Action from around the county over the past week

TUCKER PREMIER

OPENER Adam Cousins scored his first Saturday half-century for two years as Godmanchester Town got back to winning ways in Division One with a 28-run home success over St Ives Town on Saturday.

Cousins (67) was well supported by a quick fire 51 from Chethan William as Godmanchester reached 218-5 in their allotted 48 overs.

Matt Durrant (48) gave St Ives a good start but they faltered mid-innings and were bowled out 28 runs short of their target with William, Jack Skidmore and Elliott Baldwin each picking up three wickets apiece.

The win sees Goddy move into third and got them back on track after last weekend’s slip up against leaders Ramsey while St Ives, after starting with four straight wins, have now lost two on the spin and currently sit fourth.

Leaders Ramsey, meanwhile, are now just three points clear nearest challengers March Town after drawing their home fixture with bottom side Cambridge Granta II on Saturday.

Michael Cafferkey struck 102 at the top of the innings for Ramsey as they made 255-6 batting first before Oliver Werrall (4-26) looked to have set the leaders on their way to another win.

But Granta struggled through to 147-7 and managed to escape with a draw.

Second-placed March kept up the pressure on Ramsey with a 54-run win over Nassington.

In Division Two, struggling Godmanchester Town II continue to prop up the table after their seven-wicket reverse at Weston Colville on Saturday.

Not one Goddy player managed to get into double figures as they could only muster 44 before being bowled out, although they did at least restore a bit of pride with the ball, collecting three home wickets but the result was never in doubt.

Waresley are still undefeated in second spot after their drawn game at leaders Castor & Ailsworth.

Matt Rawling (51) and Paul Field (60) stood out for the visitors in their 201 all out while Steve Hooley (4-64) was the pick of the Waresley bowlers as the hosts closed having settled for a draw on 192-8.

HUNTS COUNTY LEAGUE

FOR the second weekend in succession Warboys got the better of Eaton Socon in a third verses fourth battle in Division One – running out five-wicket winners on home soil on Saturday.

Ryan Brown struck 64 in a below-par 170-8 from the visitors from their 45 overs and, despite four wickets for Dom Marchant, Warboys reached their target with five wickets still intact and six overs to spare.

Dan Wright made the lion’s share of Warboys’ runs with his knock of 76 – while he also smacked 145 to inspire his side to a one-wicket Smith Barry Junior Cup second round win at Cambridge Granta thirds the following day.

A powerful batting display from Houghton and Wyton gave them a comfortable 96-run home victory over Southill Park in Division Two.

Simon Wales (68) and Pete Waughman (91) put on a mammoth 150-run partnership that laid the platform for their 274-6.

Chris Mastin (3-28) then took two wickets in the first over of Southill’s reply and they were always on the back foot after that, restricted to 178-8 from their allotted overs.

A great spell of bowling by Chris Peck inspired Brampton to an eight-wicket win at basement boys Upwood seconds in Division Four.

Putting the hosts into bat was evidently the right decision with the Brampton bowlers proving too much for a relatively inexperienced Upwood side.

Peck finished with figures of 4-20 as the hosts were bowled out for just 92 before some powerful hitting by Andy Canham (35), including seven fours, quickly got Brampton over the line for the loss of two wickets in 16 overs.

A competitive encounter between Little Paxton and Buckden II in Division Five on Sunday was ultimately thwarted by the weather.

Buckden elected to bat and some powerful strikes from Martin Sacker (69) saw them reach 210 all out, while James Ottaway was the pick of the bowlers - taking a hat-trick - to end with figures of 5-39.

In reply Little Paxton reached 104-3 before the rain brought an early close to play with Mark Burke unbeaten on 38.

Elsewhere in Division Five, James Wright’s 5-55 was the highlight for Warboys thirds but could not prevent them from a 31-run defeat at Biggleswade seconds.

The hosts were all out for 140 but, in reply, Warboys could only muster 109 before being bowled out.

