Huge local derby looms as Clipstone aim to put daylight between themselves and bottom side Welbeck

A fourth win in five games, that opened a 14-point gap to neighbours Welbeck and senior Clipstone player Ian Woodall said: “It was a great win for us and everyone was over the moon.

“Onwards and upwards, we will keep winning as many as we can to ensure survival.

“We are now in a brilliant position and we have a massive game this Saturday.

“It is a huge game for us and for Welbeck – and it's probably a bigger game for them than us. So it's good to be in that position.

“If we can beat them it will open a big 22-point gap between us. But if they beat us it closes the gap to six.”

Put into bat, Hucknall hit 173-8 in a reduced 36 overs due to the rain interruptions.

Under Duckworth-Lewis, Clipstone were set a revised target of 168 to win from 36 overs, and they reached that total for the loss of four wickets with eight balls to spare.

After being 23-3, Hucknall captain Sam Johnson led their fight with 64 off 68 balls at number four including five fours and three sixes, while Dom Wheatley added 26 and Maaz Sheth took 3-30 off seven overs.

Clipstone lost Shaun Levy for one run with four on the board, but then Haider Ali Ehsan (52) and Adam Dutton (61 not out) combined for a second wicket stand of 96 to build a winning platform.

It was a fourth victory in six games for the promoted side after a difficult start and they are now one of three sides on 32 points, just two behind fourth-placed Hucknall.

“We took early wickets, which we had set out to do, so we could get at the middle order – and we did really well,” said Woodall.

“We won the toss which gave us the chance to dictate the game a bit, despite a couple of rain interruptions.

“Young Sam Johnson batted well for them, but just a little bit of scoreboard pressure saw him get caught.

“I think they thought they were going to bowl us out. But we took our time and kept wickets in hand.

“Our opener Haider made 52 and Adam batted through before young Taylor Wright came in and finished it with two sixes.”

Cuckney eventually won their rain-affected local derby at Welbeck by seven wickets.

Despite the downpours, Welbeck scored 190-9 in the 39 overs they managed.

Losing wickets with just one run and then three on the board early on, Welbeck began to build through Mat Roberts (51) and Richard Stroh (61), the duo making 78 for the fourth wicket.

Joe Worrall claimed 3-50 from his eight overs.

That set Cuckney a revised target of 191 in 39 overs, and they cantered home for the loss of three wickets in just 37.5 overs with some aggressive batting.

Nick Keast was an early loss with only four on the board.

Then Tom Rowe (53), Eliot Callis (62) and Joseph Hayes (37 not out) took control of the situation, Rowe and Callis producing 116 for the second wicket.

Hayes also made 42 with Tom Ullyott for the fourth wicket.

Rowe's 53 came from 36 balls and included seven fours and a six.

Callis hit 62 from 61 balls with nine fours and a six while Hayes struck six boundaries in his 37.

Ullyott hit four boundaries in his 18 not out as Cuckney maintained third place position in the table behind Cavaliers & Carrington and Kimberley Institute, who both won as well.

“It is tricky when there is rain about and Duckworth-Lewis and you then lose the toss and end up batting first,” said Welbeck head coach Richard Stroh.

“We came on and off for rain and overs were reduced. So it's tricky to know what is a good total.

“You set yourself out to pace yourselves for 50 overs and it ended up being 39 overs.

“I still thought 190 was a competitive total. But it didn't end up being enough as they knocked it off with three down and nine overs to go.

“We needed to take early wickets and we dropped three early catches and, against a top side like Cuckney, you have to take your chances.

“If we'd held onto them it might have taken it a bit closer to the wire.

“It is the second time we have been done by the rain, but I guess that's cricket.

“First on Saturday it was a delayed start and reduced to 48 overs. We came off and it was reduced to 44 and then we came off again, had an early tea, and it was reduced to 39.

“It is not a nice feeling to be bottom of the table, especially nine games in. But we've had a tough start playing all the top sides and it means that when you play the rest of the teams they become must-win games.

“It won't be easy against Clipstone this weekend as they have now won a few games and are not an easy side to play against as they play some tough cricket – but we're looking forward to it.”

Cuckney vice captain Ullyott said: “It's always nice to win a local derby.

“Rain-affected games are never much fun with going on and off and lots of breaks in the game.

“But if you win the toss it helps if you are chasing lower or revised totals.

“We took some wickets before the rain came which helped and our opening bowlers bowled really nicely.

“They made 190 which was a few more than we felt we should have let them get, though we still felt it would be comfortable as it's always a nice ground at Welbeck and the weather dried up for us later on.

“Tom and Eliot went about their business after we lost an early wicket, both playing fluently and making it to 50, then Joe Hayes helped knock it off, so there were three nice batting efforts. And the bowlers bowled well as a unit.”

This Saturday Cuckney are at home to Wollaton, who lost by seven wickets at home to Attenborough last weekend.