Unbeaten South Lincs and Border League Division Two leaders Pinchbeck picked up another 20-point haul on Saturday as they saw off mid-table hosts Sleaford 3rd.
Stand-in Pinchbeck captain Nick Crook won the toss and unsurprisingly chose to bat first on a listless, sweltering afternoon.
Some loose early bowling from the Sleaford attack allowed openers Crook and Matt Kidd to bring up the 50 partnership in the seventh over – a combination of wides, byes, and the odd attractive shot keeping the score racing along.
Sleaford grew into the game however, bowling tighter lines and building pressure before Crook was bowled through the gate by a ball which apparently jagged in extravagantly (straight one), ending a productive opening partnership on 61.
From this point onwards it was a much more even game – Sleaford bowling and fielding well.
Young leg-spinner Max Lorimer found some impressive turn from the dusty wicket and caused problems, captain Henderson was reliably economical, but the stand-out performer was India
Freeman who produced figures of 5-23 to restrict Pinchbeck on what had looked like being a very long day in the field after the first eight overs.
For Pinchbeck, Harry Wilkinson-Roberts finally came good on his obvious promise, playing some beautiful shots on his way to a maiden 50 for the club.
As scoring became more difficult on a deteriorating pitch and partners came and went, he mixed watchfulness with aggression – holding Pinchbeck’s creaking middle order together.
Cameos from James Langford and last-man-out Mike Knight pushed Pinchbeck to a season-high 200, although they will be disappointed at not seeing their overs through.
Getting 200 was always going to be a tough ask for Sleaford – the wicket had suffered in the relentless heat and began to break up, plus Pinchbeck captain Crook was able to call on a full-strength bowling attack and most of his best fielders.
Openers Jamie Frost and Knight immediately made it a tougher ask by both commencing with wicket maidens (indeed, Knight was well into his sixth over before he conceded a run from the bat), smothering the run chase early with tight lines backed up by committed fielding.
The game was drifting as Sleaford struggled for runs, until Neill Henderson took a liking to the left-arm seam of Frost and began to find the boundary with regularity.
In response, Crook brought on his reliable veteran bowlers, James Langford and spinner Danny Jackson, and neither disappointed.
Langford had the wherewithal to read the conditions and drop pace in favour of accuracy, his reward immaculate figures of 6-13.
He soon ended the game as a contest by trapping the dangerous Henderson lbw for 44, but carried on his merry trail of destruction and collected the entire Sleaford middle order cheaply, as the remaining wickets tumbled in a procession.
Pinchbeck produced another efficient win to collect the 20 points they needed to maintain their lead over Boston at the top of the table, whereas Sleaford competed strongly in patches but let the game slip in others – the aggression of Pinchbeck in the first ten overs of each innings probably making the difference.
The Division Two pace-setters visit struggling Billingborough 2nd on Saturday (1pm).
