Eaton Socon produced a fine performance to triumph against another set of Cambs & Hunts Premier League title-chasers yesterday.

Jonny Carpenter’s side triumphed by 30 runs at Saffron as a thrilling battle for Whiting & Partners Division One honours continued.

Openers Matt Pateman (83) and Carpenter (55) put on 142 for the opening wicket to lay the foundations for an impressive innings as Eaton Socon reached 279-4. It was a total which also featured rapid contributions of an unbeaten 59 off 39 balls from Michael Pickard and 49 from 42 deliveries by Joe Dawborn.

And Pickard was then the star turn with the ball as he claimed a five-wicket haul to help remove the hosts for 249 in the penultimate over of their reply.

Pickard finished with figures of 5-69 while skipper Carpenter bagged 3-37 for an Eaton Socon side who remain fourth in the standings.

But they are within 30 points (one victory with maximum points) of table-toppers Sawston & Babraham with two games to go. They host the current leaders on the final day of the campaign on September 15.

Sawston & Babraham thumped Ramsey yesterday in a game which featured more than 600 runs.

The table-toppers piled up 372-6 of them – a mighty total which included a 288-run opening stand - before removing Ramsey for 237 as the locals crashed to a fifth consecutive defeat.

Godmanchester Town triumphed at Histon by 90 runs in another high-scoring clash.

Big-hitting from Amit Gupta (84) Paul Swannell (79no), Josh Wesson (38) and James Sykes (37) carried Town to 315-7 before they sent their hosts packing for 225.

Elliot Baldwin led the way with a season’s best return of 4-45 at this level while Sykes claimed 3-31.

Sykes now boasts 45 wickets this season – a joint-best tally in Division One matched by Eaton Socon ace Dawborn and March’s overseas star Saranga Rajaguru.

Runs were in considerably shorter supply at Foxton where rock-bottom Kimbolton were pushed closer to relegation by an eight-wicket defeat.

The local side battled their way to 114-6 but it was easily eclipsed by the high-flying hosts in little more than 16 overs.

Third beat second in Whiting & Partners Division Two as St Ives signed off on a high in their final home fixture of the summer.

Jack Haycock’s men boosted their hopes of finishing as runners-up with a 111-run success against the Thriplow side who sit immediately above them in the standings.

Michael Speed (47) and Ricky Greiller (40) were the biggest contributors to the locals’ 287-8 effort before Matt Dack (4-20) and Shaun Asplin (3-22) impressed with the ball to dismiss Thriplow for 176.

Huntingdon & District were beaten by five wickets at Blunham after being dismissed for 174.

CAMBS & HUNTS PREMIER LEAGUE

Whiting & Partners Division One

FOXTON beat KIMBOLTON by 8 wkts

Kimbolton 114-6.

Foxton 115-2.

HISTON lost to GODMANCHESTER TOWN by 90 runs

Godmanchester Tn 315-7.

Histon 225.

SAFFRON WALDEN lost to EATON SOCON by 30 run

Eaton Socon 279-4 (M. Pateman 83, M. Pickard 59no, J. Carpenter 55, J. Dawborn 49).

Saffron Walden 249 (M. Pickard 5-69, J. Carpenter 3-37).

SAWSTON & BABRAHAM beat RAMSEY by 135 runs

Sawston & Babraham 372-6.

Ramsey 237.

Whiting & Partners Division Two

BLUNHAM beat HUNTINGDON & DISTRICT by 5 wkts

Huntingdon & District 174.

Blunham 175-5.

ST IVES beat THRIPLOW by 111 runs

St Ives 287-8 (M. Speed 47, R. Greiller 40, M. Askew 36, M. Reid 35).

Thriplow 176 (M. Dack 4-20, S. Asplin 3-22).