Pinchbeck moved into third spot in South Lincs and Border League Division Two with a four-wicket victory over South Holland rivals Spalding 3rd at the Memorial Field on Saturday.
An excellent shift with the ball saw Pinchbeck bowl out the hosts for 104 – though they made hard work of their run chase and were indebted to an unbeaten 60 from Nick Crook to see them home.
In the hot sunshine, Spalding elected to bat first and, despite some tidy bowling up front from James Langford and Andrew Beeston who gave little away, the openers stood firm.
Crook provided the breakthrough with the wicket of Gilbert but Keith De Keyzer (34) set about pressuring the scoreboard with some attacking strokes that frustrated the visitors.
Skipper Danny Jackson swung the momentum firmly back Pinchbeck’s way with the wicket of Ian Wilson, swiftly followed by De Keyzer and Chris Green.
Jackson added a further victim to claim figures of 4-19 and put the squeeze on the Spalding innings, but the Pinchbeck captain was then outshone by seamer Beeston, whose reintroduction saw the innings quickly wrapped up. The left armer snaffled five wickets in as many overs in his second spell to finish with his best-ever figures of 5-6 and stifle the Spalding total to 104 all out.
Pinchbeck were made to work hard for the victory as Spalding’s lack of pace on a slow wicket proved effective and tied down the batsmen for long periods.
Led by Richard Gilbert (2-30) and Richard Dale (2-31), they picked up six Pinchbeck wickets.
However, Crook showed the necessary discipline to bat through the innings and register a valuable half century that carried the team to victory in the 41st over with no other batsmen reaching double figures.
- Long Sutton boosted their survival bid in South Lincs and Border League Premier Division with a derby with over relegation rivals Spalding Town 2nd on Saturday.
Town won the toss and inserted hosts Sutton into bat at Paradise Field.
They made a solid-looking 179-7 from their 45 overs, with Chris Booth (59) and Adam Wright (24) top scoring.
Jamie Juckes (3-39) was the pick of the Town bowlers, while Matt Sharpe, Julian Wilson, Simon Juckes and Jon Manton all bagged a wicket each.
Spalding’s reply didn’t start too well, with top three Rob Noble (0), Lee Eyett (7) and Matt Gill (5) all going very cheaply.
Nobody really got going with the bat for Town until Jamie Juckes came in at number eight. He made a super 64, but when he was bowled by Jimmy Wright (1-23), Sutton cleaned up the innings for 162 to seal a 17-run win.
Rav Sangha (3-26), Barry Stanway (2-43) and Jake Burton (2-33) starred with the ball for Sutton.
The win leaves Sutton in the bottom two, but they are now just three points behind Spalding 2nd and Belton Park.
Also in the Premier Division, rock-bottom Moulton Harrox were crushed by champions-elect Boston.
They were bowled out for just 66, with 40 of those runs coming from Tom Wilson. Sam Elliott (7-19) was Boston’s destroyer.
Kieran Evans (29no) and Dave Newman (36no) then knocked off the runs in 7.2 overs to seal a ten-wicket walloping.
In Division Two, Long Sutton 2nd were given a 294-run battering by Boston 2nd.
Michael Musson (150no) and Tom Poole 96 starred as Boston made 342-3, before bowling Sutton out for just 48.
