Mansfield & Pleasley meet Killamarsh in final
by Paul Barker, 26th August 2006

In two tremendous semi-finals Killamarsh managed to overcome KivetonPark by virtue of losing less wickets, and Mansfield & Pleasley overcame Whitwell in a low scoring encounter at Chesterfield Road. This means for the second consecutive year a second division side will contest the final and last time Blidworth upset all the odds by taking the trophy.

At Sheffield Road: KivetonPark 180 all out, lost to Killamarsh 180 for 7 by losing less wickets.

After their narrow escape in the quarter finals when Killamarsh knocked out the holders Blidworth by losing less wickets when the scores were level, it would have taken the eternal optimist to have predicted the same thing would happen again.

Incredibly enough that is exactly what did happen although Killamarsh tried their best to throw away what looked to be a simple task of winning on paper. Once again Kiveton were well served by the dashing Phil Cooper on a wicket which was far from easy considering the amount of overnight  rain that had fallen on it.

Cooper made a superb 44 but once he was bowled by Rodney Cook the scoring rate ground to a halt and only a late flurry by Richard Spurr which yielded 34 most vital runs took the overall score to 180 before they were bowled out. Rodney Cook (3 for 37) and Parminder Mudhar (3 for 13) bowled brilliantly for Killamarsh and used the conditions to theirs and their side’s utmost satisfaction.

This score however looked more than useful until Adam Burgess and Paul Burdett arrived at the wicket and then a whole new complexion came over the game. Burgess was bowled by Kyle McKeeman but not before they had put on 159 for the first wicket leaving only 22 runs required for victory, but from this moment things started going dramatically wrong.

Back into the attack came Australian Andy Maher and he ripped through some uncertain batting to take 4 for 16 in a tremendous hostile spell. He was well supported by Kyle McKeeman (3 for 37) as Killamarsh were suddenly seven wickets down in a game they would surely have found it difficult to lose.

However they struggled there with skipper Adrian Rivington blasting a monumental six  to close up the scores and as the curtain came down on this cracker Killamarsh totalled 180 for 7 which guaranteed them a place in the final by losing three less wickets. So they are still there with a chance of the league and cup double and whatever happens the Killamarsh side will look back on season 2006 with a tremendous amount of satisfaction.  

At Chesterfield Road: Whitwell 96 all out, lost to Mansfield and Pleasley 97 for 6 by four wickets.

The one thing both these two sides feared was losing the toss because it was a racing certainty with all the rain that had fallen, the side who won it were going to shove the other one in without as much as a second thought about it.

When the coin came down in favour of Mansfield & Pleasley’s Darren Walker he must have breathed a sigh of relief as Whitwell were sent in to bat and were immediately in big trouble. Only Ian Dennis who top scored with 23, Carl Curran (14), Tom Chester (13) and Darren Westerby (13) reached double figures as the Mansfield & Pleasley attack made it sing on the damp strip.

Ian Woodall (3 for 25), Darren Walker (2 for 17) and Ross Pinder (2 for 19) all enjoyed themselves and made full use of the helpful conditions as Whitwell were bowled out for a very disappointing 96 runs.

Despite an excellent opening burst by Nathan Morris who bagged 3 for 20, and good support from Heath Bush (1 for 17), Ian Dennis (1 for 18) and Darren Westerby (1 for 21), Mansfield & Pleasley just had enough gas in the tank to claim their place in the final. Credit however must go to Whitwell who refused to ‘Give up the ghost’ and struck back well but the score they had posted was a little too small to defend.

Darren Walker (30) and Freddie Parker (28) were the two leading lights who saw Mansfield & Pleasley home on 97 for 6 and a four wicket success. This was another thriller and both sides are to be complimented for their display on a wicket which was far from easy to bat on.