Pinchbeck United manager Tom Roberts reflected on a historic win as they remain on course for a quadruple.

They have already picked up the Spalding Sunday League’s Knockout Cup and John Chappell Shield while a 100 per cent record makes them almost certain to retain the championship.

Roberts admitted that any nerves were settled by Josh Ford’s double just before the break against Thurlby United in the Lincolnshire FA Sunday Cup final at Sincil Bank.

He said: “Once we got those goals we could settle down.

“If Tommy Treacher meant to score like that for the first goal then fair play to him.

“We needed an early goal but it went the way you would expect in a cup final with 100 per cent commitment and full-on action.

“Credit to Thurlby but it killed the game when we got our second and third goals. Josh’s record of 57 goals this season speaks for itself.”

There was enough in Holbeach United’s 1-1 draw with relegated Harborough Town to suggest that exciting times lie ahead for the Tigers next season.

Comfortable in possession and purposeful in attack, especially from the flanks, the Tigers showed that they have come a long way in rebuilding morale and ambition under exciting managerial duo Darren Jarvis and Tom Roberts.

Holbeach showed three changes to the side that at Long Buckby the previous weekend, with Ash Murrell, Andy Tidswell and Jamie Clarke replacing Ben Brown, the suspended Gary King and Jordan Keeble respectively.

On a day when he could have scored a hat-trick, it was Clarke who had the first sniff of goal just seconds after the kick off when he latched onto a through-ball only to volley the wrong side of the Bees’ left-hand post.

But there was a warning of trouble to come two minutes later when a Harry May right wing free kick was swung across to the Tigers’ far post where central defender Ben Williams header across goal but just wide.

After a lull in goalmouth action, it was Harborough who finally took the lead when another May free kick was hooked back into the danger area by Dan Knott and Williams profited from some poor Tigers defending to head home.

But Holbeach didn’t panic and they were level on 29 minutes when a punt downfield from Tigers on-loan keeper James Bradley caught the Bees defence cold and Craig Parker tucked home the equaliser.

A minute later, Holbeach could have gone in front when a routine cross from Dan Worthington was dropped by visiting keeper Glen Giles almost on the goal-line, only for Williams to help his keeper out of trouble with a header back.

The final chance of the first half came when Craig Parker shot across goal five minutes before the break.

In the second half, Bradley saved well from a goalbound shot by Bees striker Jordan Crawford before Callum Macnicol thought he had put the visitors back in front with a header that was ruled for a foul on Bradley.

Then Newcombe presented Clarke with a chance to win it with four minutes left, only for the Tigers striker to sidefoot wide when the goal was gaping.

Clarke went close again on 88 minutes after Tidswell and Parker combined, although Williams almost deceived Bradley with a glancing header in stoppage time that in fact went wide.

Evo-Stik League First Division South - Romulus 3 Spalding United 0 (match report by sports editor Mark Lea at Coles Lane)

The dream died as a lack of effort summed up a dismal end to Spalding United’s season.

This week the Tulips should be taking part in the play-off semi-finals with a chance to celebrate a second successive promotion.

Instead they missed out because over four games they simply weren’t good enough.

For long periods of the campaign Spalding looked more than capable of a top-five finish – but it’s not all about ability.

The post-match verdict of boss Pat Rayment might look harsh for those who have only seen Spalding at home where the record was excellent.

But you know there are going to be changes when the players are accused of a lack of commitment, effort, urgency and desire.

It’s baffling to wonder why the players couldn’t find those qualities when a play-off place was up for grabs.

Surely making an effort is even more basic than trying to pass the ball to each other.

And if you don’t try hard enough then this is what happens and you get exactly what you deserve.

Spalding were so close to adding another game or two at the end of the season.

However, they only have themselves to blame after lacklustre performances at Leek Town, Tividale and Romulus along with a home draw against Stocksbridge Park Steels.

When it mattered during the run-in, Spalding failed to deliver – not once, four times.

The season started with a 2-0 defeat Sutton Coldfield Town and the Tulips were back on the 3G pitch at Coles Lane on Saturday to see their campaign come to an end.

A win would have sealed a play-off spot but that never looked likely.

