Louth CC batsmen hit form to stave off Lincs ECB Premier wooden spoon

They started Saturday level on points with basement side Boston, yet a huge 147-run win over Scunthorpe, allied to Boston’s final-day defeat, kept them off the bottom.

It was runs galore for the home side at London Road as Louth took on Scunthorpe Town who arrived just one place higher in eighth.

Laurence Scott and Andrew White (53) shared an opening stand of 104, and after both were out in successive overs, Richard Bell (54) and Primosh Perera put on 123 for the third wicket.

Perera and Seb Darke (43) added 56, and at the close of their 50 overs, the score had rattled along to 301-4, with the Sri Lankan unbeaten on 92.

Scunthorpe then found themselves 10-2 in reply, as Stephen Kirkham bowled both openers, and never recovered from this early blow.

Kirkham claimed another clean-bowled victim to make it 35-3 before Darke came to the party, taking the next three wickets to fall and leaving the visitors 99-6.

Ben Brumby (37) shared in stands of 37 and 22 to take Scunthorpe to 158-7, but when Kirkham made him his fourth wicket of the day, the visitors soon folded to 163 all out inside 38 overs.

Louth came within a point of reeling in Scunthorpe and an eighth-place finish.

Louth: L. Scott 26, A. White 53, R. Bell 54, P. Perera 92*, S. Darke 43, J. Collinson 1*, Extras 32. Total: 301-4.

Scunthorpe: 163.

Bowling: S. Kirkham 14-2-61-4; J. Court 11-2-28-1; P. Perera 6-1-18-0; S. Darke 5-0-33-3; T. Cuthbert 1.4-0-15-2.