Onyx League Division One round-up: Burwell & Exning stay top after seven-wicket win over Sawston & Babraham II

Burwell & Exning (124-3) continue to lead the way at the top of the Onyx League Division One standings following Saturday’s seven-wicket win over Sawston & Babraham II (118).

Having been inserted into bat first after losing the toss, it proved to be an outing to forget for the Rams.

Only four of their batting line-up managed to contribute double-figure tallies, with Miguel-Angelo Machado the top scorer on 40.

Meanwhile, overseas star Tom Mangelsen returned figures of 3-22 with the ball.

And that was followed by an unbeaten half century in the routine run chase from Burwell & Exning skipper Paul Summerskill (53 not out), who moved up to second in the division’s leading run scorer charts.

Burwell & Exning, who hold an 11-point advantage over second-placed Saffron Walden, will travel on Saturday (31 May) to face Old Leysians at The Leys School in Cambridge.

Elsewhere, it proved to be a mixed weekend for Foxton Granta.

While Lewys Hill’s side were defeated at home in the Onyx League Division One on Saturday, they bounced back 24 hours later to continue the defence of their National Village Cup title.

Against Ramsey (188-7), Foxton Granta (187-6) were beaten by three wickets as they slipped to fourth in the table.

Half centuries from Harry Hopwood (66) and Johnny Atkinson (52) were the bright point of a tough innings with the bat, while Ramsey chased down their target despite figures of 3-40 from Ravi Mahendra.

However, Foxton Granta (103-1) bounced back on Sunday with a comfortable nine-wicket win over Hethersett & Tas Valley (99) in third local round of the Village Cup.

Sam Beer (3-18) and Ash Clark (3-33) both took a trio of wickets apiece as Foxton Granta bowled out their hosts for less than three figures.

And Clark went on to score an unbeaten 38 alongside Freddie Doel’s 47 not out as Foxton Granta made light work of the run chase.

The champions will now travel to face fellow Division One side Eaton Socon on 7 June, with the winner advancing through to the national rounds of the competition.

Meanwhile, in the league, Foxton Granta will look to respond at the first time of asking on Saturday (31 May) when they will also take on Eaton Socon.

Histon (261-9) picked up 17 points from their Onyx League Division One draw with Cambridge St Giles (197-9) on Saturday.

Batting first, a good number of Histon’s runs came courtesy of their top three of Cameron Mitchell (48), Ben Kavanagh (54) and Jacob O’Sullivan (82).

As for the bowling, Sam Thain (2-16) was the stand-out member of St Giles’ bowling attack.

Histon’s Mitchell went on to record figures of 2-30, but despite wickets falling at regular intervals, St Giles held on to claim nine points from the encounter.

Histon will head to Saffon Walden on Saturday (31 May) while St Giles will have home advantage against Wisbech Town on the same day.

Old Leysians (119) came up short by a slender margin of eight runs during their defeat to Blunham (127) in Division One of the Onyx League last weekend.

Bowler Joseph Gunn-Roberts recorded figures of 3-30 with the ball and Richard Bramley top scored during the reply with a knock of 36 runs, but it was not quite enough to get Old Leysians over the line.

Old Leysians, who have won just one of their first six fixtures this season, are second from bottom in the table ahead of their home clash with Burwell & Exning on Saturday (31 May).