Biggleswade top of table after five wicket victory

Fielding first, ​James Gauge took the early wickets of Draper and Fookes (both caught behind by Adam Lawrence).

Matthew Twigg removed Ross (good low catch by Conor Smith), Rayat (caught by Chris Waghorn) and bowled Luke Marsden as Ickleford were reduced to 48-5.

That they made any kind of recovery was due to Matthew Marsden. He added 50 with Dalrymple (bowled by George Boyd) and 31 with Drummond (run out by Wright). Walford chipped in with the wickets of Scot and George Crouch before Marsden was last out caught by Gauge off Twigg for 82 out of 158.

The Biggleswade reply got off to a flying start with 14 from the first over. However Kevin Wright was run out by Draper in the second over and soon after Smith went the same way. Joe Randall played a solid hand and took the score to 66 with Dagless before the latter went caught by Draper.

The fourth wicket stand of 47 between Randall and Twigg was built around some strong hitting from Twigg.

Randall and Twigg departed for 32 and 43 respectively before Lawrence and Gauge saw Biggleswade win.

Ickwell head Division Two after a comfortable success against Stevenage.

Batting first Stevenage made 280- 7 from their forty five overs.

Milin Gandhi (75) got Ickwell off to a very good reply as he took the attack to the Stevenage bowlers. Matt Hamilton (80 not out) played another fine innings as he carried on his performance from Saturday’s game. There was good support from Ross Cunningham (48) and Ickwell got home with four wickets and nine overs to spare.

Biggleswade II tied with Sandy at Fairfield in Division Four – Sandy’s second tie in successive days!

Skipper Dave Carr anchored the Sandy innings with 67. The first four Sandy batsmen all fell to Andrew Dockerill while the remaining wickets were shared between Tony Charter and Robb Wright as Sandy ended on 158.

The Biggleswade reply started well with Nicholas Birch and Bruce Ditcham moving the score on well. After Birch and Ahmed departed Wright made the other substantial contribution.

As Biggleswade pushed to get over the line wickets fell. Ditcham was out for 57 and Wright for 41.

Luke Ball and Jerry Keen were both removed before Charter was run out off the final ball of the innings as the match was tied at 158 apiece.

Ben Fensome starred with the bat in Ickwell II’s six wicket victory at home to Elstow II in Division Five.

The visitors were soon in trouble as Tom Jackson (4-22) removed the first four batsmen. After this Elstow found runs hard to come by and Darren De-Vyott (3-15) bowled his nine overs for just 15 runs. Elstow were all out in the 34th over for the ‘dreaded Nelson’, 111.

The start of the Ickwell innings caused some early concern as two wickets fell very quickly as Sam Barrow and Steven Proudman went for ducks.

But Fensome (65 not out) came to the rescue with a fine innings as Ickwell II went on to a six wicket success.

Some of Biggleswade Development team had a sense of deja vu as they travelled across to Henlow for the second time in two days.

Henlow batted first and made 148-6 off with Rory and Andy Fookes with 39 and 28 respectively. For Biggleswade, Harry Roberts and Aiden Wright took two wickets apiece.

In reply Seth Robinson gave Biggleswade a good start with 22 and then Joe Gauge played the major innings of the game scoring 48.

Harry Roberts and Mark Gauge then saw Biggleswade home by three wickets.

The two Fookes took two wickets.