In a must-win game, it took more than half an hour for the Tulips to get going and offer any threat.

By that stage they were 1-0 down as dreadful defending gave a free header for Joel Grandison to convert Matt Curley’s right-wing cross.

A double substitution made little difference as the Tulips were fortunate not to concede again until the final moments.

Jack McGovern should have nodded an equaliser and Spalding created chances to get back into a game where they were second best.

However, they still did not show much urgency. It looked like panic as they eventually realised the season was set to finish in disappointment.

Matty Nolan’s flick was disallowed for offside and just seconds later Romulus substitute Jordan Francis fired into the top corner of the net.

Grandison raced clear in stoppage-time to cut inside and slot home the third goal.

That left Spalding to think what might have been if they had put in more effort.

ROMULUS

4-4-2: Parsons; Evans, L Francis, Lee, Branch; Curley, Smith, Fitzharris, Bottomer; Ahenkorah (sub J Francis 82 mins), Grandison. Subs not used: Leek, Taylor.

SPALDING UNITED

4-4-2: Duggan 7; Griffiths 5, Leary 5, Stevens 6, Jackson 6; Beeson 5, Hall 5, McGovern 5, J Thurlbourne 5; Waumsley 4 (sub Webb 52 mins, 5), Vieira 4 (sub Nolan 52 mins, 5). Subs not used: G Stainfield, Adams, Pycock.

REFEREE

Neil Radford.

GOALS

Grandison (22 mins, 1-0); J Francis (85 mins, 2-0); Grandison (90 mins, 3-0).

BOOKINGS

Smith, Grandison (fouls); Lee, Beeson (kicking ball away).

ATTENDANCE

80.

STAR MAN

Michael Duggan – a couple of good saves prevented an even bigger defeat.

TRISH TAKES FIVE: By Trish Burgess

Did you see BBC Springwatch over the Easter weekend? The team was based on the Yorkshire coast and, in particular, Bempton Cliffs, where every year 250,000 seabirds come to nest from April through to August.

I was particularly excited to see the programme because, by chance, we had just booked a short break and would be staying on the outskirts of Bempton village.

Being able to have a little preview of our holiday was a great way to show the family where we were going. They usually rely on me to do all the organising and planning, happy to just tag along and hope I’ve chosen wisely.

Thankfully there were plenty of enthusiastic nods as I pointed at the telly.

Arriving at our destination a few days later, there were more exclamations of approval.

We were staying in High Barn Cottages, a gorgeous barn conversion a few miles from Bridlington and minutes from the chalk cliffs of Bempton.

One of the most fascinating features of the accommodation was the presence of an owl webcam. The TVs in each of the five properties had a link to the nesting box so guests were able to see the owl, day and night.

I didn’t think I was much of a bird lover but I found this so captivating. I was happy just to sit and watch although, in the daytime, there wasn’t much to see as our owl friend snoozed in the corner ­just like my husband, funnily enough.

To see more bird action, we eventually headed to the RSPB centre on the cliffs, unintentionally choosing the windiest day of our holiday.

The sea breeze may have been fierce but the birds were still able to put on a bit of a show: gannets, razorbills and guillemots could be seen wheeling above the cliff tops while the lesser spotted female Burgess made a gallant effort to stay upright on the path.

If birds aren’t your thing, there’s another reason you might want to take a trip to this area.

Following on from the huge interest created when the Grand Départ of the Tour de France set off from Leeds in 2014, another cycle race, Tour de Yorkshire, will be starting from Bridlington on May 1 for an exciting three-day race.

We had a wonderfully relaxing break in the East Riding of Yorkshire and can certainly recommend the region if you need some inspiration for the next Bank Holiday weekend, whether or not you’re a bird or bike fancier.

If snoozing on a comfy sofa is more your thing, they’ve got that covered too.

You can follow Trish on Twitter @mumsgoneto and read her blog at www.mumsgoneto.blogspot.com

In response to the letters ‘There was no further need for magazine’ by Coun Gambba-Jones and ‘How would he spend his allowance?’ by Joyce Boyer.

