Peterborough Town play for pride and a top three finish

Cricket - Market Deeping in a relegation dogfight

A top three finish in the Northants Premier Division and personal pride is all Peterborough Town have left to play for this season.

The city side’s title hopes all but disappeared with a disappointing four-wicket defeat at Brixworth last Saturday.

Town, who have just four matches left to play, did move up to second in the table, but they have played a game more than leaders Finedon and third-placed Old Northamptonians.

“We didn’t start either innings very well,” Town skipper David Clarke stated. “We bowled particularly poorly at the start of Brixworth’s innings.”

Battling 49s from Asim Butt and Vansh Bajaj enabled Town to reach a competitive score of 191, but the hosts, who had been dismissed for 75 at Bretton Gate earlier in the summer, got off to a flier before easing home with plenty in hand. Matt Milner (3-32) bowled best for Town who host Brigstock at Bretton Gate on Saturday (noon).

Town will be hoping star men Rob Sayer and Lewis Bruce will be available. Sayer was in decent bowling form as Cambs beat Norfolk by 31 runs in the Unicorns Championship last weekend, taking 6-83 in the first innings.

Market Deeping face a big Lincs Premier Division relegation game at home to Alford on Saturday (noon). Deeping were badly beaten at Woodhall Spa last weekend and are now just 12 points clear of their weekend visitors, who sit in the last relegation spot, with four games to go.

Bourne are heading in the other direction. Jack Berry blasted an 89-ball ton as they cruised past Scunthorpe by seven wickets at the Abbey Lawns last weekend. Bourne will seek a third straight win at Lincoln on Saturday.

There’s a Cambs Division Two derby at Stamford Town on Saturday (12.30pm) when Ufford Park are the visitors. Both teams were beaten heavily last weekend as were Castor who were shot out for 62 by lowly Southill Park.

(noon): Lincoln v Bourne, Market Deeping v Alford.

Division One (12.30pm): Eaton Socon v Wisbech, Ramsey v March.

Division Two (12.30pm): Castor v Huntingdon, Stamford Town v Ufford Park. Premier Division (1pm): Skegness v Stamford Town, Billingborough v Welby Cavaliers, Bourne 2nds v Long Sutton, Freiston v Spalding.

Division One (1pm): Baston v Timberlands, Heckington v Market Deeping 2nds, Spalding 2nds v Graves Park.

Division Two (1pm): Long Sutton 2nds v Belton Park 2nds, Pinchbeck v Spalding 3rds, Uffington v Grantham 3rds. Division One (1pm): AK 11 v Houghton & Wyton, Burghley Park v Bharat Sports, Hampton v Ramsey 2nds, Orton Park v Newborough.

Division Two (1pm): Biggleswade v Sawtry, Waresley 2nds v Barnack.

Division Three (1pm): Bretton v King’s Keys, Falcon v Ramsey 3rds, Huntingdon 2nds v Peterborough Town 3rds, Newborough 2nds v Orton Park 2nds.

Division Four (1pm): Brampton v Adidda, Hemingford Park v Castor 2nds, Ickwel2nds l v Easton-on-the-Hill, Werrington v Burghley Park 2nds.

Division Four East (1pm): Ketton Sports v Bharat Sports.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26

Vansh Bajaj top scored with 49 in Peterborough Town’s four-wicket defeat at Brixworth.