CRICKET: Peterborough Town require instant improvement

Town squeezed past Wollaston by two wickets at Bretton Gate last saturday (April 23) despite bowling too many ‘four-balls’, dropping catches and struggling with the bat at the top of the order.

Clarke was relieved to escape with 20 points and expects a much better effort at Stony.

“We were very rusty which was to be expected as we had very little practice outdoors before the game,” Clarke said.

“We certainly didn’t play at our best and we won’t get away with that level of performance too often.

“We’d have been docked penalty runs for a slow over-rate if we hadn’t bowled Wollaston out which is something we must be careful about in future.

“We bowled too many bad balls, dropped too many catches and there were too many loose shots early in our innings.”

Stony lost their opening fixture last weekend, a high-scoring affair at Northampton Saints which featured three centuries, one of them for Stony’s new import Teja Nidamanuru from New Zealand.

Bourne visit Boston seeking their first win of the Lincs Premier Division season tomorrow. Market Deeping seek a second straight win at home to Lincoln.

There’s a decent ‘derby’ in Cambs Division One as Ramsey and Nassington, both big winners last weekend, clash at Cricketfield Lane.

The Lincolnshire Twenty/20 competition - the Winkworth Cup - starts on Monday (May 2) when Bourne host a three-man group which includes Market Deeping. Highly-rated Grantham are also involved.

Weekend fixtures

SATURDAY APRIL 30

NORTHANTS LEAGUE

(noon): Premier Division: Stony Stratford v Peterborough Town, Oundle Town v Northampton Saints.

(1pm): Division One: Peterborough Town 2nds v Weekly & Warkton.

(1pm): Division Three: Raunds v Oundle Town 2nds.

(1pm): Division Eight: Horton House 3rds v Oundle Town 2nds.

LINCS PREMIER DIVISION

(Noon): Boston v Bourne, Market Deeping v Lincoln.

CAMBS LEAGUE

(12.30pm): Division One: Burwell v Wisbech Town, Ketton Lions v Eaton Socon, Ramsey v Nassington.

Division Two: March Town v Huntingdon, Newborough Bulls v Warboys, Weston Colville v Ufford Park.

SOUTH LINCS LEAGUE

(1pm): Premier Division: Bourne 2nds v Boston 2nds, Spalding Town v Market Deeping 2nds, Stamford Town v Belton Park.

Division One: Grantham 3rds v Spalding Town 2nds, Skegness 2nds v Baston, Welby v Moulton Harrox.

Division Two: Spalding Town 3rds v Boston 3rds.

League Cup: Long Sutton 2nds v Grantham 4ths.

HUNTS LEAGUE

(1pm): Division One: Castor v Southill Park, Eaton Socon 2nds v Burghley Park, Waresley 2nds v Ramsey 2nds.

Division Two: Nassington 2nds v Barnack 2nds, Orton Park v Peterborough Town 3rds, Bharat Sports v Blunham.

Division Three: Hampton 2nds v Newborough Bulls 2nds, Ramsey 3rds v Houghton & Wyton.

SUNDAY MAY 1

MINOR COUNTIES TROPHY

(11am, group stages): Cumberland v Cambridgeshire (at Barrow), Norfolk v Lincolnshire (Manor Park).

RUTLAND LEAGUE

(1.30pm): Division One: Barnack v Wisbech Town, Bourne v Stamford Town, Oundle v Ufford Park, Uppingham v Nassington.

Division Two: Castor v Medbourne, Grantham v Ketton Lions, Newborough Bulls v Uffington, Oakham v March Town, Whittlesey v King’s Keys.

Division Three: Werrington v Burghley Park, Wisbech Town 2nds v Long Sutton.

Division Four: Loddington v Bourne 2nds, Nassington 2nds v Hampton, Ramsey v Kimbolton, Thrapston v Orton Park.

Division Five: Laxton v Castor 2nds, Market Deeping 2nds v Peterborough Town 2nds, Sawtry v Uppingham 2nds.

Division Six: Hampton 2nds v Moulton Harrox, Orton Park 2nds v Long Sutton 2nds, Spalding Town v Whittlesey 2nds, Uffington v Newborough Bulls 2nds, Ufford Park 2nds v Huntingdon.

HUNTS LEAGUE

(1pm) Division Five: Little Paxton v Sheikh 11.

MONDAY, MAY 2

WINKWORTH CUP

(10.30am): Bourne v Grantham v Market Deeping (at Abbey Lawns).