The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding Town 2nd (195) beat Baston (131-8) by 64 runs
CALMING INFLUENCE: Mike Kearns (right) played his part in a century stand with Ansar Hussain. Photo by NIKKI GRIFFIN
A super century stand from Mike Kearns and Ansar Hussain helped Spalding Town 2nd get back to winning ways on Saturday.
Opener Kearns (49) and all-rounder Hussain (88) put on 126 for the third wicket at the Memorial Field, as Town beat Baston by 64 runs.
Their partnership was the mainstay of the team’s tally of 195, with Jamie Juckes (23) and Nohman Ahmad (15) the only others to reach double figures.
Steve Norris (3-26), Hussain (2-11), Sanj Tott (2-14) and Jimmy Clarke (1-1) then all took wickets to limit the away side to 131-8 in reply.
Satisfied skipper Norris said: “It was certainly not an easy wicket to bat on.
“Mike and Ansar did a fantastic job in what turned out to be a match winning partnership.
“We are now looking forward to pushing on next week.”
Norris lost the toss and opposition skipper Tim Dyer had no hesitation in putting Town into bat.
The hosts were soon one down with Mick East falling first ball to an amazing one-handed catch by Dyer off the bowling of Adam Hilless (4-31).
Shortly afterwards Simon Juckes (3) became Hilless’ second victim after getting a ball that swung and took out his middle stump.
At 13-2 Town looked in trouble – but when Hussain joined Kearns in the middle the runs started to flow.
Hussain was scoring at a Twenty/20 rate that saw him dispatch anything short and wide or off a bad length to the boundary.
Kearns was once again at his watchful best, anchoring the innings expertly.
Hussain reached his 50 off just 38 balls and continued to accelerate rapidly through the gears.
At 140-2 in the 28th over a massive score seemed on the cards, before the wily slow bowling of Dyer (4-56) saw a collapse. Kearns fell one short of a well-deserved 50, while Ben Smith and Clarke both went for one.
Hussain, who hit 12 fours and two sixes, eventually went with the score on 156, leaving Jamie Juckes and Ahmad to push the score towards 200 before both perished.
Mark Richardson (24) and Joe Malton (10) put on a watchful 38 for the first wicket before Norris had the latter caught behind by Kearns.
Number three Scott Downie (18) took the attack to Town before top edging a Hussain deliver to Kearns.
Wickets then began to fall at regular intervals, with both Hussain and Norris creating problems – and after the dismissal of Richardson, the run rate also dried up.
With Baston at 88-5, Town looked on the verge of a large victory.
But some firm hitting from Hilless (19) and James Biggs (24) saw the Baston boys lift the score to a very respectable 131-8 at the close of their 45-over innings.
The win, Spalding’s third of the season from eight games, lifts them into the top three – just eight points behind leaders Market Deeping 2nd.
Next up is a trip to struggling Woodlands on Saturday (1.30pm).
