In the other completed game, bottom of division Attenborough scored their 2nd win of the season, beating Newstead Abbey & Village. Richard Turney made the only century of the day, scoring 121 of Attenborough’s 238/7. Then Sam Culow took 8/53 to restrict Newstead to 97, with Andrew Graham 51*. Eastwood Town (183/6) might feel cheated of victory as the decision to give up to the rain came just 4 overs short of the end of scheduled play with opposition Rolls Royce requiring 70 to win and only one wicket left.
In Division B, Bottesford moved ahead of Hucknall in the table after bowler Dave Warburton took 5/68, restricting Hucknall to 157/9. Bottesford’s batsmen Nick Silverwood (56) and James Ward (44) then scored nearly two thirds of the required runs between them, giving Bottesford victory by 2 wickets. There was no change at the top of Division B as Gedling & Sherwood (109/3) secured a fairly comfortable win over Belvoir (107/6). Second place Bramcote (140/4) also got maximum points from their visit to Newark (139/9).
In Division C/D, Kirkby Portland moved into top spot after setting 189/8 against Stanton by Dale, who finished on 142/7. Before this week, Thrumpton had been top but were unable to get any more then average points from their abandoned game at Clifton Village. Third place Wilsons’ challenge for a promotion place suffered another setback as they scored only 96, unable to find answers to the bowling of West Bridgfordians’ John Sheard (5/37).
In the lower half of the table, Risley conceded their eighth defeat of the season. In spite of tight bowling from Radcliffe on Trent II’s 12 year old Adam Sheppard (4/26), Risley amassed 143/9 from their 30 overs, with Andy Matthews making 58. Radcliffe’s Matt Stewart then hit 47* as his team passed the target for the loss of 5 wickets. Attenborough II got a welcome win away at Old Paviors. The home team set 180/4, with Steve Todd 61*, Attenborough overhauled the total for the loss of one wicket, with Mike Dickinson scoring 85.
Wymeswold remain one place clear of the bottom of the division despite losing heavily to Lady Bay Boots II. Lady Bay’s Gareth Hayes took 5/7 as Wymeswold were all out for 59; a total Lady Bay had no trouble passing with 2 wickets down. Awsworth (137/8) remained winless this season, as Russ Kirk took 4/29 for opposition Kimberley Institute II (141/3). In the other game played in C/D, Souhtwell II’s Andrew Wibberley hit 59* of their 125/6 away at Hickling. The home team scored 128/5, with a contribution of 40* from Steven Wright.
The top two teams in Division E/F maintained their all-winning records. Long Whatton (144/4) sailed past bottom of the table Ruddington’s 141; 69 of which had been scored by Craig Miller. Gedling Colliery II (121/2) comprehensively beat Toton Sycamore, whom bowler Matt McBride (4/11) had helped restrict to 119. Notts Unity Casuals II’s (162/7) Yassar Harrick made an all-round contribution, of 42 and 3/14, to their victory over Chilwell (139/7).
In G/H, the top two teams did not play but third placed Snibston Grange (98/3) got maximum points for a win over Bottesford II (97). Snibston’s wicket keeper, David Bevin, took an outstanding 7 dismissals, the 2nd best league performance, then batsman Matt Merritt scored 61* of the required runs. Alan Booth (75*) and James Booth (59*) made a valuable stand in Bestwood Village’s total of 223/9; Stanton by Dale II could only manage 168/8 in reply.
Leaders of Division J, Rainworth Welfare (175/4) had a predictable win over bottom team Woodborough (171/5), despite the efforts of John Gadsby (61*). Second place Rolls Royce Leisure II scored 243/4, with contributions of 75 from Andrew Carden, 59 from Anthony Rostins and 43* from David Lobb. Lobb then turned bowling hero, taking 7/36 to dismiss opposition Gladstone for 154/7. Stapleford (99/9) suffered their fifth loss this season, as Loughborough Carillon II (102/7) passed their total despite Neil Gelder taking 5/24.
Hoveringham (175/6) beat fellow Division K promotion hopefuls Oxton (174/7) in a match which saw Matt Wheatley make 63 for Oxton and Dave Lee get 60* for Hoveringham. The other team looking for promotion from Division K, Sutton Bonnington, scored 123 and managed to bowl out Lenton Abbey for 88.
In Division L, Stoke Bardolph (194/8) got their first win of the season, beating Belvoir II (156/9). At the top of that division, Kaiser Altaf contributed 65 to Carrington Cavaliers 211/5; Old Paviors II could manage only 79 in reply as 15 year old Adil Awan took 4/8.
First played second in Division M, with tight bowling from Bingham’s Graham Marshall (4/6) and Stewart Dickson (3/9) leaving Kimberley Institute III (59) well short of the 138 target.
In Division N, David Groves took a wicket for each decade of his age, finishing on 6/44 as Lambley II (197/7) outclassed Stanton (165). Wilson II’s (136/7) Methab Ahmed took 4/29 then scored 35 in his side’s victory over Awsworth II (133).
Clifton Village III (61/3), promoted to P this season, are looking for another move up as opposition Farndon II (60) found scoring tough against the bowling of 13 year old Tom Butcher (3/10) and hat-trick taker Chris Handley (3/7). Another effective spell of bowling in the same division came from Paul Harley (5/15) for Hucknall III, preventing Radcliffe on Trent III (116) overhauling their score of 142/9.
Meanwhile, in Division R, Raheel Ahmed’s 5/21 for Lowdham II could not stop Ellerslie III (123/9) passing Lowdham’s 122. Thrumpton III’s (136/5) Andy Coles also got a 5-wicket haul in his side’s win over Edingley II (105), Trevor Vennett-Smith scoring 53 of the Thrumpton total. Top batting performance in Division R though came from Toton Sycamore’s wicket keeper Peter Manning, who hit a personal best of 60*. It was not enough to prevent another defeat for Toton (105/5) as Belvoir III’s (109/2) 14 year olds Alex Sears (51*) and Richard Flower (3/25) put in creditable performances.
