Chatteris began their Cambs Senior League Division One season with a straight forward 56-run win against Hardwick & Caldecote on Saturday.

Chatteris batted first and posted a solid score of 188 all out, with the ever youthful Pete Munns making a nice 50. Hardwick could only muster 132 for nine wickets from their allotted overs with Munns taking five of them for just 17 runs.

“It was a very good start,” said the team’s captain Anthony Palmer, who paid tribute to Munns, saying: “He is one of our more senior players and he is certainly up there with the best.”

But it is the younger players that Chatteris’s captain is hoping will shine this season. He said: “Our ambition is to bring young players through into the first team and if it turns out that we win promotion while we are doing that then happy days.

“Our ambition is as always to compete in the division.”

Chatteris are due to go to Cambridge St Giles on Saturday but there are weather-worries ahead of that game.

Also making a 20-point start to their season was March Town II, who play their cricket in the same division.

Matthew Vail scored a fantastic 87 not out, a knock that featured nine fours, with James Fountain also unbeaten with a fine 44.

March set visitors Cambridge St Giles a target of 204 for the loss of four wickets and, with Richard King taking four for 20, they bowled them all out for just 125.

In Division Two, Wisbech Town II pulled off a sensational 170-run win at home to Foxton & Babraham II with opening batsman Sam Albutt smashing a brilliant 171 off 126 balls.

Not to be outdone by his team-mate, Danny Emmington was well on his way to a similar score when ran out of overs at 137.

The visitors were never going to touch Wisbech’s 357 for three total – and so it proved with them falling for 187, Lyndon Waters taking three of the wickets for 42 runs.

In Division Two North of the Cambs Junior League, Wimblington (132 all out) got off to a disappointing start, losing at Wilburton while chasing 140.

In the same division, Wisbech Town III set visitors Waterbeach a target of 114 and got them all out for 64 and a 50-run victory.

In the Division Three North, Chatteris II were thrashed away at Abbots Ripton by nine wickets after they were bowled out for just 36. The home side lost just one wicket as they reached that total. Paul Foster top scored for Chatteris with just six.

Leverington had a three-wicket win at home to Bluntisham after setting their opponents 186 for seven.

At Pymoor, March Town III managed a knock of just 87 in their chase of 137 for a 50-run defeat.

In Division Four North, Doddington lost to Willingham chasing 109 but falling at 99.

Tyler Phillips took six wickets for 51 runs as March Town picked up their first win of the Cambs & Hunts Tucker Gardner League Premier One season – and indeed their first win since last July.

March went to Warboys and elected to bowl, restricting the home side to 165 all out. But with Chris Whitfield taking seven straight wickets, things looked tough for March – until the bowler had run out of overs and Warboys failed to get another wicket.

James Harradine top scored for March with 34 as they reached 166 for the loss of those seven Whitfield wickets.

“We were quite pleased to see the back of him,” said Chris Ringham, the March captain. “He didn’t deserve to end up on the losing side – but we needed that win because we have had a nightmare run. That’s our first win since last July and it’s good to get that monkey off our back.

“Losing gets to be a bit of a habit and we let Warboys get maybe 30 or 40 more runs than we should have. And then we made hard work of chasing 165.”

Champions Wisbech lost their first game of the season with home side Sawston claiming a one-wicket victory. Wisbech set a target of 164 from their 48 overs but let Sawston sneak to 166 for nine.

Simon Freear did his bit with the ball getting five of the Sawston batsmen out for 28 but he had little support.

With the bat, Gary Freear top scored getting to 41 before he was out lbw and Josh Bowers hit 34.

On Saturday, Histon are Wisbech’s visitors, while March entertain Sawston who are sitting second in the Premier One table behind Waresley.