RUTLAND LEAGUE: Skipper's all-round excellence, Bowers smashes double ton for Wisbech

Josh Bowers smashed 207 not out for Wisbech seconds.

Clarke, who saw his side get knocked out of the Northants Twenty/20 Cup and lose a vital Northants Premier Division game against Finedon in the two previous days, claimed four wickets and struck an unbeaten 74 as Town beat Wisbech by five wickets at Bretton Gate.

Clarke is a very occasional bowler, but he used flight and guile to return excellent figures of 4-35 in nine overs as Wisbech were restricted to 176-8 in their 50 overs. The bulk of the visitors’ runs came off the bat of Aussie Jack Hargreaves (78).

Wisbech were weakened by the absence of star men Josh Bowers and Gary Freear who travelled with the second team for a Rutland Division Three match at East Carlton. Freear is carrying an injury, while Bowers volunteered to make the long trek into Leicestershire after a Twenty/20 competition in Bury St Edmunds was cancelled early in the morning.

David Clarke was in excellent all-round form for Peterborough Town against Wisbech.

And what an impact Bowers made. He smashed a club record 207 not out as Wisbech seconds picked up their first win of the season. Bowers smashed 17 sixes and 16 fours as he and Freear added 150 in the final 13 overs to win the game by six wickets with two balls to spare.

Although Freear admits he almost messed the run chase up. “Josh was whacking it everywhere and I thought we had nine overs to get 70 which would have been easy on such a small ground. But Josh pointed out it was a 45-over game rather than a 50-over game and we only had four overs left!”

Peterborough Town, who beat Wisbech in a Jaidka Cup semi-final last week, now face Northants Premier Division rivals Oundle in a John Wilcox Trophy semi-final next month.

Oundle cruised past Nassington by 81 runs in their quarter-final at Milton Road.

Opener Mark Hodgson (57) top scored in Oundle’s 270-8. Joe Charlton (3-10) was Oundle’s best bowler in Nassington’s 189.

Grantham thrashed Hampton by 10 wickets in a quarter-final tie. Andy McIntyre’s 43 was the highlight of Hampton’s 126, a total Grantham stormed past in just 15 overs. Joe Dobson finished unbeaten on 82 from just 52 balls.

Grantham will play the winners of Burghley Park and Barnack in their semi-final. That tie was postponed and will now probably be re-arranged as a Twenty/20 game.

In Rutland Division Two leaders Ketton hammered Castor by 205 runs thanks mainly to 115 from Shakir Mahmood and a blistering 59 from just 18 balls from Zeeshan Manzoor. Manzoor struck seven sixes in his whirlwind innings as Ketton piled up 289-7 in their 45 overs.

Castor were dismissed for just 84 with Ulrich Van Duyker returning figures of 5-16. Ketton are now 69 points clear at the top.

Results

John Wilcox Trophy

Quarter finals

OUNDLE beat NASSINGTON by 81 runs

Oundle 270-8 (M. Hodgson 57, B. Hussain 45no, B. Groom 41, J. Bolsover 32, T. Moreki 29, A. Bandaranaike 3-39, D. Bandaranaike 3-43,).

Nassington 189 (C. Craig 42, A. McDermott 31, W. Dyer 29, T. Norman 21, J. Charlton 3-10, R. Henry 2-32, L. North-Row 2-42).

PETERBOROUGH TOWN beat WISBECH by 5 wkts

Wisbech 176-8 (J. Hargreaves 78, J. Esser 21, D. Clarke 4-35, F. Adil 2-10).

Town 177-5 (D. Clarke 754no, S. Hayat 29, K. Judd 21).

HAMPTON lost to GRANTHAM by 10 wkts

Hampton 126 (AC McIntyre 43).

Grantham 131-0 (J. Dobson 85no).

Postponed: BURGHLEY PARK v BARNACK