RAMSEY are up to second in Division One of the TuckerGardner Premier League and have Wisbech Town firmly in their sights with two thirds of the season still to play.
And this season’s new captain, Taylor West, is confident the 2011 champions can put the disappointment of last season’s struggle behind them and go for ther title again.
“We had a couple of draws at the start of the season but since then we have been playing to the best of our abilities,” said West. “We’d like to think we can give it a go again.”
On Saturday, Ramsey were missing key bowler David Carlaw but there was still more than enough firepower get Camden all out 47 runs short of their 161 total.
Opener Michael Cafferkey was again excellent, hitting a sweet 51 and putting on 50 runs with Mark Edwards (34) in an excellent seventh-wicket partnership.
In reply, Camden never really got going with Sam Rippington and Michael Kay (3-24) putting in impressive opening spells, Rippington in particular bowling with real menance to pick up 4-7 runs in his opening seven-over spell and ending the day with 5-21.
West said: “Our aim is to stay in the mix and if we are up there with four or five games to go then we will have a real chance.”
Godmanchester Town slumped to their third defeat in four games and once again it was a weak batting performance that was the problem.
In those three defeats the batsmen have mustered just 218 runs between them – only just enough to take maximum batting points in a single match. The only plus point for the team to take from this match was the individual performance of the recently recruited debutant Akshat Agarwal.
The new player was easily the pick of the Godmanchester bowlers and claimed three wickets for eight runs in his six overs of medium pace, taking an important catch in the field and looking the most confident of the lower order batsmen.
Winning the toss, the captain Matt Pateman asked Castor to bat and with three wickets down for just 10 runs in the opening three overs his decision looked vindicated. However, Robert Woolley and the 15-year-old Cameron Dockerill added 35 for the fourth wicket and this proved to be easily the best stand of the entire match.
Woolley grew in confidence reaching 35 before he became Agarwal’s first victim and after his departure the remainder of the side managed just 21 runs between them to take Castor’s modest total to 77.
If Castor’s start was poor, it was more than matched by the visitors who found themselves at 18-4 after 11 overs.
Only Pateman showed anything like confidence and batted for more than an hour to top score just 20 runs.
Castor’s match winners were their two opening pace bowlers with Dan Cotton finishing with 4-20 and Woolley 4-24. Spinner Simon Steel weighed in with the other two Godmanchester wickets.
Waresley had a particularly bad day at the office on Saturday when Foxton inflicted a 176-run defeat on them.
Foxton’s openers Cei Sanderson (100) and Henry Hunter (96) were brilliant as last year’s champions reached 230-5 in their 45 overs. Waresley were then skittled out for a mere 54 with Dominic Farr top-scoring with 14.
St Ives Town’s season went from bad to worse when they were beaten by Nassington despite a 45-knock from Tom McCarthy and Richard Greiller’s 44.
Paul Swannell finished with 3-34 and Oliver King 3-22 but Nassington passed their target of 167 with two wickets to spare.
There a draw at Warboys in the big Hunts derby in Division Two – but the result saw the home side from second to fourth.
Still, there are only 21 points separating the top six teams – with new boys Eaton Socon in fifth – in a division that already looks like it could go right to the wire.
Jack Skidmore (33) top-scored for Warboys who reached 195-7 from their 48 overs. In reply, Eaton also batted throughout and ended up with a total of 133-6, Matt Taylor top-scoring with 29. There were two wickets apiece for Alex Grange, Bradley West and Chris Whitfield (Warboys) and Chris Box, Matt Rawling and Ryan Worboys (Eaton).
HUNTS COUNTY BATS HUNTS LEAGUE
GODMANCHESTER Town II leapfrogged Huntingdon & District to go second behind leaders Blunham in the top division of the Hunts League when they coasted to a 125-run win over Burghley Park on Saturday.
Robert Howells was 49 not out at the end of Goddy’s 261-6 innings with Dan Malem and Douglas Bentley both hitting 39. Indeed, all seven of Goddy’s batsmen reached double figures before the bowling attack went to work with Ishwar Jhikka taking 4-44 and Laurie Marsh 3-27.
Huntingdon & District, who host Blunham on Saturday, lost to Barnack with Yasir Shafiq top-scoring with 29 as they reached 150 all out. In reply, the home side hit 152 in 35.4 overs for the loss of six wickets, two each for Kashif Mahmood Butt, Navid Ahmed and Nomi Khan.
Elsewhere in Division One, Ufford Park inflicted a four-wicket defeat on Waresley II who are still to win a game.
Peter Colebrooke top-scored with 34 as Waresley settled for 124 for the loss of nine wickets from their 45 overs. In reply, Ufford Park scored 126-6 in 38 overs.
Matthew Slack scored 53 and Elliot Smith 40 but Ramsey II went down to a seven-wicket defeat at Southill Park who reached their target of 200 for the loss of just three wickets in 33.1 overs.
In Division Two, Eaton Socon II continued their good form with a nine-wicket win over Warboys II.
Warboys were restricted to 163-5 which Eaton chased down easily only losing one wicket with Bob Nicklin hitting 67 not out and Will Hall 49 not out. Ben Duncan, who top-scored for Warboys, was on 56 when he was run-out.
Peterborough Town III beat Sawtry by five wickets after the Hunts club could only reach 85 before losing their last wicket with Bilal Mustafa doing the damage and finishing with figures of 7-10.
Buckden beat visitors Upwood in the Division Three Hunts derby by 14 runs while Huntingdon & District II suffered an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Castor & Ailsworth II.
Mike Hudson top-scored with 45 as Houghton & Wyton beat Jinnah with Michael Piaggesi recording figures of 4-36, Simon Wales 3-43 and Pete Waughman 3-4.
Duncan McGregor took 3-19 for Brampton with Paul Greenhow hitting 40 but they lost their Division Four match at Werrington by four wickets.
Dave Atkinson (95) and James Wiltshire (65) top-scored for Sawtry II as they beat Little Paxton by 17 runs in the same division. John Williams even hit 108 for the losing side with Dave Perry getting 42.
Ben Houseago hit 102 in Great Staughton’s 167-run win over Warboys III in Division Five. Warboys were all out for 45 in 20.1 overs chasing Staughton’s brilliant 212 with Dave Oddy getting seven wickets for the loss of just 15 runs.
Also in Division Five, Upwood II beat Huntingdon & District III.
THE Hunts County Cricket League is looking for a new secretary after Richard Ewing revealed he is standing down following a decade in the role.
Ewing said: “I have now decided that I do not intend to stand again for election as HCCL secretary at the 2013 AGM.
“The key role of league secretary has developed over the years and is now under a necessary and detailed review by the Executive Committee. It is expected that significant parts of the existing secretary role will be delivered in a different way in the future.”
Anyone interested in contributing further to the Huntingdonshire County Cricket League should contact Hedley Swannell, the chairman, on 01487 832328 or at swannellhk@aol.com
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