COPDOCK & OIs face their most important match in years when they travel to Ramsey today in the final of the play-offs for promotion to the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League.

Captain Chris Swallow summed up the situation when he said: “We’ve just completed the most incredible run I’ve ever come across in cricket and yet we will only do ourselves justice if we win again.”

Ramsey, the Cambridgeshire champions, were doubly fortunate to be drawn to play at home having received a bye in the first round of the play-offs, while Copdock were winning away to Norfolk champions Fakenham.

Now the whole season comes down to a single fixture, with Swallow and his Copdock team-mates determined to clinch promotion.

“I’m happy with the side we’ll put out,” added Swallow. There is one change from the team that won at Fakenham, with James Burch unable to get back from university. He is replaced by batsman Ashwin Raj, while Hugh Thomas will take on the wicket-keeping duties.

So the Copdock XI will be: Chris Swallow (captain), Adrian Nel, Archie Gravell, Reuben Sharpe, Jed Cawkwell, Ashwin Raj, Hugh Thomas (wicket-keeper), Ed Pope, James East, John East and Tom Jenkin.

Swallow went on: “I’m very pleased with the support from the side, with Hugh, Archie, Ashwin and Jed all travelling from their various universities to play and Jenks and Nelly coming up from London.

“We’ll be taking a minibus and we hope to have a few supporters come with us, too.

“If we can give a performance as good as it was on Saturday I think we’ll finish the season off in style.”