GRIMSBY FIGHT OUT HIGH SCORING DRAW WITH BRACEBRIDGE HEATH

READERS LINCOLNSHIRE ECB PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND-UP 

BY ANN BOULTON

May 25

Good weather brought an eventful weekend in the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League where leaders Grimsby fought out a high scoring draw with former champions Bracebridge Heath – and bottom team Hartsholme celebrated their first victory of the season over high flying Louth.

Bracebridge reached 247 before the final wicket fell with four balls of the innings to go, Paul Cook hitting 73 and putting on 83 for the fifth wicket with Stuart Fraser-Cattanach (53).

In reply, Grimsby skipper Jim Morgan, with only 20 runs to his name all season survived an early chance to finally find his batting form with a century innings off 103 balls. 

Harry Warwick hit 43 but Matt Carter claimed both batsmen’s wickets and went on to finish with five for 68 as the visitors’ 50 overs ended on 227 for eight.

However, Grimsby 13 points was enough to keep them at the top of the table, three ahead of Market Deeping who picked up 20 after bowling Bourne out for 148.  Deeping lost seven wickets reaching their target but David Gillett’s 68 saw them home.

Skegness moved to within one point of Deeping after a convincing win at Haxey where Paul Butler hit an unbeaten 53 of his side’s total of 215 for five before the home side were bowled out for 118.

Woodhall Spa’s eight wicket win over Sleaford put them fourth, just six points behind the leaders, Sam Evison’s unbeaten 55 seeing his side to victory while Louth slipped to sixth after becoming Hartsholme’s first victims.

The Lincoln side were left chasing 187 for seven after Laurence Scott hit 90 not out for Louth but Matthew Wooldridge made 51 as Hartsholme claimed a five wicket win to stay in touch with the teams above them.

League newcomers Spalding have quickly learned the value of playing for points - to the frustration of Lindum who were denied the maximum 20 despite recording the day’s highest total of 280 for six.

At St Giles Avenue, Lindum’s top three batsmen all hit form together, Karanjit Bansal with 78, Charlie Tomlinson (62) and Will Wright (54) helping push the total to 280 for six.  But an unbeaten 39 from Michael Kearns and dogged innings from Ian Smith and Ansar Hussain saw Spalding hang on to their last two wickets to finish 127 for eight and stay four points above Lindum in eighth place.

Results

Lindum 280-6 (Bansal 78, Tomlinson 62, Wright 54), Spalding 127-8;

Sleaford 132 (Burford 52no), Woodhall Spa 133-2 (Evison 55no);

Bourne 148, Market Deeping 149-7 (Gillett 68);

Bracebridge Heath 247 (P Cook 73, Fraser-Cattanach 53), Grimsby 227-8 (Morgan 100, M Carter 5-68);

Louth 187-7 (Scott 90no), Hartsholme 188-5 (Wooldridge 51);

Skegness 215-5 (Butler 53no), Haxey 118;

	P	W	L	Draw	NR	Bat	Bowl	Win	Total
Grimsby	6	3	0	2	1	24	23	30	88
Market Deeping	6	4	2	0	0	22	23	40	85
Skegness	6	4	2	0	0	21	23	40	84
Woodhall Spa	6	4	1	0	1	18	19	40	82
Louth	6	1	1	3	1	22	16	10	74
Sleaford	6	3	2	1	0	20	17	30	70
Bracebridge Heath	6	2	2	1	1	17	18	20	67
Spalding	6	2	2	1	1	10	15	20	51
Lindum	6	0	3	3	0	14	14	0	47
Bourne	6	1	3	1	1	12	14	10	44
Haxey	6	1	4	0	1	8	15	10	38
Hartsholme	6	1	4	0	1	4	13	10	32