Woodhall Spa sign off the season with win over Spalding

Spalding’s Australian bowler Walter Kinlock was promoted to open the innings and celebrated by hitting 107 off 79 balls.

Divyeash Vaseeharan hit 32 and Josh Lawrence 43 as Spalding set Woodhall Spa a target of 244.

In the bowling line-up for Woodhall was 13-year-old Archie Pobjoy who took two wickets on his first team debut in which fellow junior Josh Needham came out to open the batting with George Pocklington and showed himself well capable to handling Premier Division bowling.

After Pocklington was bowled, Needham had the rare experience of batting with a Pakistan international as Tayyab Tahir came to the crease.

Needham was caught for four in the 10th over and the third wicket fell on 36 but from here, Tahir and Harry Hollingsworth took command, sharing a stand of 190 before Tahir was caught behind for 134 off 105 balls, which included 20 fours and four sixes.

Pobjoy then came out to join skipper Hollingsworth and the pair took Woodhall to victory, Hollingsworth with 75.

Despite producing just 264 runs in total, the much anticipated titleclash between Bourne and Scunthorpe Town resulted in a nailbiting finish.

Bourne needed just six points to top the table while Scunthorpe needed to win – and after the first innings, it looked as if this was well within their reach.

Batting first at Abbey Lawn, by the 10th over Bourne had reached a comfortable 50-1.

Then Tom Shephard struck with two wickets in an over, including Sam Evison for 21. Callum Mann repeated this feat and suddenly Bourne were 53-5 off 11 overs

Carl Wilson (20) and Yuvi Renaut moved the score on to 75-5 before Mann took his third and when Renaut was out Bourne were 90-7.

Jack Berry (27) and Ray Toole mounted a rearguard action adding 33 but the final wicket fell in the 34th over on a seemingly modest 137, Shephard also taking three wickets.

Scunthorpe lost a wicket to Tom Patchett in the second over of their innings and the second on 37 – Sam Jarvis for 23 - but by the time Toole bowled Priyash Khanduri for 22, Scunthorpe were over halfway to the target on 72.

However, in what seemed to be a repeat of the first innings, Toole took two more wickets and Patchett one for the addition of only 11 runs and Scunthorpe were in trouble.

Ben Conroy (37) was still at the crease but when he became to first of two run outs by Berry, the visitors were 106-8 and victory was within Bourne’s reach.

Once again, the bowlers dug in, Shephard hitting 22 but the final wicket fell on 126.

Toole ended the season with 35 league wickets and elsewhere other overseas players were signing off with a flourish.

Burghley Park went on a run spree at home to Grimsby Town, Peter Foster hitting 108 off 80 balls with 18 fours and two sixes.

Steady batting down the order saw the home side to 334-9 at the close.

Grimsby had no answer to this and were all out for 160.

Sam Mason took five wickets as Bracebridge Heath restricted Lindum to 210-9 off their 50 overs, Rory Grieve top scoring with 63.

Avishka Tharindu hit 74 to put Bracebridge in a good position but 176-4 quickly became 187-8 and when the ninth fell on 198, Lindum looked favourites.

But wicketkeeper Sam Clegg was still at the crease and he guided his team home to the slenderest of victories with an unbeaten 27.

At Grantham, Andy Hibberd and George Woods took Sleaford from 59-3 to 164 before Woods was out for 49. Hibberd made 52 as Sleaford were all out for 247.

Kieran Habron then took five wickets to help his side to victory and third place in the division.

In Championship North, Liam Andrews hit 149 for champions Messingham in their victory over Barton Town and Tom Lea made an unbeaten 100 in Scothern’s win over Cleethorpes seconds.

And in Division One South, Long Sutton sealed the championship with a win over challengers Freiston.

In Division Two North, unable to raise a side, relegation rivals Lindum thirds conceded the game at home to Horncastle.

Horncastle now need to beat Nettleham seconds at home to Saturday in their final game to escape the drop.