It's Hosiery Mills title
by Paul Barker, 31st August 2004

The Bank Holiday Monday fixtures finally brought about what most people have known for weeks that Mansfield Hosiery Mills are the champions of the Bassetlaw Cricket League in its Centenary year 2004. They clinched the title with a comprehensive six wicket win at Cuckney and nobody can begrudge them their success which has come about quite simply because they have been far and away the best side in the league this season.

The celebrations had to be put on ice when they lost their first match of the season at Thoresby on Saturday but their was to be no mistake this time as they bowled out Cuckney for just 134 runs with Jason Gorman (2 for 32), Asela Jayasinghe (2 for 14) and Dave Loveridge (2 for 37) doing most of the damage.

This target proved to be quite reasonable to the confident Hosiery Mills side and Tom New (71 n.o.) steered them to victory virtually as they pleased. Cuckney’s Australian star Dave Newman took 2 for 37, but the target set was never going to be enough and Hosiery Mills sailed comfortable to victory.

Kiveton Park who have been Hosiery Mills most serious challengers for most of the season went down horribly against a Farnsfield side who are cock a hoop at the moment. Probably the least said the better about the Kiveton batting as Kiwi Mark Silcock (6 for 41) and Dave Bell (4 for 23) blasted them out for a dismal 66 runs.

This was indeed a rather poor effort and Farnsfield showed quite emphatically that there was nothing wrong with the pitch as they strolled to a ten wicket win with Paul Delaney being unbeaten on 40 as the win was recorded.

Cutthorpe emerged from a good game of cricket with a winning draw at Thoresby Colliery which produced more runs than anywhere else in the section on the day. Cutthorpe opener Andy Thompson set the scene after his side’s disappointing display on Saturday with a magnificent 102 and great support was gleaned from John Combe (42) and Asadullah Butt (43 n.o.). Skipper Martin Cheshire was pressed into service with the ball and showed how to do it with a highly satisfactory 3 for 26.

In reply Thoresby batted well but not quite quick enough to trouble Cutthorpe finishing on 169 for 7. Once again skipper Cheshire set the tone with 34 and Australian Jonathan Hill (58 n.o.) also batted well. Asadullah Butt (4 for 51) was the best of the Cutthorpe attack but they could not break through the Thoresby lower order to give them the points needed for victory.

Worksop after their confidence boosting win against Bolsover on Saturday plummeted to the depths once again as they were beaten by Notts. & Arnold Amateur who have enjoyed a good Bank Holiday period. Batting first Notts. & Arnold could only reach a modest 152 for 9 with Mark North top scoring with 46.

In reply Worksop slumped badly to 116 all out with Steve Walker top scoring on 59 n.o. If only just one of Walker ’s colleagues had shown the same application it might well have been a much different result but Billy Johal (3 for 18) and Andy Rann (3 for 34) simply whizzed through some timid resistance to hand Notts. & Arnold another maximum.

Glapwell have been the in form team of late so nobody could have forecasted that they would lose to struggling Edwinstowe after bowling them out for just 98 runs but they did. Ian O’Brien the New Zealander who has put the zip into Glapwell made it 22 wickets in his last four outings and Edwinstowe looked to be dead and buried.

Amazingly enough they managed to turn things around and a fellow from the same vicinity as O’Brien, the Australian Garth Brown proved absolutely unplayable as Glapwell were bowled out for 77 to lose by 21 runs. Brown took 7 for 24 in a fantastic spell of bowling and Glapwell simply had no answer to it.

The bottom of the league is still as complex as ever and with Bolsover picking up maximum points as well its still as you are apart from Blidworth who sadly are almost dead and buried for the second consecutive season.

Blidworth batted first at Bolsover and made a respectable 189 all out with Dave Willcock making 65 and Lee Wilson (61). Chris Pemberton (5 for 40) was the best of the Bolsover attack but this target looked reasonably potent but the home side rose to the challenge brilliantly to pull off a mighty seven wicket win.

The incredible Tariq Rashid was superb as usual making an unbeaten 93 and Steve Wooley was also unbeaten on 42 as their side again pulled off a most important win.

It looks like going right down to the wire and Bolsover have a match in hand which will take place this Saturday but it is against Cutthorpe and that is far from easy. There is six points between the two sides and it will certainly go to the last day of the season before who goes down with Blidworth is finally decided.

In Division 2 Eckington’s slim chance of overhauling Killamarsh seems to have slipped by when they were on the wrong end of a drawn match against Anston at Staveley Lane . Kevin Vollans (81) and Andy Ruczenczyn (47) were the principle run getters as Anston piled up a reasonable 185 for 7 when their overs ran out with Wayne Dye (3 for 81) being the pick of the Eckington attack.

In reply Eckington needing victory went for it from the word go and Tom Dawson (36), Andy Burns (31) and Steve Nicholas (31) made major contributions to put them in sight of victory. However a superb spell of bowling by Ian Barley (4 for 48) which initiated a glut of wickets tumbling together saw them close on 184 for 9 just two runs short of victory but it must also be pointed out one wicket away from outright defeat!

It was however a thriller and Eckington can look back on their season with pride and look forward with renewed confidence to next season.