Confused? So were most of the players as rain interruptions forced a complicated set of rules to kick in. Teams batting second in Cambs League matches are awarded a reduced target to chase from fewer overs, but they are also penalised a wicket for every six overs lost.

It's a fairer system than most and it did prompt a thrilling finish at Burrowmoor Road. In between rain delays Wisbech posted 203-9 and, once logarithms and calculators had been consulted, March were left with a victory target of 82 from 18 overs, but they could only lose four wickets in the chase.

Steve Seymour (32) and Andrew Mills gave them a solid enough start, but the introduction of spin twins Chris Clark (3-14) and Craig Johnson (2-21) turned the game on its head.

Seymour was unfortunate to be adjudged lbw, but the March batsmen were also guilty of playing some loose shots as they lost their fifth and final wicket with the score on 75.

Wisbech skipper Gary Freear then smiled for the first time in seven hours. He was miserable when losing the toss on a damp track and furious when he was adjudged lbw when well set on 34.

James Williams (43), Damian Coad (37), Henry Rosier (30) and Simon Freear (29) all made solid contributions for Wisbech. Kurt Cunningham (5-35) was comfortably the pick of the March bowlers just four days after celebrating his 18th birthday.

Nassington and Khalsa also suffered a two-hour rain delay in the middle of their clash yet strangely Khalsa had to match the home side's 184-6 declared in 36 overs, but they only had seven wickets to spare.

And they came agonisingly close, eventually losing by four runs after spirited knocks from Tas Ahmed (62), Shazad Amir (30) and former Nassington player Tariq Aziz (27).

Earlier Tanvir Afzal relished his promotion up the batting order for Nassington by making an unbeaten 73.

There was a blast from the past at Ramsey as former captain Adrian Cade answered a player-shortage crisis and made a typically robust undefeated 70 in his side's 179-4.

Opponents Waresley were set a reduced target of 158, but were dismissed for 116 as Aussie Alistair Crothers bagged 4-22.

In Division Two Castor and Barnack also endured a rain-affected derby at Port Lane with the home side coming out on top by three wickets.

Castor's victory target came down from 152 to 121. They had 38 overs and nine wickets to play with and scores in the 20s from Dan Anslow, Michael Topham and James Fountain saw them home with seven balls to spare.

A fifth straight defeat for Yaxley was followed by the resignation of skipper Stuart Elderkin because of work commitments. Elderkin will be replaced by vice-captain Neil Buckingham, a former Peterborough Town player.

Buckingham missed Saturday's 126-run home defeat at the hands of Bluntisham as Yaxley's all-round flaws were rudely exposed.

Only Matt Page (3-38 from 16 overs) and Mark Claypole (28no) emerged with much credit.

Scorecards: CAMBS LEAGUE

Division One

MARCH lost to WISBECH by 6 runs (revised
target)

Wisbech
B. Allsop lbw Ringham 4
D. Coad c Mills b Cunningham 37
G. Freear lbw Cunningham 34
J. Williams lbw Brahambhatt 43
H. Rosier lbw Mills 30
S. Freear b Cunningham 29
A. Hodgson c and b Mills 0
M. Esser not out 6
C. Clark c Tombs b Cunningham 11
C. Johnson b Cunningham 7
T. Bourne not out 0
Extras 12
TOTAL (9 wkts) 203
Bowling: S. Seymour 51-28-0; C. Ringham 12-1-42-1; K. Cunningham 10-0-35-5; S. Brahmabhatt 10-2-54-1; C. Peckett 3-0-22-0; A. Mills 7-1-26-2.

March
A. Mills c G. Freear b Johnson 15
S. Seymour lbw Clark 32
S. Brahambhatt c Hodgson b Clark 12
T. Howgego c S. Freear b Clark 2
K. Cunningham st S. Freear b Johnson 3
S. Hinson not out 6
Extras 5
TOTAL 75
Bowling: J. Williams 3-0-13-0; B. Allsop 4-0-22-0; C. Johnson 5.5-0-21-2; C. Clark 4-0-14-3.


NASSINGTON beat KHALSA by 4 runs (revised target)

Nassington
C. Budd b Bashir 23
D. Bandaranaike b Bashir 24
T. Afzal not out 73
I. Khan c J. Singh b Bashir 9
M. Haroon b Bashir 0
P. Slinn lbw Chandra 5
J. Potter lbw Bashir 4
A. Bandaranaike not out 19
Extras 27
TOTAL (6 wkts) 184
Bowling: Z. Bashir 16-0-63-5; V. Patel 10-3-51-0; U. Chandra 9-1-50-1.

