The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Huge win for Town before a tough clash with neighbours
Cricket - The Northants Premier Division title race is going down to the wire
It’s as you were for Peterborough Town in their quest for a third straight Northants Premier Division title.
The city side demolished bottom club Horton House by 253 runs last weekend, but their sole rivals for top spot Finedon scored an equally impressive win over third-placed Old Northamptonians to leave the gap at the top at 14 points with two matches go.
Town are top and two wins would seal the deal but they have two tough fixtures at home to fourth placed Oundle on Saturday (11am) and then at home to Old Northamptonians on September 18.
Finedon have two of the bottom three to play.
A win and a high scoring defeat, which generated seven bonus points, would also be good enough for David Clarke’s team.
Clarke led from the front at Horton House with a season’s best 87 as Town piled up 351-6 in their 50 overs.
Nick Paskins weighed in with 63 from 40 balls, while Scott Howard (40no from 28 balls) and Alex Mitchell (38no from 19 balls) made hay towards the end.
Horton were shot out for
just 98 with 18 year-old legspinner Karanpal Singh returning the best figures of 3-18.
But Oundle will be far more dangerous opponents and they beat Town for the first time at Premier League level when this fixture was last
played two years ago.
And their batsmen are in great form. Oundle have batted so freely since the Premier Division went to straight win/ lose matches the Milton Road men have yet to lose.
They chased down 232 to beat Geddington by four wickets
last weekend thanks mainly to a whirlwind unbeaten 50 from just 20 balls from Tommy Simeons.
Oundle opener Dan Robinson also played well, albeit in a more sedate fashion, finishing unbeaten on 82.
Peterborough Town and
Oundle both have second teams playing Northants Cup semi-finals this weekend.
Champions Town are at Rothwell in the end of season Division Two tournament, while Oundle are at home to Northampton Saints in the Division Three event.
Town beat Heyford by four wickets at Bretton Gate in a quarter-final tie last weekend when Oundle were pipping Podington by eight runs.
Jack Bolsover was stranded on 99 not out when Oundle’s innings closed on 214-6.
Peterborough Town also face a crunch Rutland Division One game on Sunday when leaders Wisbech Town are at Bretton Gate (noon).
The city side are 15 points behind Wisbech, but with two matches in hand. This is the Fenman’s last match of the season so unbeaten Town, would remain favourites to retain their title no matter what the result on Sunday.
Town received a walkover winlastweekendwhenCambs Division One side March Town couldn’t raise a side, but Wisbech also picked up the maximum 20 points with a 44-run win over City.
The first-team cancellation enabled Karanpal Singh to drop into the seconds and smash a career best 140 not out against Long Sutton seconds in a Division Four contest.