LINCS ECB PREMIER PREVIEW OF AUGUST 10 GAMES BY ANN BOULTON

READERS LINCOLNSHIRE ECB PREMIER LEAGUE

August 10

Sri Lanka plays New Zealand in this week’s top match in the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League.

Leaders Woodhall Spa take Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene to Sleaford for whom New Zealand batsman Tim McIntosh has now hit almost 900 runs in 14 games.

Woodhall Spa have a 23 point advantage over Sleaford and with just six games to go, a victory would put the Jubilee Park team well on the way to the championship while a win for Sleaford would put them within striking distance of the title.

Sleaford will be aware that Bracebridge Heath, who travel to Grimsby, are only five points adrift in third place, with Market Deeping a further nine behind in fourth.

Deeping make the short trip to Bourne who have pulled themselves clear of the bottom three in the table and will be gearing up for the ECB T20 Area Finals challenge at York on Sunday.

Grimsby need a win to make it back into the top half of the table but are finding runs hard to come by, although Ross Carnelly’s good knock last week will have boosted their confidence.  But Bracebridge’s top order are firing on all cylinders and could notch up a big score if they bat first at Augusta Street.

Lower down the table, Louth – who have slipped to ninth – are at home to bottom side Hartsholme while Haxey, who have widened the gap over the Ashby Avenue side, make the long journey to sixth placed Skegness.

Only nine points separate Skegness and Louth and this weekend’s games could see changes in mid-table.

Spalding trail Louth by 15 points but are a comfortable 33 up on Haxey and will be looking for at least a share of the points when they host Lindum whose steady run of results has taken them up to fifth.

Fixtures

Grimsby v Bracebridge Heath

Louth v Hartsholme

Spalding v Lindum

Skegness v Haxey

Bourne v Market Deeping

Sleaford v Woodhall Spa