Following a good performance last week against Messingham, an away fixture at Caistor was another game Louth 1st X1 wanted to ensure a good points haul.

Once again Louth were put into bat, however, both openers made pretty light work of the conditions in a partnership of 49 runs from the first 11 overs (S West 29 and Shiroman out a few overs later for 26).

Louth then lost three wickets for 13 runs which slowed the momentum, but once again Mark Roberts and Graham West built a substantial partnership of 58 to steady the ship, Roberts eventually falling for a well-fought 47 and G West for 34.

Louth’s innings had promised to hit the 200 mark but with a regular loss of wickets towards the end, 184-9 was the final score. Although the score meant a potential batting point had been lost everyone knew it would be a difficult target for Caistor if everyone bowled well. Caistor though made a steady start scoring 31-0 off the first 13 overs but two excellent catches, one from Jonny Dixon and the second by vice-captain Graeme Bell, began to swing the game towards Louth.

Suddenly Caistor were 36-4 due to some sustained pressure bowling from the Louth side.

From there, Caistor only had one partnership of note of 32 runs and were eventually bowled out for 108.

Jonny Dixon claiming the first five-wicket haul for Louth this season, to go with three catches, put in a man-of-the-match performance.

Louth 2nd X1 started their season at home (in Market Rasen again for the 2008 season) with a game against Cleethorpes 4th X1.

This season is vital to the side, bidding to earn promotion to the Second Division of the Lincs League.

Louth were put into bat and made a hard-fought 117 with Tom Stocks making an invaluable 55 not out.

Cleethorpes struggled to score on a pitch, which when the ball was put in the right areas, was difficult to cope with and they were bowled out for 79 in the 42nd over.

All the bowlers chipped in with at least a wicket but the pick of them following his runs, in a man-of-the-match performance, was Stocks with 4-13.