Cutthorpe close in style
by Paul Barker, 14th September 2002

Champions Cutthorpe ended the season in style with a crushing ten wicket success over an extremely limited relegation bound Worksop side at Central Avenue on Saturday. The match was all over before 4.00 p.m. as Cutthorpe blasted through some non-existent resistance to bowl Worksop out for just 102 with only Tim Ward (31) doing anything to delay the inevitable.

Asadullah Butt completed another huge seasons haul of wickets taking 4 for 28 and to add to Worksop’s woes occasional bowler Nigel Kingham nipped in with the amazing figures of 4 for 14.

This target proved pitiful as the Cutthorpe openers as Andy Thompson blasted an unbeaten 60 off just 39 balls and Nigel Kingham completed the job with 34 n.o. as their side reached 105 for 0 in double quick time.

After the hard work had been done all that remains to be said is that the best team in the league have won the title by a massive 41 points. Nobody else was really in their class and in the end it was a run-away success as nobody else came anywhere near the standard that they set and they are extremely worth winners.

Leading the distant also rans, Papplewick & Linby eventually finished in second place but it was all really so academic. In their final match they crushed Mansfield Hosiery Mills who despite winning the Tomlin Trophy have had a rather disappointing season by a massive 145 runs.

Batting first Papplewick quilted some very ordinary bowling to all parts of the ground with Wayne Noon blasting a magnificent unbeaten 151 out of a final total of 255 for 6. Good support came from James Charlesworth (30) whilst Dave Loveridge was the pick of the Hosiery Mills attack taking 3 for 82.

This target proved much too good for Hosiery Mills who were dismissed for just 110 with only Clive Graham (37) and Dave Loveridge (24) providing any exercise for the scorers pens. Simon Roberts (3 for 33) and Jim Rhodes (4 for 5) were much too good for a hugely disappointing batting line-up.

Kiveton Park completed the season in third place and it was ironic that should once again finish up with one their infamous losses which have sadly become their trademark this season. There can be little doubt that the Kiveton side is packed with talent but their bowling doesn’t match their batting prowess by a million miles.

Killamarsh who after a pretty ropey sort of start have acquitted themselves rather well in their first season back in the top flight since 1971. In their match against Kiveton they flogged the bowling all over the park making a highly impressive 250 for 9 with Rob Carlisle (64), Mark Bull (34), Sam Malpass (39) and Australian Cameron Belshaw (36) all contributing to the fun.

Richard Spurr (4 for 54) and Steve Frost (3 for 47) bowled well for Kiveton but that vital cutting edge which would turn this good side into a great side was once again missing.

No total is guaranteed success however against Kiveton but this time they fell just 41 runs short as they were dismissed for 209. The very talented left hander Adam Burgess who has finished the season off in style made a splendid 74 with good support coming from Richard Spurr (30) and James Bullivant (59). Steve Ludlam (3 for 30) and Peter Allen (3 for 21) bowled superbly for Killamarsh who can be more than satisfied with their season’s efforts.

The other promoted side Cuckney have had a magnificent season and have finished fourth in there first ever term in top grade cricket. Batting first Cuckney made an impressive 200 for 6 with the impressive Australian Bryn Gaunt making a brilliant 101 and Gareth Price (47 n.o.) whilst opponents Thoresby Colliery would be most thankful to David Evans who bowled superbly to take 3 for 71.

Thoresby made a most spirited dart at the target set and closed just short on 193 for 8. Nigel Burkitt (41) and David Evans (44) led the charge but the wiles of Cuckney’s superb slow bowler Paul Gurnell (5 for 63) proved just too good for them in a fine entertaining match.

Arnold finished off the season with an excellent six wicket win in a high scoring encounter over Farnsfield. Batting first Farnsfield were indebted to Steve Randall (62) and James Bennett (83) before some indifferent batting saw them slump to 233 for 9. Rick Peacock (3 for 92) and Richard Pallister (5 for 36) reaped the damage and Farnsfield must surely have thought that the final total should have been much more.

