Pinchbeck Cricket Club kicked off their South Lincs and Border League Division Two season with an excellent 43-run victory over Timberlands on a day where the runs flowed at Spalding Grammar School.
After choosing to bat first on Saturday, the hosts racked up a daunting 250-6 in their 45 overs thanks largely to the efforts of Nick Crook (95) and Lee Smith (91) who both fell just short of a deserved century.
The visitors took on the target with a positive charge in the top half of their innings but fell 43 runs short.
The game didn’t start well for Pinchbeck, with Danny Jackson and Lee Eyett dismissed early on. But Crook and Smith settled down and gradually began to dominate the bowling with a superb third wicket stand of 155 in 27 overs that set the perfect platform for a big total.
Smith was particularly clinical on any loose deliveries, notching up 15 boundaries before skying an easy catch to mid wicket with a ton begging.
Crook continued to take on the charge in the latter stages and claimed the only maximum of the day landing a big six in front of the sports hall.
Sadly, he too couldn’t quite reach the milestone and was bowled five short of three figures, but with the damage done Pinchbeck moved on to 250 from the final ball of the innings.
The hosts then got the perfect start in the field with James Langford and Andrew Beeston each taking a wicket in their first over to put Timberlands firmly on the back foot. However, Lowth and
Brumpton responded with an excellent stand of 75 in quick time.
Brumpton, in particular, took on the bowling with a clutch of positive strokes before he holed out to Langford off the bowling of debutant Haydn Roberts.
Lowth continued to chip away and brought up an excellent half century to keep the visitors well in contention. But Roberts (3-53) then struck two further blows, including Lowth, for 64 to help
Pinchbeck breathe easily and reduce the score to 140-6.
With the required rate increasing, the off spin of Eyett (4-28) then took over and, despite the best efforts of Timberlands’ tail who wagged effectively to take them past 200, they weren’t able to get close enough to the target.
They did, however, deny Pinchbeck maximum points by closing on a solid 207-9.
