Ruari Drumm fought a lone battle as Moulton Harrox fell to defeat at Rutland Sunday League Division Four bottom-placed Peterborough Town Seconds.
Coming in at no.6 with his team on 38/4, he plundered 14 4s in a 79-ball 89 to take the score to 171/9 before being out lbw.
Ten more runs were added, to give the visitors a target of 182 to win.
Things looked promising for Moulton when the away side slipped from 41/1 to 49/4 but the game swung strongly towards Peterborough thanks to a 102-run fifth-wicket stand between Neil Buckingham (60) and Stuart Bradbury (51).
Lewis Peak dismissed them both on his way to a 5-49 haul, while Drumm chipped in with 2-24 as they fell from 151/4 to 167/9 but it was not enough to prevent the visitors reaching a winning score with just one wicket remaining.
Long Sutton Mallards moved into the top two of the Mid-Norfolk Sunday League’s Kevin Grimmer Division thanks to a walkover against Thornham Mariners.
Sutton Colts missed the chance to climb with them when they suffered a surprise defeat at Bircham.
The bottom team had won only one game all season but doubled that with a three-wicket success.
Captain Daniel Plant and Aron John both retired after scoring 53 each for Sutton but Harry Taylor (12) was the only other batsman to reach double figures in a 173 total.
Alice Blundy-Gent was in top form in the response, taking 4-41 but the hosts scored solidly throughout their innings on their way to 174/7.
☐ Long Sutton have named their teams for the eagerly awaited inaugural Sixes Tournament next Tuesday, August 4, during their annual Cricket Week.
Sutton Spitfires will be captain by Aron John and consist of Dan Plant, Joe Whittaker, Jamie Taylor, Rajan Sangha and Steven Milnes.
Josh Baker is in charge of Sutton Strikers, whose line-up also includes Angus Bell, Cally Bird, Ed Munson, Ellis Rand James Baker.
Dan Oldfield will captain a Sutton Super-Kings team made up of Adam Whitaker, Jake Burton, Noah W, Steve Norris and Uddyan Hansana.
Sutton Stormers will see Tim Norris in charge and features Alastair Drohan, Harry T, Ian Morris, McKenzie East and Peter Cook.
The semi-finals start at 5.45pm with Spitfires against Strikers, followed by Super-Kings against Stormers. The final will be between the two winners at is due to start about 7.15pm.
☐ Last week saw some continental action at Long Sutton, with the club’s u13s taking on a touring Hungarian side.
An entertaining match went to the wire with the visitors winning it off the last ball with a single.