In the first case, I simply asked editor Jeremy Ransome if it was fair that local newspapers face competition for advertising revenue from tax-payer funded newsletters/periodicals. He replied that he was happy with the situation. I’m happy with his answer.

I asked the question because I believe that an independent local press is an essential part of our open democracy and it is a vital part of local accountability.

Also,our local press is a business employing local people. Furthermore, it regularly publishes all the relevant information concerning council/parish information and councillor’s activities.

Secondly, supporting my argument, the details of designated budgets and their allocations by local councillors have been widely reported in our local newspapers.

So, we need not solely rely on the Pinchbeck Chimes for that information, as Joyce Boyer appears to suggests. OK, without being patronising, allow me to concede that perhaps not everyone has the means or access to a local newspaper and that a parish/council newsletter is needed and has to be funded by taxpayers, like many other community publications, up and down this land. In that case, I personally believe such publications should be free of religious/
political influence and content. Why did I make a fuss in the first place about councillor’s involvement with the parish magazine? Well,the councillors said, in the final issue of the Chimes, that they used their designated budgets paying for the printing costs of the magazine. The magazine consists of 10 monthly issues. By my reckoning that is a hefty sum of money. The same councillors now say that they only paid for one issue. So who’s to blame for that confusion? Perhaps they’d care to tell us the actual printing costs so voters can make their own judgement about the costs in the name of accountability.

Finally, I’ll answer Joyce Boyer’s question: if I’m elected, ‘how would I spend spend my designated councillors budget’. I would first re-ignite a war on litter for the benefit of all in South Holland, not just Pinchbeck and Surfleet. I would then allocate the rest without fear or favour to local groups/schemes genuinely needing support. I’d never squander public money on self promotion publicity.

DOCTOR CALLING: BY Dr Kevin Shields

Diabetes affects over 8,500 people in South Lincolnshire, and it is estimated that this figure will increase further this year.

Nationally in 2010, there were approximately 3.1 million people aged 16 or over with diabetes (both diagnosed and undiagnosed). By 2030, this figure is expected to rise to 4.6 million, with 90% of those affected having type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that around 850,000 people in England have diabetes but haven’t been diagnosed.

Many more people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes – sometimes known as prediabetes. If your blood sugar level is above the normal range, your risk of developing full-blown diabetes is increased.

It’s very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it will get progressively worse if left untreated. You should therefore visit your GP as soon as possible if you have symptoms such as:

* feeling very thirsty

* urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night

* feeling very tired

* weight loss and loss of muscle bulk

* itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush

* cuts or wounds that heal slowly

* blurred vision

There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 diabetes affects about 10% of adults who have diabetes and usually develops before the age of 40. It is also the most common type of childhood diabetes. It is treated with daily injections of insulin. Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days.

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs over the age of 40 and can often be treated through diet and exercise, as well as medication. It is possible to prevent the onset of diabetes.

Some people have borderline results, and with a combination of diet and exercise, these prediabetes states can improve. Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general.

There are some groups of people who are more at risk from developing diabetes and this includes a family history of diabetes, if you are overweight or if you have high blood pressure. Certain ethnic groups are also more likely to develop diabetes. Your GP is able to support your treatment and management of diabetes and will offer you regular clinic appointments, which are very important to keep.

If you are concerned that you have any of the symptoms mentioned, your local pharmacist or GP will be able to offer you a simple blood test to look at your sugar levels. If this is raised you can then be sent for further tests to see if you have diabetes and access the right level of treatment and support.

It is important to look after yourself when you have diabetes in order to help prevent further health complications.

You should especially take care of feet, eyes, kidneys and heart and keep regular check-ups your doctor can arrange for you. Most surgeries run clinics to support diabetes and are run by our nurses.

Spalding’s new big weekend of flower festivals and cycling is just over a week away, but this time visitors are not just being invited to come and watch, they can become part of it.

The town is once again getting ready to welcome hundreds of families over the May Bank Holiday weekend for events that are totally different, but are cleverly linked to celebrate South Holland’s floral heritage.

Spalding Velo Prix – a two-day event on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3 – is the town’s newest attraction, offering cycling competitions for adults and children, guided family cycle rides taking in some of the area’s annual church flower festivals and a club standard 35-mile tour of the area.

