Debut for Barend Lourens as Louth lose opener in close game at Market Rasen

Making a debut was the club's new overseas player Barend Lourens from Bloemfontain, South Africa.

The 20-year-old has come over to support the club's already strong junior set-up and only landed in the UK that morning.

Theer were also debuts for teenagers Ethan Garner, 17, and Harry Brindle, 15, adding to an already strong and youthful squad.

Rasen, winning the toss, decided to field.

Louth openers Loz Scott and Max Cartledge batted on a difficult wicket extremely well, putting on 59 before said wicket took Scott for 20.

Cartledge continued his innings and made an excellent 53 given the conditions. Supported by Collinson (35), leaving Louth 108-4.

The combination of Louth's middle and lower order supported G. West in progressing the score 152 all out in 49.4 overs, slowed heavily by an excellent spell from Rutherford (8-0-18-3)

Louth's opening bowling attack of Lourens and Bryne started excellent, bowling with swing and accuracy.

Eventually Byrne (7-0-14-1) making a breakthrough with the score on 25.

The introduction of young debutant Brindle added even more pressure on the Rasen batsman and, with Koen also bowling with accuracy, they managed to remove three more Rasen batsman, leaving them 63-4 off 30 overs.

But with Rasen opener Carter still at the crease the game was in the balance.

A vital partnership of 69 followed that got Rasen to 132-4 with five overs to go. Brindle ending up with excellent figures of 10-3-13-2.

The re-introduction of Collinson and Lourens looked to take Louth home, and with Collinson taking three wickets in 10 balls and Lourens another, managed to reduce Rasen to 148-8 with one over to go.

Despite Collinson (9.5-2-38-4) taking another wicket in the final over, Rasen got over the line with a ball to spare, Carter batting all the way through with 64 not out.

An excellent bowling and fielding display failed to quite get Louth over the line, but there were an incredibe amount of positives for them for the season ahead.