Town leave it late to remain perfect

Peterborough Town have started the summer with a hat-trick of wins.

The city side completed the treble with a terrific 12run victory over Fakenham after an absorbing clash in the ECB Club Championship competition at Bretton Gate on Sunday.

The day before they had secured a dramatic 71-run success with a ball to spare in a Northants Premier Division game at Old Northamptonians to establish a 10-point lead the top of the table after just two matches.

Town are the only team to have won their opening two top-flight games which sets them up rather nicely for a clash with reigning champions Finedon at Bretton Gate on Saturday (11am). Finedon sit third after dropping points in a drawn game at Desborough last weekend.

Zeeshan Manzoor was the big-hitting star of the ECB Club Championship win. He smacked a superb 117 not out (11 4s, 3 6s) from 93 balls to steer Town from 97-5 to a competitive 40-over score of 216-5. Scott Howard (28no) joined him in that unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 119.

It didn’t look enough when former Norfolk star Steve Gray was batting superbly, but his departure for 94 to a catch in the deep by Veer Mangat off the bowling of Josh Smith turned the game on its head.

From 186-5 Fakenham, requiring just a run-a-ball to win, slumped to 204-9 with Aussie import Lachie McMillan recovering from early punishment to take three late wickets to register final figures of 4-44.

Town will host Ashmanhaugh and Barton Wanderers in the second round on Sunday (1pm) following the East Anglian Premier League side’s eight-wicket win over Spalding last weekend.

Town picked up maximum points at ONs. They battled hard to reach 212-8 in their 50 overs with Smith (53) and David Clarke (42) batting patiently for their runs before a late burst of 45 from 54 balls from McMillan.

The home side shut up shop early, but they crumbled from 108-4 to 141 all out with Dan Costello (4-45) taking his final wicket to complete victory from the fifth ball of the final over.

Captain Nick Green (351) and McMillan (2-10) also made useful contributions with the ball.

Josh Smith on his way to 34 for Peterborough Town against Fakenham. Photo David Lowndes.