BIG DATE TOMORROW EVENING

Just a reminder that the meeting aimed at re-introducing the Broughton and District Evening Cricket League will be held tomorrow (Friday) at Alkborough CC (7.30pm). Interested clubs welcome. Those who can't make it but still want to take part should email glensands13@aol.com

ACO AGM IN LINCOLN

The Lincolnshrire ACO (Association of Cricket Officials) will be holding its AGM on Sunday, October 23rd at Bracebridge Heath CC, Lincoln, commencing at 2.00pm.

A FEW IDEAS TO REVITALISE THE NORTH LINDSEY LEAGUE

By Jimmy Snee - veteran cricketer and footballer

My personal oponion is that the Sunday league needs freshening up. How, I'm not so sure. The problem to me is many clubs are stretched on a Sunday, especially with clubs which have 3-4 teams(not having a dig at anyone). Then others just play Sunday cricket, like Normanby Park, Bottesford and Upon-Cum-Kexby.
I am old school, but getting commitment from players is an absolute nightmare.
I have several suggestions and will try to get to next month's Lindsey AGM, however here's a few ideas.

Regionalised leagues, such as:
eg CLEETHORPES, CAISTOR , BARTON, GRIMSBY.

SCUNTHORPE, MESSINGHAM,APP-FROD, N PARK, BOTTESFORD.

UPTON-CUM-KEXBY, EVERTON, MISTERTON.

YOU get he idea, reduced travelling, play home and away, 20-20 format
No teas required, start 2-30, finish by 6pm - home team to provide a drink at change of innings.
Play-offs at the end of the season.

The League fix dates:
All teams play on same day.

I don't think it will discourage clubs - it may actually create more teams. Who knows?
What I can say is there seems to have been quite a few cancelled fixtures, double-headers, teams dropping out mid-season, which leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Also I think the league would benefit from taking the initiative and gain some credibility for trying something new.

BARTON TOWN'S ANNUAL MEETING

Barton Town Cricket Club will be holding its AGM in the Marsh Lane Club House on Friday 21st October, 7.30pm. All senior club members welcome.

SOUTH LINCS AND BORDER ENDS

From Bryan Smith

Final Saturday results for the 2011 season.
(One more match today, Sunday)

Division One
Belton Park 197-8 (J Moore 51), Grantham 94-9 (all out); Spalding 205-9 (S Juckes 86), Sleaford 2 206-8 (P Roberts 75)

Division Two Stamford 2nd 162, Boston 3rd 128 (P Deans 64); Stamford 2nd 152 (J Morley 64), Sleaford Sunday 153-2 (S Godby 54, D Bowden 58*).

Latest league tables can be found via these links:

Division 1
DIV ONE

Division 2
DIV TWO

Division 3
DIV THREE

GRIMSBY TOWN HAVE TOP BATSMAN AND BOWLER

By Glen Sands

Here are the North Lindsey League averages across all three divisions for 2011. The criteria for qualification is 200 runs for the batsmen and 15 wickets for the bowlers. In each case a player must have played in at least a half of the club's league matches. The information is taken from scoresheets received throughout the season. Any clubs wishing to dispute these averages should be aware that there were occasions (three, to be precise) where scoresheets were not forthcoming so any important details from those games will not have been included in these calculations. I have tried to chase these scoresheets but have had no success in locating them and I have now reached the "cut off point" and have today ordered the trophies in readiness for the AGM on Wed Oct 26th when the winners will be presented with their trophies.
With that in mind could the team for whom the winners play try to arrange for them to attend the AGM to collect their trophies or at the least have a representative there to collect on their behalf. Thanks guys

NLL DIVISION ONE BATTING AVERAGES 2011
Innings Not Out Runs Average
Harry Warwick ( Grimsby) 6 2 219 54.75
Jack Dixon ( App Frod ) 6 1 254 50.80
Danny Rands ( Messingham ) 7 0 290 41.42
Ian Snowden ( Scun Town ) 9 2 285 40.71


NLL DIVISION ONE BOWLING AVERAGES 2011
(only two qualified with enough wickets)
Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Average
Connor Hawkins ( Grimsby Town ) 59.3 11 200 17 11.76
Joe Smith ( Caistor Cougars ) 69.1 15 267 20 13.35


NLL DIVISION TWO BATTING AVERAGES 2011
Innings Not Out Runs Average
Oliver Tonks ( Haxey ) 6 2 252 63.00
Dave Kilgallon ( Alkborough ) 6 1 302 60.40
Paul Mitchell ( Alkborough ) 7 3 238 59.50
Tom Scott ( Haxey ) 6 1 269 53.80

DIVISION TWO BOWLING AVERAGES 2011
Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Average
Shaun Clark ( Broughton ) 65.5 10 205 23 8.91
Graeme Fletcher ( Outcasts ) 64 5 223 20 11.15
Paul Musslewhite ( Broughton ) 93 20 285 21 13.57
Liam McAnaney ( Outcasts ) 94.5 13 350 19 18.42

NLL DIVISION THREE BATTING AVERAGES 2011
Innings Not Out Runs Average
Richard Taylor ( Misterton ) 7 1 294 49.00
Hayden Green ( Upton / Kexby ) 7 1 265 44.16
Paul Reed ( Broughton ) 8 3 200 40.00
Andy Lawson ( Luddington ) 10 3 252 36.00

NLL DIVISION THREE BOWLING AVERAGES 2011
Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Average
Richard Taylor ( Misterton ) 47.4 12 118 20 5.9
Graham Clark ( Luddington ) 104.3 32 233 37 6.29
Kyle Kitchen ( Broughton ) 57.5 11 210 23 9.13
Tom Brock ( Broughton ) 64.5 10 192 19 10.10
Matthew Mellers ( Luddington ) 47.5 5 173 17 10.17
John Danson ( Bottesford ) 78 14 224 22 10.18
Ben Alsop (Upton / Kexby ) 58.1 12 217 18 12.05

HAXEY, SKEGNESS, NETTLEHAM, BILLINGBOROUGH UPDATE

The promotion and relegation issue between the Lincolnshire League premier divison and the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier Division, involving Haxey, Skegness, Nettleham and Billingborough moved forward a stage following a meeting held last night.
Read the full story at thisisscunny

CHAMPIONS WIN FINAL GAME

By Ann Boulton

South Lincolnshire & Border League champions Billingborough took their total of victories in 2011 to 19 when they defeated Sleaford 2nd in their final fixture of the season.
Stamford are safe in second place but Moulton Harrox could be overtaken by Spalding and Belton Park, should both win their last matches – against Sleaford 2nd and Grantham respectively - next weekend.
At the bottom of the table, Boston 2nd had an unexpected boost when Grantham conceded their match against Stamford, the resulting points deduction putting the Gorse Lane side into last place.
The only game in Division Two proved eventful for 12 year old Jack Timby of Boston 3rds who hit 31 runs and shared a fifth wicket stand of 70 with Paul Tether who made 74 in his side’s win over Ropsley.
At the top of the Division, Skegness 2nd must wait until next weekend, when Stamford 2nd have two matches, against Boston 3rd and Sleaford Sunday. Stamford need 38 points from these two games to snatch the title from the seasiders.
Blankney sealed the Division Three championship with a win over Pinchbeck, finishing on equal points with Blankney who beat Spalding 3rd but going top on the countback of victories – Blankney with 13 and Baston 12.

Div One
Lindum Ramblers 195 (Watkins 55), Belton Park 173;
Sleaford 2nd 146-9 (Tilley 5-28), Billingborough 147-4;
Spalding 228-6 (M Kearns snr 68), Moulton Harrox 64;
Woodhall Spa 2nd 192-9 (Haslam 70), Bourne 2nd 194-6 (T Bentley 59);
Grantham conceded to Stamford Town

Div TwoBoston 2nd 196-9 (Tether 74), Ropsley 126;
Sleaford Sunday 175-9, Billingborough 2nd 129 (Colyn 6-19)


Div Three
Spalding 3rd 142, Baston 143-4 (Bower 58);
Pinchbeck 116, Blankney 118-1 (Behan 53no);
Claypole 158 (Dobbie 54no, A Gilbert 5-42); Timberland 2-0 – rained off;

EVENING LEAGUE TALKING POINT

The bit to re-introduce the Broughton and District Evening League (or something similar under a different name) continues to be one of the main talking points in Scunthorpe area cricket circles at the moment.
Everywhere I go, people are asking how likely this plan is to succeed.
All we can say is: Get your club rep, or reps, down to Alkborough CC on Friday, September 30 (7.30pm) and let's see how things pan out.
Those without club portfolio who just want to go along out of interest will be very welcome. Glen Sands and myself, as the instigators, are extending an open invitation.
Alkborough CC are kindly hosting the meeting. Thanks in advance...

