March 2nd beat the rain for victory over Longstanton 2nd
In the only game involving Fenland sides to reach a conclusion this Saturday, March 2nd beat Longstanton 2nd by 77 runs in a reduced 30-over Cambs & Hunts Junior Four North clash.
After being asked to bat, March scored 191-4, opener Geoff Kirby top scoring with 89, including 14 fours. He was supported by unbeaten knocks of 30 and 25 from Stuart Mills and Alun Bradshaw, with Alex Oldham scoring 16.
In reply, Longstanton reached 114 for 9, Mark Deas taking 4-17 from six, Theo Liversedge 2-10 from three, Charlie Bradshaw 2-24 from six and Oliver Ashby 1-20 from six.
Wisbech Town’s Division One match at home to Old Leysians was abandoned because of rain, with the match anyone’s to win.
In conditions that favoured bowlers, the home side were asked to bat and were unimpressive against the bottom side, all out for 161 off 52 overs.
Danny Haynes, coming in at fourth wicket down, was the only Wisbech batsman to really make an impression, scoring 47 from 99 balls before being caught in the field.
Captain James Williams scored 17, wicket keeper Josh Bowers 16, Gary Freaar 14 and Rhys Howell 11.
In reply, the visitors were 32-1 from 13.2 overs when the rain came down, Jonny Garner with figures of 1-16 from six. Wisbech made nine points from the game and Leysians 12.
In Division Three, leaders March were saved by the rain when their game against fifth-place Barnack was abandoned.
Barnack were asked to bat first and scored 175 for 9 off 45 overs, Phoenix Nightingale taking 5-35 from nine overs on his return to the first team. The rest of the wickets were shared with one each for Shae Pooley, Callum Young and Kian Pooley.
In reply, player-coach Mark Estall top scored with 34 not out and Shae Pooley hit 13 as March collapsed to 63-5 before heavy rain saw the game abandoned. Both sides scored 17 points.
Leaders Chatteris’ game at struggling Linton Village in Senior Two was also abandoned. After being put into bat, Chatteris scored 143-6 from 45 overs, Ben Hollis scoring 36 not out, Oliver Tilbrook 23, Steve Bishop 18, Anthony Bamford 16, Jamie Long 11 not out and Anthony Palmer 10.
In reply, the home team were 15-2 from 3.2 overs when the heavens opened. Andrew Wool took 2-5 from two, with Linton getting eight points and Chatteris nine.
In Junior Four North, strugglers Wisbech 2nd’s game at Telugu Association of Cambridge was abandoned with the visitors seemingly heading for defeat.
Telugu won on the toss and elected to bat, scoring 249 all out from 44.2 overs, Matt Duff the pick of the Wisbech bowlers with 5-38 from 7.2 overs. Karthic Sivakumar took 2-41 from nine, and there was a wicket apiece for Henry Gowler, Brodie Ellis and Chris Clark.
The visitors were struggling at 96-7 from 23 overs when rain stopped play. Captain Brodie Ellis scored a magnificent 52 not out from 53 balls for the visitors, including eight fours and two sixes, but of the rest of the batsmen, only Chris Clark with 13 got into double figures. Telugu got 13 points and Wisbech 12.
Wimblington had no match this week, and Wisbech 3rd’s game at home to Sutton 2nd was cancelled, as was Chatteris 2nd v Cottenham 2nd in Five North, with Wisbech 4th conceding at Over and Willingham 2nd.
Next Saturday, Wisbech travel to play Histon, with an 11am start and March are at Cambourne, with a noon start.
All the other games begin at 1pm, with Chatteris at Wisbech 2nd, Wisbech 3rd at Longstanton Grasshoppers 2nd, March 2nd at home to Chippenham 2nd, Wimblington entertaining Wilburton 2nd and Wisbech 4th at Camden 2nd.
