It's Elliott again!
by Paul Barker, 9th September 2007

If there has ever been a player who you could describe with total justification as the ‘complete run machine’ it must surely be Notts. & Arnold Amateurs, Australian recruit from Geelong, Tom Elliot. In sixteen matches played, he has recorded an incredible nine centuries with Farnsfield being the latest to sample his talents at Goosedale on Saturday.

Elliot smashed a magnificent 140 with shots to all parts of the ground as Notts. & Arnold piled up a massive 323 for 5 in there 50 over stay at the crease. Skipper Ian Flood (31) and the big hitting Shaz Ahmed who blasted a quick-fire 89 also batted extremely well, but it will be Elliot who will always be remembered for his incredible feats this season.

He is without question one of the finest players the league has seen in recent seasons and the Notts. & Arnold side would I feel sure love to retain his services in 2008. Whether they will be able to is open to question, but if they find someone else 50% as good, they will feel they have done a good job.

In the light of this onslaught, one must pay tribute to Mark Silcock who bowled superbly well to take 4 for 67 considering the run feast. Farnsfield’s reply whilst they were never going to keep up with the clock was commendable, and skipper Andy Edwards contributed a splendid unbeaten 123 as his side closed on 206 for 4.

Champions Cuckney closed a memorable season for them with a comfortable six wicket win over relegated Worksop who once again gave it all they had got. Batting first, Worksop were dismissed for just 134 with Sri-Lankan star Nandika Ranjith top scoring with 32.

However the undoubted star of all this was the Cuckney skipper Will Butler who recorded the amazing figures of 8 for 39 from just 11 overs. Butler was just about as unplayable as it is possible to get, and troubled everybody throughout the innings in a sensational spell.

Of course this target was never going to cause too many problems for the champions and with Richard Stroh (59) once again in fine form victory was achieved. Worksop did manage to take four wickets but their run tally was never going to be enough and even their tremendous spirit could not pull the fat out of the fire on this occasion.

It must be rather disappointing to register a brilliant unbeaten 180 and end on the losing side, but that was the fate of Cutthorpe’s Asadullah Butt at Glapwell as the home side pulled off an amazing eight wicket win. Butt was merciless on anything loose and flayed the Glapwell bowling all over the ground as Cutthorpe piled up a mammoth 280 for 4.

One thing however must be said about the pitches in Division 1 this season is that virtually all of them have been top class which considering the weather we have been subjected to must cast enormous credit on the groundsmen throughout the section. 

This was another perfect example, as Glapwell raced to an incredible 281 for 2 and victory. Rob Davison set the tone with a superb 102 and fantastic support came from skipper Matt Hall with 125 n.o. and Richard Hope 28 n.o. as Glapwell pulled off an astonishing win.

Kiveton Park who had a marvellous first half of the season before falling away came back to form in the very last match with a nine wicket win over Bolsover. Batting first, Bolsover were far from their usual confident selves and were dismissed for just 152. Only Mark Bull (35) and Andy Rogers (31) propped the innings up as Harsha Cooray the Sri-Lankan who has had such a good season for Kiveton took 3 for 40 and Lee Brooks recorded the incredible figures of 4 for 2 as Bolsover collapsed dramatically.

Cooray showed his immense all-round ability as he surged to a superb unbeaten 89 and with Ian Hampshire providing him with the support needed on 56 n.o. Kiveton reached 154 for 1 and victory.

An amazing match at Middlefield Lane between Marshalls and Bridon ended in a 153 run tie. James Deacon (53) top scored for Marshalls who had difficulty with Simon Davison (4 for 39) and Matt Makings (4 for 28) who bowled a nagging and miserly line and length all afternoon.

In reply, Bridon were well served by Wayne Spooner who made a superb 78 and Mark Brewer (32) but the rest of the batting was easily forgettable as Darren Andrews (3 for 50) and Gareth Andrews (5 for 28) tore through some rather frail resistance to bowl Bridon out for 153 and the points were shared eleven each.

Ransome and Marles slumped to yet another defeat against Thoresby Colliery and will probably be glad the season is over. Batting first, Ransomes made a not very convincing 168 all out with Ian Sellars (70) and Tom Cobb (35) battling well but lacking the vital support needed. Asad Hussain (4 for 36) and Bill Lippeatt (3 for 29) did most of the damage and the target set looked flimsy to say the least.

And so it proved as Thoresby reached 172 for 1 with consummate ease. Nigel Birkett who has had a tremendous second half of the season, made 66 and Farook Aziz (72 n.o.) also batted superbly as Thoresby won very much as they pleased by nine wickets.

All the excitement however on this last full Saturday of the season was scheduled in Division 2 with three sides fighting for the two promotion places and six sides involved in the relegation stakes to partner Everton who were already doomed to Division 3.

It went by, not without a shock or two, but Edwinstowe showed that they were determined not just to gain promotion, but to lift the title as well and they managed both quests. Facing Mansfield Hosiery Mills 2^nd at The Fieldings, Edwinstowe piled up a massive total of 324 for 7 when their 46 overs ran out.

It didn’t look quite that way at the start and they lost Tom Ward and Jeff Appleton who had looked in ominously good form with only 50 on the board, but then a huge stand for the third wicket between Mohammad Wajihuddin (88), and Gareth Price (95) changed the whole complex of the match.

