Alex Ashwin won the toss and chose to bat on a wicket that most would probably have bowled on. However, in the 2 fixtures this season that the park have played at Bourne, batting first has been crucial in setting up victories.

James Laud and Mike Hobbiss got proceedings underway for the visitors and made their captain's decision to bat look a good one. With the odd stroke of luck here and there, along with some high-quality stroke play, the pair added 76 for the first wicket before Hobbiss became the first man to fall, caught by Carl Wilson from the bowling of Colin Cheer for 24. Laud, however, carried on how he had started before falling just 3 runs short of a deserved half century when he picked out Jordan Temple on the mid-wicket boundary from the bowling of Jack Berry. Ryan Gilmour and Pete Foster, both off the back of centuries last weekend, then looked to carry on the good work from the Burghley openers. They added 40 runs before Gilmour offered a simple catch to Rob Dunn at point for 16 giving Cheer his second wicket. From here came somewhat of a middle order wobble. Foster was adjudged LBW to Berry for 30 and other than Sam Potter (15) the next 3 men (Olly Billington, Josh Gallimore & Gareth Hook) were all unable to make it out of single figures, however Hook can count himself slightly unfortunate with Sam Evison taking a stupendous 1 handed diving catch on the deep backward square boundary after the Burghley all rounder had nailed a hook shot. Burghley had fallen from 138-2 to 179-8.

Ashwin and Logan then came together and, although usually most dangerous with ball in hand, the pair built a match defining partnership. Logan took the role of the aggressor as he usually does with the bat, dispatching Ben Woodward for two enormous maximums, endangering the children's tennis lessons, whilst Ashwin was content to just rotate the strike. They added 67 runs in 6 overs, before falling in consecutive overs, Logan making 35 from 20 balls and Ashwin 26 from 30. A total of 248 had been set for the chase.

The home sides chase got off to a blistering start. Ashwin was unable to find his line and length, to go along with some clean ball striking by Woodward and Evison, and the score had rattled to 45 after just 5 overs. Logan then applied the brakes. Evison (16) found the safe hands of Hook at mid off before in his following over, he removed Woodward's (37) off stump. When Hook himself then bowled Temple (1), 45-0 had suddenly become 55-3. Bourne Captain Dan Freeman and Jonathan Cheer then had the job of steadying the flow of wickets. The pair added 62, before Caius Headley struck the pad of Freeman in front of all 3 and the home skipper had to depart for 41. Headley claimed a further 2 wickets in his spell with Yuvi Ranault (1) caught by Sam Potter at slip before taking the catch himself to remove Jonathan Cheer for 30. Carl Wilson and Robert Dunn then added 45 before James Laud removed Dunn (19), caught well by Logan at short fine leg. Bourne were now 181-7, requiring 77 to win, but with Wilson and Jack Berry at the crease, and still more than 10 overs to go, the game was very much in the balance. Ashwin was changing up that attack, himself, Logan and Laud all bowling in short spells, and it was Laud to breakthrough next. The score has moved to 215 before he bowled Wilson for 47. When Logan had Berry caught by Hook in the deep in the following over, Burghley could sense victory, but after what happened last week, they knew that it was not a foregone conclusion. It was the skipper Ashwin who was able to seal the win when he bowled Colin Cheer to see Burghley to their 6th victory from 9 completed games this season and up to 4th place in the league.

Burghley now look ahead to a trip to Spalding next Saturday before their annual Cricket Week kicks off with the Kids Blast on Sunday 6th July.

This match was sponsored by King West