BLOWN WIDE OPEN

By Ann Boulton

The Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League table was blown wide open as champions Bracebridge Heath suffered their third defeat in a row, this time at the hands of Nettleham, to plummet down to fifth place.
Skegness went top following their 20 point win over Woodhall after Grimsby could only manage a winning draw at home to Market Deeping so stay second.
Nettleham share third place with Bourne who survived a mid-innings hiccup at Hartsholme to win by two wickets but with just 4% separating the top five teams, all have everything to play for.
At Cross O’Cliff Court, Nettleham set Bracebridge a modest total of 172, Warren Nel last man out for 94 and four wickets falling to Aaron Onyon and Matt Bradley. But Bracebridge were unable to regain the batting form that has deserted them recently and were all out for 111 of which Brett Houston hit 42 while for the visitors, Andy Carter and James Stevens also took four wickets each.
The closest game of the day came lower down the table after Lindum set Boston a seemingly tough target of 263 for eight, Pierce Morley-Barnes hitting 54. However, the home side also made runs in the sunshine and looked like securing a surprise victory until, with just five balls of the match to go, the final wicket fell on 259, three players having notched up half centuries.
Boston stay bottom but are in close touch with the three teams above them after Woodhall went down at Skegness by six wickets, Jack Luffman and Ricky Lovelace making half centuries for the visitors and Saeed Bariwala and Carl Wilson for Skegness.
Hartsholme failed to bowl Bourne out despite Martin Shillito’s haul of five for 40 but are on equal terms with Louth who lost five of their wickets to Jonathan Miles but gave Sleaford a hard time before the home side eventually won by four wickets, Tom Shorthouse making an unbeaten 81.
Grimsby’s Neal Snell hit the day’s only century, piling on a massive 157 at home to Deeping but Charlie Kearns with 74 and Gary Yeeles (59) helped the visitors hang on for a share of the points.

Results
Nettleham 172 (Nel 94), Bracebridge Heath 111;
Louth 133 (Miles 5-42), Sleaford 137-6 (Shorthouse 81no);
Grimsby 288-7 (Snell 157), Market Deeping 216-7 (Yeeles 59, C Kearns 74);
Hartsholme 165 (Shooter 71), Bourne 169-8 (Shillito 5-40);
Lindum 263-8 (Morley-Barnes 54), Boston 259 (Brooks 69, Poole 53, Elleray 54);
Woodhall Spa 197 (Luffman 50, Lovelace 58), Skegness 198-4 (Bariwala 55, Wilson 62no).

HOW THEY STAND

Team P W L Draw/Tie NR Bat Bowl Win Draw Total Percent
Skegness 10 6 2 0 2 27 30 60 0 117 73%
Grimsby 10 3 2 4 1 39 33 30 28 130 72%
Bourne 10 5 3 0 2 30 33 50 0 113 71%
Nettleham 10 4 2 2 2 34 29 40 10 113 71%
Bracebridge Heath 10 5 3 0 2 26 35 50 0 111 69%
Market Deeping 10 4 2 2 2 26 25 40 12 103 64%
Sleaford 10 4 4 0 2 26 30 40 0 96 60%
Lindum 10 4 4 1 1 27 30 40 5 102 57%
Louth 10 2 5 1 2 24 22 20 5 71 44%
Hartsholme 10 1 4 3 2 23 31 10 7 71 44%

Woodhall Spa 10 1 4 3 2 26 18 10 13 67 42%
Boston 10 2 6 0 2 18 24 20 0 62 39%