SPALDING CHAMPS, BILLINGBOROUGH RUNNERS-UP IN SOUTH LINCS & BORDER

BY ANN BOULTON

Spalding sealed the South Lincolnshire & Border League championship with a good win over Woodhall Spa 2^nd who fought hard to sign off with a victory but had to be content with denying their opponents maximum points.

Tim Norris made 91 for the league winners but it was the lower reaches of the division that saw the highest scores as Sleaford 2^nd’s game against Bourne 2^nd brought two centuries.  Rob Bentley made an unbeaten 130 in Bourne’s 264 for four while Simon Godby hit 100 for the home side who were all out for 204.

Norman Brackley was also out for exactly 100 in the closest game of the day which saw Skegness 2^nd beat Belton Park by just four runs.

Billingborough finished second following a nine wicket win over bottom side Market Deeping and Stamford need five points from their final game next weekend to be sure of third place after beating Grantham, for whom Adam Parker took five wickets.

Welby now lead Division Two by a massive 61 points with one game to play and Stamford Town 2^nd need one point from their remaining match to stay second.

Michael Whatton was out on 99 as Welby made 263 before bowling Spalding 2^nd out for 154. 

At the foot of the table, Cavaliers came within four runs of moving off the bottom but just failed to reach Billingborough 2^nd’s total of 166.  Above them, Baston need nine points from their final game to finish above Thomas Cook and avoid relegation.

Will Charlesworth was the architect of Thomas Cook’s defeat by Heckington, taking eight for 37, the third player with an eight wicket haul this season.

Tom Baxter hit the division’s highest score with an unbeaten 130 for Boston 2^nd against Moulton Harrox.

Friskney and Boston 3^rd currently head Division Three, both with a game still to play, while Claypole sealed third place with a win over Lindum 3^rd, Ben Ryder hitting 51 runs and taking six wickets.

Burgh & District moved away from the bottom two with victory over Spalding 3^rd, with Jim Clarke and Richard Underwood each taking five for 16.

Division One

Bourne 2^nd 264-4 (R Bentley 130no), Sleaford 2^nd 204 (Godby 100);

Lindum Ramblers 147 (Waller 52), Moulton Harrox 120;

Market Deeping 2^nd 78, Billingborough 81-1;

Stamford Town 144 (Parker 5-41), Grantham 79;

Skegness 2^nd 187-7 (Brackley 100), Belton Park 183-9 (Moore 60);

Spalding 274-8 (T Norris 91, M Kearns jnr 77), Woodhall Spa 2^nd 194-9 (Wells 59);

Division Two

Blankney 86, Stamford Town 2^nd 73;

Welby 263 (Bradbury 56, M Whatton 99), Spalding 2^nd 154;

Billingborough 2^nd 166, Cavaliers 162;

Heckington 181-7, Thomas Cook 105 (Charlesworth 8-37);

Boston 212-7 (T Baxter 130no), Moulton Harrox 30;

Division Three

Pinchbeck 80, Friskney 81-6;

Claypole 226-4 (Ryder 51, Attewell 63, Sullivan 55), Lindum 3^rd 174 (Ryder 6-51);

Welby 2^nd 134-6, Boston 3^rd 135-5;

Burgh & District 125 (Clarke 5-16), Spalding 3^rd 68 (R Underwood 5-16).

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