Sleaford CC keep the pressure on at the top of the league

Sleaford kept the pressure on at the top of the Lincolnshire Premier League with a six-wicket win away at Nettleham on Saturday.
Tom Shorthouse top scored in Sleaford's win.Tom Shorthouse top scored in Sleaford's win.
Tom Shorthouse top scored in Sleaford's win.

The win means they’re 12 points behind leaders Bourne, who have a game in hand, with five matches still for Sleaford to play.

The current top two will play each other in the penultimate week of the season on September 17.

Saturday saw Nettleham skipper Daniel McCardell win the toss and opt to bat first, but he was soon sent on his way with just seven runs on the board off the bowling of Cameron Hall, that being the first of his 5 for 22 in a terrific bowling display.

Nettleham progressed steadily but with wickets falling at fairly regular intervals, opener Mitchell Slattery causing the most problems as he hit 43 before being fourth man down with 81 on the board.

Tom Lea’s 38 helped Nettleham move along but their final five wickets fell for just 16 runs as they collapsed from 144-5 to 160 all out, Hall and Henry Cooper (3 for 22) the main men with the ball, with Joe Peck and Tom Shorthouse also taking a wicket each.

Sleaford were 4-1 early on in reply as Peck fell cheaply, but Mason Mansfield (36) would stand firm alongside firstly Cooper (32) and then Shorthouse (42) to put Sleaford in a strong position and when the latter was last of the trio to fall, they were 132-4.

Andy Hibberd (26 not out) and Charlie Roberts (12 not out) then saw Sleaford home inside 34 overs.

Sleaford host Woodhall Spa on Saturday.