Newmarket Cricket Club score more than 300 runs on their way to securing Division One status
When they needed it most Newmarket Cricket Club turned on the style on Saturday.
The Stampede travelled to Southill Park for a relegation/promotion play-off knowing that a defeat would bring an end to their 12-month stay in the Whiting & Partners Division One.
However, after posting an impressive 312-6 from their 50 overs, Newmarket proceeded to restrict their hosts to just 112 runs, wrapping up a 200-run victory in the process.
It means the club will remain in Division One for 2023, much to the delight of captain Mark Nunn.
He said: “We were brilliant from ball one. Our warm-up was really sharp and we kicked on from there.
“In a lot of ways it’s easier in a win or lose game like this. You know you’ve got to leave it all out there on the pitch, whereas in league games complacency can sometimes creep in because you know there is always next week to put it right.
“We put a lot of pressure on them right from the start and you could tell at drinks their heads had gone down and we made the most of it.
“Credit to them though, they’ve had a really good season. They’re a great group, a group with great facilities, they looked after us really well and I’m sure they’ve got a bright future.
“We just had too much for them on the day.”
The challenge for Nunn now is to put together a squad that is strong enough to ensure Division One survival does not go down to the wire this time next year.
And the all-rounder believes bringing the average age of the group down is one key aspect to achieving that feat.
“We’ve still got to reflect on the season as a whole and where we were strong,” he added.
“Clearly we need to be a more consistent side next season and part of that will come down to having a young team.
“Most of the sides we come up against have a decent core of 17 to 25 year olds and that makes a big difference.
“I’m not sure what it is overall but I would imagine we have one of the highest average ages.
“It’s tough because the other clubs are well established with junior sections to filter players through, whereas we’ve only been a club for a couple of years and that meant we had to put together a side.
“We’ll see how it goes but hopefully we can bring a bit more youth into the team next year.
“We have an idea of what we need, although it’s not going to be easy because everyone else in the league will be the same.”