Visitors will be able to drop in at Springfields Outlet Shopping Centre for the annual Springfields Festival and Tulipmania procession on the Saturday and the Springfields Classic Car Show on the Sunday.

The town centre and Springfields is linked by a cycle path, which runs alongside an attractive riverbank. They are also linked by Spalding Water Taxi, which is a main sponsor of Spalding Velo Prix.

Continuing the flower theme of the former Spalding Flower Parade, which was also held over May Bank Holiday until two years ago, an extra 10,000 tulips have been planted in Springfields Festival Gardens in celebration of the district’s bulb growing heritage.

Tulip Radio will also be organising a Tulipmania Prince and Princess competition and the winners will lead the procession on the Saturday in the Springfields Land Train.

They will be joined by this year’s Flower Queen Amy Cook and her deputy Kimberley Fisher.

May Bank Holiday is traditionally the weekend of the famous Spalding Flower Parade, but the new format is already attracting a huge amount of interest.

Dennis Hannant, town centre manager, said: “The activities planned for the Tulipmania weekend, both in the town centre and at Springfields Conference and Events Centre, should make for a really good family Bank Holiday weekend outing. If successful there is no reason why the Spalding Velo Prix cannot become a bigger and better annual event, which will attract many visitors to the town and the area. I will also be supporting Tulipmania and performing on the main stage.”

Spalding’s new Tulipmania Prince and Princess will lead the procession around the stunning Springfields Festival Gardens.

They will be chosen in a competition run by Tulip Radio earlier on the same day, Saturday, May 2.

The procession will start from the festival arena at Springfields Outlet Shopping Centre at 2.30pm and everyone is invited to join in wearing, if possible, something ‘tulipey’.

Free face painting will be provided by Face Art for those children wanting a tulip on their cheek before the procession.

Children’s favourite Peppa Pig will also be making personal appearances in the gardens at interval throughout the day and will be joining in the procession along part of the route.

Then, on the Sunday, over 250 cars will arrive to join the festival event and participate in the popular Springfields Classic Car Show.

Throughout the weekend there will a craft fair and trade stands in the Events Centre, kiddies fairground rides and musical entertainment around the festival site, provided by local artists, bands and community groups.

In addition there will miniature train rides through the woodlands, military vehicle rides provided by supporters of the Royal Anglian Regiment Benevolent Fund and lots of other fun things to do.

Opening times are Saturday, 9am to 5pm and Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Teams from four South Holland primary schools will battle it out in a fast-paced event, which will bring popular cycle racing back to Spalding town centre and is as exciting for spectators as it is the competitors.

Gosberton Clough and Risegate Community Primary School, St Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School (West Pinchbeck), Weston Hills Church of England Primary School and Spalding Primary School (Woolram Wygate) have all signed up for the Italian Pursuit Inter School Challenge, taking place in Spalding Market Place on the morning of Sunday, May 3.

Then at 2pm it’s the turn of the adults with Bourne Wheelers, Sleaford Wheelers, Boston Wheelers and Lincoln Velo Club competing in the Inter Cycling Club Challenge.

The races are the finale of an exciting weekend of family cycling organised by Spalding Cycling Club to promote the sport as ideal for the flat terrain of South Holland.

After gaining sponsorship from Broadgate Homes, Springfield Exhibition Centre and Gibbons Cycles, the weekend kicks off on Saturday, May 2, in Monks House Lane Playing Field in Spalding with a Youth Go Race event, featuring a Figure of Eight Time Trial Challenge, Cycle Speedway, Cyclocross Race and Hoola Hoop Race.

There will also be Lincolnshire County Council Bikeability Activities, including Balance Bikes and Practice Course, plus Dr Bike Bike Recycle Scheme where people donate unwanted broken cycles to be passed on to disadvantaged children, Smoothie Bike where you can put pedal power into making your own healthy drink, Bling your Bike and Imobi Tag Fitting.

The guided family rides start and finish at Monkshouse Lane Playing Field at 1pm.

Three routes are on offer with refreshment breaks at churches holding flower festivals. The five-mile and ten-mile routes are on quiet roads to Pinchbeck and back.

