The Park side were invited to bat first after losing the toss, despite Spalding captain Ollie Dring forgetting to call heads or tails the first time the coin was flicked!

Ryan Gilmour and Mike Hobbiss were entrusted with the job of starting the innings and, between them, set the platform perfectly for a competitive total. Good running, coupled with the punishment of any loose deliveries, took their partnership beyond 50 before Spalding’s overseas player—and 2025 Premier League leading wicket-taker—Walter Kinlock was introduced into the attack. The Aussie leg-spinner first trapped Gilmour lbw for 33 before tearing a googly through Hobbiss for 27.

James Laud and Pete Foster joined forces at the crease and sensibly played low-risk cricket, especially against Kinlock. They had taken the total beyond 100 when Laud (21) miscued a delivery from Josh Lawrence, allowing Nil Atapatu to take a simple catch at mid-off. Sam Potter joined Foster and looked to put pressure back on the Spalding attack once Kinlock had completed his 10-over spell (2–17). The pair moved their partnership to 49 before Foster fell for 38, caught by Kinlock off the bowling of Mustafa Mughal. Potter was the next man to depart, for 18, when he could only find the hands of Dring at mid-on off the bowling of Josh White.

With the score at 161–5, Olly Billington and Ewan Williams combined for a crucial half-century partnership. Williams was the more aggressive of the pair, but Billington worked the ball well into gaps and contributed to the boundary count when opportunities presented themselves. The pair took Burghley beyond 200, but with just three overs to go, Billington could not clear Dring at cover and departed for 29. Skipper Alex Ashwin came and went for 8 in the hunt for late runs, and Burghley finished their 50 overs with a very competitive 243–7, Williams ending on 44 not out from 31 balls.

The new-look pair of Ruffell and Wildsmith again started the Park bowling innings but, as last week, despite some excellent deliveries beating the bat, the pair went wicketless through their four-over spells. James Laud was introduced into the attack and struck immediately, removing Divyesh Vaseeharan lbw for 26 with his very first delivery, before Billington held a smart catch behind the stumps to see the back of Jon Manton (26) in the same over.

Stuart Biggs replaced Ruffell and he, too, struck almost immediately. The two Burghley veterans combined when Biggs found the edge of Josh Lawrence’s bat and Mike Hobbiss took a superb catch at gully. From there, the Burghley attack kept the pressure well and truly on the Spalding batters. Laud picked up a further two wickets—bowling Dring and trapping Mughal lbw—to finish with 4–22 from his 10 overs, with Gilmour also removing Coles lbw for 15. Potter’s four-over spell returned 1–19, with Ben Smith adjudged lbw for 12, before Xavier Wildsmith completed the job despite some resolute resistance from Atapatu. The young seamer bowled Ethan Lawrence for 16, before two wickets in two balls removed Kinlock (thanks to a smart catch from Billington) and Josh White (bowled for 0). Wildsmith finished with 3–31 from his eight overs.

A great start to the season from a young and exciting 1st XI, ahead of next week’s trip to Sleaford. A massive thank you goes out to Liam Chapman for scoring.

This match was sponsored by RTK.