NORTHANTS PREMIER DIVISION: Horton House blown away by Peterborough Town big guns

Town stormed past a commendable Horton House total of 193 in just 28 overs without losing a wicket to maintain an outside interest in a fourth title in five seasons.

But Horton offered such limp resistance with the ball it turned into an unsatisfactory afternoon for a league with an elite status within the ECB.

It’s not Town’s fault of course that they are one of four teams who play at a different level to the rest of the Premier Division, but their players won’t improve and progress against the likes of Horton, a cracking club with a beautiful ground and an excellent youth set-up (there was no-one over 25 in their side today and eight of them were homegrown), but ill-prepared to cross swords with the likes of Joe Dawborn and Asim Butt.

The bowling and batting stars of the city side both performed superbly today, but then they should against cannon fodder.

Dawborn, a paceman not at the top of his game, but with a big heart, bagged 6-37 from 14 overs and two balls, four of them in an excellent second spell when Horton slumped from 155-3 to 192 all-out.

The dismissal of visiting skipper Andrew Neate for a terific 79 started the late collapse. Neate bashed eight fours and two sixes in a highly-entertaining knock before he was caught behind.

Horton didn’t seem overly-pleased with a decent total, but then they knew they were a couple of bowlers light and they were carrying a couple of injuries into the field.

None of this bothered Butt who smacked 109 not out from 93 balls (17 fours and two sixes) or captain David Clarke who finished unbeaten on 52 (seven fours). It was Clarke’s third half century in a row.

Both men treated a weak attack with disdain. Butt is now one run short of 500 for the season and threatening to raech the top of the top-flight run charts, while Clarke (460) is not far behind.

Dawborn is well clear in the wicket-taking charts with 44.

Scores

Horton House

T. Seckington b Dawborn 6

A. Mills b Dawborn 0

J. King c Milner b Danyaal 42

A. Neate c Milner b Dawborn 79

P. Kadodkar b Sayer 22

E. Ruff b Dawborn 7

W. Knibbs c Butt b Dawborn 2

S. Mulvey b Bruce 16

A. Chalcraft c Akhtar b Bruce 1

J. Kirk not out 1

M. Chalcraft b Dawborn 0

Extras 17

TOTAL 193

Bowling: D. Sayer 10-1-48-1; J. Dawborn 14.2-4-37-6; J. Smith 5-0-19-0; L. Bruce 11-1-52-2; M. Danyaal 6-1-30-1.

Peterborough Town

A. Butt not out 109

D. Clarke not out 52

Extras 35

TOTAL (0 wkts) 196

Bowling; M. Chalcraft 5-0-31-0; J. Kirk 5-0-42-0; W. Knibbs 6-0-44-0; A. Neate 3-0-20-0; E. Ruff 6-0-38-0; A. Mills 3-0-20-0.

It’s been a tough season for Oundle and they suffered a predictable duffing at the hands of Premier Division leaders Old Northamptonians.

But a ‘winning’ draw for bottom club Wellingborough has spooked Oundle who are now just 14 points off the bottom with seven matches to go. Oundle oicked up just one point today.

Pete Foster (42) batted best in Oundle’s 120, while captain Bashrat Hussain claimed two wickets as the home side won by seven wickets.

RESULT

OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS beat OUNDLE by 7 wkts

Oundle 120 (P. Foster 42).

Old Northamptonians 121-3 (B. Hussain 2-30).