NEWSTEAD ABBEY 129
LONG EATON 132-6

The Division A locals showed plenty of spirit the previous week to cling on to a losing draw.

But this time around, batting first, they couldn't post a sufficient total to give them hope of avoiding a sixth outright defeat in ten games.

For despite five batsmen getting starts – Pakistani Irfanuddin (18), Richard Greatorex (17), Matt Thrower (15), Andy Graham (13) and James
Hemstock (13) – they failed to fulfil their overs.

In fact, had it not been for the boost of 27 extras, they would have struggled to get past 100 in the face of penetrative bowling from Craig
Mellors (five for 22 from 7.2 overs) and Hassan (three for 33 from 16).

After tea, Long Eaton suffered setbacks of their own as Nick Hand (two for 51 from 15 overs), Irfanuddin (two for 28 from 14.5) and Lee Eyre (one for 28 from 13) tried to give the home side a chance.

But knocks of 39 from Andy Edge and an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership between Brett Scothern (15 not out) and Mark Harrison (20 not out) saw the high-flying visitors home.