Farnsfield flying
by Paul Barker, 9th August 2004

The one thing that you could never be sure of about Farnsfield Cricket Club is which side would turn up. If they are in the mood they are a match for anyone, but so often they have disappointed when you least expect it, but in recent weeks they seem to have acquired an air of confidence as struggling Bolsover found out to their expense after doing everything asked of them at Station Lane.

Batting first, Bolsover piled up a massive 251 for 6 with Tariq Rashid making a magnificent 120 and Stave Wooley 52. Tariq was just brilliant in every department and is unquestionably the league’s No. 1 batsman in this sort of form. Notts. star Paul Franks enjoying a day off from couny duty with his home town club bowled well within himself taking 3 for 34 in an excellent spell of bowling.

Franks wasn’t done either as he thrashed a superb unbeaten 77 and with great support coming from Dave Tilbury (68 n.o.) and James Bennett (38) Farnsfield coasted to 252 for 3 to record a seven wicket win. In this mood they can prove a match to any side in the section and one must feel sorry for Bolsover who must have thought they had done a good job at tea time.

It is now looking bleak for Bolsover but with Edwinstowe losing a real thriller against near neighbours Thoresby Colliery and Blidworth not playing the gap at the bottom is still the same. The only thing is that another week has past and things are now reaching the desperation stakes. Any team at the bottom who can cobble together a couple of wins would really put themselves in with a great chance of survival.

At the top Mansfield Hosiery Mills just roll on and on and on! They simply crucified second placed Kiveton Park with a great display of power and ability by 182 runs at Stone Close and surely cannot be caught now. On the hottest day of the summer the Kiveton fielders must have been feeling physically sick of chasing the ball unsuccessfully to the fence as Hosiery Mills piled up an astonishing 291 for 6 with Tom New (94), Sam Butler (86) and Jason Gorman (37) simply lambasting everything that was bowled at them. All three simply couldn’t be contained and the usually potent Kiveton attack simply had no answer to them.

Young Kyle McKeeman was the only bowler to register anything like respectable figures taking 4 for 40 in a neat and tidy stint.

The carnage continued as Kiveton started to bat, and only a dogged unbeaten 35 by Dean Walker saved them from an even worse beating as they were dismissed for a paltry 109. Jason Gorman who has proved such a brilliant acquisition for the Hosiery Mills this season with both bat and ball bowled superbly to take 4 for 34 and was excellently supported by the splendid young slow bowler Matt. New who picked up 3 for 33 as his side registered yet another maximum.

Cutthorpe will regret their mid season blip where they lost four consecutive matches for a long, long while. They totally destroyed a hapless Bridon side by 161 runs at Ordsall and the result never looked in much doubt from the moment the match started. Batting first Cutthorpe made a substantial 228 for 7 when the 50 overs ran out with Karl Fields (63), John Combe (62) and Asadullah Butt (50) all enjoying themselves as they played the Bridon attack with comparitive ease.

Simon Davison (3 for 73) and Darren Spooner (3 for 41) were the pick of the Bridon attack but this score looked a good one and so it proved. Bridon were soon all back inside, making only 67, and at no time could they come to terms with Asadullah Butt (3 for 22) and Ejaz Khan (5 for 44) who turned in a devastating display of seam bowling which they had no answer to.

On June 5 th Notts. & Arnold Amateur had seven outright wins in their first eight fixtures and the only one they hadn’t won had been rained off! Since then their form has resembled a side haunted by the sphere of relegation and it continued once more as Cuckney completely massacred them by seven wickets at Goosedale Lane .

Batting first Notts. & Arnold could only make a miserable 151 all out with only Ian Flood and Don Leiper (34 each) coping to any degree with the swing and spin attack of Australian Dave Newman (3 for 41) and Paul Gurnell (3 for 42).

This target never looked like being enough and skipper Dean Sayer (68) and Michael Palmer (44) blasted Cuckney to victory as they pleased. This was supposed to be a transitional season for Cuckney but they have done amazingly well considering the fact that they almost lost an entire team in the close season. It just goes to show what can be done with a bit of effort.

A thriller right down to the last ball saw Thoresby Colliery pull off a fantastic one wicket win at near neighbours Edwinstowe. Batting first Edwinstowe were rather sluggish on a difficult track and could only make 148 for 9 in their 50 overs with Paul Benson top scoring on 57.

Thoresby’s Australian medium pacer Jonathan Hill bowled with accuracy and penetration taking 4 for 34 in two good spells, one from each end.

This modest total looked easy but a ferocious opening burst from Richard Gombos who took the wickets of Martin Cheshire, Nigel Burkitt and Jonathan Hill with only 29 runs on the board put a whole new aspect on proceedings.