MORGAN HITS DOUBLE-CENTURY FOR GRIMSBY

READERS LINCOLNSHIRE ECB PREMIER LEAGUE

By Ann Boulton

Top and bottom of the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League may already be decided but a season of eventful matches and surprise results continued into the final week.
At Grimsby, Jim Morgan became the first – and only – double centurion of 2011 when he blasted 208 off 169 balls with five sixes and 21 fours. Morgan, together with Neal Snell who made 58, helped the home side to 329 for seven and Carl Taylor and Gary Tillison then joined forces to take four wickets each as Louth were bowled for 116.
At Skegness, more than 600 runs were scored for the loss of 10 wickets as the home side notched up 366 for five against Market Deeping, Wade McCall with an unbeaten 151. Deeping then replied with 236 for five.
Fahad Masood ended the season on 86 wickets, shattering the league record at Bourne who were restricted to 196 for nine by Woodhall Spa. Masood then took five for 63 as the visitors were bowled out for 136.
Matt Bradley also took five wickets for Bracebridge Heath at Lindum, the champions hitting 271 for eight before bowling their hosts out for 152.
Bourne had already claimed the runners-up spot but Boston gained sufficient points to hang on to third place despite going down to Sleaford, for whom Matthew Mountain made an unbeaten 127. Sleaford finished on 249 for eight before bowling the home side out for 194.
But the closest game of the day was at Hartsholme who ended their 50 overs on 204 for nine. Going into the final over with four runs needed and eight wickets down, Nettleham looked like claiming their sole victory of the season – but Rob Thorpe’s first two balls bowled both Nettleham’s final pair, giving Hartsholme a three run win.

YESTERDAYGrimsby 329-7 (Morgan 208, Snell 58), Louth 116;
Bourne 196-9, Woodhall Spa 136 (Masood 5-63);
Sleaford 249-8 (Mountain 127no), Boston 194 (Baxter 61);
Bracebridge Heath 271-8 (Houston 53), Lindum 152 (Robinson 50, Bradley 5-47);
Hartsholme 204-9 (Shooter 55), Nettleham 201 (Manby 63, Wright 75, Shillito 6-60);
Skegness 366-5 (Epton 75, Wilson 71, McCall 151no), Market Deeping 236-5 (Wheatley 60no);

FINAL TABLE
P W L Draw Ab/Can Bat Bowl Win Draw Ab/Can Total
Bracebridge Heath 22 13 2 3 4 84 77 130 27 29 347
Bourne 22 12 6 3 1 76 89 120 19 8 312
Boston 22 10 7 4 1 66 77 100 26 8 277
Sleaford 22 9 8 4 1 81 68 90 24 8 271
Grimsby 22 10 7 2 2 76 68 100 12 13 269
Market Deeping 22 8 5 6 3 76 65 80 14 24 259
Louth 22 8 7 4 3 65 69 80 20 24 258
Hartsholme 22 6 6 7 3 69 65 60 25 21 240
Woodhall Spa 22 6 9 6 1 68 70 60 24 8 230
Lindum 22 7 10 2 3 53 66 70 12 24 225
Skegness 22 4 10 6 2 68 53 40 38 13 212
Nettleham 22 0 15 3 4 41 43 0 9 26 119

WHO'S THE MYSTERY CRICKETER?

Broughton Cricket Club always supports Brigg Beer Festival. And last night a contingent went along for the opening night of Brigg Cider Festival. That's Robbie Glentworth on the left, Tom Brock on the right, and Neil Simpson second right. But who's that hiding behind his glass? We'll give you a clue: He isn't a former long-serving Lincolnshire Minor Counties wicketkeeper....Yet, anyway!

CHARITY CASH HANDED OVER

I've just been and paid in the £215 raised from Sunday's veterans' match at Alkborough, which has gone to support the excellent work undertaken by the Lindsey Lodge Hospice.
Thanks are again extended to all who took part, umpired or supported the match in any way.

FINAL SATURDAY OF THE SEASON

READERS LINCOLNSHIRE ECB PREMIER LEAGUE
By Ann Boulton

Bracebridge Heath go into their final game of the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League season on Saturday – a local derby at Lindum - as champions while Bourne, who take on Woodhall Spa at Abbey Lawn, are safe in second place.
But at the Mayflower Ground, Boston need to pick up five points against Sleaford to ensure they finish third and complete an excellent season in style after narrowly avoiding the relegation zone in 2010.
Things remain tight in mid-table with seventh placed Grimsby only seven points behind Louth who are fourth and are the visitors to Augusta Street. These two teams, along with Market Deeping and Sleaford, are fighting to finish in the top half of the table.
Deeping are at Skegness who, despite their 11th place, will want to go out on a high note as will bottom side Nettleham who visit Hartsholme.

Fixtures
11.30 start
Boston v Sleaford
Bourne v Woodhall Spa
Grimsby v Louth
Hartsholme v Nettleham
Lindum v Bracebridge Heath
Skegness v Market Deeping

EVENING LEAGUE FOR SCUNTHORPE AREA

Just a reminder to clubs which may have missed our first posting: Efforts are being made to re-form the Broughton and District Evening League for the 2012 season. If your club is interested, there's an open invitation to attend a meeting at Alkborough Cricket Club's West Halton Lane clubhouse on Friday, September 30 (7.30pm). So far there's been an encouraging verbal response from various club officials within North Lincolnshire.

KELSEY v HIBALDSTOW AT HOLTON-LE-MOOR

South Kelsey 2nds (above) and Hibaldstow (below) who play in division three of the Lincolnshire County Cricket League. PICTURES COURTESY PETER THOMPSON RURAL NEWS, CAISTOR.

CHARITY MATCH RAISES £215

The annual northern Lincolnshire charity cricket match raised £215 for Lindsey Lodge Hospice. It was hosted by Alkborough CC, to whom many thanks are expressed. Taking part were the Lincs Cricket Latest XI and the Ian Fletcher (Outcasts) CC Invitation XI.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE A DOZEN MORE PIX BY FOLLOWING THESE LINKS...

http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/pictures/Veterans-charity-cricket-match-Alkborough/pictures-13313422-detail/pictures.html


http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/Veterans-ball-Hospice/story-13313374-detail/story.html


HERE ARE A FEW MORE THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE INITIAL SELECTION

John Danson, left, and Steve Skipworth leaving the field at the end of the Lincs Cricket Latest XI innings.


Left to right: Dave Willey, Andy "Chippy" Clay and Rich Kirman.

The teams and umpires before the start. Picture kindly taken by Jo, Andy Clay's better half, as they wanted "yours truly" to be on the line-up, as he'd brought some new whites specially for the occasion!


Mark Nicholson seems to be adopting a laid-back approach!


Lincs Cricket Latest openers Steve Skipworth and Andy Sharp.


John Danson, right, was a bit late arriving, but did well with bat and ball. Left is Dave Willey; centre, Col Mumby.


Scorecard courtesy of match scorer Glen Sands.


LINCS CRICKET LATEST
A Sharp c G Dixon b A Clay 18
S Skipworth not out 51
E Chappell c M Nicholson b I Fletcher 2
C Mumby b I Fletcher 2
S Milner c G Dixon b A Clay 2
M Smith c I Fletcher b A Clay 0
M Ibrahim c ____ b A Clay 0
D Willey c M Nicholson b A Clay 0
J Danson b G Dixon 29
N Fisher c G Dixon b K Buttrick 0
Extras 3
Total (all out) 107

Fall of wickets: 28, 31, 39, 44, 44, 45, 47, 102, 107.

