Moulton Harrox climbed into the top two of the South Lincs & Border League Championship thanks to defeats for two of their closest rivals and a win of their own at Grantham Seconds.
Sleaford Seconds went down by seven wickets at home to Newborough, while Woodhall Spa suffered an 85-run thrashing by leaders Long Sutton to allow Moulton to close the gap on top spot to 26 points courtesy of their eight-wicket success.
With Josh Newton away and Jake Morton unable to keep wicket, Finn Roy and Mark Ramsden made the step up to the first XI.
Captain Chris Beale won the toss, putting Grantham into bat.
Matt Rose and 12-year-old Harry Lovell opened the attack, with Rose taking a wicket almost immediately after a catch at slip from Beale. Rose struck again, while Lovell bowled tightly but was unable to take a wicket.
Australian Jamie Kitchen came into the attack and causing trouble. Ramsden dropped an easy catch but Kitchen was able to take the key wicket of home captain Stuart Mudie thanks to a good catch from Roy. Steven Coles bamboozled the batsmen, taking a quick wicket.
Curtis Todd took 3-26 from his nine overs as Grantham struggled and Beale took 2-13 with right arm slow balls as Grantham’s innings petered out on 155.
Moulton openers Matt Barnett and Jamie Juckes started well, making 21 and 28 respectively. At first-wicket down, Kitchen started aggressively hacking, chivvying and churning quick runs, supported by Beale who anchored the innings. Kitchen reached his third consecutive 50-plus score, ending on 59 not out with Beale unbeaten on 26 to see the victory home.
Back at Moulton, Grantham Thirds were the visitors in Division One.
Stand-in captain Joe Broomfield won the toss, electing to bat first. A mixture of old and young opened the batting, with Clyde Bayston and Ruarri Drumm stepping out. Bayston rolled back the years with a series of shovels and chops through backward point. Drumm was bowled before troubling the scorers and Karl Hibbert was undone by a knee-high full toss.
The unpredictable Junaid Alam came in next and enjoyed a
50-plus partnership with Bayston before being bowled for 42 attempting a reverse sweep.
Two more wickets fell before Simon Juckes joined Bayston to destroy the backward point region. Both reached their maiden half centuries of the season, with Juckes finally out for 50.
Bayston continued on the battle, before being caught for a career best 86 in Moulton’s 239/9.
Juckes and Alex Baker opened the bowling, keeping things tight and restricting the run rate. Juckes made the breakthrough, trapping the opener.
Cam Fox joined the attack and took a wicket in his second over before Broomfield took another in his first over on his way to a 4-29 haul.
Grantham opener Graeme Davidge scored 108 before being bowled by Danny Jackson and Zak Maddison took a smart caught and bowled to end the innings on 155.
Sunday captain Rob Callaby lost the toss and was asked to bat first by United Sports in Division Four East of the Rutland League.
They would have been made to pay for that but were saved by the weather as rain caused an abandonment after Kitchen smashed his way to 184, including six 6s and 25 4s.
Fellow opener Ramsden was caught from a loose hack on 28 but Karl Hibbert joined the party to help the Australian escalate the score to 175/1.
Kitchen went past his hundred, with a brutal six and continued on his rampage past his maiden 150.
Hibbert supported Kitchen well, navigating his arch nemesis ‘the full toss’ with courage and finished unbeaten on 46, with Kitchen eventually out 16 short of a double-ton.
Callaby declared on 286/2 with four overs to go.
At this point the rain came down heavily and the game was abandoned.
- Breaking News
