Games run close in the seconds
by Dennis Wright, 28th June 2003

There were some very close games in this week’s Gunn & Moore South Notts Cricket League 2nd XI fixtures. In 2C, Caythorpe III and Rolls Royce II tied with 181/8 apiece. Each side produced a half century: Rolls Royce courtesy of Malcolm Swannell and Caythorpe’s from Andrew Hunter. 14 year old Paul Reddington also chipped in with 41 for Caythorpe.

In the same division, Kirkby Portland II set visitors Stanton-by-Dale II a target of 134/7. Stanton came close as Rob Ellen hit 87, having already bowled 5/36, but they finished one run short. In 2D, Balderton II (152/9) passed Gedling & Sherwood III’s 150/5 total with just one wicket to spare, as Gedling’s 16 year old wicket keeper, Carl Smith, took 4 catches.

Attenborough III (172/9) continued their unbeaten run, this time beating Newstead Abbey & Village II who finished 13 runs short of the target. At the bottom of the League, Nottingham III narrowly missed out on a rare victory, finishing on 150/5 in reply to Collingham III’s 156.

Top bowling performance of the day was Brian Aplin’s 8/72 for Attenborough II (168/7) in their 2A win over Kimberley Institute II (165). Top batting performance was from 16 year old Matt Handley (100), who together with 15 year old James Hollingsworth (62) put on 150 for the 3rd wicket for Clifton Village II as they racked up 227. This, despite the best attempts of Radcliffe -on-Trent II bowler Richard McDermott (aged 16) who took 5/68. But when it was Radcliffe’s turn to bat, Clifton benefited from having both ends of the age spectrum in their side as 58 year old Peter Fairhall took 7 wickets for 12.

Hucknall II are joint bottom of 2A following their defeat by Southwell II. Matt Marsden took 7/45 and wicket keeper, Mick Saunders took 4 catches to limit Hucknall to 98, a total Southwell passed with 5 wickets to spare.

The other joint bottom team, Notts Unity Casuals, made 168/8, which Collingham II (172/4) passed with ease as David Daykin scored 94. In 2B, Michael Naylor’s 5/23 for Eastwood Town II helped restrict Gedling & Sherwood II to 125. However, Gedling’s Sean Carmody took 6/29 and Eastwood were all out for 46.

In another low-scoring game, Gedling Colliery II (80/2) bowled out Nottingham II for 78 thanks to Chris White (5/37) and Matt McBride (4/31). Long Eaton II (147) suffered only their second defeat of the season as they failed by 14 runs to match Notts Amatuers II’s score. Gotham Village II (118) were defeated by Ellerslie II (119/3) who are one place ahead of them in the bottom half of the table. Danny Anderson top scored for Gotham with 66, while Stuart Smedley hit 64* for Ellerslie and Alan Harrison took 5/32.

In 2C, the game between Calverton II (204/4) and Loughborough Carillon II (201/5) saw more than 400 runs; with Ian Huskinson (73) and Will Relf (54*) top scoring for Carillon, while John Kneale made an all-round contribution for Calverton with 80* and 4/29. Bramcote II (138/8) also benefited from an all-round performance, from James Isherwood who took 4/30 and then scored 63, in their win over Newark II (137).

Scott Pratt proved equally useful to Stoke Bardolph in 2D, he scored 44 of their 176 total, then took 6/16 to limit Willoughby-on-the-Wolds II to 65 in reply. In 2E, Tight bowling from Sawley & Long Eaton Park III’s Dan Wheeldon (4/9) and Neil Moulds (4/32) restricted Lambley II to 57 in reply to Sawley’s 128 total.

Third and fourth place Kimberley Institute II (113/9) and Chilwell II (112) bowled tightly in their match, with Martin Stackhouse taking 5/12 for Kimberley while Shahid Letif took 5/15 for Chilwell. Bottom place Awsworth II bagged their first win of the season, beating Ruddington by 54 runs.

In 2F, Hucknall III’s (60/4) win over fellow strugglers Farndon II (59) saw them leap up the table whilst Farndon languish in the relegation zone two points off the pace. Snibston Grange II remain top of 2G after passing the total of 109 set by Lowdham II with only one wicket down, Peter Birch (5/33) and Barry Kendrick (4/37) doing the damage to Lowdham’s batting order.