Momentous milestone as Burghley mark their Premier League debut with home victory

Burghley Park Cricket Club marked a momentous milestone in their 254-year history with victory on their Lincolnshire Premier League debut on Saturday. They defeated Sleaford by 51 runs to bank a maximum 25-point haul from their first-ever Premier League outing. The Bears had won promotion after romping to the South Lincs and Border League Championship title last season.

However, the gulf in the step up in levels has been emphasised in the past with previous Championship winners Long Sutton being relegated after their first season in the top flight. Having lost the toss and been asked to bat on a wicket that looked helpful for the seamers, Josh Gallimore was the first man in the club's history to score a run in the Premier League but, soon after, he also became the first wicket too as Scott Tite found a way through his defences for just two. Ryan Gilmour and Mike Hobbiss then batted with patience and maturity against a bowling attack not offering many scoring opportunities.



They took their partnership beyond 50 and were starting to build a very solid platform for the rest of the batting line-up. The score had moved to 77 before Sleaford re-introduced Tite to the attack which reaped immediate rewards. He found a way through Gilmour with a ball that stayed a little low before Hobbiss was caught on the pull by Tom Sanders and the two set batsmen had to depart for 30 and 37 respectively.

Pete Foster and newcomer Ewan Williams looked to rebuild after Sleaford had wrestled the momentum back. Scoring was again difficult to come by in the early stages of their innings but some loose deliveries were starting to creep in which the pair were able to put away with ease. Foster was starting to move through the gears and made his way to 50 from 44 deliveries in the 37th over, taking the score to 160 in the process.

From here, the pair really started to kick on. Helped by some lack-lustre bowling from the visitors, coupled with some excellent ball striking, Foster and Williams moved their partnership beyond 100 and 150 before Burghley's keeper-batsman was raising the bat once again for a magnificent 100 from just 69 deliveries. Soon after, Williams brought up his well-made 50 from 80 balls and took the score beyond 250.

Williams (51), Chris Logan (0) and Alex Ashwin (six) all fell trying to add quick runs at the end of the innings as Burghley closed their 50 overs on 267-6 with Foster unbeaten on a sensational 117 from just 79 deliveries. Tite was the pick of the Sleaford bowlers with 5-30 from his 10 overs. As was the case last season, the opening bowling duties were with skipper Ashwin and overseas player Logan.

The pair set about trying to make a fast start with the ball and Logan managed just that, claiming the wicket of Mason Mansfield for just four after being caught well by Gilmour at slip. After the early success, the duo of Aayush Patel and Sam Moorby started to pile the pressure on the Burghley attack. Their partnership was nearing 100 before the introduction of the ageless Mohammed Azhar started to wrestle back the initiative.

He first removed Patel for 83 from 58 balls, before deceiving Sleaford's Kiwi import Callum McLachlan (three) with flight and guile. Ryan Gilmour (1-56), bowling in tandem with Azhar, then joined in on the act. He trapped Moorby leg before for 45 and, with the score now on 142-4, suddenly the momentum was firmly with the home team but the game was very much still in the balance.

Sensing an opening, Ashwin re-introduced the pace of Logan and the decision was rewarded immediately when he found the edge to remove Sanders for four. After a three-over burst from Logan, the attention was back on Azhar. With all the tricks in the book, it was the low full toss that was the downfall of Andy Hibberd (13) when he was caught by a diving Ashwin at mid-on.

Sleaford captain Drew Harbron came out to join Matthew Wing but the pair did not last long. At the start of Azhar's next over, a mix up between the batters left Wing stranded halfway down and run out by Gilmour for nine. Three balls later, Azhar and Ashwin were in the action again when Harbron found the home captain on the long-on boundary to give the bowler his fourth wicket.

This soon became a historic five-wicket haul when Kieran Harbron drilled the ball straight back at the Burghley veteran and the return catch was smartly taken as Azhar finished his 10 overs with figures of 5-31. Having been 120-1, Sleaford now found themselves 184-9 and the game slipping away from them after a game defining spell from the ever-reliable Azhar. Despite some resistance from Tite and Joe Peck, seeing off the remaining overs of Logan (2-45) and Ahsan Azhar (0-13), Burghley's captain Ashwin was able to wrap up the game, bowling Tite for 19 and Sleaford were all out for 216.

The victory provides Burghley with a big stepping stone to take forward into Saturday's trip to Bracebridge Heath..