The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A sensational century from Jack Barnett guided Moulton Harrox to a 32-run win over Woodhall Spa 2nd in the South Lincs and Border League Premier Division on Saturday.
Opener Barnett blasted 105 from 108 balls at Broad Lane to help Harrox post 238-8 after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Skipper Simon Behan made 52 as Spa’s second string rallied in reply, but Matt Rose (3-50) and Danny Jackson (3-41) took three wickets each to bowl them out for 206 in 42.3 overs.
Harrox lost skipper Chris Beale (6) early on, but Barnett’s innings was the catalyst for their strong team score.
He hit 15 fours in an innings that ticked along at almost a run-a-ball, with Alin Carter (42) and Mohammad Alam (26) the only other Moulton players to make double figures.
Spa lost too many wickets cheaply in their run chase, with six players out for five or less.
Behan, Danny Wells (40), Sam Cherry (30) and George Cobb (24) all scored well, but further wickets from
Travis Harrison (2-63) and Lee Eyett (2-48) saw Harrox seal a 20-point haul and move up to seventh in the standings.
Above them in the table, Long Sutton suffered a six-wicket home reverse against Freiston and are now just 20 points ahead of their South Holland rivals.
Hosts Sutton won the toss and had a bat at Paradise Field, but lost opener Dan Oldfield for a duck in the first over.
Calvin Bird (34), Angus Bell (41) and Jamie Taylor (11) were the only recognised Sutton batsman to score double figures, with Abdul Moeed (6-28) bamboozling the top and middle order.
Indeed, Sutton looked like they were going to be out very cheaply at 126-9, but a tenth-wicket stand of 65 between Barry Stanway (23) and Charlie Crisp (27 not out) elevated them to a defendable total.
Freiston lost early wickets in their reply with Paul Edgeller (3-44) and Jake Burton (1-56) getting amongst the wickets.
But a great 120-run partnership between Usman Ahmed (74 not out) and man-of-the-match Moeed (47 not out) eased them to 194-4 in just 31.2 overs.
The six points collected by Sutton see them slip to fifth behind Boston.
In Division One, Spalding Town 2nd remain bottom of the pile after suffering a five-wicket defeat at Ancaster.
Town batted first after winning the toss, but were reeling at 22-4 after losing Yuvraj Ranaut (0), Andrew Sorrell (4), Jay White (6) and William Gardner (2) cheaply.
However, the middle order rallied nicely with George Morris (11), Waqas Mohanned (27), Neo Timothy (34), Harry Birch (39) and skipper Michael Morris (28) all scoring very nicely to push the total on to a defendable 186 in 44.4 overs.
Ancaster lost two quick wickets at the top of the order as Will Gardner had Andy Lewis out LBW for a 24-ball duck and Carl Wetherill (1) was run out by White.
But the game turned when Anthony Richardson (65) and Daniel Blankley (97) came together at the crase.
Blankley scored at a rate of 132.88, clubbing three sixes and 16 fours in his knock that was ended by Ranaut (1-9) just three runs shy of a ton.
Still, the hosts reached 190-5 in the 31st over to seal the win.
Town took six points but are ten points adrift at the bottom after the defeat.