Then, on Sunday, Warboys thirds finally broke their duck with a win against Great Staughton in a game that twisted one way, then the other.

A first senior five-for for Samuel Vallance (5-25) along with Jake Tingey (5-22) ripped through the Staughton batting line-up, as they were eventually bowled out for 103 – having been reduced to 55-8 at one stage, before a determined ninth-wicket stand helped them past three figures.

The hosts didn’t have it all their own way in reply, with wickets falling at regular intervals but managed to get over the line with two wickets still intact.

CCA SENIOR LEAGUE

JOINT-LEADERS Yelling made it five out of five in CCA Senior Division Two with an 11-run win in an action-packed game at home against Wilbrahams.

Marc Petzer (86), Aaron Johnson (64) and Sam Johnson (52) were all in the runs in Yelling’s 250-7 while Petzer and Aaron Johnson then starred with the ball – both taking three wickets apiece – as the visitors were reduced to 239-7 in reply.

In Division Three, Ben Austin’s 53 helped Somersham Town to their third league win on the trot – a three-wicket defeat of Eversden.

John Manning (4-34) had earlier helped reduce the hosts Eversden to 175-7.

CCA JUNIOR LEAGUE

ANOTHER half-century from the in-form Lee Smith helped second-placed Abbots Ripton an eight-wicket home win over Bluntisham II – as they made it four wins out of four in Division 4A on Saturday.

The hosts won the toss and chose to bowl on a lively wicket and Bluntisham were bowled out for 137 with Greig Richardson top scoring with 54 and Scott Walton talking 4-27 with the ball for Abbots.

Then Smith’s unbeaten 78 steered them to 137-2 – his third 50 in a row – and taking his average for the season so far to 79.

RUTLAND LEAGUE

DECENT knocks from Will Hall (82) and Terry Day (81) helped Eaton Socon seconds to a 10-run victory at Oakham seconds in Division Six on Sunday.

Socon made 228-6 before restricting their opponents to 218-6 in reply.

CHRISTMAS CUP

HOLDERS Huntingdon advanced to the final of the Christmas Cup with a comfortable victory at Upwood in midweek.

Batting first, Huntingdon compiled 157-6 with Nick Kumpukkul top scoring with 66 and, in reply, Upwood were never in contention, as they made 93-9 with Adrian Rose (3-21) leading the way.

The final will be against Ramsey II or Eltisley at Ramsey on Tuesday, July 5.

COUNTY CRICKET

ANOTHER sparking ton from Chethan William – his second consecutive hundred for the county – just failed to get Huntingdonshire over the line as they slipped to an agonising four-run friendly defeat against Surrey Academy at Horsley & Send CC on Thursday.

Wanting just six runs to win off the last over, Hunts saw their last batsman (Joe Dawborn) run out on the first ball thanks to a brilliant direct hit on the stumps from the boundary by James Crowson.

It left man of the moment William stranded on 119no – an innings which included 15 fours and a six off 100 balls that followed on from his 125 against the RAF in their last friendly fixture.

William also once again starred with the ball as both he and emerging U17 star Dawborn took three wickets each in Surrey’s 230 all out in 49.5 overs.

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ROLL OF HONOUR

BAT

Dan Wright

Warboys

145 & 76

Chethan William

Huntingdonshire & Godmanchester Town

119no & 51

Michael Cafferkey

Ramsey

102

Pete Waughman

Houghton & Wyton

91

BALL

Jake Tingey

Warboys III

5-22

Samuel Vallance

Warboys III

5-25

James Ottaway

Little Paxton

5-39

James Wright

Warboys III

5-55

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To see your cricket team featured in The Hunts Post, email a brief summary from your weekend match – including league and division – to sport@huntspost.co.uk no later than MIDDAY on a Monday. If you think there is a batsman or bowler who has put in a standout performance – a stunning century or a brilliant five-for – and is deserving of a spot on the Roll of honour, let us know using the above guidelines.