places could be settled as the two bottom sides meet at Southill Park where the home side entertain Walden II’s. The tasty tie is at the top of the table as Ramsey and Foxton clash.
The other two SBCC sides have completed their league programs.