Rain Stops Play

Unsurprisingly the damp weather we have all experienced in May and June, despite being good for a lush outfield, has curtailed a few fixtures for all levels at the Cricket Club.

Our youngest players in All Stars and Dynamos have seen a few Friday sessions washed out, but when we have managed to dodge the grey skies, the children have relished a Friday evening run around, cheered on by a healthy crowd of parents and grandparents.  Friday nights at the Sports Club have become quite the social fixture, with live music and a BBQ on the go.

Both the Under 9s and U11s have shown a great team ethos in Pairs Cricket victories over Mellis, Woolpit and Mildenhall.

The Under 15s have been competing exceptionally well with some strong local sides, and narrowly lost out in the quarter finals of the Suffolk Cup.  Chasing 108 off 20 overs, the team fell just 3 runs short.  Experience of this competitive cricket will serve the side well.

In the Senior section, results have been varied for both the Saturday and Sunday XIs, with both sides oscillating between victory and defeat each week, unable to put together the sustained run of results that would see them move up beyond mid-table in their leagues.

On Saturday, it has often been a case that the middle-order batting has not been able to sustain the starts offered, which has led to relatively low-scoring returns.  Oli Jackson continues to lead the way at the top of the order with an average of 51.5; notable was his 87 in the loss against Abberton.  With the ball, Ashley Forbes leads the wicket takers (20 wickets), including 5 for 58 against Easton.  Mark Rothon has also taken key wickets with his tight line and length bowling.

The experienced Neil Baker has led the batting charge on Sunday.  An excellent 87 away to Newmarket set the side up for a great win on the road.  Ned Campbell returned to form with 77 against Stowmarket, and Luke Ridding scored 54 in a narrow loss to Haverhill.  Jono Boucher and Finn Daly have shown that pace is a key differentiator at this level, and have picked up regular wickets.  Boucher’s strike rate of 8.5 balls per wicket is exceptional.

Looking ahead into July we are looking forward to the sun baking those pitches dry for the runs to flow.