Matt Taylor toasted a first ever hat-trick as Eaton Socon completed a quick Cambs & Hunts Premier League double yesterday.

The 36 year-old seamer removed visiting batsmen Spencer Saberton, Nathan Oliver and Andrew Wright in successive balls during a four-wicket Whiting & Partners Division One triumph against March.

Taylor also claimed two further wickets to finish with 5-22 – the second-best figures of his career as Eaton Socon followed up victory in the reverse fixture the previous weekend with another triumph.

His exploits helped to restrict March to 169 and Dale Van Der Merwe then hit a half-century as Eaton Socon eased to victory with almost five overs to spare.

The South African ace whacked seven fours and two sixes in a quickfire 55 off just 45 balls.

Captain Jonny Carpenter contributed a much steadier 36 before an unbeaten 28 from Adam White steered the locals over the line.

It was a case of back-to-back clashes all round and Ramsey dropped to third place despite seeing off bottom side St Ives again.

Under the guidance of stand-in skipper James Markland, they restricted their struggling hosts to 173-8 before completing a six-wicket success, but they were leapfrogged in the standings by Wisbech, who picked up the maximum 30 points in their win against Histon, whereas Ramsey’s efforts earned only 25.

Teenager Murray Reid registered a first half-century at this level with an unbeaten 68 for St Ives.

Godmanchester suffered at the hands of Nassington again as they went down by 65 runs when dismissed for just 114.

In fact it was only resistance from tail-ender Russel Withey, who hit 30, that carried them into three figures. Earlier Amir Gupta took 3-36 as Nassington amassed 179.

But Waresley snapped a three-match losing run when gaining revenge against Saffron Walden. A century opening stand from Nick Taylor (67) and Jack Anglberger (40) set them on the way to a 68-run win.

Waresley posted a useful 193-8 before dismissing their visitors for just 125. Gary Cole swooped for season’s best figures of 4-31 while Aussie ace Michael Ninneman claimed 3-40.

Kimbolton saw their lead in Whiting & Partners Division Two slashed to a single point following a derby defeat.

The table-toppers were beaten by fellow promotion hopefuls Huntingdon & District by 23 runs in low-scoring clash.

The visitors could only manage a modest 125, but that proved to be a match-winning tally with Kimbolton removed for 102 in reply with Nomi Khan (4-15) and Graham Hudson (3-25) tormenting them.

Huntingdon & District sit third in a section where the top four teams are covered by only a dozen points.

Warboys’ drought continued as they failed to reach 100 with the bat for the third successive match.

The bottom side were dismissed for 92 as they suffered an 81-run reverse at the hands of Blunham.

Matt Cooksey was the only Warboys batsman to make it into double-figures with 26 after earlier taking 4-23 with a rare spell of bowling.

SATURDAY, JULY 1

CAMBS & HUNTS PREMIER LEAGUE

Whiting & Partners Division One

EATON SOCON beat MARCH by 4 wkts

March 169 (M. Taylor 5-22).

Eaton Socon 173-6 (D. Van Der Merwe 55, J. Carpenter 36).

GODMANCHESTER TOWN lost to NASSINGTON by 65 runs

Nassington 179 (A. Gupta 3-36).

Godmanchester Tn 114 (R. Withey 30).

ST IVES lost to RAMSEY by 6 wkts

St Ives 173-8 (M. Reid 68no).

Ramsey 177-4 (N. Kumpukkal 3-32).

WARESLEY beat SAFFRON WALDEN by 68 runs

Waresley 193-8 (N. Taylor 67, J. Anglberger 40).

Saffron Walden 125 (G. Cole 4-31, M. Ninneman 3-40).

Whiting & Partners Division Two

KIMBOLTON lost to HUNTINGDON & DISTRICT by 23 runs

Huntingdon & District 125 (L. Ingram 3-23).

Kimbolton 102 (N. Khan 4-15, G. Hudson 3-25).

WARBOYS lost to BLUNHAM by 81 runs

Blunham 173 (M. Cooksey 4-23).

Warboys 92.