A round-up of the cricket action that beat the weekend downpours

HUNTS COUNTY LEAGUE

TORRENTIAL downpours meant a washout of Saturday’s fixtures but the wet weather didn’t dampen Little Paxton’s spirits the following day as they recorded a crushing win over Great Staughton in Division Five.

Paxton re-wrote the record books in their massive 151-run home victory with opener Greg Wright (105) posting his maiden century and putting on a new club record partnership of 199 with Mark Burke (68).

The hosts posted 294-3 from their 45 overs – also a record - while Great Staughton, despite responding at a fine pace in reply, lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually succumbed to 143 all out.

Curtis Gallagher struck a battling 34 with Tim Simmonds taking 3-33.

Elsewhere in Division Five on Sunday, Buckden seconds won by nine runs at Sawtry thirds, while Hilton conceded their match against Shia Sports.

In Division Four, Brampton were convincing six-wicket winners on a bowler’s wicket at home against Orton Park seconds.

Having won the toss and put their visitors into bat, the home side smashed Orton Park’s line-up into smithereens, reducing them to 21-9 at one stage.

However a last-wicket stand between father and son Peter and Thomas Plant did at least push them up to 70 before losing their final wicket as Chris Peck (5-27) and Pete Boardman (4-29) both enjoyed memorable days with the ball.

Brampton openers Duncan McGregor and Ian Purser made a good start, but they were limited by the Orton Park bowlers and it took the home side 24 overs - for the loss of four wickets - to make the required 71.

Simon Howkins got a five-for as Eaton Socon thirds won by six wickets over Yaxley seconds.

He collected his five victims for just 13 runs off seven overs as Yaxley were skittled out for 45.

Eaton did then lose four wickets in reply although Ryan Vale (33) got them all but over the line before getting out.

RUTLAND LEAGUE

EATON SOCON went down to a narrow nine-run defeat at King’s Keys in Division Two on Sunday.

Dan Newman and Carl Baker both collected a couple of wickets apiece, as the hosts finished on 176-4 batting first after 40 overs.

In reply, Eaton could only muster 167-8 from their allotted time at the crease, Richard Willcock top scoring with 46.

In Division Six, Alconbury seconds overcame difficult conditions to record a five-wicket win at home against their Newborough counterparts.

Excellent bowling by Richard King (3-18) and Harry Cotton (2-5) limited the visitors to 127-8 off their 45 overs.

Then Roland Amft (49) and Harry Moffett (32) steered Alconbury home to their victory target for the loss of five wickets inside 32 overs.

It was Alconbury’s third win in four matches and maintains their challenge at the top of the table.

Warboys seconds, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a 149-run hammering at Weldon – with the damage mainly done by Connor Mcalinden (110) although Adam Bird did pick up a trio of wickets for the visitors.

Weldon set Warboys a challenging 291 to win, but they were never really in with a shout and were eventually bowled out for 141 in reply, as home bowler Francis Glover (6-15) ripped through the order.

EAST OF ENGLAND LEAGUE

A FINE all-round display from youngster Joe Dawborn could not save Huntingdonshire’s U19s from a four-wicket defeat against Norfolk in their final East of England League clash at St Ives CC last Wednesday.

Dawborn top scored with 70 in Hunts’ 183 all out in 47.3 overs and then took three Norfolk wickets (3-31) but unfortunately still finished on the losing side, as the visitors achieved their win with 11 balls to spare.

This was Hunts’ third and final match in the series and, although they had recorded a record-breaking victory over Essex in their previous match, were always second best in this rather low-key contest.

Both sides found runs hard to come by under heavy skies and it was the bowlers who looked on top for most of the match.

But Hunts can be pleased – despite two defeats from three matches - with the number of promising newcomers who were blooded during the series.

The loss against Norfolk followed on from a terrific five-over win over Essex – East of England champions three times in the last four years - earlier in the month at Billericay CC.

It was Hunts U19s’ first victory over their Essex counterparts in five meetings between the sides and owed much to the batting performances of John Carpenter (84) and Liam Le Roux (77no).

Opener Chris Budd also hit a half century for the visitors, having earlier collected 4-51 in Essex’s total of 271-7 off their 50 overs.

But it wasn’t enough as Hunts reached their target with five wickets in hand and more than four overs to spare.

YOUTH CRICKET

CAPTAIN Mark Saunders played a captain’s innings to guide Huntingdonshire U10s over the line in their game against a strong Norfolk side at Upwood CC on Thursday.

Vishal Popat (4-16) was the pick of the home bowlers and helped ensure that Norfolk could not settle and build partnerships, eventually being bowled out for 94 in the 29th over.

Saunders, who finished undefeated on 28, was ably assisted in the run chase by Oscar Brydon who crafted a masterful 40 before being bowled and, along with Daniel Conway, helped Hunts home.

The result followed on from their six-wicket defeat by Suffolk U10s at Copdock the week before.

The hosts won the toss and put Hunts in on what looked like a batting wicket, although wickets soon started to tumble and, after 35 overs, they had reached 85-6 with Sreehari Subramonian finishing unbeaten on 24.

In reply, the top three Suffolk wickets fell for 14, with Hugo Bell the pick of the Hunts bowlers with a couple of wickets but, ultimately, they were trying to defend too small a total.

At U13 level, Josh Smith stood out with figures of 6-24 from his eight overs in Hunts’ recent match against Kent.

Warboys U11s, meanwhile, were 26-run winners over Castor & Ailsworth in the U11 8-a-side Regional League North.

Scoring in pairs and starting at 200, Hunts made 311-2 off their 20 overs, while Castor finished on 285-5.

HUNTINGDON 2000

PREPARATIONS for October’s tour of South Africa are now well underway for Huntingdon 2000 after their recent 39-run victory over Trinity Grammar School from Melbourne, Australia at Ramsey CC.

Rain restricted it to a 40-over contest and after winning the toss, Hunts batted first and ended on a respectable 180-7 after skipper Rob Sayer and Elliot Smith put together an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 43 following an earlier wobble.

The wickets were then shared among the home attack as they finished convincing winners with more than five overs to spare.

Huntingdon 2000 is an independent organisation which takes the best 16-18 year-old cricketers from the area on an international tour every two years.