A good stand between Paul Hughes and youngster Ben Marson seemed to have turned the match back in Thoresby’s favour but at 99, Marson stupidly ran himself out and wickets started to tumble at an alarming rate. Hughes however went on to make a magnificent 68 and Thoresby were always going to win whilst ever he was at the crease but he was caught at the wicket off Garth Brown with quite a bit of work still to be done.

When last man Billy Lippeatt made his way to the crease Thoresby still needed 15 runs to win and some fine blows by him and David Evans saw their side home with nothing else to spare. Gombos bowled quite brilliantly taking 5 for 54 and Garth Brown chipped in with 3 for 14 in a really exciting encounter.

Worksop are moving ever nearer to the relegation zone and slipped even further into the depths when Glapwell beat them by 30 runs in a low scoring match at Central Avenue .

Batting first an under strength Glapwell side could only muster 149 for 8 with skipper Andy Smith top scoring on 30 and Paul Burton taking 5 for 57 in an unchanged spell of 25 overs.

Any thoughts Worksop might have had that this would be easy were quickly dispelled with only Steve Walker (35) making any sort of progress against Glapwell’s New Zealand star Ian O’Brien who bowled brilliantly to take 6 for 39. O’Brien has certainly made his mark this season and he received excellent support from Dean Graney who helped himself to 3 for 47 as Worksop were unceremoniously dismissed for just 119 to give Glapwell maximum points.

In Division 2, Marshalls kept up their lead at the top of the table with an unadventurous winning draw against bottom club Clay Cross Works. Batting first Marshalls reached a massive 274 for 3 with skipper Kevin Housham making 77, and Liam Andrews a brilliant unbeaten 108. Australian Tim Down (47) and James Deacon (31) also made major contributions but one wonders if a declaration at 250 giving five more overs to Clay Cross would have been more advantageous to them.

As it was Clay Cross did extremely well to hang on at 182 for 7 with Christian Pratt (40) top scoring. Andrew West was the pick of the Marshalls attack taking 3 for 34, but one wonders if they will regret not taking a gamble and going for those three extra points which were on offer.

Papplewick slumped to defeat at home to N.S.K. who are without doubt the most improved side in the section. At the start of the season one could have tipped N.S.K. to have been knocking on the door for promotion but after a woeful start relegation was staring them in the face.

However they have now had a terrific run and a tremendous performance at Papplewick saw them throw a massive spanner into the promotion hopes of the home side. Batting first Papplewick were bowled out for just 144 with Chris Navin making 34 and Richard Arbury (33 n.o.). None of the rest could cope with Jonathan Aspden (3 for 37) and in particular the N.S.K. skipper Gary Lambert who bowled magnificently to take 7 for 18 in a virtually unplayable stint.

Not that N.S.K. found this modest target easy and they lost seven wickets before the winning hit was made. Matt Smith made most of the early running with a solid 31, but it was an unbroken stand between Andrew Cox (56 n.o.) and that man Lambert who led from the front all day with 31 n.o. that finally saw N.S.K. to this three wicket success.

Killamarsh certainly looked the part as they totally destroyed Whitwell by eight wickets at Sheffield Road .

Whitwell were blasted out for just 83 runs with Steve Ludlam chalking up the incredible figures of 6 for 11 from 14 superb overs. Parminder Mudhar (3 for 15) provided the support and the match was virtually all over by tea time.

The target was passed for the loss of only two wickets with Sam Malpass remaining unbeaten on 28 as victory was achieved. Killamarsh now move into second place and look a mighty potent force at the moment.

No day would be quite complete without a mention of Saeed Bin Nasir of Pilsley and he caned North Wheatley with Leverton for a sensational 173 runs as his side achieved a winning draw. Batting first Pilsley made 257 for 5 with Saeed totally dominating the innings and leaving North Wheatley with a mountain to climb.

This was never attempted and Wheatley held out on 105 for 6 with Jason Hill batting superbly for 66 n.o. in a one man virtuoso performance. Dave Schofield was the best of the Pilsley attack taking 3 for 15 in a tidy spell of bowling.

Blyth are now looking dead and buried and they went down to another heavy defeat this time against Notts. & Arnold Amateur 2 nd by ten wickets. Batting first Blyth simply had no answer to Billy Johal who recorded the best figures of the day in the top two sections with a brilliant 8 for 45.

This total proved no problem to Notts. & Arnold who won as they pleased with Dave Harris (35 n.o.) and Mark North (30 n.o.) leading the charge. It begins to look hopeless for Blyth now and along with Clay Cross it will take a minor miracle for them to recover.