Bourne & Boston close on Premier League leaders

Victories for Bourne and Boston saw them close in on Lincolnshire Premier League leaders Bracebridge Heath who had to settle for a winning draw.

Fahad Masood took his tally for the season to 61 wickets with 5-56 as Bourne beat Grimsby by six wickets.

Third-placed Boston's Matt Ward fell one run short of a century as they beat Skegness by 166 runs.

Josh Newton also hit a half-century and Elliot Wilson took 5-52, while Peter Houghton made 65 for Skegness.

Bracebridge Heath saw their advantage narrowed as they failed to record an outright victory for the fourth game running.

Vikram Atri scored 105 and Nick John and Brett Houston weighed in with half-centuries as they declared on 282 but despite a five-wicket haul for Matt Bradley they failed to dismiss Louth.

Warren Nel moved to within three runs of the 1000-run mark for the season with an unbeaten 169 but still ended on the losing side as Hartsholme lost by six wickets to Market Deeping, for whom Chris Jones, Jamie Morgan and David Gillett made half-centuries.

There were also half-centuries for Woodhall Spa's Dan Milgate, Ricky Lovelace and Jack Hughes as they climbed out of the bottom two with a 69-run win at bottom side Nettleham.

Sleaford earned a winning draw at Lindum with Steve Bradford taking 5-70 for the visitors and Will Wright and Alex Hornsby making half-centuries for Lindum.

Lincolnshire Premier League

Results for Saturday, 20 August

Cross O'Cliff Court: Bracebridge Heath 282-3d (Atri 105, John 65, Houston 64); Louth 159-8 (Bradley 5-30)

Augusta Street: Grimsby 182 (Masood 5-56); Bourne 187-4

Richmond Drive: Boston 228-6 (Ward 99, Newton 54); Skegness 174 (Houghton 65, Wilson 5-52)

Ashby Avenue: Hartsholme 263-2 (Nel 169no); Market Deeping 267-4 (Jones 60, Morgan 74, Gillett 61)

St. Giles Avenue: Sleaford 237-9; Lindum 210-9 (Wright 62, Hornsby 77, Bradford 5-70)

Mulsanne Park: Woodhall Spa 321-8 (Milgate 74, Lovelace 61, Hughes 56); Nettleham 152