Egerton Park title hopes take a knock following Muxloe defeat

Egerton Park’s title hopes took a knock as they lost their top-of-the-table clash against Kirby Muxloe by four wickets.

Park came into the game on a three game winning streak, but were put into bat on a poor pitch.

Kirby struck early, Richard Bailey was unlucky to be given out caught behind and Jacob Bates was trapped bang in front to leave Park 11-2.

Glover and Madden tried to rebuild but the former feathered an edge of the spinner.

Rose picked up where he left off with some brutal sweeps but wickets kept tumbling and Park were struggling on 99-5.

The reliable Matt King and Alex Barber rebuilt well, keeping the scoring ticking and King in particular accelerated well at the end to see Park reach 173- 6 off their 45 overs.

After tea, Kirby started aggressively and reached 67 -1 at drinks.

First team debutant Wade broke the partnership but Kirby skipper Kinsey continued to be positive reaching a well made 70.

Talati and Glover continued to peg Kirby back in the heat with Glover picking up 4 wickets but Kirby managed to scrape home for the win.

Egerton Park Seconds won their second straight game in the last over with a three-wicket victory at Fleckney Village on Saturday.

Having won the toss Park fielded first on a hot afternoon and they did not get the early break through until Jack Anderson (10-0-40-3) struck in this second over.

This was quickly followed by two more as Park made inroads with he ball.

Wickets from Harris (10-1-16-1) and Jason Creed (7-2-23-2) slowed Fleckney down but some great catching and fielding in the last four overs left Park chasing 182.

Unusually Barney Simons was the first to go bowled for a duck.

Harris (14), Joe Carnell (16), Greg Tyler (14) and Hoskisson (11) all made double figures around a welcomed 35 from Anthony Pedlar.

But with 73 needed off nine overs, Park looked in trouble before Creed stepped and with a blistering 63 off 40 balls and smashed Park to victory with four balls to spare.

An excellent ninth-wicket partnership between Joe Bottomley and Alex King was not enough for Kimberly Seconds as they were forced to settle for a losing draw against Belvoir.

Bottomley finished with 21 not out and King went one better with as they added 46 runs from 38 balls to lift Belvoir’s score from the reasonable to one that was challenging.

The stand included 21 singles and a mere seven dot balls in a flurry of fevered activity.

Earlier Danny Wilson (23) and Sam Nightingale (38) had given Belvoir a steady start with the latter cutting and driving in sumptuous style.

However, the introduction of Dominic Wheatley (3-50) saw wickets fall steadily and the run rate checked.

It took an impish run-a-ball innings of 37 from Shay Brady and another scampering knock from Phil Irvine (29) to re-establish Belvoir’s slight ascendancy.

Kimberley’s fielding was exemplary with a couple of breath-taking catches to Adam Majid in particular.

Kimberley were asked to score at 4.94 per over but found themselves in trouble at 27-3. Irvine (3-31) had been responsible for this situation.

Bowling with aggression and no little swing he castled two batters and trapped a third plumb in front.

Kimberley skipper Wheatley (27) then played with admirable controlled aggression to steady the innings while keeping the run rate sensible.

Danny Williams was just as circumspect early in his innings but, with the loss of Wheatley to tyro Alex McNulty, he became less cautious in the continued pursuit of victory.

However Belvoir’s spin attack of Nightingale (2-58) and Gareth King took regular wickets at the other end reducing Kimberley to 167-8.

The final drama of the day was Kieron Mozley’s one not out off 21 balls - unstinting commitment to the needs of his team.

Danny Williams finished on 90 not out having secured the last batting bonus point and the points for a losing draw.

Buckminster and Barrowby make it four wins from five with four balls to go.

In a rain-affected game that was reduced to 30 overs per side, Bucky took the spoils, crossing the line in a tense finish with four balls to spare.

Stamford won the toss and elected to bat.

Opening bat Williams set his stall out from the beginning with judicious shot selection and punishment of any bad ball.

Nevertheless, the opening bowlers Colin Atter (1-12) and Steve Allen (2-25) dismantled the top order around him.

Dale Hardy weighed in with the fourth wicket from only his third ball to further tighten the screw on Stamford before Williams took him to task over a three over spell that defined the innings.

Titch Warner then took wicket number five with a divine in-swinger that removed Whoolf’s middle peg with aplomb.

Stamford battled to 127-5 from their 30 overs as the weather threatened to intervene.

Bucky began slowly, losing the wicket of Dave Allen early before Steve Harper set about stabilising the innings with a belligerent 15.

After Kilburn fell for 2, Colin Atter set about the Stamford bowlers with useful cameos from both Hardy boys and Titch Warner to leave Buckminster within touching distance of victory.

When Atter fell, caught late on having amassed a vital 51 runs, it looked like Buckminster & Barrowby wouldn’t quite make it.

Simon Higgs blocked everything in sight in order to get Jack Berry on strike who, in the final over and still needing 4 runs to win, launched a monstrous six into the street from the far end of the wicket to give victory to the Maples & Swans.

Buckminster & Barrowby returned to winning ways and remain at the top of the table .

They will now visit Melton Town CC for action this weekend.