Bowling: R Kirman 4-1-7-0, G Dixon 4-1-19-1, I Fletcher 5-1-12-2, A Clay 5-0-13-5, S Kirman 5-0-28-0, K Buttrick 5-0-27-1.

IAN FLETCHER'S XI
M Nicholson c E Chappell b M Ibrahim 33
J Taylor b J Danson 2
S Kirman not out 38
K Buttrick not out 23
Extras 12
Total (2 wkts) 109

Fall of wickets: 19, 46.

Bowling: M Smith 5-0-28-0, J Danson 5-1-8-1, M Ibrahim 5-0-21-1, C Mumby 2-0-10-0, D Willey 4-0-25-0, N Fisher 1.1-0-9-0.

GRIMSBY FINISH IN STYLE

NORTH LINDSEY LEAGUE By Glen Sands

DIVISION ONE
Grimsby Town 3rds finished their Championship winning season in style when they beat Scunthorpe 4ths by nine wickets in a game switched to Augusta Street. C McGregor top scored for Scunthorpe who were bowled out for 119 , Ian Snowden hitting 23 and Bansal 21 by way of assisstance but they were never in the hunt as Harry Warwick picked up 4 for 35 and Connor Hawkins 3 for 2 before that man Warwick blasted a spectacular 88 not out to ease Grimsby to 120 for 1 in just 13.5 overs.
The other scheduled game in the First Division saw Cleethorpes 5ths having to cancel their scheduled double header at Appleby Frodingham 3rds as they had a Lincs League match and a rearranged Cup Final to play which stretched their resources beyond capasity. It leaves them bottom of the table but club spokesman assures us they will move heaven and earth to fulfill their final fixture against Messingham 3rds on Sunday September 18th.

DIVISION TWO
Broughton 3rds finished their season in second place following their five wicket victory over Alkborough 3rds who were bowled out of just short of three figures before Broughton inced to a narrow win whilst the Hibaldstow 2nds v Haxey 2nds was ruled to be a 1 point each share following a league ruling requirement.

DIVISION THREE
Normanby Park enjoyed thier last match of the 2011 season when they won a thriller at Everton 3rds therefore completing their second on field win of the year. Steve Johnson top scored for Everton with 48 in a totalof 153 all out , Richard Chambers and Glen Cruickshank adding 20 each whilst Blockley picked up 4 for 39 and Mark Knapton 3 for 9 for Normanby and young Blockley starred with the bat as well , hitting 46 along with ex Alkborough stalwart Paul Cowling who made 45 at the top of the innings , Glen Cruickshank ( 3 for 25 ) and Sean Leach 3 for 38 ) proving to be Everton's most successful bowlers.

DIVISION ONE
PLAYED WON LOST NO RES TIED TOTAL
1. GRIMSBY TOWN 3RDS 12 8 1 2 1 28
2. CAISTOR COUGARS 12 6 2 3 1 23
3. APP FRODINGHAM 3RDS 12 6 3 3 0 20
4. SCUNTHORPE 4THS 12 4 6 2 0 14
5. MESSINGHAM 3RDS 11 4 7 0 0 11
6. BARTON ACADAMY VIKINGS 12 4 7 1 0 11
7. CLEETHORPES 5THS 11 2 8 1 0 4

DIVISION TWO
1. OUTCASTS 3RDS 10 7 2 1 0 22
2. BROUGHTON 3RDS 10 6 4 0 0 18
3. ALKBOROUGH 3RDS 10 5 4 1 0 16
4. HAXEY 3RDS 10 3 5 2 0 11
5. BARTON TOWN 4THS 10 3 6 1 0 10
6. HIBALDSTOW 2NDS 10 3 6 1 0 10


DIVISION THREE
1. MISTERTON 2NDS 12 8 2 2 0 26
2. BROUGHTON 4THS 12 7 3 2 0 23
3. LUDDINGTON 12 6 3 3 0 21
4. EVERTON 3RDS 12 6 6 0 0 17
5. UPTON cum KEXBY 12 5 6 1 0 15
6. NORMANBY PARK 12 3 7 2 0 11
7. BOTTESFORD 12 1 9 2 0 5

URGENT HELP REQUIRED

Grimsby team Stamford Homes are due to host Cleethorpes 3rds in Lincs League division two this coming Sunday, but the ground is now being used for football.
So Mick Hanson is asking whether another Lincs League club might come to the rescue by lending their ground for this fixture.
If you can help, please ring Mick without delay on 07846 686432.

SOUTH LINCS CHAMPIONS

By Ann Boulton

Billingborough clinched the South Lincolnshire & Border League championship with a slender 12 run victory over Stamford who picked up sufficient points to guarantee they finish runners-up.
Dan Duke hit 99 for the leaders who made 247 for eight, only to see Stamford reach 235 before the final wicket fell, Andrew Hulme with 76 and Steve Scott taking six wickets for Billingborough.
At the bottom of the table Boston 2nd gained a welcome victory over Woodhall Spa 2nd but can’t now escape last place after Bourne also won, beating Sleaford 2nd by just one run. Bourne hit 174 only to see their opponents’ innings come to a close on 173 for nine.
And at Grantham, Lee Eyett hit is maiden century for Spalding – and the league’s one ton of the day - finishing with 108 to help his side to victory.
Division Two is set to go right to the wire after leaders Skegness and challengers Stamford 2nd both picked up 20 points, Richie Hewitt enjoying a good day for the seasiders with 55 runs and four wickets.
Cavaliers ended one of their best seasons in the league in third place after overcoming Ropsley, but it was 14 year old bowler Josh Lord who stole the show, taking five Cavaliers wickets for 41 runs.
David Curran’s six for 10 for Welby in their victory over Heckington ensure that Welby finished the season in fourth,
Division Three remains neck and neck, leaders Blankney and second placed Baston both picking up 20 points against Burgh & District and Pinchbeck respectively and a severely depleted Moulton Harrox Sunday team also getting the maximum against Claypole.
While the top two still have a game to play, Moulton have completed their programme and have to settle for third place.
Spalding 3rd consolidated fourth place despite losing to Timberland for whom Andy Lowe took four wickets for just one run off 25 balls.


Division One
Boston 2nd 184 (Epton 57), Woodhall Spa 2nd 125-8;
Bourne 2nd 174 (Rickett 5-26), Sleaford 2nd 173-9 (Harrop 65);
Market Deeping 2nd 150-8 (Hyman 52no), Lindum Ramblers 152-6 (Taylor 74no);
Belton Park 93 (Richardson 56no, M Barnett 5-34), Moulton Harrox 95-1 (J Barnett 55no);
Spalding 215-8 (Eyett 108), Grantham 106;
Billingborough 247-8 (Duke 99), Stamford 235 (Hulme 76, Scott 6-49);

Division Two
Thomas Cook 132, Stamford 2nd 134-2 (Flynn 66no);
Heckington 112 (Curran 6-10), Welby 116-4;
Cavaliers 182 (Lord 5-41), Ropsley 89;
Skegness 2nd 216-9 (Hewitt 55), Billingborough 2nd 53;

Division Three
Spalding 3rd 100,Timberland 101-5;
Burgh 46 (N Gilbert 5-17, Evans 5-25), Blankney 48-0;
Pinchbeck 72 (Lamin 6-10), Baston 73-3;
Claypole 227 (Sullivan 58), Moulton Harrox Sunday 228-5 (Broomfield 79);

