SWCC U12 cup winners

SAFFRON Walden CC won their second cup for the season at the weekend.

Having already won their CYCA U12s league, they triumphed by the narrowest of margins in the Hugh Craig Cup, contested between the top two teams in the Little Bardfield U12s league. SWCC had topped the league, losing just one match.

Walden were put in to bat first, and made slow progress against some very accurate Little Bardfield bowling. Josh Batcheler led the innings with a patient 18, and Tom Pluck hit a spirited 22 before being run out in the last over as Walden reached a total of 93 for 7 from their 20 overs.

The Saffron Walden bowlers showed some rustiness after the summer holidays, with a mixture of good and bad balls, and let Little Bardfield get ahead of the asking rate at the halfway stage. Edward Ford, with figures of 2-6 from his four overs stabilised the bowling, with Josh Batcheler (2-13) and Ronnie Ledwith (2-16) being the other main wicket-takers.

Little Bardfield needed 2 from the last over, but Will Banks kept his nerve and the game ended with the scores level - Saffron Walden winning by virtue of losing fewer wickets as Little Bardfield were bowled out on the penultimate ball.