WILBURTON II’s recent charge up the league table was resoundingly checked on Saturday as they were blown away by the Needingworth bowling attack.

Despite dismissing the visitors cheaply with the ball, Wilburton’s batting line-up failed to follow up the good work of their colleagues, collapsing to just 50 all out as Needingworth sealed a 59-run win.

After a series of good results, Wilburton’s march up the CCA Minor League was stalled with the defeat, leaving them in seventh place.

Tasked with bowling first, Wilburton’s pace duo Darren Bentick (2-51) and Steve Marshall (4-12) started superbly, limiting the runs at the top of the order while helping to remove the top four batsmen with just a handful of runs scored.

With the middle order exposed, first change Richard Padmore stepped in to the fray and continued his team-mates good work.

Padmore nipped out the next four wickets in an excellent eight-over spell that cost just 11 runs, including the wicket of Alan Philips, who top scored for Needingworth with 33.

Requiring little more than two-and-a-half runs-per-over for the win, Wilburton’s task should have been a simple one, but just 15 runs scored off the bat for the first five wickets boded ill for the home side.

Opener Gary Dewey managed 13, while Bentick hit an undefeated 14 lower down the order to keep Wilburton alive, but it was never going to be enough as wickets tumbled.

A total of six ducks among the home side’s 11 batsmen meant that Needingworth needed a little more than 20 overs to wrap up a convincing win.

Jamie Neve was the standout bowler for the visitors on the day, picking up 4-19 in an excellent nine-over spell. Joshua Phillips also impressed with a four-over cameo that yielded three wickets for just three runs.

Wilburton will be looking to get back to winning ways again when they travel to Great Shelford II on Saturday. The 1st XI meanwhile, will be in action against Milton II.