MID-TABLE FINISH FOR ISLE MEN

By Glen Sands
Outcasts' Lincs League division one season came to a disappointing end yesterday when they let Appleby-Frodingham 2nds off the hook on two seperate occasions in their final match of the summer at Brumby Hall.
Skipper Russell Fletcher invited Frod to bat first on winning the toss and that decision appeared to be a good one as the Steelmen slipped to 33 for 4 after fifteen overs. Simon Wild was first go , caught high above his head by his old Belton team mate Andy Torr off Jonathan Wroot for just two then Liam McAnaney bowled Mick Bamley without troubling the scorers to make it 23 for 2. Rob Day had reached 23 himself when he became the third man out , being caught and bowled by McAnaney and Wroot then bowled Ben Taylor for nought and the Priorymen were well on top. Veteran batsman John Taylor and David Pickersgill then put together a terrific partnership , taking the score to 111 , albeit with a few scares , before Taylor was caught by Graham Clark off Jason Whiteley for an important 33. That brought skipper Vinny Grimes to the crease and along with the improving Pickersgill they proceded to puh the score up to a more than acceptable 183 for 6 , Pickersgill finally getting out bowled by McAnaney for 62 whilst Grimes finished with a run a ball 40 nott out , leaving Outcasts feeling that they had let their opponents off the hook.
If they were to chase down the Frod score it was essential that Outcasts made a good start and that is exactly what happened as Richard Wroot and Andy Lawson put on 47 for the first wicket in just six overs ! Wroot was first to go , bowled by Ben Bramley for 15 , then came the vital break for Frod when Lawson was well stumped by Ben Taylor off the wiley John Taylor for 37 with the total on 56. From that moment on runs became far more difficult to come by , particularly off the slow bowling of Taylor although it was David Pickersgill who picked up the third wicket when he had Scott Buttrick caught by a diving Mick Bramley for seven with the overall score on 72. Andy Torr was trapped LBW by Taylor for nine and Darren Clark then guided a catch to Simon Wild off Pickersgill for 11 which saw the Isle side slip to 90 for 5. Skipper Russell Fletcher was bowled by Taylor who was by now posing all the problems to Outcasts and despite a stand of 31 between Graham Clark and David Hobson they continued to fall behind the necessary scoring rate. Clark became Taylor's fourth victim when he was bowled for 29 then three further staright deliveries brought the game to an end as he had both Jason Whiteley and Liam McAnaney LBW for four each and Jonathan Wroot was last to go , bowled for two leaving Hobson unbeaten on 16 not out. Taylor finished the innings with tremendous figures of 7 for 26 from 16.1 overs , his best figures for many a long time.
So another season ends with Outcasts having flattered to deceive although this season has seen them looking to threaten the top of the table rather than worrying about the threat of relegation. The early season promise faded but there were some bright spots with Andy Lawson showing some excellent form in May and June whilst Scott Buttrick showed great promise with some good batting displays. Unfortunately they were unable to maintain their good form and ultimately will be a little disappointed to end the season in mid-table once again.

VETERANS, JUST TURN UP TODAY

Today (Sunday) sees the annual charity match for over-50s at Alkborough CC (2.30pm). If you qualify and fancy a game, just turn up at the West Halton Lane ground and report to myself or Ian Fletcher, the respective team captains. We are both still looking for additional players, as a number have been forced to cry off in the last day or two.
Spectators also welcome.

BRACEBRIDGE REGAIN TITLE

By Ann Boulton

Bracebridge regained the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League title with a victory over last year’s champions Bourne who had to settle for second place at the end of a hard-fought campaign.
But Fahad Masood ensured that the leaders didn’t have things all their own way as, after coasting to 188 for two in the 38th over, Bracebridge lost three wickets to the Pakistan bowler in the 39th and two more in the 41st.
Masood finished with seven wickets – taking his total for the season to 81 - as the home side slumped to 202 all out then went on to score 76 runs but could not keep his team in the hunt for the title as excellent fielding and catching from Bracebridge and five wickets for Ashley Schultz saw Bourne bowled out for 148.
At the bottom of the table, Nettleham came within 11 tantalising runs of their coveted first win of the season as they chased Market Deeping’s 252 for seven. Dan Wright hit 85 as the visitors were finally bowled out for 241.
Skegness lost their battle to avoid finishing in the relegation zone after Louth made the day’s highest score of 290 for seven at London Road. Brothers Graham and Stewart West each made a half-century and Matt Crowther finished unbeaten on 97. Stewart West then went on to take five wickets as the seasiders were bowled out for 186.
Nettleham and Skegness must now wait until the league meeting on September 21 when promotion and relegation issues will be decided.
The other two contenders for 11th place made themselves safe with 20 point wins. Nathan Poundall scored the day’s only century with 110 to take Hartsholme to 225 for six before Lindum were bowled out for 129. But Woodhall Spa faced a much harder task as they overcame third placed Boston by just one wicket.
And in mid-table, Sleaford’s winning run came to an end at London Road as George Linde took seven wickets to restrict the home side to 195. Jim Morgan then hit 97 in Grimsby’s four wicket win.

Results
Bracebridge Heath 202 (Houston 77, Cook 70, Masood 7-58), Bourne 148 (Masood 76, Schultz 5-72)
Hartsholme 225-6 (Poundall 110), Lindum 129;
Louth 290-7 (S West 56, G West 59, Crowther 97no), Skegness 186 (S West 5-73);
Market Deeping 252-7 (Gillett 63, McDougall 57no), Nettleham 241 (Wright 85);
Sleaford 195 (Shorthouse 58, Linde 7-43), Grimsby 199-6 (Morgan 97);
Boston 163, Woodhall Spa 164-9;

Team P W L Draw Ab/Can Bat Bowl Win Draw Ab/Can Total
Bracebridge Heath 21 12 2 3 4 79 72 112 27 29 319
Bourne 21 11 6 3 1 73 84 110 19 8 294
Boston 21 10 6 4 1 63 74 100 26 8 271
Louth 21 8 6 4 3 65 66 80 20 24 255
Market Deeping 21 8 5 5 3 71 63 80 13 24 251
Sleaford 21 8 8 4 1 76 63 80 24 8 251
Grimsby 21 9 7 2 2 70 63 90 12 13 248
Woodhall Spa 21 6 8 6 1 67 66 60 24 8 225
Hartsholme 21 5 6 7 3 65 60 50 25 21 221
Lindum 21 7 9 2 3 51 63 70 12 24 220
Skegness 21 4 10 5 2 63 51 40 29 13 196
Nettleham 21 0 14 3 4 37 39 0 9 26 111

TOWN'S TON-UP YOUNGSTER

Picture and report from Del Crabb, Scunthorpe Town CC

I just wondered if anyone had spoken to you about Dylan Hopkins scoring his maiden senior century on Saturday for our 3rd XI? It’s his first season in senior cricket and I thought it might be worthy of mention in dispatches.

CHAMPIONSHIP MAY BE DECIDED ON SATURDAY

By Ann Boulton

Cross O’Cliff Court hosts the biggest game of the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League season on Saturday when Bracebridge Heath take on Bourne in the fixture that could decide the championship.
The home side lead their opponents by 20 points and victory would ensure that they regain the title currently held by Bourne. But should the visitors win, the championship will go right to the wire.
Things are equally tight at the bottom of the table with Skegness, Hartsholme and Woodhall Spa all still in danger of slipping into the second relegation slot above bottom side Nettleham.
Skegness travel to sixth placed Louth who are now without Nuwan Shiroman but will still be formidable opponents for Wade McCall’s side while Hartsholme entertain Lindum who are two places and 16 points above their hosts.
At Jubilee Park, Woodhall Spa take on Boston who have lost the chance to finish second and need 22 points from their final two games to hang on to third place.
Threatening them are Sleaford who are at home to Grimsby who have slipped to seventh but are only seven points off fifth place.
Nettleham travel to Market Deeping who are just three ahead of Grimsby, while the bottom side will be keen to sign off with a couple of victories, having recently shown marked improvement in their batting.
Matches start at 11.30am for the final two weeks of the season.

Fixtures
Bracebridge Heath v Bourne
Hartsholme v Lindum
Louth v Skegness
Market Deeping v Nettleham
Sleaford v Grimsby
Woodhall Spa v Boston

CHARITY MATCH NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

We are still looking for more 50-plus players to turn out in the annual northern Lincolnshire charity match on Sunday (Sept 11) at Alkborough CC (2.30pm start). As always, Ian Fletcher (Outcasts) will be organising one side and Lincs Cricket Latest will be providing the other. So if you have reached five score years and want the kudos of representing this website, drop me an email to scoopfisher@aol.com

CAPTAIN HAS CUNNING PLAN

MARKET RASEN 2nds SKIPPER ANDY RICHLEY, WHOSE SIDE ARE CAUGHT UP IN AN EXCITING PROMOTION BATTLE WITH OTHER TEAMS, PENS HIS THOUGHTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF LINCS CRICKET LATEST. WE THINK HE'S KICKING OFF WITH A BLACKADDER-TYPE REFERENCE. IN WHICH CASE, ANDY CLEARLY HAS A CUNNING PLAN ...

