Mixed fortunes for Chesterfield
by Mike Taylor, 14th May 2003

Chesterfield Cricket Club had mixed fortunes over the weekend with their two matches on Queen's Park. On Saturday they entertained Derbyshire Premier Cricket League Champions Sandiacre Town.

Captain David Adams won the toss and took the brave decision to bat first against the visitor’s highly rated opening attack of Naeem Akhtar and Irfan Ul Haq.

In the event the home team largely blunted this attack and prospered with half centuries from Andy Brown and Simon Lacey (pictured left). Skipper Adams contributed a useful 42 which included 2 sixes, one of which went high over long on and was close to making it over the pedestrian bridge and on the to Portland Hotel.

Chesterfield’s eventual 228-7 in their 55 overs was a respectable total and one which offered the prospect of maximum points but the visitors got away to a good start scoring at five runs an over. Chesterfield’s attack was unable to put sufficient of a brake on the opening pair and Sandiacre kept up sufficient momentum to overcome a couple of late setbacks and go on to win the game with five wickets and plenty of overs to spare.

The Sunday game was a first round Derbyshire Building Society Cup clash with the occasional shower reducing Chesterfield’s allotted overs to 46. Skipper David Adams (pictured acknowledging applause for his fifty) was again to the fore with a fine 76 and with good support from all-rounder Simon Lacey (35) and the young Alex Hibbert (37 not out) the home side totalled a good looking 226-7.

Sawley and Long Eaton Park got off to a good start and there was a worrying sense of déjà vu with runs flowing at the desired rate of five an over. However the introduction of Simon Lacey turned the game in Chesterfield’s favour as he reeled off 10 overs for only 15 runs.

In an endeavour to break the shackles, the visiting batsmen were forced to take risks and once former Derbyshire batsman Ben Spendlove was dismissed for 32 the visitors fell further behind the run rate.

As they resorted to increasingly desperate measures, there were three run outs and, with vice captain Tim Kirk nipping in for three wickets, the visitors were all out for 193 leaving Chesterfield, in the end, as comfortable winners to a game that had long seemed in the balance.