RUTLAND LEAGUE: Bird keeps Ketton flying high, Butt smacks a ton, classy Conor, magical Milner

Shakir Mahmood struck 71 for Ketton against Wisbech.

Shakir Mahmood and Zeeshan Manzoor both cracked 71 in Ketton’s 188-8 before Matt Bird (5-47) undermined the Wisbech reply. The Fenman were restricted to 163-9 and have now fallen two points behind Ketton in the table.

Barnack are up to third after pipping Market Deeping by five runs in a high-scoring game at Outgang Road.

Asim Butt smacked 114 of Barnack’s 263-7, but a late flurry from veteran Chris Jones (60no) almost enabled Deeping to sneak home.

Asim Butt bashed 114 for Barnack at Market Deeping.

Peterborough Town rose to fourth with a 43-run win over Northants Premier Division rivals Oundle at Bretton Gate.

Wicket-keeper Chris Milner struck 90 of Town’s 202, while Hanno Kotze (6-37) bowled superbly for Oundle.

Town’s bowlers won the day though with debutant Hassan Azad (3-22) particularly impressive. Nadir Haider and Farhan Adil also claimed three wickets apiece.

Conor Craig’s 74 low down the Nassington order set up a 21-run win over Grantham. Craig whacked five sixes and six fours in his 47-ball knock as Nassington recovered from 100-6 to post a match-winning 217. Harrison Craig bagged 4-26 in Grantham’s reply.

Conor Craig blasted 74 for Nassington against Grantham.

Bourne moved off the bottom with a 124-run win over Stamford. Quewin O’Connor top scored with 75 in Bourne’s 243 and received excellent support from Tom Dixon (53) before Colin Cheer (4-43) deliverd a destructive spell with the ball as Stamford were hustled out for 119.

Stamford replace Bourne at the bottom.

RESULTS

Bourne beat Stamford by 124 runs

Bourne 243 (Q. O’Connor 75, T. Dixon 53, J. Berry 28, J. Temple 27, T. Juggins 6-52, S. Barrett 2-47).

Stamford 119 (T. Juggins 27, C. Cheer 4-44, J. Keywood 3-32).

KETTON beat WISBECH by 25 runs

Ketton 188-8 (S. Mahmood 71, Z. Manzoor 71, B. Ellis 3-29, S. Rippington 3-40).

Wisbech 163-9 (D. Haynes 41, B. Ellis 22, J. Williams 21, M. Bird 5-47, P. Rowe 10-1-35-2).

MARKET DEEPING lost to BARNACK by 5 runs

Barnack 263-7 (A. Butt 114, A. Akhtar 46, M. Hammad 38, T. Shinkins 4-32).

Market Deeping 258-9 (C. Jones 60no, D. Sargeant 51, D. Thomas 40, J. Smith 33, R. Witt 24, A. Majeed 3-57, A. Akhtar 2-28, M. Yaseen 2-58).

Nassington beat Grantham by 21 runs

Nassington 217 (C. Craig 74, A. Nawaz 29, T. Norman 25, J. Peck 5-43, S. Peters 3-53).

Grantham 196 (S. Mudie 40, H. Craig 4-26, W. Dyer 2-24, D. Bandaranaike 2-46).

PETERBOROUGH TOWN beat OUNDLE by 43 runs

Town 202 (C. Milner 90, H. Azad 22, K. Medcalf 22, A. Mitchell 20, C. Parnell 20, H. Kotze 6-37, K. Jones 2-28).

Oundle 159 (M. Hodgson 38, H. Kotze 29, P. Wilson 25no, B. Hussain 22, H. Azad 3-20, F. Adil 3-34, N. Haider 3-44).