Louth CC: First XI chase falls short at Market Deeping

In a match reduced to 46 overs per side by rain, Court gave the visitors a great start when he bowled Deeping opener Josh Smith for five.

Kieran Judd (29) and Connor Gillett (20) settled the hosts before falling to Tom Cuthbert and Primosh Perera respectively.

Court then returned to bowl David Sargeant for eight as Louth scented blood.

But they were frustrated by a fifth-wicket partnership between James Hook (60) and Sam Malton (33).

Court finally had Malton caught by Jason Collinson, while Hook was finally removed by Alex Bell’s run-out.

Perera (2 for 35) then bowled Ali Sharp for six before Court completed figures of 5 for 48, from 13 overs, by dismissing Daniel George and Tom Anderson without scoring as the home side posted 185-9.

What looked an achievable target began to look distant when Louth cheaply lost openers Laurence Scott (4) and Tom Cuthbert (7) and Hook then took his second wicket to remove Perera for a duck.

The visitors battled hard, with all of the remaining batsmen getting into double-figures, but none of them were able to make a match-winning contribution against the spin of Mehul Adatia (5 for 44).

Henry Tye (18) and skipper Graham West (15) both made useful middle-order runs, while Court completed a good personal match by top-scoring with 21 before he was bowled by his opposite number Hook (3 for 20).

Richard Limmer also made 14 batting at 10 before he became Adatia’s fifth and final victim, stumped by Malton, as Louth were bowled out for 151 with just four balls of their allocation remaining.

The 34-run defeat left Louth in seventh place ahead of their trip to Boston on Saturday (noon start).

Market Deeping: 185-9.

Bowling: T. Ryder 7-0-28-0; J. Court 13-3-48-5; T. Cuthbert 10-0-53-1; P. Perera 13-0-35-2; L. Scott 3-0-19-0.

Louth: L. Scott 4, T. Cuthbert 7, A. Bell 13, P. Perera 0, J. Collinson 10, H. Tye 18, G. West 15, S. Jones 10, J. Court 21, R. Limmer 14, T. Ryder 5*, Extras 34. Total: 151.