Club standard riders get their chance to test the countryside on the Sunday, when Fenland Racing Club Reliability Ride offers a 35-mile signposted course.

For full details visit http://www.spaldingcc.org.uk/
#!spalding-velo-prix/cc8o

A Go Race event will kick off the Spalding Velo Prix weekend.

The two-day programme is:

Saturday, May 2

9am Youth “Go Race” Event, Monks House Lane Playing Field, Spalding. Figure of Eight Time Trial Challenge/Cycle Speedway/Cyclocross Race/Hoola Hoop Race.

10am Lincolnshire County Council Bikeability activities, Monks House Lane Playing Field and Monkshouse School Playground, Spalding. Balance Bikes and Practice Course,  Dr Bike  Bike Recycle Scheme (in conjunction with Monkshouse Lane School),  Smoothie Bike (including ingredients), Bling your Bike, Imobi Tag Fitting and Roller Racing (tbc).

1pm Guided family rides start and finish at Monkshouse Lane Playing Field.

Sunday, May 3

10am Italian Pursuit – Inter School Challenge, Market Place, Spalding.

TBA Fenland Racing Club Reliability Ride – Circa 35 mile, sign-posted route, start/finish Spalding Town Centre.

Lunchtime: “Blue Light” Italian Pursuit Challenge between Police and Fire Service (tbc).

2pm – Inter Cycling Club Challenge, Market Place, Spalding.

Traffic on the A17 was slowed on Friday when crates of seed potatoes slipped off the back of a trailer at the roundabout at the foot of Cross Keys Bridge.

Resident Shirley Giles said: “The crates were loosely secured and the crates all slipped off, over the road, grass and footpath.

“No one was hurt in the incident.

“If the crates are too securely tied and an accident happens, such as this, then the weight of the crates and trailer would bring the tractor over also, therefore injuring or trapping the driver.”

Mrs Giles said the road was cleared by the farmer concerned.

She said traffic was slowed down, but the road remained passable.

For every minute that goes by without treatment, the chance of a cardiac arrest patient surviving decreases by 10 per cent.

Coupled with the East Midlands Ambulance Service’s target of reaching patients in eight minutes just 75 per cent of the time, it is no wonder that more and more rural communities are installing their own defibrillators.

But are these pieces of kit really that important? “Absolutely,” said EMAS community response manager Steven Pratten. “What these machines do is amazing. That’s why these are becoming more common nowadays, and they’re incredibly simple to use and affordable. Going back 10 years you were looking at a machine sat on a trolley, in some cases costing tens of thousands of pounds. Now you’re looking at under £1,000.”

Mr Pratten, 40, heads up the community response arm of EMAS, a department which is responsible for approving the location of public access defibrillators (PADs), also known as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and training people in the community how to use them.

Lasting two hours, the sessions are led by community resuscitation trainers on-site and include both how to use the PADs and how to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Groups are usually made up of around 12 people, but at a recent training session more than 20 keen villagers attended. The session was run by Mr Pratten, who is based at EMAS’s Lincoln headquarters.

He said: “We deliver training which is more of a confidence thing because the machine itself talks people through everything it wants them to do.”

Some 300 defibrillators are located around Lincolnshire. But not all of these have public access – some are static machines which are installed by businesses and other organisations for staff and customers.

Mr Pratten and his team are working on increasing the number of these life-saving machines across the county. He said: “The more defibrillators out there the better, especially with the rurality of Lincolnshire.

“With cardiac arrests, everyone thinks of elderly people or middle-aged people who smoke or drink too much.

“It might surprise you that every week in the UK, 12 children of school age have a sudden cardiac arrest, undiagnosed. These are children who are seen at the school gates and are absolutely fine in the morning, then go out at play-time and drop dead for no apparent reason.”

It is this shocking figure which has prompted EMAS to head a campaign urging the Department for Education (DfE) to include CPR and life-saving skills within the national curriculum.

Meanwhile, the DfE has recognised the importance of defibrillators and has issued guidance recommending that all schools consider purchasing a machine. Mr Pratten himself has written to 961 schools across the county to reiterate the point.

