LINCS ECB PREMIER: Round-up

And fourth-placed Woodhall Spa also took 20, leaving them 16 points behind Bourne.

Sleaford moved up to sixth with victory over Grimsby Town, who remain bottom but are now only one point behind Spalding.

On what proved to be a bowlers’ day, Dan Freeman took seven wickets for 32 for Grantham while Bourne’s Tom Dixon took six as did Joe Irving for Woodhall, Grimsby’s Neal Snell and Jonny Miller for Lindum.

Mat Dowman hit the day’s highest score of 86 as Grantham finished on 228 for nine at home to Alford, who had no answer to Freeman’s onslaught and were all out for 70.

At home to Bourne, Louth had 101 on the board before the first wicket fell - Laurence Scott for 62.

Medler went on to make 48 but wickets then fell steadily, Dixon taking six for 42 and the innings ended on 171.

Arran Brindle then took a wicket with the first ball of the Bourne innings but Jordan Temple and Sam Evison put on 68, Temple hitting 60 as Bourne claimed a four wicket win.

Boston’s batsmen were unable to make much headway against Bracebridge Heath’s bowlers at Cross O’Cliff Court and were all out for 60, a total the home side overtook for the loss of four wickets, Vikram Atri hitting an unbeaten 49.

Joe Irving put in a man of the match performance for Woodhall Spa, hitting 59 runs and taking six for 16 as Woodhall recorded the day’ss highest total of 237 for eight before bowling Spalding out for 75.

At Sleaford, Grimsby captain Neal Snell’s six wicket haul couldn’t prevent his side going down to defeat.

Andy Hibberd hit 60 of his side’s total of 231 for nine before Grimsby were bowled out for 103.

And at Market Deeping, Lindum were restricted to 176 for eight.

The home side were looking comfortable on 67 for two when Jonny Miller joined the attack to take six wickets for 10 runs in his seven overs and leave Deeping all out for 95.

Deeping are now four points up on Spalding and only two behind Louth and six behind eighth place Alford.

Results: Louth 171 (Scott 62, Dixon 6-42), Bourne 172-6 (Temple 60); Boston 160, Bracebridge Heath 161-4; Woodhall Spa 237-8 (Irving 59), Spalding 75 (Irving 6-16) Lindum 176-8, Market Deeping 96 (Miller 6-10); Sleaford 231-9 (Hibberd 60, Snell 6-60), Grimsby Town 103; Grantham 228-9 (Dowman 86), Alford 70 (Freeman 7-32).