Seasiders beaten in a relegation battle

Third-from-bottom Skegness are now 26 points adrift of the Boston side in the league table.

But more importantly for the seasiders they are just 12 points clear of second-bottom Grimsby with four games to play.

Having been put into bat by the away side on Saturday, Sean Chamberlain’s men lost four wickets before they had 50 on the board.

Dylan Labuschagne faced 21 balls for his two runs while his opening partner Pradeep Chanditha made 30 before being caught by Damian Lawson off the bowling of Tim Bell.

Forty-eight for two soon became 49 for four with Jamie Epton and Saeed Bariwala both falling cheaply.

Skipper Sean Chamberlain and Norman Brackley steadied the ship.

But just when it looked as though they had mastered the slow left arm of Paul Deans, Chamberlain was bowled by him.

Deans went on to finish with creditable figures of three for 39 off his 17 overs.

Ray Jordan was perhaps Skegness’s best hope of reviving their innings but he was caught at slip by Jonathan Cheer off Bell, while lashing out to the third ball he faced.

So the Skegness innings petered out on 150, securing just two batting points.

When Boston began their response the seasiders made an early breakthrough with Jordan having Kieran Evans caught behind by Sean Chamberlain.

Tom Poole and Liam Sparke also struggled on the slow wicket and were dismissed before they had reached double figures.

But that was the end of the good news for the seasiders.

An unbroken partnership of 88 between Boston’s captain Ryan Croom and Jonathan Cheer was enough to see the visitors home with 10 overs to spare as both claimed half centuries.

Skegness will look to pick themselves up again before Saturday’s trip to Bourne.

Skegness batting: P. Chanditha ct Lawson b Bell 30, D. Labuschagne ct Bell b Orr 2, J. Epton ct Evans b Deans 6, N. Brackley ct Poole b Orr 37, S. Bariwala ct Elleray b Deans 0, S. Chamberlain b Deans 21, R. Jordan ct Cheer b Bell 1, T. Cuthbert ct & b Elleray 8, M. Chamberlain not out 12, A. Sylvester b Orr 10, H. Houlden b Orr 0; Extras 23.

Skegness bowling: R. Jordan 10-2- 44-1; P. Chanditha 6-1- 12-0; S. Bariwala 13.4-2- 57-1; N. Brackley 10-2- 38-1.