HARTSHOLME 2NDS v OUTCASTS - LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Outcasts continued their unbeaten run in the Lincs League Division One on July 19th when not only did they beat Hartsholme 2nds but also the weather as several games around the county were affected by the heavy rain that swept across Lincolnshire, WRITES GLEN SANDS.
Almost as soon as they arrived in Lincoln it began to rain and that meant that the game was 70 minutes late getting underway and was reduced to 35 overs per side but having won the toss and invited Hartsholme to bat first the Outcasts bowling pair of Graeme Fletcher and Liam McAnaney quickly got to work. Fletcher produced an absolute jaffa to bowl Paul Bassingthwaite for nought , nipping one back through his defences then McAnaney had Tom Manghan caught by Josh Bramhill in the next over and with only six on the board it was Bramhill again who snaffled a catch to send Mark Leverett back to the pavilion , earning Fletcher another wicket. Nick Green and Lucas Cooling offered some resistance as the sun began to shine but opener Green was then superbly caught at gully by Spud Tait to earn McAnaney a second victim. Cooling had made eight when he edged a catch to wicket keeper Mark Fletcher off Macca leaving Hartsholme on 48 for 5 then Tom Parker and Andy Putt produced a fight back of sorts until Tom Sharpe was brought on to bowl and his extra pace brought the break through when he bowled Putt for 23. Josh Pickersgill and Ben Winfield found Sharpe just a bit too sharpe and went quickly , then Parker was caught by Tait , again off Sharpe's bowling for a hard earned 19 and Outcasts had eight overs in which to grab the tenth wicket. For a while they looked likely to miss out but the opening pair were brought back on and Graeme Fletcher did the trick when he had Ben Hart caught by Sharpe for six , leaving the home side all out for 109 , Sharpe finishing with 4 for 19 , Fletcher with 3 for 23 and McAnaney 3 for 41.
The Outcasts reply began in bright sunshine and sultry conditions as Andrew Lawson and John Stokoe set about the business of chasing down the target but Stokoe was soon back in the pavilion having been caught at gully Tom Manghan off Mark Leverett for five. The in form Russell Fletcher joined Lawson at the crease and at that moment the dark clouds began to gather in the sky , prompting Lawson in particular to press the accelerator. He clicked through the gears with ease , cracking the ball to all parts with an array of powerful shots. He brought up his half century with his ninth four ( plus one six ) in only 34 deliveries but then lost concentration when the umpires took a while to decide wether to leave the field with rain threatening , the big man being stumped by Paul Bassingthwaite off Dave Smith for 63. Russell Fletcher had accumulated eleven runs and was joined by Spud Tait then the left hander was caught at cover by Pickersgill off Smith but last weeks centurion Josh Bramhill strode to the middle to help Tait see their team home , hitting one boundary while Tait finished on 27 not out to clinch twenty valuable points for Outcasts in their promotion chase.
This victory meant that the Priorymen closed the gap at the top to just five points behind Scothern who's scheduled game was postponed but they cannot rest on their laurels as they have some tough games coming up beginning with a home fixture against Bracebridge Heath 2nds who are third behind Outcasts but with games in hand.
Outcasts 2nds were due to take on table toppers Cleethorpes 3rds at Hirst Priory but the game never got underway as the rain fell from the due start time so they remain 35 points behind the Meggies in the promotion battle so they will hope to make up that deficit on July 26th when they head to Normanby Park for their next league outing.