Lincs League 4 is tighter than a very tight thing that’s just been tightened!
With the final two weeks of the Lincolnshire League season approaching there are a number of enthralling situations throughout the five divisions, from Haxey and Barton vying for the Premier Division Crown through to Hykeham 2nds and Keelby 2nds fighting to avoid ending up in a re-election spot.
From my own perspective, the race for second place in Division Four is the tightest and, potentially, most enthralling of all of the contests still in play.
The current state of play is as follows:

Team Games Points
Broughton 2s 16 249
HLC 2s 15 185
Rasen 2s 15 176
Alford 2s 14 171

Dave Jones’ men from the ‘rec’ are deserved Champions of the division and have been a class apart for the entire season, however, only 14 points separate the next three teams and, at the time of writing, any one of these sides could claim second place and promotion to Divison Three.
Simply by the maxim of having points in the bag, Holton le Clay must go into the weekend as the favourites in this battle. Their three-pronged attack of Reece Brant (28 wickets at 15), Tom Latimer (23 wickets at 19) and Luke Ford (17 wickets at 21) has bowled consistently well all season, and with a combined economy rate of 3.50 an over for the 340+ overs the trio have sent down, sides have found it hard to dominate against them.
With the bat, Reece Brant has been HLC’s mainstay, knocking three fifties and a ton whilst accumulating 530 runs at an average of 48, to comfortably head the divisional batting averages. However, only one other player has passed 200 runs; Gary Nicholls (255 runs at 20) and HLC have missed Danny Barker since his promotion to the firsts.
Holton le Clay’s final game is at Rase Park against a Market Rasen 2nds side that have enjoyed a roller-coaster of a season and also find themselves challenging for promotion on the back of a three-pronged bowling attack. Dan Norburn (26 wickets at 14) and James Fussey (20 wickets at 16) have rarely wasted the new ball this season and they’ve paved the way for Andy Richley to bag a few wickets in support. As with HLC’s bowlers, the trio have sent down more than 300 overs at less than 3.50 an over, with 14 year old James Fussey particularly impressive in his first season in the Lincolnshire League.
Rasen’s batting has been more hit and miss, with Ivan Nash (382 runs at 42) reliable, but not scoring the weight of runs he will have expected to after his opening day unbeaten 126. Richley is the only other player to have passed 200 runs so far this season for the side as inconsistency in availability and, more importantly, application whilst at the crease has led to a number of batting collapses.
Saturday at Rase Park promises to be an enthralling encounter and spectators can certainly expect to see some quality bowling on display. At this point it would seem that the result will depend on how each side’s batsmen cope with the pressure of the occasion and there seems little to divide the sides on paper.
Away from Rase Park, Alford 2nds will be making the long trek to Hykeham 2nds, knowing that their fate is in their own hands. The side from Train Fen Holt are currently masters of their own destiny and need 35 points from their last two matches to be certain of promotion. With their final game at home against Caistor Town 3rds, it appears, at least on paper, that Alford will need to slip up this weekend in order to keep Holton and Rasen interested.
At this point readers may be sensing a certain case of deja vu, as Alford 2nds’ success in 2011 has depended on a trio of bowlers. Even more surprisingly, they comprise two seamers and a spinner. Alford ‘skipper Aaron Wilkinson (26 wickets at 17) and Sam Czornyj (25 wickets at 12) have both bowled with pace and direction this season, with Czornyj combining his wicket-taking ability with remarkable parsimony, going for only 2.74 an over. They’ve been backed up by veteran tweaker Paul Nickson (25 wickets at 11), who has rolled up a number of sides this season with his bag of tricks.
Alford’s similarity to HLC and Rasen ends there, however, as none of the men from the marsh have passed 200 runs in the league so far this season, although Tom Stephenson, Kevin White and Dave Honman are all averaging in the high 20s. Alford have instead relied on some Lazurus-like displays in the field in defending small totals and also benefit from being a slightly more experienced side than their two rival outfits.
The final twist in the tale is that Hykeham 2nds, who Alford visit this weekend, are fighting to avoid re-election and can ill-afford to lose. However, matters are further complicated by the fact that both Hykeham 1sts and Holton le Clay 1sts are fighting to avoid relegation from Division One and both play this Saturday, making selection for both clubs even more entertaining.
Whatever happens, the league’s basement division has delivered an enthralling contest in 2011 that has gone down to the wire and whilst I obviously hope Rasen come out on top, I can only wish all three teams the best of luck and that the weather stays fine for another couple of Saturdays.

NORTH LINDSEY LEAGUE TABLES

DIVISION ONE
PLAYED WON LOST NO RES TIED TOTAL
1. GRIMSBY TOWN 3RDS 11 7 1 2 1 25
2. CAISTOR COUGARS 12 6 2 3 1 23
3. APP FRODINGHAM 3RDS 10 4 3 3 0 14
4. SCUNTHORPE 4THS 11 4 5 2 0 14
5. MESSINGHAM 3RDS 11 4 7 0 0 11
6. BARTON ACADAMY VIKINGS 12 4 7 1 0 11
7. CLEETHORPES 5THS 9 2 6 1 0 6

DIVISION TWO
1. OUTCASTS 3RDS 10 7 2 1 0 22
2. ALKBOROUGH 3RDS 9 5 3 1 0 16
3. BROUGHTON 3RDS 9 5 4 0 0 15
4. HAXEY 3RDS 9 3 5 1 0 10
5. BARTON TOWN 4THS 10 3 6 1 0 10
6. HIBALDSTOW 2NDS 9 3 6 0 0 9
WHEATLEY & LEVERTON RESULTS EXPUNGED AS THEY HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM LEAGUE

DIVISION THREE
1. MISTERTON 2NDS 12 8 2 2 0 26
2. BROUGHTON 4THS 12 7 3 2 0 23
3. LUDDINGTON 12 6 3 3 0 21
4. EVERTON 3RDS 11 6 5 0 0 17
5. UPTON cum KEXBY 12 5 6 1 0 15
6. NORMANBY PARK 11 2 7 2 0 8
7. BOTTESFORD 12 1 9 2 0 5


DIVISION ONE
CLEETHORPES 5THS DEDUCTED 1 PT FOR NON FULFILLMENT OF FIXTURE
BARTON ACADAMY VIKINGS DEDUCTED TWO POINTS FOR NON FILFILLMENT OF FIXTURES ON TWO OCCASIONS
MESSINGHAM 3RDS DEDUCTED 1 PT FOR NON FULFILLMENT OF FIXTURE
APP FRODINGHAM 3RDS DEDUCTED 1 PT FOR NON FULFILLMENT OF FIXTURE

DIVISION TWO
BARTON TOWN 4THS DEDUCTED 1 PT FOR NON FULFILLMENT OF FIXTURE
WHEATLEY & LEVERTON DEDUCTED 1 PT FOR NON FULFILLMENT OF FIXTURE

DIVISION THREE
ISLEONIANS RECORD EXPUNGED AS THEY WITHDREW FROM LEAGUE
UPTON cum KEXBY DEDUCTED 1 PT FOT NON FULFILLMENT OF FIXTURE
EVERTON 3RDS DEDUCTED 1 PT FOR NON FILMENT OF FIXTURE
BOTTESFORD DEDUCTED 1 PT FOR NON FULFILLMENT OF FIXTURE

