HALF GAMES WASHED OUT

By Ann Boulton

Rain washed out half of the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League programme but benefited Grimsby and Boston whose games ended in victory, moving both sides up one place in the table.
Leaders Bracebridge Heath had completed only a handful of overs at Hartsholme when the game was abandoned and it was the same situation at second placed Market Deeping who hosted Lindum.
But at Woodhall Spa, Grimsby were recovering from 41 for three to make 202 before the final wicket fell, Harry Warwick hitting 62 and sharing a stand of 103 with John Maddock who was out on 49.
Woodhall also had a good third wicket stand as Nic Stone and Dan Milgate put on 61 and the home side looked set for a successful run chase but when David White joined the attack, wickets began to tumble. Stone hit 50 but White’s nine overs brought him four wickets and Woodhall ended 16 runs short on 186, Steve Crossley making five dismissals behind the stumps for Grimsby.
This moved Richard Antcliffe’s team up to second in the table while Boston went third above Deeping after picking up 17 points at Bourne.
Batting first, Boston ended 227 for eight, of which Matt Ward hit 80 and Bourne were then restricted to 123 for eight a the close. Boston are now three points behind Grimsby but just one ahead of Deeping.
Sleaford opened up the gap over the bottom two when, having been put in to bat by Skegness, they smashed 300 runs for the loss of only five wickets, Phil Sneath hitting 96 and Tom Shorthouse and Luke Hollingworth each making half centuries.
Skegness found runs harder to come by and at the close had made only 176 for six, Carl Wilson with 59.
No play was possible at Louth who were hosting btottom side Nettleham.

SCORES
Sleaford 300-5 (Shorthouse 68, Sneath 96, Hollingworth 74no), Skegness 176-6 (Wilson 59); Boston 227-8 (Ward 80), Bourne 123-8; Grimsby 202 (Warwick 62), Woodhall Spa 186 (Stone 60); Bracebridge Heath 27-2 v Hartsholme - abandoned; Lindum 78-2 v Market Deeping – abandoned; Louth v Nettleham – abandoned, no play.

HOW THEY STAND
Team P W L Draw Ab/Can Bat Bowl Win Draw Ab/Can Total
Bracebridge Heath 9 6 0 1 2 39 34 60 9 13 155
Grimsby 9 5 3 1 0 35 32 50 7 0 124
Boston 9 4 2 3 0 27 35 40 19 0 121
Market Deeping 9 4 1 3 1 33 30 40 9 8 120
Louth 9 2 3 3 1 28 32 20 19 8 107
Skegness 9 3 3 2 1 31 26 30 10 5 102
Bourne 9 3 4 2 0 28 31 30 10 0 99
Lindum 9 3 4 1 1 20 29 30 9 8 96
Hartsholme 9 1 2 4 2 28 24 10 18 13 93
Sleaford 9 2 5 2 0 33 20 20 16 0 89
Woodhall Spa 9 2 4 3 0 27 27 20 5 0 79
Nettleham 9 0 4 3 2 19 17 0 9 13 58