HAXEY v OUTCASTS - LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

The Isle of Axholme derby saw Outcasts maintain their unbeaten league run to ten games with an emphatic victory over  Haxey 2nds with youngster Josh Bramhill taking the plaudits when hitting a terrific hundred in 79 deliveries, WRITES GLEN SANDS.
The Priorymen batted first and soon found themselves one down when Scott Buttrick was adjudged to be LBW to Wasim Ahmed for 15 , Ahmed playing despite not being 100% fit with a bad back which makes his figures of 6 for 53 all the more remarkable. He picked up a second wicket when bowling Andrew Lawson for 27 when the total had reached 61 and his third capture was another LBW when Darren Clark went for nine. His third LB decision came when Richard Wroot had to go having scored 22 with the total on 91 and for a while the game was in the balance as Peter Tait and the exceptional Josh Bramhill came together to take the score past the hundred mark.Tait became Ahmed's fifth victim having made eleven and Russell Fletcher made the same amount before he was bowled by that man again but by then Outcasts had raced to 150 with Bramhill just beginning to get into full throttle. Ahmed finished his spell of 15 overs and from that moment the visitors took control as Bramhill and Tom Sharpe added 69 runs in no time before the latter was bowled by Fred Stevens for a bright and breezy 26. There was to be no respite for Haxey as Stuat Clark then joined Bramhill and both took the game to their opponents , Clark smashing two mighty sixes while Bramhill skilfully found the boundary with no less than 14 fours , the last of which took him to three figures and a standing ovation from the away team balcony. Clark was eventually caught by wicket keeper Eddie Wraith off Andrew Steeper for 32 and Bramhill's masterclass was brought to an end when he was caught by Fred Stevens off Steeper for 105. A scrambled single from the penultimate delivery saw Outcasts reach 200 for 9 with Ahmed undoubtedly being the pick of the Haxey bowling attack as his figures of 6 for 53 reflected.
With such a huge total to chase Haxey really needed to get off to a good start but it was not to be as Graeme Fletcher ripped through the defences of both Luke Allen ans Scott Ewan with only 14 runs on the board. He followed that up with another straight delivery to dismiss Daniels and although  Andrew Steeper was firing from the hip and had raced to 33 he then fell to Liam McAnaney who bowled him with the total on 36. McAnaney then bowled Percival without a run being added and with just two more on the board Ramachandara was trapped LBW by the pumped up Fletcher leaving the home side on 38 for 6. Mathangasighe was also trapped infront by Fletcher to make it 41 for 7 , bringing him his fifth wicket of the innings and with Ahmed unable to bat Outcasts were left requiring just one more wicket for victory. To their credit Fred Stevens and Eddie Wraith dug in , adding 40 before the former was bowled by Tom Sharpe for 31, bringing the game to a close with Haxey all out for 81.
So the run continues for Outcasts who are currently in second place now in the Division One table and they head to Hartsholme 2nds on July 19th looking to maintain the winning streak in good heart.