OUTASTS DEFEATED IN PENULTIMATE GAME

By Glen Sands

Outcasts suffered a five wicket defeat against promotion chasing Broughton in Lincs League division one on Saturday, and once again it was their inability to set a stern enough target that let them down.
They took first knock on the excellent Broughton strip and set off at a reasonable pace except that they kept losing wickets which eventually proved to be their downfall. Paul Clark picked up a wicket in the very first over when having David Hobson caught behind by Nick Dobbs then Peter Taylor reduced the Isle side to 11 for 2 when he bowled Scott Buttrick for six. Stand in skipper Andy Torr batted well , opening the innings and seeing them through the early overs but no one was sticking around with him at the other end. Graham Clark was out caught and bowled by Taylor for five and Andy Lawson quickly followed when he was caught behind for just four to earn Taylor his third wicket leaving Outcasts on 48 for 4. Torr had reached 33 when he became the fifth man out , bowled by a terrific delivery from the impressive Taylor and when Charlie Mason was bowled by an equally super delivery from Clark Outcasts had slipped to 66 for 6 and were struggling. Jason Whiteley joined Peter Tait at the crease and the pair of them put together an excellent counter attack with some sensible batting , taking the score past three figures. Whiteley had made 20 when he was well caught by Steve Johnstone off Clark with the total on 106 then Tait was out for 33 , caught by Jake Parker , again off Clark leaving the visitors on 119 for 8. Tom Sharpe was stumped by Dobbs off Paul Reed without scoring but Matthew Teal and Andy Colebrook added a further 24 runs for the last wicket before Teal was caught by Mark Wilson off Taylor for an excellent 27 earning Taylor figures of 5 for 38 and at the same time giving Broughton an extra eight overs n which to chase down their target.
Their response saw them get off to a cracking start as Neil Simpson in particular was merciless on anything loose. He and Steve Johnstone put on fifty for the first wicket after only twelve overs then Johnstone was caught by Peter Tait off Jason Whiteley for eleven then Nick Dobbs was superbly caught at slip by Andy Lawson off Matthew Teal for eight with the total on 63. Whiteley and Teal then really tightened things up , Whiteley trapping Simpson LBW for 42 when the score stood at 65 and when Jake Parker was caught behind by Andy Colebrook off Tom Sharpe Broughton were on 79 for 4 and tottering. However they knew they had those extra overs to fall back on and slowly Paul Clark and Paul Reed steadied the ship with some sensible batting. Whiteley continued to keep things very tight but they just could'nt prize out that vital fifth wicket. Clark made 43 not out whilst Reed had helped to draw the scores level with 28 when he was caught at slip by Tait off Whiteley and it was left to Shaun Clark to hi the winning run in what was the first of those extra overs , ensuring his team maintained their position in second place and keeping them in pole position for promotion abck to the Premier Division.
So Outcasts have just one game remaining, away at Appleby Frodingham 2nds, which if they can win will see them finish in the top half of the table for the first time in several years but it is by no means a certainty as Frod themselves will be looking to pick up the points to ensure their safety at the wrong end of the table. It promises to be a terrific match to end the season.

TROPHIES FOR HAXEY, GRIMSBY TOWN AND EVERTON

By Glen Sands

There were two North Lindsey League cup final yesterday following the rain that had seen the NLL Division Two Final cancelled on August 28th and for a while it looked as if the weather was going to play its part once more with both Finals being delayed and eventually being reduced to 30 overs per side before being played to completion.

DIVISION TWO KO CUP FINAL @ Barton
Haxey lifted the Second Division KO Cup when beating Broughton at Barton by 75 runs and it was their skipper Oliver Tonks and opening partner Mark Metcalf who set up their victory by putting on 120 for the first wicket. Tonks made 73 and Metcalf 62 with Paul Musslewhite picking up 3 for 42 as the Isle side reached an impressive 197 for 7 from their allotted overs then Musslewhite top scored for Broughton who replied with an all out total of 122 , Joe Scott taking a very creditable 5 for 35 to help his side to a convincing win. Special mention should go to umpires Mick Walker and Paul Goodhand for ensuring the game was played in trying conditions.

DIVISION THREE KO CUP FINAL @ Alkborough
The Third Division KO Cup Final was an all Gainsborough village affair with players from both Everton and Upton cum Kexby showing a healthy respect for each other throughout the match. Upton cum Kexby were invited to bat first and in tricky conditions they made 121 for 7 thanks chiefly to Shaun Metcalf who batted right through the nnings for 48 not out with Hayden Green hitting 31 in the middle order , Tom Gibson taking 3 for 25 for Everton who then went on to win the game with three overs to spare , reaching 125 for 6 , Ed Campbell hitting 33 and Bobby Johnson 29 to see Everton home at Alkborough. Umpires Keith Barnes and Will McVey are to be congratulted for their role in what was a well fought match.

DIVISION ONE
Grimsby Town 3rds are the 2011 Champions following their eight wicket victory over Barton Acadamy Vikings whilst nearest rivals Caistor Cougars saw their game with Scunthorpe 4ths abandoned due to aheavy rain shower. The Vikings set a target of 147 for 5 at Augusta Street with Reece Ogle top scoring on 44 not out but Harry Warwick hit 44 and Mike Hinchcliffe 43 not out to guide Grimsby to 149 for 2 and therefore earning them the title. Scunthorpe had reached 120 for 5 at Caistor when the weather forced the players off whilst in the one other Division One game Appleby Frodingham hit 263 for 5 at Messingham with 73 from Matty Fowler and 73 not out from Kieran Watson then Danny Rands top scored for Messingham with 52 to add to his bowling figures of 3 for 32 as the home side were bowled out for 135 , Sebastian taking 4 for 18 for the Steelmen.

DIVISION TWO KO CUP FINAL @ BartonBROUGHTON 3RDS v HAXEY 3RDS
Haxey : 197 for 7 ( O Tonks 73 ; M Metcalf 62 ) P Musslewhite 3 for 42
Broughton : 122 all out ( P Musslewhite 23 ) J Scott 5 for 35
RESULT : Haxey 3rds win by 75 runs

DIVISION THREE KO CUP FINAL @ Alkborough
EVERTON 3RDS v UPTON cum KEXBY
Upton : 121 for 7 ( S Metcalf 48 no : H Green 31 ) T Gibson 3 for 25
Everton : 125 for 6 ( E Campbell 33 : B Johnson 29 )
RESULT : Everton 3rds win by 4 wickets

DIVISION ONE
CAISTOR COUGARS v SCUNTHORPE 4THS - Abandoned due to rain
Scunthorpe : 120 for 5

RESULT : Caistor Cougars 1 pt Scunthorpe 4ths 1 pt

GRIMSBY TOWN 3RDS v BARTON ACADAMY VIKINGS
Vikings : 147 for 5 ( R Ogle 44 no )
Grimsby : 149 for 2 ( H Warwick 44 : M Hinchcliffe 43 no )
RESULT : Grimsby Town 3rds win by 8 wickets

MESSINGHAM 3RDS v APP FRODINGHAM 3RDS
App Frod : 263 for 8 ( K Watson 73 no : M Fowler 73 ) D Rands 3 for 32
Messingham : 135 all out ( D Rands 52 ) A Sebastian 4 for 18
RESULT : App Frodingham 3rds win by 128 runs

Fixtures
Sun Sept 11th
DIVISION ONE
App Frodingham 3rds v Cleethorpes 5ths ( double header )
Scunthorpe 4ths v Grimsby Town 3rds ( @ Grimsby )

DIVISION TWO
Hibaldstow 2nds v Haxey 3rds ( to be confirmed )

DIVISION THREE
Normanby Park v Everton 3rds ( @ Everton )

CELEBRATIONS ON HOLD

By Ann Boulton

Billingborough’s championship celebrations were put on hold after the South Lincolnshire & Border League Division One leaders went down to Spalding in a low scoring game in which Jamie Juckes and Ansar Hussain each took five wickets.
Having been bowled out for 124, Spalding’s bowlers fought back to dismiss the top team for 110, Hussain with five for 12.
However, Billingborough still lead Stamford by 32 points with two games to go after the second placed side hit a massive 294 for seven, Chris Bore and Andrew Hulme both making centuries, but were unable to bowl Woodhall Spa 2nd out to take maximum points, the Jubilee Park side making 233 for seven.
Boston 2nd slipped to bottom place in the table after going down to Bourne while Market Deeping increased their changes of avoiding relegation with a win over Grantham.
Simon Godby was the pick of the Division One bowling with six for 36 in Sleaford 2nd’s victory over Belton Park.
Skegness 2nd saw their lead over Stamford 2nd at the top of Division Two cut to seven points after going down to Spalding 2nd by just two wickets. And Welby stay fourth after beating Billingborough 2nd in a game that saw a century on either side.
The weather intervened to rain off Division Three leaders Moulton Harrox Sunday’s game against Pinchbeck, blowing the top of the table wide open. Blankney beat North Luffenham to go second on equal points with Baston who overcame Burgh & District. These two are only two points behind Moulton and both have a game in hand on the top team.
Kevin Jacques hit the only ton in this division, making an unbeaten 116 for Claypole in their victory over Grantham 2nd.

