Sleaford CC claim third spot, now for the play-offs

Rain affected the start and the game was reduced to a 92-over contest.

Bourne won the toss and elected to field first.

Ross Diver and Aayush Patel opened up for Sleaford against Colin Cheer and Matthew Kidd, and it was Kidd who struck first having Patel caught by Jon Howard for three with the total on six.

Tom Shorthouse joined Diver and together they rebuilt the Sleaford innings.

A combination of attack and controlled defence allowed the two to take the Sleaford score to 100 with both players looking in control of the Bourne attack.

Once past three figures both players reached half centuries, and it was with the Sleaford total on 149 that Diver was caught by Peter Morgan off Dan Bandaranaike for an excellent 57.

The rest of the Sleaford innings revolved around the captain as he moved the Sleaford score on despite losing partners on a regular basis.

Shorthouse reached 100 as the Sleaford total headed for 200.

However, with the total on 204, Shorthouse was caught by Bandaranaike off the returning Cheer for a superb 109.

No other Sleaford batsmen made double figures as Cheer and Morgan caused havoc in the Sleaford ranks, Sleaford all out for 212 in only their 43rd over.

For Bourne, Morgan took 4 for 30 and Colin Cheer 3 for 65.

In reply, Jordan Temple and Jonathan Stainsby began well and it was not until the score had reached 37 that Stainsby was caught and bowled by Scott Tite for 5.

Robert Dunn came to the crease and, withTemple, he took the Bourne total to 69 where Temple was caught Diver bowled Tite for 18.

Morgan joined Dunn but Tite stuck again, having Dunn caught by Patel for a promising 36.

Carl Wilson joined Morgan and the experienced pair took the Bourne total past 100, but with the score on 110 the returning McPeake had Morgan caught by Patel for 18.

Joshua Bentley came to the crease and confidently he and Wilson took the score to 133 before Wilson was caught by McPeake from Kieron Harbron’s delivery for 20.

Bently continued to move the Bourne total on until he was caught by Conor Harbron and bowled by Kieron Harbron for a very productive 26.

Jon Howard and Ben Keast eased Bourne to the winning total in the 47th over of their innings.

Bourne won by three wickets with Tite taking 3 for 28 and Kieron Harbron 2 for 10.

At the end of a long, dry season Sleaford finish a very creditable third in the Premier League and secured a place in the play-offs, where they will face Grantham at Gorse Lane next Saturday.

In the South Lincs and Border League, Sleaford Thirds played Boston Thirds, with the game reduced to 38 over per side.

Sleaford won the toss and elected to field and made regular in roads in the Boston innings with Chris Jackson and Drew Harbron prominent.

Shaun Moore constructed a very good 24 before being trapped LBW by India Freeman.

Steve Bagley accumulated 16 before falling also to India Freeman with Max Lorimer taking the catch.

Ian Morris was to play with great freedom later in the innings and his 38 took the Boston total to 129 all out.

Freeman tooking 4 for 32, Drew Harbron 2 for 18 and Max Lorimer 2 for 27.

In reply, the Sleaford innings was built around Simon Godby, who was 56 not out at the end of the game which was abandoned in the 28th over of the Sleaford innings.

Freeman made 7 and Neil Henderson 10 as Sleaford finshed on 86 for 6 before the rain came.

On Sunday Sleaford defeated Woodhall Spa in the Lincoln Sunday League and Sleaford Sunday Seconds’ game was called off due to the bad weather.