BASSETLAW LEAGUE ROUND-UP: Unbeaten high-fliers Thoresby Colliery strike again

The big match of the day in the Bassetlaw League saw Thoresby Colliery strengthen their Championship title claims with a convincing victory over fellow early-season high-fliers Clipstone Colliery.
ON THE SWEEP -- Tim Smith, batting for Worksop under the watchful eye of Edwinstowe wicketkeeper Gary Wilson in The Championship of the Bassetlaw League.ON THE SWEEP -- Tim Smith, batting for Worksop under the watchful eye of Edwinstowe wicketkeeper Gary Wilson in The Championship of the Bassetlaw League.
ON THE SWEEP -- Tim Smith, batting for Worksop under the watchful eye of Edwinstowe wicketkeeper Gary Wilson in The Championship of the Bassetlaw League.

Thoresby lost the toss and were invited to bat, but built a total of 220-9, despite a bowling return of 5-55 by Taylor Wright for the visitors. Muhammed Yasar top scored with 60, while John Skinner made 46.

In reply, Clipstone fell well short of their target, tumbling to 143 all out. Jack Willis, with figures of 4-43, was the hosts’ most effective bowler, helping his side to a maximum tally of 20 points to stay joint top of the table after three unbeaten matches.

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In pole position with Thoresby are Papplewick and Linby, who eased to a seven-wicket win at Retford. Despite 58 from ex-England international Usman Afzaal and an undefeated 36 from Greg Mann, the home side were bowled out for just 143, with Gareth Blinkhorn again taking four wickets, this time for the loss of 29 runs. Papplewick raced to 147-3 in only 30.4 overs, with Alex Lloyd hitting a swift 65.

Arguably the individual performance of the day in the top flight came from all-rounder Yashan Samarasinghe, who helped Edwinstowe extend their strong start to the 2016 season with an exciting one-wicket win at Worksop.

With the ball, Samarasinghe took 2-43 in 15 tidy overs as the home team were dismissed for 176. And then he fired a brilliant 105, featuring two sixes and ten fours, as Edwinstowe scrambled home on 177-9, despite 4-32 in 15 overs from Richard Snowden.

Most of Worksop’s runs had been scored by Luke Ambrose (79) and opener Chris Taylor (57), while the visitors’ most successful bowler was Tom Ward with 5-44.

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Afteer a poor tally of eight points from their opening two games, Anston were relieved to celebrate victory for the first time at home to Glapwell. With Andy Ruczenczyn bagging 4-49, they removed the visitors for 140, despite 34 from Stephen Gooding, and then they eased to 142-5 in reply, with Andrew Pickering making 35.

Victories were also posted by Farnsfield, away to Notts and Arnold Amateurs, and North Wheatley with Leverton, at home to bottom-of-the-table Whitwell (Derbyshire).

Thanks to fine bowling by Callum McKenzie (3-7) and David Loveridge (3-25), Farnsfield restricted Amateurs to just 128, despite 38 from Ben Scott and 31 from Sam Ecob, and although their reply did not go entirely to plan, man-of-the-match McKenzie’s knock of 30 helped them to 129-7.

Last season’s First Division champions Whitwell plunged to their third straight defeat in what has been a baptism of fire in The Championship. They batted solidly, reaching 184-8 in the hands of Andrew McCarroll, who hit 89, but couldn’t prevent Wheatley reaching their target for the loss of seven wickets, even though Greg Searston took 3-39 and Luke Roddison 3-49. Callum Harrison top scored for the visitors with 40.