NCL ROUND-UP: Champions in control at halfway point of the season

Saturday’s 151-run defeat of Stony Stratford has placed them 18 points clear of Rushton who beat Saints by five wickets.

At Campbell Park, it was one-way traffic as the visitors strolled to an emphatic win.

An unbeaten 120 from Lewis Bruce and 58 from Asim Butt pushed Peterborough to 244 for four before they declared with four overs unused.

The wickets were then shared around as Stony, with no batsman reaching 20, were bowled out for a paltry 93.

At Station Road, Saints could only manage 82 (Marc Jackson 5-29), a total the hosts passed for the loss of five wickets as they picked up their seventh win of the campaign.

Third-placed Rushden were involved in a tight tussle with Oundle at Milton Road.

The visitors, for whom Will Sheridan made 70 and Ben Paine 54, totalled 198 as Harry Ramsden’s off-spin returned him the figures of 5-48.

Petrus Jeftha top scored with 42 in Oundle’s reply as they finished nine wickets down and as many runs from victory, Will Liptrot keeping them in check with 5-42.

Finedon had few problems as they overcame Horton House by seven wickets.

Chris Goode took five for 19 as Horton were bowled out for 142 before unbeaten half centuries from Greig Hofbauer (53) and Sean Davis (53) enabled them to recover strongly from 18 for three.

Wollaston moved out of the bottom two with a 64-run defeat of Brixworth.

Fred Newborough and Colin Sibley took four wickets apiece as Wollaston were dismissed for 169 but this proved to be more than enough as the hosts collapsed to 105 all out (Alex Lacey 50) as Jameson Coutts, Chris Perry and Steve Musgrave shared nine wickets between them.

It was the Rob White show at Billing Road as Burton Latimer, now 49 points adrift at the foot of the table, were hammered to the tune of 201 runs.

The former County man struck 150 and Richard Kaufman 61 in the hosts’ 289 ffor four and Burton were then rolled over for 88 as White took four for 13.