Young talent Michael Speed starred as St Ives bounced back to winning ways at the first attempt yesterday.

Speed took 4-8 from seven-and-a-half fine overs as the locals preserved their position at the top of Tucker Gardner League Division Two with an eight-wicket drubbing of Sawston & Babraham.

Nikhil Kumpukkal (4-27) also did plenty of damage as the visitors were removed for 96 – a tally that St Ives had no trouble in eclipsing.

Jack Haycock (38no) batted throughout their quick and successful chase while fellow opener Umair Tariq made 40.

Huntingdon & District came up agonisingly short yesterday as they failed to follow up their success against St Ives the previous weekend.

Martin Burton’s men went down by a single run at Ufford Park – closing on 199 in pursuit of the hosts’ offering of 200-9.

They went into the final over needing five runs for victory and with two wickets in hand, but they were both lost to run-outs – one of which arrived off the final ball.

West Indian ace Dario Cummings hit 99 of Huntingdon & District’s runs.

Nick Borkett hit an unbeaten 56 as Kimbolton cruised to an eight-wicket triumph against Fordham.

Martin Moore had earlier taken three wickets as they removed the visitors for just 108.

Warboys endured a bad day with the bat. They were skittled for 110 in a seven-wicket reverse at the hands of Saffron Walden 2nds.

TUCKER GARDNER LEAGUE

Division Two

KIMBOLTON beat FORDHAM by 8 wkts

Fordham 108 (M. Moore 3-30).

Kimbolton 112-2 (N. Borkett 56no).

ST IVES beat SAWSTON & BABRAHAM by 8 wkts

Sawston & Babraham 96 (M. Speed 4-8, N. Kumpukkal 4-27).

St Ives 97-2 (U. Tariq 40, J. Haycock 38no).

UFFORD PARK beat HUNTINGDON & DISTRICT by 1 run

Ufford Park 200-9 (C. Nelson 3-40).

Huntingdon & District 199 (D. Cummins 99, F. Javed 33).

WARBOYS lost to SAFFRON WALDEN 2NDS by 7 wkts

Warboys 110.

Saffron Walden 2nds 111-3.