Division One
Sleaford 2nd 223-5 (B Burrows 50), Belton Park 204-9 (Godby 6-36);
Lindum Ramblers 170, Moulton Harrox 173-7;
Grantham 99, Market Deeping 103-1 (N Andrews 50no);
Stamford Town 294-7 (Bore 100, Hulme 118no), Woodhall Spa 2nd 233-7 (McCarrick 75);
Bourne 2nd 198-9, Boston 2nd 158 (Epton 54);
Spalding 124, Billingborough 110 (J Juckes 5-63, Hussain 5-12);

Division Two
Billingborough 2nd 175-3 (Stanley 110no), Welby 176-4 (M Whatton 105no);
Ropsley 130-8, Thomas Cook 95;
Skegness 2nd 152-8 (Hewitt 70), Spalding 2nd 153-8 (Dale 52);
Sleaford Sunday 62-3 v Cavaliers – abandoned after 17 overs
Heckington conceded to Stamford 2nd

Division Three
Claypole 245-7 (K Jaques 116no), Grantham 2nd 186-8 (Stephenson 52);
Burgh & District 47, Baston 48-1;
North Luffenham 198-4 (Hodson 93, Head 50), Blankney 200-5 (Behan 93, Butcher 3-11 – hat trick);
Timberland 83-8, Blankney 84-3;
Moulton Harrox Sunday 73-2 v Pinchbeck – abandoned after 16 overs

GRIMSBY AND WOODHALL 253 APIECE

READERS LINCOLNSHIRE ECB PREMIER LEAGUE YESTERDAY

By Ann Boulton
Two records were broken – most wickets and most catches in a season – in an eventful weekend in the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League.
Market Deeping skipper David Gillett took three catches in the match at Lindum to break his own record of 17 for the season, while Fahad Masood took seven wickets at Boston to smash the record of 67 set by Kristian Adams in 2003.
And at Augusta Street, more than 500 runs were scored in one of the best games of the season – and at the close, Grimsby and Woodhall Spa were locked together in a hard fought tie.
Woodhall made 253 for eight, with Fawad Alam contributing 86 and skipper Jack Luffman an unbeaten 60. The Grimsby innings followed the same pattern with captain Richard Antcliffe making 53 and South African George Linde 77 and at the close the home side had reached 253 for nine collecting 13 points to their opponents’ 14.
This pushed Woodhall up another place in the table above Hartsholme who went down heavily to leaders Bracebridge Heath, being bowled out for 89 after the home side had made 286 for seven. Vikram Atri hit 72 to take his total runs for the season to 892.
At the Mayflower Ground, Fahad Masood blew Boston away with figures of seven for 43 as Bourne consolidated their second position. Boston were bowled out for 92, a total the visitors overtook for the loss of four wickets.
Sleaford stay fourth after Tom Shorthouse and Prabodha Senevirathne both hit centuries at Skegness who were left chasing 274 for three but were bowled out for 210, Wade McCall amking 64.
At St Giles Avenue, Lindum had victory in their sights despite being bowled out for a modest 173. With nine wickets down, Market Deeping still needed 38 for victory but bowler Ali Sharpe showed his batting skills to take his side to a one wicket victory, ending 41 not out.
Nuwan Shiroman, who returns to Sri Lanka this week, ended his season with an unbeaten 146 at Nettleham and Graham West hit 102 as Louth notched up the highest score of the day of 312 for four before bowling the home side out for 189.





Boston 92 (Masood 7-43), Bourne 93-4; Bracebridge Heath 286-7 (Atri 72, Houston 52, Cook 75), Hartsholme 89; Louth 312-4 (Shiroman 146no, G West 102), Nettleham 189 (Wright 66); Sleaford 274-3 (Shorthouse 101, Senevirathne 102no), Skegness 210 (McCall 64); Woodhall Spa 253-8 (Alam 86, Luffman 60no), Grimsby 253-9 (Antcliffe 53, Linde 77); Lindum 173, Market Deeping 176-9.

HOW THEY STAND
Team P W L Draw Ab/Can Bat Bowl Win Draw Ab/Can Total
Bracebridge Heath 20 11 2 3 4 75 67 110 27 29 308
Bourne 20 11 5 3 1 72 79 110 19 8 288
Boston 20 10 5 4 1 61 70 100 26 8 265
Sleaford 20 8 7 4 1 73 61 80 24 8 246
Louth 20 7 6 4 3 60 61 70 20 24 235
Market Deeping 20 7 5 5 3 66 58 70 13 24 231
Grimsby 20 8 7 2 2 65 58 80 12 13 228
Lindum 20 7 8 2 3 50 61 70 12 24 217
Woodhall Spa 20 5 8 6 1 62 61 50 24 8 205
Hartsholme 20 4 6 7 3 60 55 40 25 21 201
Skegness 20 4 9 5 2 60 48 40 29 13 190
Nettleham 20 0 13 3 4 32 36 0 9 26 103

REMINDER ABOUT THE OSCAs

Hemswell Court, Hemswell Cliff, will be the venue for the Nat West OSCAs on Thursday, September 8, from 7pm-11pm.
The night will reward the recognise volunteers in Lincolnshire cricket.
Awards will include

Behind the scenes
Young volunteer
Leagues and Boards
Lifetime achiever

And many more.
For tickets and further information, call 01522 528838 or email rachael.dyer@btconnect.com

COME ON, YOU VETS!

I'm just starting to sort my Lincs Cricket Latest team to take on Ian Fletchers' XI in the annual northern Lincolnshire charity match at Alkborough CC next Sunday, Sept 11, at 2.30pm.
Many thanks to Steve Skipworth, of Keelby, who's the latest veteran to confirm he's going to play. But we still need more for your website's Representative X1.
So please email scoopfisher@aol.com or ring 01652 655134 (answer machine facility).
If you know 50-plus cricketers who fancy a game, please pass on the match details on our behalf.
Proceeds from this established annual fixture will go to charity. And it costs just a fiver to take part (tea included), plus as many raffle tickets as you are prepared to buy!

ONLINE PLAYER REGISTRATIONS

There's been a slight change to the player registration process on the ECB's Play Cricket system, which we think applies across the country to all league sites.
The player's email address is now a mandatory field for all new registrations. If you don't fill in this field, the application cannot proceed.
For those players without email access, club website administrators should just put an asterisk (star symbol *) in the box provided.
As the season is nearly over, the Lincs League is only getting a few registrations a week now, but those clubs still registering players are encountering this small alteration.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER - SORRY, BARTON!

Apologies are extended to Lincs Cricket Latest followers for the lateness of posting this piece, to Barton Town CC (who missed out on the publicity till now) and especially to Ann Boulton, who kindly sent us a couple of photos from the George Marshall Trophy final, which I promptly filed away and forgot to post!
So, for the record, here are Barton - winners of the coveted Lincs League senior KO competition - after their success in a very good game at Augusta Street, Grimsby, against Alkborough, also of the premier division.
Ann reports: "Barton only made 199-9 against some tight Alkborough bowling, then successfully defended it with some good bowling of their own and some really good fielding. Chris Kipling got man of the match after he anchored the Barton innings with a painstaking 54 runs."
NF adds: "Lincs League chairman Bob Welton officiated at the final, as always, and is seen here after the presentation ceremony."



