Major step as Cuckney beat title rivals - Notts Premier League round-up

The Cavaliers posted 280-9 in the first innings with Bilal Shafayat top-scoring with 75 and Akhil Patel hitting 70 and Ata-ur Rehman 33.

Richard Bostock secured best bowling figures for the home team with 4-24.

Cuckney have made a speciality of close run chases and their experience showed as they overhauled their target with just three balls to spare for the loss of six wickets.

Luke Thomas was the star, hitting 103 from 111 balls with Will Root contributing 90.

Bilal Shafayat continued his form with bowling figures of 4-57 and this results means the Cavs remain in second but are now 24 points behind Cuckney.

Rolls Royce still have a slim chance of lifting the title in their first season in the league and they remained in the race by inflicting a big seven wicket win on Caythorpe at Watnall Road.

The visitors batted first and were bundled out for just 90 in 28.3 overs with Ben Phillips taking 4-16 and Adam Shepherd 3-40.

Rolls lost three wickets in their chase, but reached their target in just 86 balls with Luke Fletcher ending unbeaten on 30 and Michael Millwood 34 and they are now six points behind the Cavaliers and 30 points behind Cuckney.

The fight to avoid the second relegation spot at the foot of the table looks like it could be one of the closest in years, and Welbeck secured a vital win over fellow-strugglers Farnsfield at Station Lane. The visitors batted first and struck 265-7 with Matt Higgins (101) and Martyn Dobson (51) putting on 117 for the first wicket and Higgins and Billy Godleman (87) adding 103 for the second with Jamie Wagstaff (3-68) and Graeme White (3-89) each taking three wickets.

White also found form with the bat hitting 41 and he and Callum McKenzie (55) added 95 for the 4th wicket but Ollie Pringle took 6-60 to bowl the home side out for 229 in the penultimate over. Welbeck now have 193 points and sit in ninth spot, 18 points ahead of Farnsfield who remain in 11th.

Plumtree are the side in 10th and they now have a 14 point lead over Farnsfield after they bagged 17 points in a winning draw at Kimberley.

The visitors were asked to bat first and that decision backfired a little when they posted 310 for the loss of just four wickets.

Brothers Ben and Sam Storey put on 191 for the first wicket but each fell agonisingly close their individual hundreds with Sam going for 98 and Ben 99.

Skipper Ben Thompson then struck a quickfire 84 not out from just 51 balls to post a very competitive target.

Despite Bharat Popli hitting a run-a-ball 34, Kimberley were never really up with the rate and closed on 191-7 with Sam Johnson again impressing with 58 not out. Thompson rounded off a great day of leadership from the front with figures of 4-41.

Clifton eased worries of joining the relegation race after they secured a losing draw at home against the Nottinghamshire Academy.

The county side posted the highest total of the day finishing on 322-6 with Sam Kelsall starring with 104 from the top of the order, adding 158 for the first wicket with Matt Cross (75).

Tom Rowe (56) and Kelsall added a further 99 for the second wicket and only spinner Alex Turner found decent form with the ball with figures of 3-85.

Clifton were well up with the rate throughout their innings with contributions from Scott McNeill (71), Richard Harris (56) and Martin Weightman (41) but they ended on 233-6 with Adam Tillcock grabbing 3-70.

Papplewick may be down, but with the pressure lifted and they responded with an unexpected win away at Mansfield Hosiery Mills.

The visitors batted first and once Ross Fitz-John (43) and Mark Nelson (35) had gone it looked like business as usual as they fell to 149-8 but Gareth Blinkhorn struck an unbeaten 61 to add 78 for the ninth wicket with Sam Stewart.

Kyle Garside did much of the damage with the ball taking 5-69 for the home side.

At 108-2 and Gareth Curtis (49) and Sudesh Fernando (64) going well, the Millers looked on course for a routine win but Fitz-John removed the middle order and the home side were dismissed for 198 with Fitz-John ending with 4-41.