Hosiery Mills go out in style
by Paul Barker, 13th September 2004

Playing their last game in Division 1, Mansfield Hosiery Mills celebrated in style their elevation to the Nottinghamshire Premier League with a high scoring winning draw over relegated Blidworth. Batting first Hosiery Mills rattled up a monstrous 274 for 7 with skipper Mark Langford bludgeoning a typical unbeaten 79.

Langford was well supported by Sri-Lankan Asela Jayasinghe (52), Ben Rossi (48) and Jason Gorman (41) in a proverbial run feast which the Blidworth attack simply had no answer too. However what followed certainly will give Blidworth high hopes for the future when they start their Division 2 campaign next season.

Facing this huge total Blidworth decided they were going to go out with all guns blazing and they did just that. Dave Willcock (57) and Richard Price (55) momentarily gave their side high hopes for victory but the task proved just too much for them as they finished on a highly creditable 219 for 9.

Dave Loveridge was the thorn in their side taking a brilliant 7 for 47 in a fantastic spell of slow bowling. Hosiery Mills can now look forward to their challenge mext season and they certainly deserve it. They have played brilliantly all season and apart from one defeat against Thoresby Colliery they have overcome everyone else. No one can doubt that they are true champions and deserve all the plaudits going for their wonderful achievement.

Blidworth are relegated for the second consecutive season, but the club have a depth of promising young players which like their successful side of the 90s will see them rise to the top again. Make no mistake they won’t be far away when the honours are dished out at the end of next season.

Going down with them are Bolsover who have also put up a stirring fight all season in a bid to retain their top flight status. Their match against Kiveton Park however was a game too far and they were never really threatening to win as their opponents pulled off an eight wicket victory.

Batting first Bolsover battled all the way reaching 187 for 9 when the overs ran out. Andy Crooks (26) and Jon Grant (25) top scored for them but a number of batsmen got out when looking well set and on this excellent wicket the score achieved looked rather short to defend. Richard Spurr bowled his usual immaculate line and length taking 4 for 60 and he was well backed up by off spinner Ian Thompson who claimed 4 for 69.

Despite losing the aggressive Australian Ryan Snape at 41, Adam Burgess and Andy Marsh took Kiveton to the point of victory before the latter was stumped by Jim Cowley as a token consolation. Burgess who was dropped when he had made two certainly made Bolsover pay for this indiscrimination with a glorious unbeaten 119 and he completed his century in the grand manner with a towering six on to the other side of the road.

Strangely enough despite gaining nineteen points, Kiveton were pipped for the runners up position by Notts. & Arnold Amateur who after looking in all sorts of trouble against Farnsfield finally emerged with a maximum after a real gutsy effort.

At one stage Notts. & Arnold stood at 16 for 4 and only great work by Bill Trewartha ((45) and Joe Pallister (62) saved them from complete disaster. They were finally bowled out for 177 which in the context of the game represented a rather good effort. Farnsfield would have been disappointed after getting off to a flyer they then rather let their opponents off the hook. Kiwi Mark Silcock took 5 for 42 and bowled quite superbly, but the latter order of Notts. & Arnold certainly did their side proud.

In a complete reversal of this innings Farnsfield went in the opposite direction when they replied. Good early work by Dave Bell (44) and Paul Delaney (33) saw them coasting along at 119 for 3 with victory looking assured. Once again however they threw away a winning position with the last seven wickets going down for a meagre 30 runs with Australian Justin Foss (4 for 65) and Andy Rann (4 for 31) bowling quite brilliantly to turn almost certain defeat into a terrific win.

Edwinstowe preserved their Division 1 status with a comfortable and surprising win over Cuckney who after a good season have rather fallen away at the end. Batting first Edwinstowe made a disappointing 156 for 8 with skipper John Garnham top scoring with an unbeaten 52. Off spinner Paul Gurnell with 3 for 52 was the pick of the Cuckney attack but one wonders why Edwinstowe needing every point they could muster had wickets left at the end of their innings!

As it happened it turned out all right for them as Cuckney batted so badly on a turning wicket and were bowled out for just 99 runs. Garth Brown exploited these conditions to the full taking 5 for 43 and Richard Gombos also bowled well taking 3 for 17. Edwinstowe can now look forward to another crack at Division 1 next season and amazingly enough they have picked up more bowling bonus points than any other side in the league other than champions Mansfield Hosiery Mills. Their problem has been scoring enough runs but they now have the entire winter to rectify this problem and if they do they could become a major threat next term.

On a good wicket at Ordsall neither Bridon or Worksop did it much justice as a low scoring match saw the home side pull off a 43 run victory. Batting first Bridon were thankful to the two Simon’s, Fenwick (63) and Bingham (35) who provided the bulk of their 181 all out total. Paul Burton (4 for 78) and New Zealander Brad Moore (5 for 43) were the Worksop bowling heroes but all their work was to prove fruitless on this occasion.

Only Simon Mills (38) showed anything like his true ability as Bridon’s Australian import Justin Miller (3 for 46) and Darren Spooner (3 for 17) bowled them out for just 138. The rest of the Worksop batting was rather pitiful and Bridon emerged with their eleventh straight win of the season.