However it didn’t seem as though they needed any more as Arnold slumped to 90 for 4 but in a fantastic fifth wicket stand between the brilliant Nolan McKenzie (108 n.o.) and skipper Andy Hobbs (53 n.o.) they coasted to victory without losing another wicket with a great display of middle order batting.

The brilliant Division 2 champions North Wheatley came off the rails in the last match and only had a mere 66 point success rate margin over also promoted Bolsover at the end of a very good season!

Against a side of great under achievers Marshalls, Wheatley were struck for a reasonable 164 for 9 total with Mark Davies top scoring with 45 and Dan Styring (3 for 65) being the pick of the Wheatley attack. As it turned out this was more than enough as Wheatley collapsed for just 67 all out in their worst batting display of the season. Chris Hearn (5 for 29) was the pick of the Marshalls attack for a side who should have done much better with the talent at their disposal.

Bolsover were promoted once again for the upteenth time and will be hoping that things go better for them at the top next time around. Batting first their opponents Eckington reached a respectable 172 for 7 with David McHaig making a brilliant unbeaten 77 and Mark Bridgman (30). Pakistani star Tariq Rashid (3 for 20) was the pick of the Bolsover attack.

Rashid was again well to the fore when Bolsover replied making an unbeaten 50 and with Norman Dolling (59) also scoring well as the victory was reached at 173 for 3, by seven wickets.

Ashover began the day as favourites to go up with North Wheatley but after a promising start they completely lost the plot half way through. Their opponents Biwater Clay Cross were in serious trouble at 36 for 6 but then a swashbuckling knock of 73 n.o. from Steve Cracknell turned the game right around and despite the efforts of Roger Bolstridge (5 for 78) and Charlie Gwillim (3 for 20) Biwater finished quite respectably on 149 all out.

This proved just good enough as Ashover were beaten by just three runs in an absorbing finish. Kevin Godfrey (43) batted very well but Biwater’s attack bowled tidily and extremely accurately to bowl Ashover out for just 146. Stuart Brown (4 for 32) was the pick of the Clay Cross attack.

Two sides who had embarrassingly easy ten wicket wins were Edwinstowe and Everton. Edwinstowe easily saw off the challenge of Milton after Sean Bullen (5 for 16) and Ian Smith (3 for 1) had bowled Milton out for just 40. Edwinstowe easily knocked off this target without losing a single wicket.

Everton did even better as they annihilated former promotion candidates Blyth even easier. Andrew Snell (4 for 6) and Neil Waghorne (6 for 23) bowled Blyth out for an humiliating 29 runs, and Mark Anthony (20 n.o.) and John Waghorne (8 n.o.) soon blasted off the runs in quick style again without losing a single wicket.

Anston can look back on a very satisfactory season after finishing fourth. Batting first against Whitwell they piled on the runs to reach a massive 283 for 4 with Akilhesh Rana (95) Danny Scrivens (46), Paul Snee (35 n.o.) and Chris Beaumont (73) all making major contributions.

In reply Whitwell settled for an honourable draw with skipper Duncan Forrest playing a masterful unbeaten innings of 53. Andrew Ruczenczyn was he has been so many times this season the pick of the Anston attack taking 3 for 50 in a very good accurate spell.

To conclude this season it would be quite remiss not to mention the colossal contribution that the brilliant Pakistani batsman Saeed Bin Nasir has made to third division champions Pilsley. Bin Nasir made another 141 against Teversal to reach a seasons league runs total of 1559 runs at a 97.48 run average with six centuries along the way. His side reached 269 for 4 with Chris Worthy (33 n.o.) giving excellent support.

In reply Teversal attempted the impossible and very nearly achieved it in a fantastic game, which could easily be described as the ‘Match of the season’. After losing an early wicket, Richard Hadfield (42) and the magnificent left hander Dominic Symonds set about the Pilsley attack before Symonds perished for a brilliant 91 with just three overs remaining.

Ian Pitt then slammed 19 runs off the penultimate over and Andy Gregson and Pitt scampered through for two runs off the final ball as the match ended in a glorious tie with Teversal closing on 269 for 7.