Godmanchester Town are joint top of the Tucker Gardner Premier League – but the captain Matt Pateman says his team are putting him through the ringer every week.

“We certainly don’t do my heart any good,” he told The Hunts Post after the two-wicket win at last year’s champions Wisbech Town.

The home side’s captain, Alan Burton, hit 77 but there was a failure to build on the good start further down the order and Wisbech finished their 48 overs on 191 for nine.

Spinner Wayne Bradley took five wickets for 82 runs with Kiran Adhav adding another two for 38. Adhav then starred with the bat hitting 59 runs before being caught by Burton. But, help Adhav had, and a 55 from his captain Pateman saw the team near their target. In fact, the batsmen hit his 55 off 59 balls with five fours in a row.

“We did really well to keep them to 191,” said Pateman. “Kiran kept it tight while Bradley attacked, proving more costly but picking up five wickets.

“We should have won easily but once I was given out, caught down leg off my thigh pad, it stalled a bit.

“Then a mini-collapse meant it was a tense finish with 15 still needed when the eighth wicket went down.

“But Matt Durrant [12 not out] and Paul Jefferson [eight] showed good nerves.”

Godmanchester share the top spot with Sawston, who beat the former leaders Waresley, who had been top of the table for the first four weeks.

Blair Tickner did his best for Waresley hitting 44 as they set their visitors’ a target of 155 – and he took four wickets for 49 runs. But those were the only four wickets Sawston lost as they reached 161 in 40.5 overs.

The Waresley captain, Simon Donald, was left disappointed. “It was a poor performance,” he said. “A score of 155 was well below par.

“We took three early wickets which put us right in it but were unable to break that fourth-wicket partnership. A chance was dropped with the score on 40 which could have changed everything.

“So we go again next week against Cambridge NCI.”

Ramsey, who are now fourth, got a good win at Histon where Michael Cafferkey scored 52 not out as they chased the home side’s 99 – David Carlaw (5-48) and Mark Edwards (4-29) – doing the damage.

Warboys drew at home to Nassington with Matt Duncan (52 not out) and Matt Cooksey (3-25) playing their part with a loss looking the more likely outcome at one stage.

“I was pleased that we kept going and didn’t just hand them the win,” said the captain Leighton Gilbert.

In Division Two, Eaton Socon went to Khalsa and won by five wickets. Ray Tudor top scored with 84 and they are now second.

The captain Terry Day said: “It was our third win in a row and its the first time we have done that in the Premier League.

“We are playing very good cricket in all departments at the moment and hope to continue that at home against Newborough next weekend.”

St Ives Town are now rock bottom without a win after dropping out of Division One last season.

This time they were soundly beaten by Ketton who put on 244 for the loss of only one wicket before getting St Ives all out for 109.

Stamford Town are too good for Division Two of the Hunts County Bats League – that’s the opinion of the Sawtry captain Ian Fowler after his team suffered a 161-run loss at the hands of their visitors on Saturday.

Stamford who have won their first three games in the division were far too strong for the home side with Simon Prentice scoring an unbeaten 135 as they put on 282 for six in their 45 overs, despite Brian Chapman’s four wickets for 39 runs.

Fowler said: “We never really got going in reply to the huge target – but credit goes to Adam Clarke, who top scored with 52. We eventually got bowled out for 121.

“Stamford are far too good for this league and should romp it really – so we will brush ourselves down ready for our game next week.”

That game will be against Houghton & Wyton who are second in the table after a 13-run win at Peterborough Town III. Pete Waughman took seven wickets for 30 runs and Julian Hale top scored with 47. Phil Gillett took five wickets for 38 runs in Waresley II’s excellent win at Barnack with the same player knocking off 53 runs with the bat.

Gary Cole (45) and Neil Suckling (46) had a good go but couldn’t stop Alconbury from losing away at Orton Park.

In Division One there were wins for Eaton Socon II and Ramsey II (over Huntingdon & District, who are still waiting for their season to kick start), while Godmanchester Town II lost at home to Hampton.

In Division Three Laurie Marsh (47) top scored for Buckden in their two-wicket defeat at Bharat Sports, while Huntingdon & District II suffered a massive nine-wicket defeat at home to Castor & Alsworth.

In the Division Three Hunts derby, Upwood only managed a knock of 113 with Warboys II getting to 114 with the loss of just four wickets. Dan Malem and Sam Vallance took three wickets each for the victors.

However, in Division Four, Warboys III were thrashed by Blunham III who set them a target of 278 for four and bowled them all out for 34 in 11.4 overs.

In Division Five, Brampton’s first game of the season ended in defeat after an abject batting performance against Great Staughton, who batted first and were restricted to 166 all out. After a quick start and being 59-1 at one stage, Brampton started throwing away their wickets and collapsed to 83 for six – just managing to scrape to 125 all out. Staughton’s Ben Houseago took six of the Brampton wickets.