Louth CC Taverners ease past Grimoldby as Cheema blasts ton

After winning am important toss, Louth skipper Zubair Ahmed decided to bat first, but the hosts lost their first two wickets with the score on 17.

Imran Cheema, however, was in good form after five weeks out and attacked the bowling with his usual hard-hitting intent.

Wickets kept falling at the other end, and At 64-4, Louth were in some trouble, but Cheema had other ideas.

He brought up his 50 off 33 balls with some delightful strokes as Steve Sandy gave the strike to Cheema.

They put on 124, with Cheema hitting a blistering century (104 off 63 balls) including 11 fours and seven huge sixes before he was finally out for 104 in the 29th over.

Sandy made a well-deserved fifty and was finally out for a fine 70, and with brief cameos from Waheed (15 not out) and Bailey Wright (14 not out), Louth Taverners posted an above-par 257-7 from their 40 overs.

Grimoldby were soon in trouble in reply at 19/2 with Harry King and Khawar Naeem taking a wicket apiece.

A 54-run stand between Jenkins and Parkes provided a good platform, but when Jenkins was out lbw to Wright, wickets fell regularly.

Grimoldby were 117-7 and in danger of getting bowled out quickly, but an impressive 42 from George Gregory and 30 from Russ Hayward in a partnership of 57, helped take the score to 175.

The partership was ended when Zubair bowled Hayward, and Cheema finished the innings with two wickets to his off-breaks to bowl out Grimoldby for 177 and give Louth an 80-run victory.

Louth host Cleethorpes on Sunday in their final league match before beginning the T20 leg of the season on Sunday, August 20 against reigning champions Tetford. Both games are at London Road.