Desborough feeling ready for their top-flight return

Lee Pollard’s team wrapped things up with a game to spare with an impressive four-wicket victory at Loddington & Mawsley.

It means the West Lodge Park club’s nine-year hiatus from the Premier Division is now over.

And, despite admitting that promotion was not “on the agenda” ahead of the season, chairman Mick Greener believes the timing might just be right after he feels has been one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history.

“It (promotion) was not something that we had on the agenda at the start of the season,” the Desborough chairman said.

“But we had a good start, we had a bit of luck in the early games and we have just got better and better as the season has gone on.

“We have some good young players in the side alongside some of the old timers and it has made for a good balance.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t feel ready for the next level.

“Certainly, facilities-wise, we are right up there and we have hosted a lot of representative cricket and things have only improved with the new changing rooms we opened this year.

“The club is going from strength-to-strength.

“The youth teams have been fantastic this season. Our under-11s only lost one

game and that was the county final, the under-13s and under-15s both reached cup finals and the under-17s won their cup final recently.

“It has been a really, really good year, one of the best in the club’s history.”

Desborough were in no mood to let the chance to seal the title slip by as they racked up their 14th win of the season.

Sam Harris (4-35) starred with the ball as they restricted Loddington to 189-9 with Luke Hanley (41) top-scoring for the hosts.

Simon Renshaw (62) and Jake Binley (47) laid the foundations with a first-wicket stand of 90 in the reply and, despite Nick Herbert taking 4-53, Wayne Steed added 33 as Desborough got over the line on 193-6 in the 37th over.

At the other end, Isham have been relegated to Division Two after they were thrashed to the tune of 148 runs by second-placed Overstone Park on the penultimate weekend of the season.

Jack Chopping was the star of the show as Finedon Dolben moved to the brink of claiming the NCL Premier Division title.

The opening bowler tore through the Northampton Saints order and returned superb figures of 11.5-2-21-7 as Saints were skittled out for just 65 in 22.5 overs with Matt Taylor (20no) the only one to put up any serious resistance.

Sean Davis (36no) and Jack Keeping (28no) wrapped up the 10-wicket victory after just 61 balls of the reply as Finedon stayed in control at the summit.

With Old Northamptonians matching their points haul with a five-wicket success at Brigstock, it means Finedon will need just two from their final match of the season against Brigstock at Avenue Road this weekend to secure their first top-flight title since 2011.

Kislingbury and Earls Barton will both be playing Division One cricket next season.

The top two in Division Two met last weekend and Kislingbury took the honours with a seven-wicket success, which secured them the title.

But Peterborough 2nd’s failure to win their match at Old ensured it was a double celebration as they confirmed Barton’s promotion.

Weldon wrapped up their second successive title as they claimed the Division Three crown despite a seven-wicket defeat at Heyford last Saturday.

The battle to join them is going to the wire, however.

Wollaston 2nd, who play the champions in their final game this weekend, sit just two points clear of second-placed Old Grammarians after both teams won again.

Grammarians take on Horton House 2nd in their last match of the campaign.