As the nights get darker and colder with the onset of winter, so one sporting season drew to a close as another began. The cricket club celebrated their hard earnt triumph as they were promoted to Marshall Hatchick Division One - albiet in the most anticlimactic manner possible. With the strength of rivals Ipswich breathing down their necks, the title chase was always likely to go down to the last day, and so it proved. Haverhill were stranded as their potentially tricky game against Brightlingsea was cancelled while Ipswich eased to maximum points, scoring 212-6 before dismissing Brockley for 91. In the end though it proved that the team had done enough, edging ahead of Ipswich on average points to become champions.
The only disappointment can be the amount of games called off - six have been cancelled this year, meaning Haverhill have played just 14 games - three more than second placed Ipswich. Has this perhaps skewed the table and made it rather unfair? Would Haverhill have continued their fine form to be kings of Division Two if they had played those extra features? Brightlingsea on the final day certainly would have been a stern test with the team third in the table, and Haverhill never met mid table Braintree.
But this must not detract from the team's achievements - with 13 wins from 14 games, a win record of almost 93 per cent, that would surely have been enough for almost any sports team to win any division. The manner of their victories has also seen them comprehensively defeat teams nearby in the table, notabley doing the double over second placed Ipswich to prove their superiority. So they have been tested against the best sides in this division, and they have come out on top.
Adam Dellar has inspired a number of fine performances from his side, and as numerous people affiliated with the club testify in Thursday's Echo, the number of young players that have ensured their dominance is surely positive for the club's future. They have triumphed without superstar players, only having Chris Silverwood as their celebrity player. They were humbled by the Lashings XI and needlessly dropped points in their early season defeat by Hadleigh, but apart from that have been focussed and driven in winning their division. When chasing a score they have proved to be unstoppable, with a good mix of strong bowling to dismiss the opposition before some fine batting to ease past the set score.
The average points scoring method may not seem a fair way to judge teams - why should Ipswich lose after playing three more games? - but it is surely the fairest method available. Next season they will be in Division One, hopefully with better weather throughout the summer to provide a fairer refelction in that division. The team will hope they can cope well with the jump in quality, and judging by how fair ahead of the pack Haverhill and Ipswich were this season they should have no problems being competitive.
However, as the cricket team celebrated their end of season success, the rugby club was left to commiserate a truly humbling start to life in Greene King IPA Eastern Counties Division One. Coach Any Price had been optimistic before the game - after all, last year they had only lost to opponants Southwold by a point in the Suffolk Cup at Castle Playing Fields, and that with a worse team to the current XV.
Southwold clearly had other ideas to welcoming Haverhill as they subjected the visitors to a thumping 74-0 defeat. Any per-season optimism or expectations will have been brought under check by that result - now Price must hope morale is not battered for the team to pick themselves up.
Before the game last week he told me the jump in quality was sizeable - nevertheless, I still expected Haverhill to do well. Last season they eased to promotion from Division Two, along with champions Harwich and Dovercourt finishing ahead of Ipswich YM by some margin. They lost just twice - at home to Harwich and away to Ipswich - and so were clearly among the two best teams. However, they maybe one of those yo-yo teams that is too good for one division and not good enough for another.
Though it is early days and much too soon to judge the team. They have already identified some problems - namely giving away too many cheap penalties. In Division Two, with sides frequently kicking wide, this was not a problem, but in Division One, with more pleayers on target, it is. To let the opposition take 13 penalties is inviting a hammering.
Price was witheld and cautious when I spoke to him about his expectations, stressing that consolidating their position in that division rather than aiming for promotion was the realistic aim. On Saturday theu face their first home game of the season against Canterbrigian, and will be hoping for an improved performance to begin the season afresh with a home win, no doubt bouyed by the same strong home support they benefitted from last season.
And lets not forget that the hockey gets underway on Saturday as Haverhill host Norwich City I. Captain Tina Bunch's side certainly stuggled last season - avoiding relegation on the last day with an away win at Lincoln Roses, and need a poor Bourne and Spalding sides to fold and take their place in the drop. A league resuffle now sees them move over to Division 2NE, with Bunch hoping last year to end up in a different division. Hopefully they can capitilise on this and enjoy a more successful season than the last.
So congratulations to the cricket club for a fantastic achievement - hope things improve for the rugby club as they look to cement their place in Division One and not just fall straight back through the trapdoor - and good luck to the hockey team when they start on Saturday.
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