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CCA Division 3A

LITTLEPORT were desperately short of runs in their clash against Ely II on Saturday.

Opener Stewart Wallace managed 19 and Chris Farnell hit 25 for Port as they batted first, but neither batsmen was able to push on towards a big score as Ely pressed.

Andy Berry made a quick-fire 18 in the middle order but there was no wag in the tail for Port as the last wicket fell for 88.

Ely’s Simon Sellers (3-2) and Nigel Hailstone (3-13) took the bulk of the wickets for the home side, with Mark Deas (2-13) also pitching in.

Elliot Koopowitz ensured Ely’s start was an excellent one as he made 39 at the top of the order but things were far from easy as Farnell (4-23) hit his stride. Some outstanding work from Conor Logan at the other end meanwhile, helped pile the pressure on Ely as the youngster conceded just three runs in 10 overs.

Despite an excellent effort from Port’s bowlers however, they soon ran out of runs to defend as Oliver Sellers (27*) helped bring the win home.

n HADDENHAM sealed their third promotion in as many years with a 75-run win over neighbours Wilburton.

An excellent batting surface yielded runs galore for Haddenham as they batted first, with Jason Murfitt (57) and Geoff Buck (129) putting on a whopping 191 runs for the second wicket.

Adam Clow added a quick-fire 29 in the middle order and Gary Thistlethwaite made 19* as the innings drew to a close with Haddenham on 287-7.

Wilburton’s Marcus Brook bowled tirelessly to take 3-41, while Lee Newton picked up 2-60 and Richard Padmore (1-27).

Youngster Thom Walker (46) performed superbly in the opening exchanges of Wilburton’s innings, with strong support from Chris Holden (30).

Unfortunately for Wilburton however, Neil Smith (4-32) and James Money (3-67) were in excellent form and continued to dent Wilburton’s chances of the win.

Paul Dewey made an undefeated 58 in the latter stages of the innings for Wilburton but he eventually ran out of partners as Haddenham sealed the win.

Cambs Premier Division 2

FORDHAM came up just four runs short in their tussle with league strugglers Godmanchester Town on Saturday.

Wickets were few and far between early in the innings as Godmanchester’s top order batted superbly. Opener Paul Berrill led the way for the home side as he clattered 12 boundaries on the way to 54.

With the score at 113-3 however, the momentum suddenly shifted as Fordham’s Carl Arnold hit his stride and tore through the visitors middle order.

Arnold came away with figures of 5-37 and, together with Mark Abbott (2-22), took the next six wickets for just 55 runs.

Opener Matthew Foulds ensured Fordham started their innings on the front foot as he managed 67 and Joel Gilmour hit 28 to keep the home side on target.

Godmanchester’s Charles Ibbotson had other ideas though, the paceman picking up six wickets for 27 runs to decimate the Fordham fightback.

The home slipped from 144-6 to 164 all out.

CCA Senior League Division 2

ELY came up just 26-runs short in their battle against Milton on Saturday.

Ryan Carey’s 102 not out put Milton in the driving seat after they opted to bat first, with support from Tom Scotter (39) helping to push the home side on to 211-4 at the close.

Matters could have been much worse for Ely though, if not for the frugal bowling of Chris Reay (1-39) and Chris Aniskowicz, who conceded just 24 runs off of seven overs.

Ed Aniskowicz (22) started well enough for Ely as they set about their run chase but, with the top order dismissed, only Josh Sivier was able to make any inroads as he notched up 40.

R Vinsett made 24 not out to keep Ely’s hopes alive in the latter stages but the tail end failed to cling on and they were ultimately bowled out for 185.

CCA Division 2A

LITTLE Downham recovered from a rocky opening to ease to a comfortable win over Longstanton.

Batting first, the home side quickly found themselves reduced to 2-7 as Peter Baker and M Nicholas were dismissed cheaply.

Some steady work from N King (31) and P Staines (64) hauled them back from the brink however, and they were able to push on to 94 before their next wicket fell.

Phil Cornwell hit 30 in the middle order to keep the scoreboard ticking over, with a sizeable 35 in the extras column helping to push the home side on to 182-7 at the close.

An excellent start for Longstanton with the bat saw them reach 61 before the first wicket fell but their early promise quickly evaporated as the top order crumbled.

R Palmer helped himself to three wickets for 21 runs, while J White took 3-22 and T Connolly managed 3-36 as the visitors were bowled out for just 94.

n SUTTON had their middle-order to thank for an excellent 48-run win over Wisbech III on Saturday.

Only Lloyd Brown (35) was able to make runs for Sutton early in the piece as Wisbech enjoyed a strong opening spell that saw them claim three of the top four batsmen for less than 10 runs.

Middle-order duo Ryan Bowles and Simon Cooper helped arrest Sutton’s decline however, as they made 41 and 47 respectively to haul the home side on to 137-5 at the half-way point. As the ball began to soften, tail-enders Ren Barnard (37*) and James Nuttall (29) enjoyed a late flurry to push Sutton on to 246-8 at the close.

Laurence Twell (36) and Gary Alexander (70) saw Wisbech off to a flying start in the early stages of their reply before Sutton’s bowling quintet finally came into its own.

Chris Greaves (2-34) triggered the home side’s fight-back, with Glen Campbell (2-62) and Bowles (2-30) quickly following suit.

James Nuttall (2-43) and Ren Barnard (2-24) ensured Sutton continued to apply pressure in the closing stages of the innings, with the last wicket falling with Wisbech stranded on 198.

n A DIFFICULT day for Soham saw them subjected to a nine-wicket drubbing at Leverington on Saturday.

Peter Fretwell (22) was the stand-out batsmen for Soham amid a Leverington onslaught that saw 10 wickets tumble for just 69 runs. Iain Hobbs (9) was the next highest score for Soham.

Hobbs was straight into the thick of the action with the ball as he dismissed Glyn Wilson for two runs, but there was little else to cheer for Soham as Simon Gilbert (40*) and James Dod (26*) knocked the remaining runs off with relative ease.