The BHF, which has helped to place more than 13,500 defibrillators across the UK in the last 15 years, is equally as keen to spread the word about PADs. Charity spokesperson Cathy Beveridge said: “When someone’s had a cardiac arrest, the scientific evidence to support early defibrillation is overwhelming. The delay from the time the person collapses to the delivery of the first shock is the single most important determinant of survival.

“If defibrillation is delivered promptly, survival rates as high as 75 per cent have been reported. The chances of successful defibrillation decline at a rate of about 10 per cent with each minute of delay; therefore it’s important for a defibrillator to be used as quickly as possible after someone’s had a cardiac arrest.

“In rural communities, it may take some time for the ambulance to arrive (the target is to get there in eight minutes 75 per cent of the time) so having a defibrillator in the community means that person has a better chance of survival.”

** Mr Pratten would encourage any groups thinking of buying a debrillator to call his team first, as not only can they advise which models are best, they can also buy them in at a heavily discounted price from the manufacturer. For example, one model with a shelf price of £1,495 can be purchased by EMAS for £650, dramatically reducing the amount fund-raisers would have to collect. For more information, email steven.pratten@emas.nhs.uk

A Spalding mum has made a frantic plea for her son who has gone missing in Nepal to get in touch.

Jake Whyles (24) went to India a month ago and is believed to be in the mountain kingdom of Nepal where the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday, killing more than 3,200 people.

His mother, Maria, posted his details on the Google Person Finder website, where up to 50 Britons are listed as missing in Nepal.

She wrote on the page “Status: I have reason to think this person is missing.

“Last known location: pokhara....kathmandu.”

The family, who live in Spring Gardens, last heard from Mr Whyles last week, just a few days before the natural disaster.

In a personal message to her son, Maria wrote: “Hey Jake, get in touch as soon as you can.”

In her description of her son, she said he has a shaved head, nose piercing, septum piercing, with a scarab beetle tattoo on his arm, plus a tattoo on his calf and a tattoo of spiralling dots on his back.

The search for British survivors has been hampered by damage to communications networks.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said several hundred British nationals are thought to be in the country.

Embassy staff have been searching hospitals to find any Britons in need of help, but none have yet been reported as being killed or injured.

Officials have warned it could take some time before those listed as missing are tracked down.

After two weeks of the season, old rivals Boston and Billingborough share top place in the South Lincolnshire & Border League Premier Division table.

Scott Elleray took five wickets for Boston in their victory over newly-promoted Grantham 2nd while Billingborough beat Long Sutton by two wickets.

An even closer game at Stamford saw Moulton Harrox claim a one-wicket victory.

Moulton were left chasing just 125 but having reached 82-3 lost their next five wickets for just nine runs.

The ninth fell on 102 but John Barnett and James Cornwell saw their side home with Philip Holland taking five wickets for Stamford.

In a higher scoring game at Bourne, the home side finished on 228-4 – Jon Howard hitting 54 and Robert Dunn unbeaten on 71.

But Bourne were unable to make it a 20-pointer as Sleaford dug in to reach 197-8.

Chris Dring and Rob Noble hit half-centuries for Spalding 2nd in their three-wicket win over Lindum Ramblers for whom Will Taylor made 64.

Market Deeping 2nd are on top of Division One with the maximum 40 points and Long Sutton 2nd close behind on 37.

Deeping scored an eight-wicket win over Skegness 2nd with Jackson Andrews taking six for 44 and John McDougall making 73 not out.

Ajay Jinah took 5-36 for Long Sutton who bowled Billingborough out for 120 and went on to win by nine wickets.

Division Two’s opening week brought victories for Pinchbeck and Spalding.

Pinchbeck racked up a daunting 250-6 in their 45 overs thanks largely to the efforts of Nick Crook (95) and Lee Smith (91).

The visitors took on the target with a positive charge in the top half of their innings but fell 43 runs short.

The game didn’t start well for Pinchbeck with Danny Jackson and Lee Eyett both dismissed early on.

But Crook and Smith then settled down and gradually began to dominate the bowling with a superb third-wicket stand of 155 in 27 overs that set the perfect platform for a big total.

