In his first season as captain of Sleaford, Oliver Burford ensured that his team ended the summer with a flourish.

Burford, whose batting for his new team has improved steadily through the season, saved the best until last, hitting the highest individual total of 2009 – 171 not out away at Bourne.

And in partnership with 19-year-old Alex Sears, the county wicket-keeper put on 226 for the fifth wicket, smashing the previous record set in 2003 by Steve Warman and Rob Cook of Bracebridge Heath, by 61 runs (see quotes from both batsmen below right).

Sears made 75 in the stand that rescued Sleaford, who were 44 for four when Burford came to the crease and 309 for five when the innings closed.

Bourne's reply got off to a bad start with a run out and a wicket for Sam Burrows and the home side never recovered, Jonathan Miller taking the final three wickets for three runs off 13 balls to end the innings on 117 – Ben Stroud top scoring with 42 – and leave his side in a creditable fourth place.

While Burford was completing his first season as captain, Nettleham skipper Russ Binnington was playing his last – and ensuring he, too, went out with a flourish.

Having seen his batsmen struggle against the bowling at Grimsby, for whom Gary Tillison was on top form, Binnington came in at eight to hit 43 and help his side to 151 before the final wicket fell, David Manby, his replacement as captain, making 32.

Tillison took five wickets but this was matched by Australian James McKay, who made life difficult for Grimsby after they had comfortably reached 83 for two.

The next four wickets fell for just 11 runs but Tillison came to the rescue with an unbeaten 27 for a slender one-wicket victory.

Skegness hung on to second place after a last-over victory at home to Market Deeping, a task made more difficult by a hat-trick from Nick Cowley.

Deeping skipper David Gillett just missed out a century, finishing unbeaten on 96 as his side reached 239 for seven, Tom Andrews contributing 57.

Gillett took three catches in the match at Skegness to set a new league record of 17 fielding catches in the season.

Saeed Bariwala opened with 56 but it was the dependable Paul Butler, unbeaten on 57, who saw Skegness to victory with just four balls to spare.

Bracebridge Heath claimed their 13th win of the season when they beat Woodhall Spa at Jubilee Park, Brett Houston making 85 and Aaron Onyon hitting 59 and taking five wickets.

In reply, Woodhall were out for 161, Andrew Crook failing to beat the record run total after he was out for eight.

Onyon's five wickets put him on 61 for the season, realising the county bowler's ambition to win the league bowling trophy for most wickets.

However, Onyon will have to share that title with Matt Rutherford who also took five in Lindum's victory at Caistor.

The ever-improving 18-year-old Alex Hornsby took his total runs for 2009 to 763 with an innings of 80 helping Lindum to 275 for nine.

Rutherford and Karanjit Bansal then took five wickets each to bowl Caistor out for 151.

This left Caistor with six points which proved sufficient to keep them off the bottom of the table after Messingham drew with Louth but only gained seven.

Nuwan Shiroman returns to Sri Lanka with more than 600 runs under his belt after hitting 93 as Louth notched up 301 for five. But Messingham's young team discovered their own batting form, ending on 216 for seven.