Treble still on for Kibworth

Kibworth had another excellent weekend as they took another step towards completing what would be an amazing treble.

Kibworth built on their vital Everards Premier League win against Lutterworth by picking up another 25 points against Syston Town before beating their title rivals in the County Cup Final by a five-wicket margin at Grace Road.

Lutterworth took 17 points after having the better of a draw with Leicester Ivanhoe last Saturday, and the results mean that Kibworth now need just five points from their final match at Sileby Town to win the league.

More silverware is up for grabs this Sunday afternoon when Kibworth travel to Loughborough Town for the rearranged Everards League Cup Final.

Former Leicestershire Academy batsman/’keeper Charles Wootton scored 100 for Syston but Kibworth duo Luke Evans and Russell Spiers each claimed three wickets as they kept the visitors to 190-8.

There was an early twist as Alex Wyatt and Academy all-rounder George Corbett each took a wicket, Kibworth’s in-form openers Sunny Patel and Matt Craven being dismissed without a run on the board.

Kibworth then slipped into further trouble at 15-3 and 49-4 but Charles Page-Morris scored 93 and Richard Jackson (39 not out) and Raja Hayat (36 not out) also contributed to a vital win.

Paceman Evans and left arm spinner Spiers were also in good form in the showpiece game on Sunday, ending with figures of 7-0-19-1 and 8-2-21-1 respectively as Lutterworth were restricted to 161-7.

That was a good effort from Lutterworth’s batsmen given they found themselves in early trouble at 36-4. Craig Wilson made an important 66 while Alec Hill scored 34 in a fifth wicket partnership worth 65.

Hill (8-0-11-1), brother of Leicestershire batsman Lewis, then bowled exceptionally well at the start of the chase. However, opener Patel played well to make 51, and Page-Morris (34 not out) and Dave Whitmore (25*) saw their side home with twelve balls to spare with an unbroken sixth wicket alliance of 58.

On Saturday, Lewis Hill made 62 as Lutterworth put 233-8 on the board before Ivanhoe opener Eben Kurtz, who has played well for Leicestershire Second XI this summer, batted throughout the innings.

Kurtz scored 107 not out, including a third-wicket stand of 87 with Academy batsman Alex Kent (40) as Ivanhoe closed on 213-8.

Sileby Town will have to settle for third place after being edged out of an absorbing clash by two wickets at Loughborough Town.

Tom Wells took 2-17 from six overs as Sileby were restricted to 147 all out but Loughborough were then reduced to 127-8, including a wicket from Jigar Naik (10-1-43-1). Ben Mike and Nil Patel had earlier took five wickets between them and continued to impress by getting Loughborough over the line with the willow.

The result means that Loughborough can potentially leapfrog Barrow into fourth place in the final weekend after their five-wicket defeat to Hinckley Town/CCA. Fast bowlers Sukhvir Singh (5-40) and Atif Sheikh (2-48) kept Barrow to below 140 and Craig Crowe made 50 in a five-wicket success.

Harborough looked on course for a big score on 168-3 after half-centuries from Sam Williams and Kevin Innes but Rothley Park slow left armer Ali Azmat took 6-21 as they were dismissed for 201.

Those runs on the board still proved to be enough as fellow spinner Laurence Perry claimed 5-26. Rothley lost by 60 runs despite a bright 77 from opener Richard Williams.

There have been a number of extremely close finishes in the league this year and Kegworth and Thorpe Arnold were the latest pair of sides to end with the scores level. The two sides may already have been relegated but showed an abundance of spirit during a brilliant game.

James Pepperdine took 4-33, including a hat-trick, as Thorpe restricted Kegworth to 186. Jake Gillett scored a single off the last ball of the game as part of his 56 not out as Thorpe levelled the scores with eight wickets down to claim a slightly higher share of the draw points.