Anglian League
Northamptonshire first team kept alive their hopes of clinching the 2018 Anglian League as they collected their third win in four matches with a 7½-4½ victory against Suffolk at Wellingborough.
The hosts started brightly as Mikey Chambers and Michael Farr (2&1) and Luis Witherall and Charlie Salter (4&3) secured wins, Fraser Carnihan and Lee Hitchcock held their nerve on the 18th to add another point, before Liam McNeela and Miles Mudge secured a half.
A big singles win from Chambers and two halves in the opening three ties extended the home advantage and although Suffolk won three of the next four games, Northants completed the victory with points from Farr and McNeela.
The county, who travel to Cambridgeshire in the final match next month, will still need Suffolk to do them a favour by beating Leicestershire on the same day.
Northamptonshire’s second team will be chasing victory in their final match for a different reason as they try to avoid a fifth successive defeat as they lost 7½-4½ to Suffolk at Diss.
On an otherwise disappointing outing for the second string, the only positives for the county were the performances of Owen Watts, Tom Burgh and Ryan Genner, who all remained unbeaten.