Lincs Prem: Bourne flatten Deeping to go top
BOURNE have a couple of steamroller-sized players in their line-up so no surprise really that they are currently flattening everything in their path.
This 111-run demolition of local rivals Market Deeping at Outgang Road was a seventh win in eight Lincs Premier Division matches for Bourne and was good enough to move them to the top of the table as previous leaders Skegness were sliding to defeat at Louth.
That wouldn't have happened to Bourne many times since the heady days of 2000 and 2001 when they won the first two runnings of the competition. A loss of strength and the emergence of Bracebridge Heath, a club with a Harlem Globetrotters approach to recruitment, has left Bourne playing catch-up.
But not any longer. Bourne have assembled a powerful side including a top-class professional in Fahad Masood and an astute captain in Pete Morgan and the fruits are there for all to see.
They have certainly left Deeping in their slipstream. Deeping are proud of their reliance on locally-reared amateurs, but they are struggling to compete with the division's big-hitters as a result.
Their bowling is tame, their batting is too reliant on skipper David Gillett. He top-scored as usual despite batting with one good eye well down the order.
Indeed Gillett and non-bowling number 11 Tom Anderson almost held up Bourne's victory charge with a last-wicket stand of 48 before the captain was dismissed, perhaps inevitably by Masood for 38 five-and-a-half overs from the end.
That was the only wicket taken by Masood, but he was still a clear man-of-the-match thanks to an outstanding 110 not out.
The Pakistani all-rounder has gained a bit of a reputation as a slogger in his short time in the area, but he nailed that myth by batting responsibly when his team were wobbling and then extravagantly later on when adding 86 in just eight overs for the ninth wicket alongside Tom Lindley.
Masood blasted four sixes and 12 fours. He was fortunate when one leading edge caught the wind and flew over the short long-on boundary, but he otherwise struck the ball clean and true, even when employing the reverse sweep.
Bourne's innings had threatened to be undermined by casualness and poor shot selection. Will Clough ran himself out, Conrad Louth missed with an ugly swipe and skipper Morgan wafted and was caught behind by his younger brother.
Cliff 'Goose' Spinks hissed and spat his way to a typically belligerant 52 which included seven fours and two sixes, but even he was aided by a dreadful drop in the deep by Anderson off the luckless Tom Andrews.
Bourne always scored freely, but lost wickets far too regularly. They were 120-5 and 156-7 before Masood took control, gorging on Lee Peacock's half-volleys and Nick Cowley's slow floaters. Peacock took four wickets, but conceded 117 runs from 17 overs, while Cowley's 12 overs cost 81 with only the fortunate dismissal of Spinks from a long-hop as a consolation.
Deeping started miserably in reply as Charlie Hopkins dismissed the Kearns brothers within three balls of each other and then Gary Yeeles.
Cowley, who had an appointment to make, thrashed 35, but until Gillett arrived at number eight, Deeping offered little resistance.
Hopkins, who bagged a wicket for Cambridge University in the Varsity Match at Lord's recently, finished with 3-28, while Clough chipped in with 3-45.
Bourne now face a potentially pivotal Saturday as they host Louth, while title rivals Skegness and Bracebridge face each other.
Scores:
LINCS PREMIER DIVISION
MARKET DEEPING lost to BOURNE by 111 runs
Bourne
O. Smith c Andrews b Peacock 24
W. Clough run out 9
C. Louth b C. Kearns 9
C. Spinks b Cowley 52
P. Morgan c Morgan b Peacock 4
F. Masood not out 110
B. Stroud c Lowndes b Peacock 20
D. Christmas c b Peacock 2
C. Hopkins run out 14
T. Lindley not out 17
Extras 28
TOTAL (8 wkts) 289
Bowling: T. Andrews 13-2-37-0; C. Kearns 7-1-28-1; A. Sharp 1-0-12-0; L. Peacock 17-1-114-4; N. Cowley 12-0-81-1.
Market Deeping
G. Yeeles b Hopkins 12
M. Kearns c Morgan b Hopkins 6
C. Kearns b Hopkins 0
T. Andrews c Louth b Clough 16
J. Morgan c Stroud b Dixon 16
N. Cowley c Masood b Clough 35
L. Peacock c Christmas b Dixon 13
D. Gillett b Masood 38
A. Sharp b Lindley 9
R. Lowndes b Clough 4
T. Anderson not out 12
Extras 17
TOTAL 178
Bowling: F. Masood 11.4-2-30-1; C. Hopkins 8-1-28-3; M. Dixon 7-0-41-2; W. Clough 11-2-45-3; T. Lindley 4-0-31-1; C. Spinks 3-3-0-0.
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Weather for Bourne
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
