Camden 1st XI 2023 Season Review
Just thirteen years since going unbeaten en route to the Tucker Gardner league title, Camden 1st XI slipped meekly into a division eight tiers down the pyramid. How the mighty have fallen. And yet anyone for whom the 2023 season was an introduction to the storied history of Camden would have been forgiven for wondering how the dizzy heights of Junior 1 North had been reached in the first place. The answer lies three years after the Thirds became the Firsts, back in the sun- and run-drenched promotion summer of 2018. Runs galore for Fox-Teece (557), Batley (427), Redfern (353), Adler (335), and Nutt (242). Neither Foxy or Adler played at all in 2023, while Batters and Nutty each featured once – the former going past 2000 career runs, the latter starring in the first of only two victories all year. That knock of 72 from the Cambridgeshire Over-60’s star was the highest of seven individual fifty-plus scores this season. By contrast, there were seventeen such scores in 2018, including three centuries for Foxy and one for Nutty.
For all that, there is no guarantee that the class of 2018 would have fared as well in 2023. After all, Redders was down 140 runs from his haul five years ago. Never too far from a comforting excuse, the skipper was quick to point out that it was a widely held opinion that the bowling in Junior 1 North this year was of an unusually high standard. For once, the skipper’s excuse held up to scrutiny – and, two fine half-centuries aside, his returns were emblematic of his team as a whole. Robinson, captain of the promotion-winning team of 2018, didn’t fare any better than his successor – although 61 at home to Needingworth means that the ex-former-ex-all-rounder now has the record of most fifties (but not most fifty-plus scores) for the Thirds. It was also a rare case of a batsman scoring more than half of the team total. On the subject of statistical quirks, at one point in the season, Vish averaged 100. Vish also went past 500 career runs. Of the new recruits since 2018, Krishna showed glimpses of his potential, particularly against Sutton. Adil did the same in a Man of the Match performance at Needingworth. Prathyush batted as well as anyone all season at home to Bottisham & Lode, and his 44 contributed greatly to the thrilling win in the reverse fixture. Liam, Karan, Saurav and Ritish all recorded top scores for the Thirds. But if it was consistent runs you were after, Will Sutton – a relic of that champion 2010 team – was the man. Ever-present in 2023 and, facing a ridiculous 922 balls across the season, seemingly ever-present at the crease. For the Thirds, only Fox-Teece’s 557 in 2018 and Richard Hadley’s 498 in 2009 can better Sutton’s 458 runs, but is was not nearly enough. Although, for one week at least, it was nearly enough. Chasing 135 on a tricky Warboys pitch, Sutton looked odds on to see his side home. Seventeen required from thirty balls, with six wickets in hand. But when the veteran opener was out for 45, the Thirds lost those six wickets for one run.
Three weeks later, a match to rival that opening day at Warboys for drama – losing by one wicket at home to Sutton, failing to prevent the last pair adding the 42 required. In between these two close games, the Thirds were thrashed by TAC – where Vish took the 2000th Thirds’ wicket – and by Ely – where Vish broke a finger, and Kelsall nearly lost an eye. Another damaging defeat, at Needingworth, made it Oh (dear) and Five. At the third time of asking, it looked like Captain Redfern would get to test his theory that relegation might not be a bad thing. But in mid-June, at the sixth time of asking, something remarkable happened. The Thirds won a match. Redders took his 150th wicket, Farid Pardess took his first, Sutton and Nutt put on 140 for the first wicket, and Vish Bradmandrasekaran put the finishing touches on a six-wicket win over Newmarket. If that was remarkable, the only other win of the campaign was something else. Three more, increasingly heavy, defeats followed that Newmarket win – by 7 wickets to Bottisham & Lode, 9 to Chippenham, and by 177 runs against TAC. The latter had seen Martin Baker overhaul fellow left-armer twirler Alec Armstrong as the Thirds’ all-time leading wicket-taker. But the Miracle of Swaffham Bulbeck was authored by another Camden spinner – Karan ‘Deadly’ Derekar cleaning up Bottisham & Lode with four wickets in seven balls. The scenes – Karan roaring at the sky, John Sutton’s one-man pitch invasion – will live long in the memory.
The same can’t be said of the season. Two wins and two that got away. The season ended with another four defeats, making twelve in total – all forgettable or best forgotten. But that’s not to say it ever felt like a waste of time, or any less glorious a way to waste time. And who knows – maybe Junior 2 North might not offer so many straight ones to miss. Maybe other teams will drop catches and bowl full tosses and wides. Maybe Sutton will be able to up his strike rate. Maybe relegation won’t be such a bad thing after all.
Players of the Year: Will Sutton and Karan Derekar
