Long Sutton 1st began their South Lincs and Border League Premier Division campaign with an agonising two-wicket defeat against Billingborough at Paradise Field on Saturday.
Losing the toss, Sutton were asked to bat and were quickly in trouble with a flurry of early wickets.
Adam Wright (19) was the only player in the top order to make double figures with some extravagant stroke play which included four boundaries. But when Wright fell to a short ball from Shane George, Sutton were in deep trouble.
The Billingborough bowlers were ready to put the knife in, but 16-year-old Dan Oldfield had other ideas. The young all-rounder showed real maturity and fight in his unbeaten 40 from 88 balls which included five fours and a six.
He was ably supported by Mark Woodall (15) and a swashbuckling 24 from quick bowler Barry Stanway to help Sutton post a below par 148 all out.
It was clear that Billingborough thought they had the game won, but Sutton’s bowlers weren’t ready to give in yet. Opening duo Stanway and Jimmy Wright combined hostile fast bowling with accurate line and length and were soon rewarded with early wickets to put the Billingborough middle order under immense pressure.
A good partnership between opener Chris King (29) and Shaun Brown (40) put Billingborough back in the driving seat.
But a spell full of cunning and guile from experienced spinner Rob Simpson (4-34) kept Sutton’s hopes alive right to the penultimate over when Billingborough squeezed over the line.
Sutton skipper Phil Barnes said: “Of course we’re disappointed to lose, but we can take many positives from the performance.
“Dan Oldfield was outstanding with the bat and our lads never-say-die attitude in the field is really something we can build on.”
