Delighted Clipstone secure top flight future while Cuckney title hopes fade further
Delighted Clipstone secured their Nottinghamshire Premier League future for another year with a derby day away win that left Welbeck closer to the drop last Saturday.
Promoted Clipstone had a tough start to the summer but grew into their new elite surroundings and have put together some fine results.
That continued on Saturday as they won by eight wickets.
Welbeck chose to bat but were all out for 143 in 34.5 overs.
Richie Bentley (36) and Ben Bowring (28) produced the only two innings of note while James Hubball took 4-42 and Mohammed Althaf Anwardeen 3-30, both from 10 overs.
Clipstone then reached 144-2 in 27.3 overs.
Opener Adam Dutton set them on their way with 36 and Shaun Levy (53 not out) and Demari Prince (35 not out) saw them home.
Welbeck are bottom and 12 points from safety with a game in hand.
Cuckney's outside hopes of the title were ended in a surprise 10 wicket defeat at Wollaton that has also left finishing runners-up in the balance, now only six points ahead of Kimberley Institute in third.
Choosing to bat, Cuckney finished with 233-9.
After losing two early wickets, Eliot Callis (36) and Nick Langford (59) moved the scoreboard along well, backed then by Tom Ullyott (42) and Adam Tillcock (44).
Zain Latif took 4-32 from his 10 overs.
But the home side then stunned everyone by making 237 without loss in 39.3 overs, Johan Cronje immaculate with a thrilling, unbeaten 143 off 111 balls, scoring 14 fours and seven sixes.
He was backed all the way by 80 not out from Hassan Azad.
This Saturday Clipstone host Wollaton while Welbeck are at Collingham and Cuckney host Plumtree.
Then on Monday Clipstone are at home to Notts & Arnold Amateur and Welbeck host Attenborough.
In Division Two, promotion-chasing Mansfield Hosiery Mills pipped Kimberley seconds by just two runs and sit second.
Put into bat, Hosiery Mills made a big score of 298-9 in their 50 overs, Mark Smallwood with 109, including 12 fours and three sixes.
Rayhan Don (38), Charana Nanayakkara (33), Jake Miller (34) and Adam Dobb (27 not out) providing good support. Seb Sayer took 4-46.
Kimberley fell agonisingly short in reply, ending up on 296-4 when the overs ran out.
Alexander Aldred scored 128 not out and Josh Ruthven 80 but, needing 12 off the last over proved a step too far, Aldred's four off the last ball not providing the six he needed.
Cuckney seconds beat Anston by one wicket.
Anston were bowled out for 167, Buddika Karawgodalage scoring 46 and Harry Ballard (3-13) and Richard Bostock (3-23) sharing six wickets.
Cuckney edged home at 168-9, Bostock scoring 29 and Karawgodalage taking 4-24 and Sam Taylor 3-47.