IS ARRAN'S CENTURY FEMALE FIRST?

By Ann Boulton

Louth provided the main highlights of the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League weekend with a century from Arran Brindle – believed to be the first by a female player in any ECB Premier League – and a run-fest that saw 598 scored and only 13 wickets taken.
But the most unusual occurrence was at Woodhall Spa, where Bracebridge Heath made 350 for four, Paul Cook with an unbeaten 122 off 69 balls and three other batsmen with half centuries. Four Bracebridge bowlers – Brett Houston, Tom Cuthbert, Mark Fell and Karanjit Bansal - then each took a wicket with their first ball while Jonathan Darke took a wicket on the first ball of his second bowling spell.
Woodhall then hung on to their final wicket to finish 136 for nine but Bracebridge nevertheless extended their lead at the top of the table to nine points after Market Deeping’s valiant pursuit of Louth’s 335 for six, in which Brindle hit 128, ended on 263 for seven, David Gillett with an unbeaten 76.
Brindle’s team mate Nuwan Shiroman topped the 300 mark for the season with 53 while elsewhere the day brought two more centuries – Jim Morgan’s 113 for Grimsby and 102 for Phil Sneath at Sleaford.
Grimsby moved into third after a six wicket victory over Nettleham who were bowled out for 198, Morgan and Antcliffe (60) putting on 180 for the first wicket, while Bourne slipped to fourth after Skegness finally found some batting form to record a seven wicket win, Peter Houghton enjoying another good innings with 79.
A low scoring game at Boston saw the home side bowled out by Lindum for 154. But in Boston’s reply, Elliot Wilson bowled an inspired 13 overs to take six for 26 and help bowl Lindum out for only 76.
Sleaford moved off the bottom of the table, picking up 15 points despite failing to bowl Hartsholme out. Sneath’s century helped his side to 271 for eight but Matthew Wooldridge’s 74 kept his side in the game and the visitors finished on 207 for seven.

Results
Boston 154, Lindum 76 (Wilson 6-26);
Bourne 207-9 (Louth 79), Skegness 211-3 (Houghton 79);
Nettleham 198 (Manby 50), Grimsby 199-3 (Morgan 113, Antcliffe 60);
Louth 335-6 (Brindle 128, Shiroman 53), Market Deeping 263-7 (McDougall 66, Jones 50, Gillett 76no);
Sleaford 271-8 (Sneath 102), Hartsholme 207-7 (Wooldridge 74);
Bracebridge Heath 350-4 (Bansal 68, John 57, Atri 50, Cook 122no), Woodhall Spa 136-9;


HOW THEY STAND
Team P W L Draw Ab/Can Bat Bowl Win Draw Ab/Can Total pts
Bracebridge Heath 5 3 0 1 1 25 21 30 9 5 90
Market Deeping 5 3 0 2 0 25 20 30 6 0 81
Grimsby 5 3 1 1 0 24 15 30 7 0 76
Bourne 5 3 2 0 0 19 18 30 0 0 67
Louth 5 1 1 3 0 20 17 10 19 0 66
Lindum 5 2 2 1 0 15 19 20 9 0 63
Boston 5 2 2 1 0 15 18 20 7 0 60
Skegness 5 1 2 1 1 18 12 10 9 5 54
Hartsholme 5 0 2 2 1 16 13 0 10 5 44
Woodhall Spa 5 1 1 3 0 15 12 10 5 0 42
Sleaford 5 0 4 1 0 17 9 0 7 0 33
Nettleham 5 0 2 2 1 11 11 0 2 5 29