The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Bourne dodge the rain to win thriller
Bourne won a top-of-thetable thriller by one-run in a rain-affected game at the Abbey Lawn.
Visitors Grantham actually scored more runs on the day, but run-rate rules following a weather intervention meant they were set a 43-over victory target of 265 after Bourne had posted 2578 from the same number of overs.
Excellent bowling from Brandon Diplock (3-35) and Rob Bentley (3-44) ensured Grantham didn’t quite make it leaving the hosts with a 22-point lead at the top after nine straight wins this summer.
Earlier Ben Wright (82 from 81 balls), Carl Wilson (53) and Pete Morgan (40 from 27 balls) all scored well for the reigning champions.
Market Deeping completed their own hat-trick of wins by hammering former champions Bracebridge Heath by 194 runs at Outgang Road. Zeeshan Manzoor thrashed a typically brutal 84 from just 48 balls (9 sixes and 4 fours) as Deeping posted a challenging 276.
Josh Smith (55) had delivered a run-a-ball start at the top of the innings before overseas player Ashar Hafeez cracked 51 from 52 balls. Hafeez went on to enjoy a great all-round day by bagging 5-19
from 10 overs as Bracebridge were rushed out for just 82.
Spalding went down by 50 runs at Woodhall Spa to fall below Deeping into 10th place.
Bourne travel to Scunthorpe aiming for their
perfect 10 on Saturday when Deeping are at bottom slub Skegness. Spalding host Scunthorpe.
The big game in Cambs Division One between Eaton Socon and leaders Wisbech Town was washed out.
There were Saturday wins for March Town and Ramsey, but Stamford Town have slipped to the bottom of the table after slumping to 70 all out and a six wicket defeat at the hands of Newmarket.
Stamford also lost by 120 runs at home to March on Sunday, falling foul of allround excellence from Alex Millard (104 & 3-29).
In-form Aussie Elliot Durrant (42 & 3-16) enjoyed another fine day for Ramsey.
There’s a Fen derby on Saturday as Wisbech host March and also a derby in Division Two as Castor travel to Ufford Park. Castor managed just a handful of overs last weekend before suffering a washout. Ufford didn’t even start their scheduled fixture.