Bourne won the toss and chose to bowl on a very green wicket. Liam Thompson and Dan Freeman shared the opening bowling duties for Bourne, Laud and Gilmour as usual at the top of the order for Burghley. Laud was gifted an early life when a simple catch was put down by Will Gardner at point in the very first over, but he was the first man to fall for 12, caught at slip by Freeman from the bowling of Thompson. Charlie Sharpe strode to the crease at 3 but unfortunately added to his (Ed's) Phall tally for the season when Tom Pumphrey eventually held on to a juggling catch at point to give Thompson his second scalp. The usually reliable Pete Foster was then dismissed for his first single figure score of the Saturday league season when Yuvi Ranaut found a way through his defences for just 2. When Sam Potter joined Gilmour, the score read 36-3 but the pair were able to stem the flow of wickets and shift some momentum to the home side. The pair added 63 to the total before Potter 'did a Gilmour' shouldering arms to a straight break from Will Gardner for a well-made 43. When the same man trapped Gilmour LBW for 36 and neither J. Biggs nor Billington could make it out of single figures, Biggs becoming Gardner's 3rd victim LBW and Billington bowled by a beauty from Theo Saralis, Burghley looked in danger of being bowled out for a well below par score. 123-7. Opening Bowlers Alex Ashwin and Chris Logan had other ideas, however. Ashwin was watchful and Logan typically aggressive as they were able to share a 50 partnership before Ashwin played on to Ranaut for 18. When Logan skied the same man to Pumphrey at deep cover, the Burghley total still wasn't in excess of 200. Stuart Biggs and Harry Armstrong soon had that ticked off though. Biggs unfurling some trademark lofted cover drives whilst Armstrong rotated the strike well before Armstrong was caught scooping the spin of Jordan Temple by Gardner. Burghley 212 all out, the last pair adding a useful 30, but still probably 40 or so short of a properly competitive total.

Ashwin and Logan knew early inroads were the order of the day, but Ranaut and Temple had other ideas. They had added 35 before Ranaut was caught by Billington from the bowling of Logan. Ashwin had an LBW shout against Temple turned down which the umpire later apologised for getting wrong, before a double change of bowling did the trick. Sam Potter bowled Jon Cheer for 18 before taking a smart catch at slip to dismiss Temple from the bowling of James Laud. It was neck and neck at drinks with Bourne reaching 116-3. Just after the break, Harry Armstrong made the next breakthrough, Gardner offering a simple catch to Ashwin at deep square to depart for 11.

From this point came the partnership that took the game away. Carl Wilson and Dan Freeman moved the score beyond 200, Wilson being gifted a life by Logan shelling a simple effort at point, before passing 50. With just 6 overs remaining in the game, and Bourne requiring just 7 runs, the impossible very nearly became reality. Ashwin threw the ball to Sam Potter and with the first ball of the 35th over he removed Bourne captain Freeman for 34. Pumphery survived just 4 balls before he was then castled and when Harry Tickler couldn't keep the first delivery from rearranging his stumps, Potter had a triple wicket maiden and Bourne suddenly 205-7.

All rested on Wilson's shoulders, but the visiting wicket keeper batsman could only add 6 from the following Chris Logan over giving Potter another chance with just 2 runs required. His second delivery found the outside half of Thompson's bat and this time, Logan held on at point before the very next ball crashed into the stumps of Billy Gallagher. 204-3 had become 211-9 and suddenly it was anyone’s game. After leaving the first delivery, number 11 Theo Saralis was able to dig out a near perfect Yorker from Potter which squeezed down to third man, giving Bourne the victory.

An incredible late fightback from Burghley, albeit in vain.

Next week sees the final game of the season when Spalding visit the park.