Smith was particularly clinical on any loose delivery, notching up 15 boundaries before skying an easy catch to mid-wicket with a ton begging.

Crook continued to take on the charge in the latter stages and claimed the only maximum of the day, landing a big six in front of the sports hall.

With the damage done Pinchbeck moved on to 250 from the final ball of the innings.

The hosts got the perfect start in the field with James Langford and Andrew Beeston each taking a wicket in their first over to put Timberlands firmly on the back foot.

However Martin Lowth and Steve Brumpton responded with an excellent stand of 75.

But Roberts (3-53) struck two further blows, including Lowth for 64, to reduce the score to 140-6.

The off-spin of Eyett took over and, despite the best efforts of Timberlands’ tail who wagged effectively to take them past 200, they weren’t able to get close enough to the target but did deny Pinchbeck maximum points by closing on 207-9.

A much tighter game saw Spalding 3rd finish on 145-7 against a youthful Grantham 4th, enjoying their first match in the league.

The home side finished just nine runs short on 136-9.

The completion of only one game in the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League put Bracebridge Heath clear at the top of the table with maximum points as Spalding suffered a second successive defeat.

Playing at Cross O’Cliff Court on a rain-interrupted day, the home side racked up 350-3.

Paul Cook made 86 off 67 balls with Brett Houston adding 98 off 58 and Nick John 137 off 119.

When John was caught off Josh Newton, Bracebridge declared – gifting Spalding seven overs.

Three wickets for Sri Lankan signing Himesh Silva and two for Houston saw the visitors slump to 72-5.

Ben Smith was then joined by Nuwan Jayasena, making a welcome return to the side, and this partnership added 97.

Smith hit 44 and Jayasena went on to make 75 and take the total to 200.

From here, the lower order dug in to pass the maximum batting points mark but Spalding just failed to hold out to the close and were dismissed for 233 in the 55th over, Silva with four wickets.

In the five other games, all first innings were completed, all going past the 200 mark, but only two went into a second innings before rain forced the teams off for good.

Louis Kimber hit 85 and Jonny Cheer added 88 for Sleaford who reached 292-8 then reduced defending champions Bourne to 44-3 before rain stopped play.

At Skegness, Chris Graser’s 71 helped the home side to 206-8 against Market Deeping before the match was abandoned.

UKIP’s leader in the European Parliament – Roger Helmer MEP – was in Spalding on Saturday to campaign for the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) David Parsons.

In a tweet that day, Mr Helmer said: “Just been out campaigning with UKIP PPC David Parsons in Spalding. Met Tory incumbent John Hayes MP (looking a little apprehensive!).”

Mr Parsons claims private polling shows a tight race in South Holland and The Deepings between UKIP and the Conservatives.

He said: “The campaign locally has been incredible, with more and more people in South Holland and The Deepings pledging for UKIP.

“This starts 12 days of intensive UKIP campaigning throughout the constituency leading up to polling day.”

He said large crowds of people came out to see them – and their message was that only UKIP can beat the Tories in the general election and a maximum turn out for David will win this seat for UKIP.

It was bad news for anglers when a seal turned up along the River Welland in Spalding.

Reader Vic Gent spotted it on Thursday near the Welland Yatch Club and forwarded us a picture.

He said: “Not what I expected to see heading towards the town centre!

“I contacted the Environment Agency who told me they can’t do anything about it but gave me the number of the Marine Life Rescue.

“Not ideal for the seal but even worse news for the fish population since they can eat up to 5kg of fish per day.”

It isn’t unusual for a seal to be spotted in the River Welland, in fact one was such a regular visitor at Low Locks in Deeping St James that residents nicknamed it ‘Sammy’.

Sammy was last spotted in February, when RSPCA officer Justin Stubbs said: “I have dealt with hundreds of seals in my past 18 years, including the seal virus crisis of 2002.

“It’s not rare for them to come inland on tidal rivers.”

A spokesman for the Marine Life Rescue said they had received reports of a seal in the River Welland.

She said: “It isn’t something we like to hear because the anglers get upset.

“They usually swim happily, feed and do what seals do.

“Then they just take themselves off elsewhere.

“We will monitor it but it’s a wild animal and if it’s not in danger there’s no reason to move it.”

