South Nottinghamshire Cricket League

All the significant action in Division A occurred at the foot at the table, where prior to commencement of the days play, no fewer than five sides were still in fear of succumbing to the drop.

Attenborough were the first team to be saved from eviction, bad light the winner in an evenly poised game at Long Eaton with the visitors managing 55 for 3 chasing 137 for victory. It was more of a struggle for Eastwood though who were probably heading for defeat at 120 for 7 when the light became too bad as they required a further 100 runs for a vital win at Balderton for whom skipper Alan Jackson struck 84.

All this meant was that for Eastwood to survive then they would require both Southwell and Ellerslie to lose. Ellerslie  faced a tricky task to defeat runners up Calverton who made 197 with second team skipper Chris Miller top scoring with 50. With the ball Billy Armstrong produced a seasons best 6 for 47 and despite battling performances from Todd Mills (51) and Sunil Sharma (42) Ellerslie fell 25 runs short and so face a spell in B.

So one down and one to go for Eastwood, now to Radcliffe where Southwell needed 179 for a victory. Extras played a huge part in the reply, 73 in total, including 34 wides and a huge celebration ensued once the scores were tied. It mattered not one jot what subsequently happened but Southwell lost their final three wickets for no runs leaving the scores level and both teams surviving leaving Eastwood to join Ellerslie and wonder what might have been if they had been able to employ an overseas player.

Plumtree (89) suffered a title hangover as they were stuffed out of sight by Newstead Village who must be wondering what might have been if their overseas star Tariq Mahmood had arrived at the start of the season. Tariq Mahmood’s seven wicket haul took his tally to an incredible 31 in six games, Newstead finish a highly creditable fourth.

It was slightly less complicated in B where Rolls Royce would be promoted if they beat third placed Keyworth. A defeat for Rolls would mean Keyworth would be up and Rolls would have to rely on second place Gedling and Sherwood slipping up.

It went according to plan for the leaders in the first innings, racking up 209 for 9 thanks in the main to 59 from keeper Dave Dixon. It has been a relatively quiet season for Keyworth’s star Ian Graham, but he came to the fore on Saturday following up his 6 for 70 with an unbeaten 93, including 29 off a single over to see Keyworth passed the winning post and into Division A.

Heartbreak for Rolls and for West Bridgfordians who travelled to Regatta Way to face Gedling and Sherwood without skipper and star player Jon Sheard. Gedling’s Alex Norton who usually bats in the tail, opened up and survived a confident caught behind appeal to record his first century for the club, John Gill chipped in with 47 and the visitors faced a stiff task of obtaining 224 for victory. That feat became even harder after an outstanding new ball spell from Paul MacMillan. West Bridgfordians then decided upon damage limitation and gambled that they would win their final match of the season next week at Kimberley. This led to an extremely tedious passage of play as the visitors closed on 105 for 7, the result meant promotion for Gedling, however a final twist ensued as Bottesford (201) claimed an unlikely victory at Loughborough Carillon (168) to save themselves meaning Bridgford were doomed to the drop.

At Gotham it was the losers who would join Bridgford in C, Gotham managed just 144 but Tom Chamberlain hit back with 5 for 24 to bowl Collingham out for 110. It’s a sad fall from grace for Collingham who were playing Premier League cricket as recent as 2005.

In C, Clifton Village II failed to achieve the win they required and now need 13 points from their final game to guarantee promotion. Clifton slipped to a surprise 20 run defeat at home to Plumtree II (168 for 8) for whom Alamgir Khan took 6 for 66. Carrington Caribs cemented their place in second with a 43 run win at Nottingham. Caribs left arm seamer Ansar Khan has been their player of the season and he was in form again taking 6 for 46 as Nottingham look likely to slip into D and into their lowest level of cricket since their merger.

 Belvoir eased past Long Whatton and a win for Belvoir in the return fixture next Saturday will ensure promotion. Whatton meanwhile require 3 points to secure their C status following a disastrous July and August.

There were a few anxious moments at Bramcote as Hucknall’s Martyn Wagstaff rode his luck with two edged fours in the final over to bring his side a one wicket win. However news of Nottingham’s defeat filtered through meaning Bramcote remain in C for at least another season. For Hucknall, they have been the form team in the second half of the season and will be kicking themselves for having such a sluggish start.      

Fiskerton wrapped up the championship in D with a comfortable six wicket win at home to winless Calverton II (109), and, as expected, Radcliffe II join them in C, passing Stanton by Dale’s target of 134 with six wickets in hand, Simon Towers top scoring with an unbeaten 51.

Meanwhile, the great escape was completed as Willoughby pulled off their fourth victory in five games to stay in D. Their latest success came at home to fading Wilsons, Willoughby racked up an impressive 215 but in reply Wilsons at one stage had reached 126 without loss with over 20 overs remaining. However, not for the first time this season, the bowling of Gino Taj swung the game towards the home side, dismissing Syed for 80 and Ghani for 44. The rest offered little resistance and the visitors fell 33 runs short on 182 meaning Thrumpton, following defeat at Newark are relegated.

