Blidworth promoted amongst shrouds of controversy
by Paul Barker, 11th September 2005

On a day where the rain made sure that not a single game in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire was played, incredibly enough Papplewick and Linby 2 nd managed to concoct a game against Blidworth which had far reaching effects on what would happen at the top of Division 2 in the promotion stakes.

Lets put the equation in plain straight forward English. Ransome and Marles went into the last round of matches with a six point advantage over Blidworth and an away game at Whitwell in the locker. As it turned out conditions after the morning weather had rendered the Whitwell ground hopeless and made play impossible as it had done at 49 other Bassetlaw League grounds!

Knowing this had happened, Papplewick needed eighteen points to overhaul Ransomes whilst Blidworth needed twelve to draw level and one more to be certain. Lets also face the fact that no matter how good a drying ground Papplewick’s is, there is no ground in the country that could have withstood the pounding that the morning’s weather had given it and be fit to play immediately.

In addition to this, Papplewick must have been the only place in the East and West Midlands where the rain actually stopped. One person who lives only three miles from the ground told me that he couldn’t remember it stopping all afternoon, but incredibly enough it did or so we are expected to believe.

The match was reduced to a time affair which made it even more unlikely that a result could have happened but even that theory went out of the window. It takes my thinking back to a match as long ago as 1961 in a league which is now defunct (thank God) when one side who had won the league for the previous six years were about to lose their championship status providing another side won their final match.

And so the day arrived and you guessed it, yes it was pouring it down with rain. But did this deter them, of course not. With two co-operative or weak willed umpires and four pack-a—macks which were purchased from a local shop and two nailed to the crease at each end and the bowlers taking no run ups they incredibly managed to play and lo and behold the side needing to win, won and became league champions. Absolutely amazing or might crazy be the word we are looking for.

I never thought I would hear of anything like this happening again, but Saturday’s happenings do bare great similarities. Batting first, Blidworth piled up an incredible 181 for 5 after 30 overs and declared. Andy Watson (75) and Ritchie Gibbons (43) piled on the agony and the Papplewick attack which is miserly to say the least usually, got flayed to every part of the ground. Then again they usually use a cricket ball and not a bar of soap so that might well give you the answer.

In reply Papplewick did make a good fist of things and reached 175 for 8 when the overs ran out. Ian Hardy (59) and Robin Rhodes (39) top scored whilst Ritchie Gibbons (4 for 68) and Richard Smith (4 for 46) were the pick of the Blidworth attack.

The points were shared out thirteen to Blidworth and eleven to Papplewick which was enough to take the former back up into Division 1. I can’t help but feel that this sort of thing happens in the West End Theatres in London and I think they call it a farce, but what’s done is done and whether it is right or wrong nothing can be done about it.

Ransomes have every right to be annoyed by events whilst Blidworth must be feeling pretty happy with themselves and possibly rightly so. Sadly however this sort of happening does the game of cricket no good and it makes one think they have been stitched up, even if they haven’t. When a whole season’s work goes to waste this way it is no wonder that people become sceptical.

One final point which I felt just about summed the whole sorry affair up was the answer I got from a youngish sounding person at the Papplewick clubhouse when I rang for the details and dared to ask ‘how come you are the only team in the East Midlands to have played today’. His ignorant and obnoxious answer was ‘because we are Papplewick’. How ludicrous can one get.