Lincolnshire ECB Premier League

After a week of heavy rain, the odds were stacked against playing any Premier League cricket on Saturday.  

Yet the hard work put in by groundsmen and club members meant that four of the five scheduled games were played.

Leaders Sleaford were the unlucky ones who fell foul of the weather but at Abbey Lawn, Bourne and Woodhall Spa fought out an exciting if exceptionally low scoring game.

The visitors won the toss and invited Bourne to bat, the opening pair putting on 31 which was to be the biggest stand of the innings as Alex King took two wickets and Alfie Lindsay one to make it 43 for three.   This became 51 for five and wickets continued to fall steadily, Bourne’s innings ending on a modest 71.

Woodhall then suffered a double blow as Colin Cheer’s first over brought two wickets but no runs.  Matthew Kidd made this 13 for four and when Cheer took the next, Woodhall were 16 for five.

By this time, 18 year old Henry Wilson was at the crease and he and Ross Dixon steadied the ship, taking the total to 41 before Dixon was out.  WJ Muller, who is 17, joined Wilson looking for the 32 runs required for victory with plenty of overs but only four wickets standing - and the two youngsters proved equal to the task, batting steadily to reach their target.

Boston notched up the highest innings total and their first win of the season at home to Alford, making 226 for five, Mahir Yousuff hitting an unbeaten 74 and sharing useful stands with Jonny Cheer and Peter Mitchell.

Alford lost their first batsman on nine and from 31 for two, lost wickets steadily, despite Jack Wightwick’s dogged innings which took them to 91 before he became the last man to fall for 49.

Bracebridge Heath batted steadily to 189 for nine off their 50 overs at home to Lindum, the best stand of 61 coming between Kit Spence and Samansiri Hannidge, who top scored with 45.  Lindum had 24 on the board when Alex Moor took the first wicket but it was Andy Carter who ensured a convincing victory, taking five for 12 off 10 overs as Lindum were all out for 60.

At Heslam Park, Grantham batted first and slumped from 80 for four to 99 for nine against the bowling of Harrison Tice (3-34) and Karanjit Bansal (4-27). However the last pair, Joe Peck and Sam Boyns, dug in and batted more than 10 overs to add 28 and see the innings out.

James Dobson and Dan Freeman then reduced Scunthorpe Town to 17 for five before Ian Snowden and Maninder Singh took command, adding 45.  Both then fell in consecutive overs but with the total on 67 for seven, rain stopped play for the day.

Results

Boston 226-5 (Youssuf 74), Alford 91;

Bourne 71, Woodhall Spa 72-6;

Bracebridge Heath 189-9, Lindum 60 (A Carter 5-12);

Grantham 127-9, Scunthorpe Town 67-7 – match abandoned

Sleaford v Louth – cancelled, no play

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