A fantastic match at Park Avenue saw Glapwell post a huge total which wasn’t enough as Cutthorpe for once firing on all cylinders passed it with five wickets to spare. Batting first Glapwell made 239 for 5 with Dean Graney (68), skipper Andy Smith (72 n.o.) and Nick Truswell (44) all batting superbly as the Cutthorpe attack tried desperately but without much success to contain them. Asadullah Butt (3 for 65) was the best of the Cutthorpe attack but this score looked daunting to say the least.

In reply Cutthorpe batted like everyone knows they are capable of but have shown so little of this season. Andy Thompson (67) John Combe (30), Simon Barlow (35) and Steve Chapman (45 n.o.) all performed brilliantly and even though Glapwell’s Ian O’Brien once again bowled superbly to take 3 for 85, he couldn’t turn things around on this occasion.

One sobering thought is that Cutthorpe and Bolsover have both had points deducted for indiscriminations this season. If Cutthorpe hadn’t had any knocked off they would have finished runners up and even more galling in the case of Bolsover they wouldn’t have been relegated. Food for thought there one does believe!

Division 2 and Marshalls made sure of the title with a comprehensive win over N.S.K who have had a terrible start and end to the season and a good middle. Only Jonathan Aspden (38) batted with any application as N.S.K. were simply blown away for just 134 at Elm Avenue and this total was never going to be enough.

Marshalls skipper Kevin Housham who has enjoyed a magnificent season turned it into a glorious swan song with a sensational unbeaten 100 as his side strode to victory by a massive nine wicket margin.

Trading their wares with Marshalls in Division 1 next season will be Killamarsh who although getting a disappointing final result at Eckington richly deserve to be back after suffering relegation last season.

Eckington have made some huge scores at Staveley Lane this season and this was to prove no different. They literally pulverised the Killamarsh attack to the tune of 248 for 5 with prolific run getters Richard Bostock (76) and Rob Carlile (44) leading the charge. Andy Burns weighed in with 67 as Killamarsh chased the ball in vain to the boundary on numerous occasions. Parmindar Mudhar (5 for 82) was the pick of their attack but they had suffered a terrible beating by this powerful Eckington batting line up.

However as they have done all season Killamarsh had a go and reached a highly commendable 198 for 7 when the overs ran out. Sam Malpass showed all his rich promise making 81 and great support came from Dave Allen with 52. That they couldn’t compete with the run rate was down to Wayne Dye who has had a magnificent season taking 3 for 61 and Andy Davies (4 for 52) who both bowled superbly. Eckington look as though they will be a major threat again next season whilst Killamarsh look better equipped than when they were relegated last season.

Blyth descended to Division 3 and it is still a mystery to many good judges how this potentially good side has gotten themselves into such a mess. They bowled North Wheatley with Leverton out for just 159 at Oldcotes Road with Jason Hill (33), Dave Horner (54) and Dave Waller (31) all batting well against John Smith who bowled his usual tidy stint to take 3 for 25 and Andy Barthorpe (6 for 45).

Despite a fine knock of 55 by Pete Jones, Blyth ’s batting once again crumbled and they were bowled out for just 134. Clive Metcalf (3 for 27) and Rob Hackney (3 for 13) were the wreckers in chief but Blyth will be hoping for better things in the next campaign and the ability is there if it is shown.

Pilsley who recently beat Paplewick & Linby 2 nd in the semi-final of the Mallen Trophy were turned over by them in the last match of the season at Papplewick. Batting first Pilsley could only make 160 for 8 with Dave Wright top scoring on 32. Saeed Bin Nasir for once failed only scoring 28 which for other mere mortals is a decent innings. For him I suggest it was a failure. Steve Alford with 3 for 44 was the pick of a tidy Papplewick attack.

In reply Papplewick absolutely coasted to victory by eight wickets. Gary Porter was unlucky to miss out on a century scoring an unbeaten 94 in a fine innings and he was partnered by Jamie Peat who was also unbeaten on 57 as Papplewick reached 166 for 2 and victory.

Notts. & Arnold Amateurs 2 nd nailed in the final one on Clay Cross Works coffin beating them by 27 runs at Goosedale Lane . Batting first Notts. & Arnold made 192 all out with Dave Harris (46), Harvey Burton (42) and Paul Murphy (32) doing the bulk of the scoring. Stuart Brown was the best of the Clay Cross attack taking 4 for 43 in a good spell.

Despite fine efforts by skipper Mick Bradley (37) and Ian Bettney (31) Clay Cross’s torturous season ended on a losing note as they were dismissed for 165 with Richard Pallister 3 for 32 being the pick of the Notts. & Arnold attack.

Whitwell after bowling out Anston quite cheaply were dismissed themselves for 82 and only narrowly saved themselves from relegation. Anston could only make 138 all out with Kevin Vollans (30) and Andy Ruczenczyn (34) propping up the innings against Nathan Morris (3 for 36), Ryan Coalwood (3 for 42) and Aussie Braydon Stone (3 for 34).

It was too much however for the disappointing Whitwell side as that man Ruczenczyn (3 for 31) and skipper Ian Barley (4 for 27) ran through some feeble resistance to give Anston a 56 run win.