Valuable draw for Wisbech and big win for March

Wisbech held on bravely to earn a draw and 10 points in their home East Anglian Premier League clash with Mildenhall on Saturday.

The promoted side now have a win, a draw, a defeat and two abandoned matches from their five clashes since promotion and sit outside the drop zone.

After being asked to bat first, Mildenhall put on 114 for the first wicket and went on to hit 273-8 from their 64 overs. Pick of the home bowlers was Ryan Clark with 4-78 off 15, with Gary Freear 3-63 from 18 and Joe Dunning 1-22.

In reply, Wisbech lost opener Danny Haynes for 10, with the score at 26, but a second wicket stand of 82 between other opener Freear and Josh Bowers took the score to 108-2.

Man of the match Freear hit 55 from 95 balls, with six fours, and Bowers reached 52 from 98, crossing the boundary on four occasions.

Only Jonny Garner, who came in at 151-5 and scored 23 from 37 balls, really made an impression on the Mildenhall attack, but Josh Porter and Kieran Haynes were there at the end to make sure Wisbech took a share of the spoils.

In the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Premier League Division One, March took 30 points as they beat visiting Old Leysians by 48 runs.

Electing to bat first, Sam Robinson (70) and wicket keeper Adam Conyard put on 66 for the first wicket before Conyard was dismissed for 36 from 68 balls.

Will Steventon then came in and hit 71 runs from 76 balls, and when Robinson was dismissed for 70 from 124 balls, the score was an impressive 190-2. Scott Welcher then smashed 36 from just 18 balls as March ended their innings at 249-7 from 50 overs.

Despite a spirited 43 from 70 balls from opener Thomas Cox, the visitors never looked like winning and were soon struggling at 29-3. Cox and Milan Mniszko took the score to 79-4 but there were no other partnerships of note as Leysians were dismissed for 201 from 41.2 overs.

Robinson made it a man of the match performance with 4-42 off 10, Kian Pooley took 3-37 from 10, Phoenix Nightingale 2-21 and captain Samuel Clarke 1-52. March are now fifth in the early standings.

In the CCA Senior League Division One, Wisbech 2nds lost by eight wickets at Abington. After being put into bat, the visitors registered a competitive 197-5 from 45 overs. Openers Dom Stannard and Josh Broomfield got their team off to a great start, the wicket keeper/captain hitting 61 and Broomfield 43.

Next in was Jamie Gollands, who scored 44, with Matthew Gill (17 not out) and Chris Clark (14) also reaching double figures.

Wisbech’s bowling attack, however, had no answer to Abington opener Will Kenzie, who registered 141 not out as his side raced to 198-2 from just 31.5 overs, Clark taking both wickets for 36 runs from nine overs.

In the same division, Chatteris were thrashed by 212 runs at Bluntisham. After deciding to bat, the home side hit an impressive 298-8 from their 45 overs, with the visitors dismissed for 86 from 20 overs.

In Division Two, March 2nds lost by eight wickets at Milton. After deciding to bat, the visitors scored just 107-9 from their 45 overs, and the home team reached 111-2 from just 18 overs.

The Junior 3 North game between Chatteris 2nds and Telugu Association of Cambridge 3rds was cancelled, but Wisbech 3rds’ game at home to Cherry Hinton did go ahead and the hosts won by 28 runs.

After being asked to bat, Wisbech scored 283-8 from 40 overs, thanks largely to an unbeaten 123 from Tom Buck, who came in when opener Nick Osborne was dismissed for a duck. Wicket keeper Ross Gardner scored 77, Mark Buttriss 29 and Robert Williams 10.

In reply, Wisbech dismissed Cherry Hinton for 255 from 38.2 overs, Oliver Overland taking 3-33 from seven overs, Tom Freear 3-57, and Louis Avis 1-31.

In Junior 4 North, Wisbech 4ths are bottom of the fledgling table after conceding their away game at City of Ely 3rds and Wimblington lost by six wickets at Sutton 2nds. After being put into bat, the visitors scored 218-6 from 40 overs, opener Kristoffer Judge with an impressive 137 of that tally. Josh Bullman hit 20 before being run out, Kyle Butler scored 14 and other opener Marc Eldred 12.

Butler then took 2-37 from eight, Leon Walker 1-18 and Jason Bullman 1-55, but the visitors reached 221-4 from 35.3 overs, wicket keeper Eddie Bowles with 126 not out.

March 3rds conceded their home game against Over and Willingham 2nds in Junior 5 North.