Mimms canes Hosiery Mills
by Paul Barker, 14th May 2006

With the weather venting a terrible plague on matches in this area and no game being complete in Division 1, it is only fitting that we start in Division 2 this week where several individual performances certainly took the eye. None more so than in the match at The Fieldings on Huthwaite Road, where Mansfield Hosiery Mills 2nd must have thought they had done enough when they registered a more than useful looking 199 for 8 after batting first against Everton.

Andrew Roberts (55), Ben Rossi (47) and Paul Wilkinson (33) were the main contributors as the Everton attack was despatched to all parts of the ground at regular intervals. However one thing that the Hosiery Mills players must have had on their mind is that Everton can certainly bat, as they showed when they piled up 249 for 4 the previous week, and then lost!

And so it happened as the magnificent John Mimms set about the Hosiery Mills attack with real relish. Mimms and his opening partner Rob Nicholas (62) never looked in the slightest of any trouble as the ball sped to the fence with astonishing regularity and although Nicholas was out it was only a consolation prize for the toiling Hosiery Mills.

Mimms remained unbeaten on 106 as Everton reached 200 for 1 to record a spectacular nine wicket win and it was also his second consecutive century of the season. He is without doubt class through and through and when any side has a player of this ability you can never rule them out in any match. Hosiery Mills will win from this position more times than they lose and they certainly won’t run up against John Mimms every week.

At Station Lane, Farnsfield 2nd recorded a very good 45 run win over Anston who must also have been cursing the weather for their demise in this one. Batting first Farnsfield reached a modest 161 all out on a wicket that is usually a nightmare to bowl on. The main man was the incredibly talented 13 year old Sam Wood who made a magnificent 84 runs.

It is without doubt a measure of his ability at such a young age that he batted so brilliantly at what is a very high level in the league and if he continues his progress, one wonders how far he can go. It truly was a remarkable effort when one considers that his much more experienced colleagues could manage only 77 runs between them!

Andy Ruczenczyn (4 for 31) and Ian Barley (3 for 42) bowled excellently for Anston and their efforts would have been much more fruitful without the innings of Wood.

With Farnsfield’s first XI match at Worksop being off due to the weather, they took the chance to give Mark Silcock who is without question one of the most dangerous wicket takers in Division 1 some match practice at this level, and as one would expect he was much too good for the Anston batting line-up.

Silcock was absolutely unplayable and Anston succumbed to 116 all out as the man who took 64 Division 1 wickets last season sliced through them to take 7 for 22 in fine style. Whether its right or whether its wrong is for the people involved to say, but it certainly gave Silcock some action although Anston may not possibly quite see it that way.

After a setback in their first match, relegated Bridon have come storming back and after a winning draw last week, they completed a good seven wicket win over Notts. & Arnold 2nd this week. Batting first Notts. & Arnold reached 162 all out with Peter Todd top scoring on 48 whilst Matt Makings (3 for 83) spearheaded the Bridon attack.

This total proved no obstacle for a confident Bridon side and Stewart Parkin (40) and Chris Ward (42) guided them to 162 for 3 and a comfortable victory. Bridon look as though they are now beginning to gel and they could become quite a force in this division as the season moves on.

In Division 1, the nearest anybody came to a win was the rejuvenated Killamarsh side who narrowly failed to pull of a victory at Blidworth and were frustrated by bad light at the finish. Batting first on a wet wicket which was the norm everywhere, Killamarsh reached an all out total of 175 with Paul Burdett (30) top scoring and Lewis Sprigg (3 for 34) being the pick of the Blidworth attack.

In reply, Blidworth slumped to 103 for 8 with Lee Wilson top scoring on 40. Pramuka Liyanage (3 for 46) once again showed what an asset he will be for Killamarsh but even with the slow bowlers on, the umpires deemed enough was enough at 7.10 p.m.

There was no complaints from either side with a Killamarsh spokesman saying that it wouldn’t have been a surprise if play had been suspended an hour before it was, whilst a spokesman for Blidworth, remarked that the Killamarsh side was the best all round unit they had faced this season.

Bolsover whipped out Notts. & Arnold Amateurs for just 145 at Villas Road with Joe Pallister top scoring on 42. Steve Wooley (4 for 24) bowled a perfect line and length with his slow left armers and Bolsover must have been thinking that this could be there first win of the season.

However at 28 for 2 it began to rain once again and with the light being grim, play was terminated for the day. Whether or not Bolsover would have registered that much needed confidence boosting win is open for discussion, but after a dismal display with the bat, the Notts. & Arnold attack had swung back into action very quickly and a lot of cricket remained to be played.

At Glapwell the home side showed something like their true form when batting with Matt Hall (49) and Lee Topham (69) leading the chase as their side totalled 200 for 6 declared. Kyle McKeeman (2 for 34) and Richard Spurr (2 for 53) both bowled well, but the match was halted by the weather immediately Kiveton’s openers had taken guard and no score was registered.

All the other matches in Divisions 1 & 2 were postponed without a ball being bowled.