Wajihuddin smashed some enormous sixes before being drawn forward and stumped when he looked a certainty for a hundred and Price who batted splendidly was bowled just five runs short of what would have been another deserved century. James Peacock joined in the fun smashing a powerful 47 and some lusty blows by Richard Gombos saw the final total reach 324. Craig Scholes with 3 for 76 bowled well, but even he suffered in the massive onslaught at the end of the innings.

Any hopes Hosiery Mills might have had were quickly dispelled as two wickets fell in the first four overs with John Garnham causing all the trouble. Only skipper Darren Johnson (21) resisted for long although the last pair John Spellman and James Fraser performed a good rearguard action that held Edwinstowe up for quite a while at the end.

Garnham took 5 for 33 in an excellent stint and Richard Gombos who bowled as accurately as ever assisted with 3 for 26 as Hosiery Mills were bowled out for just 110. Edwinstowe are worth champions and the Hosiery Mills can count themselves unfortunate in coming up against a side right on top of their form.

Take your hat off to Waleswood who claimed the second place with their third consecutive promotion in as many seasons. Although their excellent South African Ian O’Neill had returned home, opponents Eckington are not the sort of team anyone would want to face when you needed the points for promotion in the last match, but Waleswood pulled off a tremendous 84 run win to reach the top division.

Gareth Davis who has been such an asset to them with both bat and ball all season started well making 36 and strong support came from Rana Rauf who made a very useful 30. Wicket-keeper Glen Mackay also chipped in with 27 and this was far from his last contribution for the afternoon. The final all out total was 178 with Eckington skipper Tom Dawson taking 5 for 42 in a good stint for his side.

On past evidence this score looked a little small for a winning total on this ground, but the Waleswood team put together a superb performance in the field and Eckington were all back inside for just 94. Skipper Simon Cope bowled superbly to take 3 for 18 and that man Gareth Davis was once again well to the fore with 3 for 22. Glen Mackay bagged four catches and a smart stumping, and Waleswood will ply their trade in Division 1 next season. They have deserved their success and have more outright wins to their credit than any other side in the Division. They will obviously need some strengthening for the next campaign, but there is some fine players there as well and if the right people are brought in they may well shock some sides.

Papplewick & Linby 2^nd were the unlucky team to miss out, but even they managed to win although it was not quite good enough. Batting first opponents Mansfield & Pleasley made 160 for 7 with David Williams (49) top scoring. The ever-dependable Steve Alford took 3 for 30, and at this stage the Papplewick side must have been rather optimistic.

With Steve Thomas (84 n.o.) providing the steadiness required, Papplewick just squeezed home on 161 for 8 by two wickets. It was far from easy however and Ian Woodall (4 for 45) also produced the hat-trick as wickets fell at regular intervals. However the fact that Edwinstowe and Waleswood managed maximum points meant that Papplewick had missed out after a brave and bold battle.  

Caythorpe 2^nd pulled off a brilliant victory at Blidworth to save their bacon for the next campaign. Batting first Blidworth were more than thankful to Humoyun Kabir who made a brilliant 92 out of 170 all out. Young Daniel Moore who consistently bowls well without luck, had one of those better days and thoroughly deserved his 4 for 45 success.

In reply Caythorpe had several hic-cups along the way before making 174 for 8 and victory by two wickets. They were most grateful for the contributions from Richard Beaumont (70) and Andy Hunt (38) whilst Rollo Sharma (5 for 27) had them on tenterhooks for much of their innings with some brilliant bursts of top quality seam bowling.

Whitwell could only manage three points in their match against Anston and must have feared the worst as their opponents made sure they would not be going down. Batting first Whitwell could only manage 157 for 9 and if it hadn’t been for Duncan Forrest (67) and Carl Curran (43 n.o.) one dreads to think how few they would have made.

Still needing a few points themselves to be absolutely safe, Anston reached 159 for 3, which assured them their Division 2 status in 2008. Matt Hewitt (49 n.o.) and Michael Norbury (62) were the main contributors whilst skipper Andy Forster (16 n.o.) assisted Hewitt as victory was achieved.

A few anxious phone calls to Everton dropped them a lifeline when it was discovered that the home side who were relegated two weeks ago had beaten North Wheatley with Leverton which sent them tumbling into Division 3.

How North Wheatley managed it, only they themselves know. Batting first Everton reached a useful 171 for 8 total with John Waghorn (44) and Mark Anthony 76) both batting well. Richard Robinson (5 for 44) was the pick of the North Wheatley attack and they must have thought a win was very much on the cards at the half way mark.

In reply, things were going so smoothly with Wayne Harrison (32) getting North Wheatley away to a good start and then Wayne Ellis took over and victory looked a mere formality. Only 16 runs were needed with four wickets in hand but some inspired bowling and some rather indifferent batting saw all these fall for just 12 runs.

Wayne Ellis who had batted soundly was left high and dry on 37 n.o. as the others failed to get him on strike and really and truly they have only themselves to blame. Jon Shaw (3 for 34) and Andy Snell (3 for 46) were the heroes for Everton as North Wheatley were finally bowled out for just 167, just four runs short of safety.