Khalsa
T. Ahmed run out 62
S. Amir c Smith b A. Bandaranaike 30
T. Aziz c Potter b Smith 27
K. Singh b Afzal 9
V. Patel b Afzal 15
U. Chandra c Smith b Haroon 24
M. Tayab lbw Haroon 0
M. Singh not out 0
Extras 9
TOTAL 180
Bowling: T. Afzal 10-1-52-2; P. Atkinson-Dalziel 2-0-15-0; J. Smith 6-0-23-1; A. Bandaranaike 5-0-42-1; M. Haroon 8.4-0-45-2.


RAMSEY beat WARESLEY by 39 runs (revised target)

Ramsey
M. Kay c Bosher b Hayden 10
J. Markland c Cole b Whitfield 6
A. Cade not out 70
A. Crothers st D. Szwajbak b Asque 28
M. Edwards b Bosher 28
N. Rushton not out 22
Extras 15
TOTAL (4 wkts) 179
Bowling: C. Whitfield 8-0-51-1; T. Hayden 5-2-22-1; C. Asque 16-3-36-1; K. Cole 7-2-25-0; L. Bosher 10-1-37-1.

Waresley
S. Lewis c Edwards b Crothers 7
P. Masdin b Kay 26
L. Bosher b Crothers 4
C. Asque c Kay b Taylor 36
J. Szwajbak c and b Crothers 23
C. Whitfield c Taylor b Rushton 1
D. Szwajbak c Markland b Rushton 0
S. Donald lbw Kay 9
K. Cole c Cade b Crothers 6
T. Hayden not out 1
Extras 3
TOTAL116
Bowling: A. Crothers 10-2-32-4; M. Kay 9.2-3-25-2; M. Edwards 4-1-17-0; N. Rushton 11-3-21-2; M. Taylor 5-1-18-1.


Division Two

YAXLEY lost to BLUNTISHAM 126 runs

Bluntisham
V. Sharma c Elderkin b Stratton 11
A. Hunter b Page 8
D. Fordham b Page 13
J. Collin b Page 0
S. Dighton not out 79
P. Briggs c Elderkin b Brown 76
H. Matheson not out 13
Extras 24
TOTAL (5 wkts) 227
Bowling: D. Stratton 13-2-54-1; M. Page 16-3-38-3; C. Moyle 7-1-32-0; R. Clarke 3-0-18-0; S. Brown 7-0-38-1; A. Paull 2-0-30-0.

Yaxley
C. Belcher b Matheson 2
G. Clark run out 17
S. Elderkin c Fordham b Matheson 2
D. Stratton c b Parks 12
S. Brown c b Matheson 18
R. Clarke c b Parks 0
A. Paull c b Matheson 0
C. Hammond c b Matheson 6
M. Claypole not out 28
M. Page c b Bigger 0
C. Moyle run out 8
Extras 6
TOTAL 101
Bowling: H. Matheson 15-5-24-5; M. Chandler 5-1-14-0; G. Parks 9-3-30-2; J. Collin 5-2-13-0; P. Bigger 5-1-15-1.


CASTOR beat BARNACK by 3 wkts (revised target).

Barnack
B. Young b Cotton 22
J. Alvey lbw Knowles 30
A. Scotcher c Jacobs b Fountain 1
R. Mahmood b Fountain 21
G. Scotcher not out 30
M. Willgress c Topham b Fountain 0
M. Shahid c Wheat b Cotton 19
A. Asghar b Knowles 0
L. Martin c Jacobs b Knowles 2
N. Mohammed b Cotton 4
S. Burkett not out 1
Extras 21
TOTAL (9 wkts) 151
Bowling: D. Cotton 15-3-37-3; J. Fountain 13-5-34-3; A. Knowles 16-5-57-3; A. Rodgers 1-0-4-0; R. Vitas 3-0-12-0.

Castor
A. Rodgers c Asghar b A. Scotcher 11
M. Wheat lbw A. Scotcher 4
D. Anslow b Mahmood 24
D. Cotton run out 9
M. Topham c Young b Mahmood 23
R. Vitas c G. Scotcher b Mahmood 7
J. Fountain not out 22
A. Knowles not out 3
Extras 8
TOTAL (6 wkts) 121
Bowling: A. Scotcher 12-0-49-2; M. Shahid 10.5-4-27-0; R. Mahmood 9-2-21-3; J. Alvey 5-0-12-0.