Hi ball-subject,
Sounds great that it works for you.
Refreshing problems happen occasionally, for example, when the code is rewritten(e.g., for speed) and then a tiny little something is not put back into the code.
I then search for what object or situation could trigger that. Typically, the first step is the Connect Object, as it rebuilds the whole content.
Long story short (many setups later), I noticed it works sometimes and then not. So, my impression was that when the Cloth Surface does not provide the same position as the recorded Alembic data set, it will not work. Exploring that led me to the exact opportunity: It needs that difference in this specific case. This is not logical, but in some weird way, it is. 😉
I hope it works for you and the problem is fixed ASAP (I wrote a report).
Have a nice Sunday