Clipstone make big waves with huge derby win over Welbeck

“That was our best performance so far,” said senior player Ian Woodall.

“Almost everyone chipped in with the bat and we bowled and fielded brilliantly.

“There was a good crowd in and a lot of people are now coming over from other clubs to watch us which we have never had before.

“It was a good all-round performance that has come from all our hard work, practice and team talks about what you have to do to be successful in this league.

“Our aim was just to stay in this league so it's beyond our dreams so far – to be fifth is unbelievable on the budget we've got. We have some big characters and everyone is working hard.

“At the moment we are happy to take anybody on and try to give them a game.

“We are enjoying it, but we are being cautious as we know it can all change just like that. You can be quickly knocked off your perch when you're doing well in this game.”

Choosing to bat first, Clipstone powered to an imposing 313-8 from their 50 overs.

West Indian batsman Demari Prince led the way with 71, including six fours and four sixes, backed by 44 from Haider Ali Ehsan, 47 for Adam Dutton, 32 for Taylor Wright, 28 for Joshua Flowers and 25 for Shaun Levy.

There were some fine partnerships with Prince sharing in 77 for the third wicket with Dutton and 74 for the fourth wicket with Flowers.

Ehsan and Dutton also made 55 for the second wicket.

Welbeck struggled to get going in reply and crumbled to 104 all out in 27.2 overs, Jake Parker top-scoring with 26 and Mohamed Althaf Anwardeen taking 3-48 as Clipstone sit pretty in fifth place after a fourth win in five games after their early season struggles while Welbeck remain rooted to the bottom.

Welbeck head coach Richard Stroh said: “We lost the toss and didn't make use of the new ball or take our chances – we didn't really bowl very well.

“Clipstone posted a very formidable total. But being a small ground with a fast outfield we still believed we had the batting capacity to knock it off.

“But with four run outs and batting very poorly we just weren't at the races at all.

“It is not a great thing being bottom of the table with a slight gap now opening up.

“It is going to be a tough 12-13 games to finish the season and we have got a bit of work to do.

“We have to back each other, carry on working hard and believing a win is around the corner.

“Hopefully if we get one we can turn it into two and get a bit of momentum going to kickstart our season as we need a very strong finish now.”

Cuckney stay third on run rate after beating Wollaton by four wickets at home.

And their title hopes were boosted after seeing Cavaliers & Carrington finally suffer a first league loss of the summer at home to Collingham & District.

“Wollaton have put one over us in the league a couple of times recently in the league so it was good to get the job done this time and put that little hoodoo to bed,” said Cuckney vice-captain Tom Ullyott.

“We bowled really nicely and Arcie Shannon and Joel Gunn took some vital wickets.

“It looked a below-par total but we were not brilliant with the bat if I am honest, but we knocked it off quite comfortably in the end.

It is nice to get a bit of a winning streak in the league now since we lost to Cavaliers.

“It was nice to see Cavaliers lose one from our perspective as we are not yet even halfway through the season.

“They have been almost perfect since the start of the season and I saw they won in the National Knockout Cup on Sunday against Kimberley so they were quickly back on the horse.

“It is very difficult to win every single game.”

Visiting Wollaton decided to bat first on Saturday and were bowled out for 166 in 38 overs.

Johan Cronje (49) and Keil Van Vollenhoven (44) provided the bulk of Wollaton's runs while Shannon claimed 4-14 and Gunn 3-40, both from seven overs.

Cuckney reached their 167 target for the loss of six wickets.

Nick Keast was run out on 42 while Joseph Hayes added 38 and Yuvraj Singh 25.

On Saturday Clipstone are at Wollaton, Cuckney travel to Plumtree and Welbeck host Collingham & District.

In Division Two, a thrilling finish saw Kimberley Institute seconds edge home by one wicket against Mansfield Hosiery Mills with just three balls to spare.

Mills made 260 all out, Joshua Dykes with 77, Charana Nanyakkara with 58 and Yesith Rupasinghe with 25, Craig Harrison nclaining 4-65 and Harry Burnhill 3-39.

Burnhill's 100 led the reply with 32 for Joshua Bembridge and 25 for Jon Terry, Muhammed Shahzad Faisal with 3-42, as they reached their target of 251-9.

Cuckney seconds were comfortable 131-run winners at Anston.

Asked to bat, Cuckney made 258-9, James Hawley with 61 and William Ullyott with 59.

Anston were then dismissed for 127 in 32 overs, Oliver Wilson (3-22) and Drew Owen (3-018) taking three wickets each.