WE SHALL BE SEEKING ANN'S PERMISSION TO USE THE PHOTOS IN THE NEXT LINCS LEAGUE HANDBOOK.

MASOOD LOOKS TO BREAK RECORD

By Ann Boulton

Match of the day in the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League tomorrow (Sat 3rd) should be at the Mayflower Ground, where third plays second.
Boston are just four points behind second placed Bourne and this match is likely to develop into a battle between Jonny Cheer, who is just three short of 700 runs for the season, and bowler Fahad Masood, who is currently equalling the league wickets record.
Cheer and Australian Matt Ward have made a formidable opening pair this season and Boston bowlers Colin Cheer and Tom Baxter are also on form, while Ben Stroud and Charlie Hopkins are putting in good performances for Bourne and this is likely to be a hard fought match.
Bourne are 20 points behind leaders Bracebridge Heath who also face a hard battle against Hartsholme who may be ninth in the table but are only one victory off fifth place and will fight for every point.
At the bottom of the table, Nettleham are at home to sixth placed Louth while 11th placed Skegness are at home to Sleaford who are fourth, well adrift of the top three but under threat from the teams below them.
Grimsby are fifth, one point up on Louth and 11 behind Sleaford, and this weekend entertain Woodhall Spa who could still drop into the relegation zone should Skegness gain an unexpected victory.
And in mid-table, Lindum and Market Deeping, on equal points in seventh and eighth, meet at St Giles Avenue.

Fixtures
Noon start
Boston v Bourne
Bracebridge Heath v Hartsholme
Grimsby v Woodhall Spa
Lindum v Market Deeping
Nettleham v Louth
Skegness v Sleaford

GROUNDSMEN MEETING IN LOUTH

Lincolnshire groundsmen's first get-together of the autumn season will be on September 14 at The Pavilion - home of Louth CC.
There will be and end-of season-demonstration on scarifying and repair works with a hands-on workshop, conducted by Allet Turf Care, machinery kindly supplied by
Burdens Turf fleet Hire.
Martin Deans, ECB Pitch Advisor, will be able to answer any questions on the subject of end-of season renovations.
There will be the opportunity to trial machinery as well as watching demonstrations of several pieces of equipment.
Once the light fails, those attending will take to the balcony suite, and there will be a question and answer session, the bar being open for drinks.
The meeting will begin slightly earlier - at 6.30pm - allowing for around 90 minutes' outdoor activity.
If you wish to join the groundsmen's group or obtain further information about the event in Louth, email martindeans@btinternet.com

SHOULD LINCS LEAGUE U13s BE ALLOWED TO BAT AND BOWL?

A PERSONAL VIEW By Andy Richley, Market Rasen CC

With another Lincolnshire League AGM coming up, I was wondering if the following post might be of interest.

If they're good enough, they're old enough ...
Over the past few years, a number of clubs have proposed a change to the Lincolnshire League's rules on the age at which players are eligible to play, reducing the elgible age-group to U13. Potentially for certain groups of players - i.e. those in County sides / squads for their age etc..
Cleethorpes CC have proposed a change to Rule 6.9 g) for the 2011 AGM as follows:
Rule 6.9 General Points
g) Players under the age of 13, taken from August 31st of the previous year, may play in league and cup matches
but U13 age group players are ineligible to bat and bowl. A fine as per rule 8.1 shall apply for non-compliance
We propose the above rule is removed and replaced with the following:
g) ECB Guidelines for Junior players in Open Age Cricket shall apply
Please note these guidelines are already published in the Lincs League handbook
Having captained a young 2nd XI in Division Four for the past three seasons and playing for a club that has a slew of talented U13 players this season - and has had in previous years as well - my view on this debate is heavily skewed in favour of a rule change to allow U13 age-group players to participate fully. However, I believe the following reasons, whilst not being exhaustative, do demonstrate why this would be a positive step for the league as a whole:
Teenage cricketers develop more quickly playing adult league cricket. A lot of our talented teenagers are going to move on to other clubs at some point, either because they're tempted by a higher standard of cricket / coaching / facilities, or because they're headed off to University / employment etc.. Missing out on an entire year of their development is detrimental to both the players and their clubs. As the players take longer to develop and the clubs fail to reap as much benefit as possible from their youngsters before they move on.
Other leagues in our region - at both higher and comparable standards of cricket - already allow U13 age-group players to participate fully, including the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire ECB Premier Leagues and the McKinnells Lincoln and District Sunday League. This inconcsistency leads to confusion for clubs, administrators, players and parents.
Every year U13 age-group players bowl and bat in the Lincolnshire League due to; mis-understandings with regards to the regulations, incorrectly recorded birthdays, pushy parents and any number of other reasons. Generally teams become aware of the situation and do something about it before the league has to, but the fact that this happens annually suggests that either the fact that the Lincolnshire League's age criteria differ from other local leagues leads to confusion or that clubs are deliberately subverting the rules in order to give their youngsters the games they need to develop. Bringing the Lincolnshire
The Lincolnshire League is, effectively, suppressing the level of competition available to its members and the standard of cricket played by preventing local cricketers from testing themselves against the best players in the region. Very few players currently in the Lincolnshire County U13 squad would look out of place in the lower reaches of the Lincolnshire League and they would improve the quality of the teams they play in, rather than suppress it.
The fact that U13 age-group players are allowed to field - including keeping wicket - and yet cannot bowl or bat is inconsistent. If a player is good enough to stand up to the stumps, suitably helmeted etc., at U13, it is contradictory that they are prevented from batting. Similarly, U13 players are allowed to chase leather for 45 overs and are only restricted with regards to where they can field by the general ECB guidelines, however they are not allowed to bowl.
If you're good enough, you're old enough.
As mentioned above, from a personal perspective I would like the Lincolnshire League's rules on age qualification to be simplified and changed so that once a player is in the U13 age-group they are able to play, whether they bat, bowl, keep wicket or are merely specialist fielders. As a result clubs, players and parents would all win, with increased participation, a higher standard of cricket for all and an even bigger pool of talented players for Lincolnshire's Minor Counties side.
I'd be interested to hear any feedback you have on this topic. Hopefully by the time we get to the next Lincolnshire League AGM we may be able to win over some of the clubs who have reservations on a change to this rule.

TRYING TO REFORM BROUGHTON EVENING LEAGUE

Is your club interested in joining a new evening league for the Scunthorpe area starting in 2012?
Since the demise of the Broughton and District Evening League seven years ago, there has been a gaping hole in cricket in the Scunthorpe area and the Isle of Axholme.
So now a meeting is to be held to try and re-establish a midweek competition for senior cricket clubs across North Lincolnshire.
It will be on Friday, September 30 at Alkborough Cricket Club’s West Halton Lane clubhouse (7.30pm).
Any clubs interested in joining are welcome to send representatives to this important, but preliminary, get-together.
Half-a-dozen have already shown an interest.The Broughton Evening League operated for more than 40 years.
At its peak it had three divisions and an extensive knockout competition.
However, interest gradually waned until only one division remained.
Then even that failed to gain the support of sufficient clubs to keep going.
Clubs seeking further information ahead of the meeting at the end of September can email Glen Sands - glensands13@aol.com

SIGN UP FOR CHARITY MATCH

Cricket veterans aged 50-plus across northern Lincolnshire are being invited to play in a special charity match.
It will be staged on Sunday, September 11 at Alkborough CC’s West Halton Lane ground (2.30pm start).
Those wishing to play should call 01652 655134 (answer machine) or e-mail scoopfisher@aol.com
The players will contribute £5 for their tea and match fee, and a raffle will be held.
Proceeds from the match will go to a local charity, yet to be announced.
The forthcoming end-of-season game will be the seventh since the charity match was established, previous encounters having been staged by Outcasts and Keelby.
The games usually draw a good crowd and spectators are welcome to go along on September 11 and watch the veterans perform in the 40 overs a side contest.
Many of the players have retired from local club cricket, but some are still performing regularly, including Outcasts’ all-rounder Ian Fletcher (PICTURED), who skippers one of the 50-plus teams.
A number of those taking part are now umpires.