Burwell & Exning come out on top during Division One clash against Foxton Granta

Burwell & Exning (220-9) chalked up their ninth win of the season in the Onyx League Division One courtesy of last weekend’s 69-run home triumph over Foxton Granta (151).

Fifth-placed Burwell & Exning’s innings with the bat centred around the performance of opener Ben Kelly.

Together with Simon Donald (36), they put on 82 runs for the first wicket before Kelly was eventually fell to the bowling of Foxton Granta skipper Lewys Hill for an individual score of 104.

Captain Paul Summerskill (26) and James Henderson (23) lower down the order were the only other Burwell & Exning batsmen to contribute double-figure totals, with three of the line-up being dismissed for ducks.

In terms of the bowling, Hill (3-42) spearheaded his side’s charge, while there was a pair of wickets each for Sam Beer (2-38) and Henry Campbell (2-47).

Faced with a total that they will have fancied their chances of chasing down, the Foxton Granta reply never gained any significant momentum.

Openers Richard Kaufman (2) and Douglas Rice (11) were both removed with the team’s score on 14 – and from then onwards wickets fell at regular intervals.

A knock of 27 from Sam Beer – batting at number nine – was as good as it got for Foxton Granta, with Freddie Doel (22) the only other batsmen to go beyond 20 runs.

Burwell & Exning shared the wickets around on their way to victory, although the stand-out figures were produced by Clinton Cornwell (3-28).

Burwell & Exning, who are now 22 points behind their opponents, will hit the road on Saturday (24 August) to face the side directly above them in the standings – Cambridge St Giles.

Meanwhile, on the same day third-placed Foxton Granta will do battle with Histon, who currently occupy the runners-up spot.

Histon (219-7) saw their hopes of winning the Division One title severely dented by an eight-wicket defeat at Old Leysians (223-2) on Saturday.

The visitors went into the game on the coat-tails of table-topping Ramsey, who were 13 points better off.

However, after Andrew Gale inspired his side to victory, that gap has now swollen to 33 with four matches left to play this term.

Bowling first, Gale (2-41) snared a couple of wickets alongside his Old Leysians team-mate Richard Bramley (2-29).

Meanwhile, with the bat it was Histon’s openers Fergus Hughes (61) and Luke Cattle (55) that made the biggest impressions.

But they were usurped by Gale, who carried his bat throughout the hosts’ innings to finish with 108 runs to his name from only 104 deliveries.

He was also well supported by Andrew Bramley with his unbeaten knock of 87 runs.

Second-placed Histon’s first opportunity to bounce back will come on Saturday (24 August) when they play host to Foxton Granta, while on the same day ninth-placed Old Leysians travel to bottom-of-the-table Southill Park.

Old Leysians are now 32 points above the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Cambridge St Giles (178-7) returned to winning ways in Division One following Saturday’s 36-run triumph at Southill Park (142).

It was the extras column (30) that contributed the most runs to St Giles’ cause, with opener Kunal Dabas (28) providing the biggest tally off the bat.

His partner James Gillespie weighed in with 23 at the top of the order, with wicket-keeper Alex James scoring 26 not out.

Nevertheless, it was a total that the bowlers were still able to successfully defend, thanks in part to Chris Germon’s figures of 3-34.

Fourth-placed Cambridge St Giles host Burwell & Exning on Saturday (24 August).