Wollaton II secured their passage back into D with a close fought two wicket win at Hucknall II (190 for 4), skipper Andy Crossley seeing the winners home with 39 after Tim Young had struck 66 earlier in the innings. Wollaton II play Risley for the championship next weekend. A miserable weekend was complete for Collingham who saw their second team relegated from E following a three defeat at home to Underwood (132 for 7), Tom Chalkley hammering the final nail in the coffin with 59.

Caythorpe III are champions in F, achieving the feat without bowling a ball in anger as nearest challengers Gedling Colliery could only manage two out of the required four for a final ball victory at Eastwood II who had totalled 189 thanks to the Buckley’s of Matt (79) and Tom (48).

There was a battle for the title in G with Chilwell and Hoveringham locking horns with Kinoulton looking on eagerly following an easy win by 6pm at home to Bramcote II, a defeat for Hoveringham would mean a second successive promotion for Kinoulton. Chilwell posted a huge 269 and seemed to be on top with Hoveringham rocking on 181 for 6 in reply although Stuart Walton was still at the crease undefeated on 79. However, the pace of Ali Mohammed was too big a risk in the fading light, Chilwell refused to take him off fearing the advantage it would give to the opposition. With an enforced stalemate the umpires had no option but to abandon the game, meaning both sides were promoted. There was a fine end to the season for Epperstone and in particular Ian Burrows who claimed 7 for 16 including a hat trick in the comfortable win over Gotham II who now must beat Whatton and Aslockton next Saturday to survive.

In H Kirkby Portland II join champions Oxton in the promotion honours defeating nearest challengers East Bridgford (185) by seven wickets thanks to 52 from Mick Barratt and 6 for 37 from Steve Giles. At the wrong end of the table it was goodbye to Elks II who were agonisingly defeated by one wicket at home to Loughborough Carillon II.

The day began in J with three teams in with a good shout of promotion, the first team to be confirmed were Newstead Village II who despite making just 107 themselves, shot visitors Stapleford out  for a paltry 53 with Danny Greenhaigh and Liam Beastall grabbing four wickets apiece. Lambley must have been confident of joining Newstead at the tea interval after restricting visitors Sutton Bonington to 130. However, what a day to choose for your worst batting performance, Ian Stone picked up five wickets and Mark Sturgess four as Lambley collapsed to 68 all out.  

The window of opportunity was now firmly open for Carrington Caribs II and with centuries for Sajid Akram and 16 year old Asif Haq, victory and promotion were easily obtained after thrashing Gladstone.

In K Burton Joyce go up as champions, winning all eleven of their fixtures, the latest being at home to Belvoir where Chris Seymour smashed 113. The game of the day though was between West Bridgfordians II and Basford Hall OB, a match in which the winners would be promoted. Basford posted a useful looking 176 but Stuart Smedley (82*) and Ravi Singh (42) punished Basford’s attack to record a comfortable victory. It was far too little too late but at least Thurgarton II’s had something to smile about recording their first victory of the season at home to Lenton Abbey, Jay Raj the man of the match with 6 for 16.

Most issues were settled in Division L. however there was to be no slacking for champions Woodborough who got past Underwood II (164) with plenty to spare. Breaston join Woodborough in K next season after Simon Park’s unbeaten 81 was the catalyst in his sides 33 run success at mid table Flintham (164). Two other highlights in the division were Craig Fairhall’s 99 not out which was delivered off just 39 balls for Clifton Village III and Lee Johnson’s career best figures of 7 for 27 which bowled Kimberley III to victory at home to Willoughby II.

There was all to play for in M as leaders Thrumpton II played host to second place Keyworth II. It was however a little one sided as Thrumpton managed a meagre 80 off their 45 allotted overs although credit must go to Chris Legg (4 for 28) for some fine bowling. The eight wicket success meant that Keyworth were champions completing a memorable last day double for the club, poor Thrumpton slipped to a final fourth position.

Surely the game between third and fourth at the start of the day, Wilsons II and Belton would produce the team to follow Keyworth. Belton turned in a poor batting display scoring just 100, yet a superb effort in the field led to Wilsons crashing to 91 all out. Yet incredibly this wasn’t sufficient to take them up, Caythorpe IV, fifth at the start of play, took the maximum 20 points in their hammering of Farndon IV and secured promotion by a single point, Shaun King (81) and Kevin Jones (55) amongst the heroes for the winners.

Finally well done to Whatton and Aslockton II’s who were another team to survive on the final day of the season. Their victory at home to Kirkby Portland III, thanks in the main to Steve Walton (4 for 14) and Paul Fergus (3 for 8) coupled with a surprise defeat for Long Eaton III at already relegated Beeston Sycamore III sent the West park club down instead.