Ramsey saw their lead at the top of Tucker Gardner League Division One slashed after slipping to a first defeat of the season yesterday.

Michael Cafferkey’s men came up agonisingly short with the bat when going down by three runs at Foxton.

They needed nine from the final over to better their hosts’ total of 229-8, but lost overseas ace Blake Mills to a run-out off the opening ball and were only able to add six runs from the remaining five deliveries.

James Markland top-scored with 53 for Ramsey while Taylor West (45) and Cafferkey (43) also produced useful contributions.

The conquerors of two local teams are now in hot pursuit of Ramsey.

Second-placed Wisbech are just five points adrift after blitzing reigning champions Godmanchester at The Parks.

Captain Paul Swannell (24) and Elliott Baldwin (15) were the only players to reach double-figures as Godmanchester were skittled for just 90 – a tally Wisbech eased past with more than half of their 50 overs to spare.

Captain Jonny Carpenter continued his fine run of form as his Eaton Socon side slipped to a second successive defeat.

The five-wicket reverse arrived at third-placed Saffron Walden where a posting of 225 – spearheaded by Carpenter’s own 72 to follow back-to-back centuries in his past two games - was not enough.

Waresley were beaten by another set of strugglers yesterday. An eight-wicket loss at the hands of Ketton provided a fifth defeat in six Division One games.

Mihir Bushan’s 43 and an unbeaten 30 from Alex Scully helped the locals to 205-8, but the visitors eased past that effort for the loss of only two wickets.

TUCKER GARDNER LEAGUE

Division One

FOXTON beat RAMSEY by 3 runs

Foxton 229-8.

Ramsey 226-8 (J. Markland 53, T. West 45, M. Cafferkey 43).

GODMANCHESTER lost to WISBECH by 8 wkts

Godmanchester 90.

Wisbech 91-2.

SAFFRON WALDEN beat EATON SOCON by 5 wkts

Eaton Socon 225 (J. Carpenter 72, M. Pateman 43).

Saffron Walden 229-5.

WARESLEY lost to KETTON by 8 wkts

Waresley 205-8 (M. Bushan 43, A. Scully 30no).

Ketton 208-2.