Gedling and Hosiery Mills clash in Champions
by Paul Barker / Alan Rowley 15th September 2004

The annual match between the champions of the Bassetlaw League, Mansfield Hosiery Mills and their counterparts from the South Nottinghamshire League, Gedling will take place at the picturesque ground of Papplewick this Saturday 18 th September with a 12.30 p.m. start. This match usually presents a very good game with Retford knocking off a huge score to beat Calverton in the preceding fixture at the end of last season before a large crowd at Eastwood.

Representing the Bassetlaw League on this occasion will be Mansfield Hosiery Mills who simply ran away with the title virtually from the word go. One never knows how a side will gel together at the start of a season and when the Hosiery Mills made a stuttering start with far from convincing performances against Farnsfield, Edwinstowe and Kiveton Park who failed by just two runs to beat them one could not have envisaged what was to follow.

The match which showed their quality and really set their season alight came on May Day Monday when they entertained Thoresby Colliery at The Fieldings and in a pulsating game they produced an incredible victory against all the odds.

Batting first Thoresby could hardly have done anymore making a very good total of 226 for 7 with skipper Martin Cheshire leading the way on 93 and Paul Hughes adding a quick fire 41.

Hosiery Mills made an extremely slow start and lost wickets as well. Tom New made a sound 57 but the target seemed a million miles away when skipper Mark Langford marched out to meet Jason Gorman in the middle.

At this time the scoring rate needed was approaching eleven runs per over and with Peter Scott and David Evans bowling with miserly precision it looked virtually impossible. However these two not only turned things round but managed it so effectively that two overs were left spare at the finish as they charged to a blistering victory.

Thoresby must still be wondering today what would have happened had Langford not been dropped on the boundary to a simple catch before he had reached double figures, but that was the last time that they whiffed the scent of victory as the Hosiery Mills completely took over. Langford (68 n.o.) and Gorman (43 n.o.) kept flaming the ball out of the ground and more had to be fetched as it proved impossible to find them.

One had to feel sorry for Scott and Evans who had bowled so well but both were absolutely destroyed in as good a display as anyone is likely to see and twenty runs plus per over came thick and fast throughout this incredible hectic period.

Strangely enough Thoresby were to exact revenge by being the only side to beat them in the league this season when they won by four wickets in the return fixture, and by six wickets in the Tomlins Trophy final at Worksop last Sunday

The Hosiery Mills side are a progressive one and on their new ground which has only been in use since 2002, they have facilities that are the envy of any club in the East Midlands . Since moving there the side has developed well although one thought that when their West Indian star Nolan McKenzie left at the start of this season that they might struggle to compete at the very top.

Not so. The acquisition of Jason Gorman from Kimberley Institute was a tremendous signing and he has added real balance to the team with both bat and ball. Mark Langford has been an inspiration as skipper and has led the team from the front and never asked anyone to do something that he wouldn’t have done himself. The players have respected him for that and the nett result has been a happy ship that has knitted together well throughout the season.

It would be wrong to pick out too many individuals as their success has been a real team effort, and the only sad part from their point of view is that their very likable Sri-Lankan all rounder Asela Jayasinghe will not because of the rules in the Nottinghamshire Premier League be able to play for them next campaign.

Others who have made their mark throughout have been Tom New who has recently made his County Championship debut for Leicestershire, Dave Loveridge who has been performing excellently for years now, Mark Curtis, Matt Millns with both bat and ball on occasions, the swashbuckling batting of Sam Butler and that splendid old warhorse Stephen Brown.

Yes the side is brimming with ability and thoroughly deserve the success they have achieved this season. They carry the flag for the Bassetlaw League this Saturday and will be hoping to leave the league feeling proud of them.

Carrying the flag for the South Nottinghamshire League will be Gedling Colliery. For most of the season, and indeed for several years previously, Gedling have become the 'nearly men' of South Notts cricket, many times starting the season favourites to win the title, only to be pipped at the post. They have enjoyed good cup runs without going all the way to lift the trophy.

2004 looked like going the same way as rivals Plumtree established an early season lead. As the season approached the half way point, Gedling were in third place over 30 points adrift of Plumtree with Long Eaton occupying the runners-up position. A defeat at Long Eaton looked to have put Colliery out of the running, and few would have expected them to bounce back from that defeat.

Skipper Shane Pidgeon takes up the story. "We showed great “bouncebackability” by winning the next two league games earning the maximum 40 points, taking us into the last game needing another maximum point score and hoping that the current leaders picked up no more than 17 points. Enter Jeff Burton taking an outstanding 9 for 35 at Rolls Royce Leisure, and setting us up for a comfortable run chase of 76. Twenty points gained by Gedling and the rest, as they say, is history".

History it certainly is as Gedling look forward to the Champions game and a season in the top flight of Nottinghamshire cricket. How will they do? Pidgeon doesn't offer any clues, but he told 'the follow on': "We can't wait for the challenge of the Premier League next year."

Asked about key players, the Gedling skipper said: "It's hard to pick out key players in the Gedling side, we are a team of good club cricketers with a good team spirit."

The Hosiery Mills team will line up as Mark Langford (Capt.), Jason Gorman, Jeff Appleton, Dave Loveridge, Sam Butler, Darren Johnson, Ben Rossi, Andy Bacon, Matt. New, Bill Frodsham, Asela Jayasinghe.

Gedling Colliery will choose from: Shane (Iceman) Pidgeon (captain), Michael (Victor) Bailey (vice-captain), David (Golf Day) Mason, Graeme (Runs) Burton, Steve (Smiler) Burton, Jeff (Averages) Burton, Nadeem (Daddy) Akhtar, Zaheer (Linford Christie) Rahman, Tom (Hanging Tree) Coffey, Justin (Sheriff) Cullen, John (Geriatric) Thorley, Duncan (T-Leaf) McKeown, Mark (Park Bench) Bailey .

A full report will appear on 'the follow on' over the weekend.