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has this afternoon (Monday) been cleared of a breach of health and safety regulations at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital after the case against them collapsed.

The trust was accused of failing to carry out maintenance work on windows at the Sibsey Road site over a 10-year period.

The charge was brought as a result of an investigation into the death of a patient.

But halfway through a trial at Lincoln Crown Court the prosecution offered no evidence and the trust was formally found not guilty.

The trust denied a charge of breaching the 1992 Health and Safety Regulations by failing to maintain windows at the Pilgrim Hospital in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair between January 1, 2001 and September 28, 2011.

But this afternoon Adam Farrer, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), told the jury of six men and six women: “After closing the prosecution case, the prosecution have reviewed the case against the trust and have come to the conclusion that it is not appropriate to continue the case. The prosecution therefore offer no evidence.”

The decision to abandon the case came at the end of the prosecution case and immediately before the trust was due to start calling evidence in its defence.

During the trial Mr Farrer told the jury that the charge was brought as a result of an investigation into the death of a patient in September 2011.

Adrian Bennett, 40, fell to his death from the fifth floor of the hospital after opening a kitchen window and climbing onto a ledge. At the time he was a patient in ward 5A where he was being treated for a number of injuries including fractures to his pelvis and ribs.

Mr Farrer said: “The prosecution does not suggest that any lack of maintenance would have prevented Mr Bennett from opening the window. Even with a well-maintained brand new restrictor, an adult male has the strength to break the restrictor.

“The prosecution is not saying that Mr Bennett could not have forced that window open but the incident involving Mr Bennett is background to this case.”

The investigation that followed the death revealed that there had been no planned maintenance work on the windows carried out since they were fitted as part of a refurbishment programme in 2001.

But the windows were examined following an alert issued by the Department of Health in 2007 to all hospital authorities.

And shortly before the death the trust had started a programme of checks to mark the 10th anniversary of the windows being fitted. At time of the tragedy the fifth floor windows had yet to be examined.

A police guard is in place outside a house in West Pinchbeck where a 47-year-old woman was confirmed dead over the weekend.

Police and paramedics were called to a house in Elizabeth Crescent, off Starlode Drove, to reports of a woman with head injuries just before 4.30pm yesterday.

Despite receiving medical attention, the woman was pronounced dead and police have carried out house-to-house enquiries today.

Neighbours claimed that the woman had been living at the house with her partner, both English, for about six months but no one living locally was able to provide a name.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “There were police cars here at about 4pm on Sunday and scenes of crime officers were here all night.

“Everybody was questioned by the police and CID detectives, then they put tape round the house and a copper on 24-hour guard.

“I’ve lived here for about three years and I’ve never seen that much police activity, even though I’ve lived in towns most of my life.”

A spokesman for South Lincolnshire Coroner’s Office said they were unable to confirm the woman’s identity at this stage.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 244 of April 26.

You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

MONDAY 3.15PM: Police looking into ‘unexplained death’ in West Pinchbeck

Police have launched an enquiry into the unexplained death of a 47-year-old woman in West Pinchbeck.

Officers were called to an address in Elizabeth Crescent just before 4.30pm where paramedics were treating a woman for head injuries.

She was later pronounced dead at the scene and a post mortem examination is due to place later today, while police are guarding the house at this time.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 244 of April 26.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.

Langtoft could be welcoming a record number of runners to the village when its annual 3k fun run and 10k road race takes place this Sunday.

Entries have been coming in fast over the past couple of weeks and numbers for the 10k are already close to last year’s total.

Organisers hope to be able to accept entries on the day, at the playing fields off Manor Way. However, to avoid any disappointment, they are advising people to keep an eye on the Langtoft Road Run website at www.lang
toftroadrun.btck.co.uk for the latest information.

The 3k, which includes a school team challenge, starts at 10.15am, with the 10k following an hour later.

Both races start on West End and finish on the playing fields, with the 10k also taking in Greatford and Barholm.

Money raised from the event will be donated to local groups and organisations later in the year.

Interest around this year’s races has been boosted by the involvement of new sponsor Empire Gym, based in Church Street, Market Deeping.