Mallen Trophy final this Sunday
by Paul Barker, 30th June 2006

The final of the J. J. Mallen Trophy will be held at Stone Close the home ground of Kiveton Park Colliery Cricket Club this Sunday 2nd July. The competition has become a 20/20 match this season and the success that has been achieved by this format should see even more entrants next season.

The competition was on its last legs which was a tragic way to remember Mr. J. J. Mallen who was chairman of the league from 1979 until his death in 1990. Jim Mallen was quite frankly a brilliant chairman and he cared passionately about the Bassetlaw League. It was under his chairmanship that the league won their fourth and last Presidents Trophy in 1984.

Although they finished runners up they were never to win the trophy again and now with the advent of the Premier Leagues it seems virtually impossible that they will ever win it again. After his death Jim’s family donated a Challenge Cup to be played for, and after the first year it was decided that this would be a ‘Plate’ style competition for clubs knocked out in the first and second round of the Tomlin Trophy.

This went quite well for a while but since the introduction of the Mansfield and the Newark Sunday Leagues the number of entrants has decreased alarmingly. When last years Mallen Trophy only attracted nine teams it was time to do something about it and when Thoresby Colliery played Pilsley in the 2004 competition at the Mansfield Hosiery Mills Ground in the form of a 20/20 competition the success of this game gave the Management Committee food for thought and so this new format was formed.

Several games have been a success with some excellent crowds enjoying a good time with the bars and food stalls doing brisk business for the customers. In addition sixteen teams entered the competition which was a huge improvement on last year and the signs are that more teams will enter next year with the success it has been.

The semi-finals and final will all be held on Sunday with Edwinstowe facing Bridon in the first semi-final at Cuckney and this match gets under way at 11.00 a.m. on Sunday morning whilst Kiveton Park will face Glapwell at Stone Close in the second semi which will begin at 11.30 p.m.

The two winners will then face each other at Stone Close in the final at 3.30 p.m. and everyone is invited along to what should be a tremendous day of entertainment. The bar will be open and refreshments will be available and with a good weather forecast it should be a day to remember.  It certainly is a much better way and thankfully a much better testimonial for someone who did so much for Bassetlaw League Cricket in his time.