Thorpe Arnold CC suffer mixed fortunes

Grantham and Melton League Division Three

THORPE ARNOLD THIRD XI v BARROWBY

Thorpe won by 78 runs

Jake Collington and Richard Randall made their usual solid start before Randall was out LBW for 16 and the first wicket fell for 31 in the fifth over.

Joe Gant and Collington added 20 runs before Collington was bowled. Richard Garner and Gant put on 93 with Gant reaching yet another half-century before both were out on 144.

Skipper Chris Waldron and Andy Sibun put on 50 as Waldron dominated the bowling, supported by Ian Hickman and Glenn Hoyles, and finished on 80 not out as Thorpe closed on 259-6.

Waldron had opener Sharpe caught behind off the third ball, but Harper and Barnes added 70 before Jenny Waldron removed Harper thanks to Hoyles' good catch at point.

Barnes dominated, but spin king and partnership breaker Ian Hickman took two quick wickets, with Miles Hickman claiming the prized wicket of Barnes.

Barrowby gave up the fight, finishing well short as Hoyles claimed his first wicket for Thorpe.

Thorpe: J. Collington 18, R. Randall 16, J. Gant 55, R. Garner 42, C. Waldron 80*, A. Sibun 11, I. Hickman 11, G. Hoyles 2*, Extras 26, Total: 259-6.

Barrowby: 172-8.

Bowling: C. Waldron 7-1-22-2, B. Freer 7-0-32-1, J. Waldron 7-0-40-1, J. Gant 6-0-26-0, M. Hickman 4-0-18-1, I. Hickman 5-1-10-2, J. Collington 1-0-8-0, G. Hoyles 1-0-2-1, R. Randall 1-0-3-0, R. Garner 1-0-8-0.

EASTON-ON-THE-HILL v THORPE ARNOLD THIRD XI

Easton won by 7 wkts

THORPE took a mixture of experience and youth to Easton on Saturday, and were put in to bat on a damp, difficult track.

They quickly lost Mulholland and Bush before opener Jem Sharpe and Dodge Aitken rescued the situation. Ali McQuillan and the lower order took the score to a respectable 172-8.

Tight bowling then kept Thorpe in the game, but wickets were hard to come by and the target was reached in the 36th over for the loss of only three wickets.

Thorpe: J. Sharpe 24, D. Mulholland 0, G. Bush 3, N. Aitken 40, A. McQuillan 34, K. Miller 16, J.F. Nicholls 9, M. Timberlake 10, J. Kendall 14*. Extras 22. Total: 172-8.

Easton: 173-3.

Bowling: N. Lane 10-4-27-1, G. Bush 3-3-13-0, J. Sharpe 7-0-23-0, K. Miller 5-1-22-2, J.F. Nicholls 3-0-23-0, N. Aitken 5-0-28-0, J. Kendall 1-0-13-0, A. McQuillan 2-0-11-0.

Division Three

HARLAXTON v BARKBY UNITED

Barkby won by 4 wkts

IN this top-of-the-table clash, Barkby skipper Dutton had no hesitation in putting the hosts in on a green track.

But the Barkby bowlers failed to respond to the conditions and Harlaxton raced to 78 for 1. Raven's introduction stemmed the flow of runs and he picked up three wickets to reduce Harlaxton to 115-6 off 24 overs.

Apart from John Lee, who bowled an inspiring spell of 3 for 15 off 10 overs, the other bowlers were dispatched to all parts of the ground as Harlaxton reached 206 off 40 overs, including 37 extras.

Barkby started positively and Flowers hit a quick 19 before departing to a poor shot.

The second wicket pair added 27 until 13-year-old Wilkinson fell for an excellent 22.

Wickets continued to fall and at 77 for 4 off 19 overs, Barkby rebuilt until another wicket fell at 113 for 5. Captain Dutton and vice-captain John Lee added 50 before Lee ran Dutton out (158-6).

Teenagers Botting and Raven saw Barkby home in the 39th over for a 20-point haul.