NCB Premier round-up: Cuckney lose again, Kimberley go fourth, Ordsall can’t halt Cavaliers

Cuckney were unable to prevent a fourth straight defeat as opponents Plumtree cut the gap at the top of the NCB Notts Premier League on Saturday.
Kimberley v Notts AcademyCricket - Notts Academy add runs to the score after Jack Blatherwick was unable to stop a ball sent straight back towards him - Photo By James WilliamsonKimberley v Notts AcademyCricket - Notts Academy add runs to the score after Jack Blatherwick was unable to stop a ball sent straight back towards him - Photo By James Williamson
Kimberley v Notts AcademyCricket - Notts Academy add runs to the score after Jack Blatherwick was unable to stop a ball sent straight back towards him - Photo By James Williamson

With leaders Caythorpe losing at Attenborough, Plumtree took full advantage, though it wasn’t straightforward, as Cuckney made them work hard for it.

Cuckney won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision that didn’t look the greatest at 55-6.

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James Hawley kept the innings afloat, first adding 50 with Daniel Wood and a further 51 with Lewis Bramley.

Hawley finished not out on 60 as the Cuckney innings closed on 162, Graeme White took 4-33 and Glen Read 3-46.

Lewis Bramley was in inspired form with the ball, taking 5-46 from his 15 overs as Plumtree stumbled to 91-7.

A 55-run stand between Nathan Rimmington (62) and Bobby Gamble (33 not out) turned the tide and with an over remaining, Plumtree made the target.

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The battle at the top tightened up after leaders Caythorpe fell to just their second defeat of the season.

After winning the toss, the Attenborough skip invited his guests to bat first, quickly reducing them to 32-2.

Martyn Dobson made 47 in an 85-run partnership with Mat Dowman, who went on to make 63. With Akif Farooq taking 4-70 and Stanny Simon 5-47, claiming regular scalps, only a breezy 33 from James Hemmings pushed the total to 224.

Sam Clulow’s 45 was the backbone of the early part of the Attenborough reply, but at 94-4 victory looked difficult.

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Craig Heiden joined Tom Murray to add 52 for the fifth wicket, before Muhammad Usman, who retired not out, and Ben Bhabra joined him to add a further 79 to take the Squirrels to the brink of a victory that was wrapped up shortly after, Heiden finishing not out on 67 and Mat Dowman and Jim Hindson each claiming a pair of wickets.

West Indian Cavaliers moved into third, 17 points off the top, with a convincing six-wicket win at Ordsall Bridon.

After winning the toss and putting their hosts in to bat, it looked like being a short day as the Bridon top order crumbled to 46-5 and then 70 -6.

However, the tail wagged strongly, led by a fighting 95 from James Brice, who added 108 with Jamie Alderson (40).

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Aqab Ahmed 51 added a further 67 with Asad Ali (32) as Bridon were all out for 281 in the 48th over.

Corey Collymore took 5-59, backed up by Kafeel Shafique with 5-82.

By contrast, the Cavs’ reply was a relative cruise. They passed the total with 14 overs to spare, for the loss of only four wickets, Usman Afzaal leading the way, scoring 105 from 103 balls, partnering Rehan Iqbal (70) to add 103 for the third wicket and 97 with Bilal Shafayat for the fourth, Shafayat finishing 62 not out.

Kimberley Institute lifted themselves into fourth with a five-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire Academy.

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Kimberley won the toss, asking their visitors to bat first, quickly reducing them to 41-4, then 84-5. Anuj Dal (78) and Connor Marshall (68) had a stand of 78 to boost the score, but the tail fell away and the innings closed on 218 all out.

Ben Savage, with 3-39, did the early damage before Jack Blatherwick, George Bacon and Alex King each took a couple of wickets.

Tom Rowe’s 72 was the anchor for the Kimberley reply, bolstered by 43 from Shaun Levy and 40 not out from George Bacon, as the target was surpassed with eight overs left.

At Welbeck, visitors Clifton Village won the toss and elected to bat first, Richard Harrison and Scott McNeill adding 81 for the first wicket before Harrison fell for 35. Martin Weightman joined McNeill to add 59 for the third wicket before McNeill fell for 67.

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Weightman compiled an unbeaten 65 as Clifton finished on 245-7, Richard Stroh’s 4-57 pegging them back.

Welbeck cruised to their target with seven overs remaining, losing a solitary wicket.

Matthew Higgins was the star, scoring an unbeaten 125 as he paired with Simon Widdup (59) in an opening stand of 143, before adding the final 104 with Andrew Parkin-Coates (38 not out).

At the foot of the table, Radcliffe-on-Trent gave themselves some breathing space with a fraught one wicket victory over rivals Farnsfield.

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The away side won the toss and batted first, the opening pair putting on 81, centred round Matthew Sisson’s 56.

A number of other batsmen made starts, but Toby Trotman’s 32 was the next best score, as Jacob Deavin-Baker took 5-41 from his 15 overs to restrict Farnsfield to 202-9.

While David Loveridge was bowling, Farnsfield appeared to have a chance. He took 5-38 from 15 overs, including Ross Carnelley for 50 and Jake Fish for 34, as Radcliffe fell to 147-7.

However, the tail were able to do just enough to get the Trent men over the line with seven balls to spare.

RESULTS

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At The Strand: CAYTHORPE (5) 224 (M. Dowman 63, M. Dobson 47; S. Simon 5-47, A. Farooq 4-70) lost to ATTENBOROUGH (20) 225-6 (C. Heiden 67*, S. Clulow 45) by four wickets.

At Kimberley: NOTTS ACADEMY (5) 218 (A. Dal 78, C. Marshall 68; B. Savage 3-3) lost to KIMBERLEY (20) 222-5 (T. Rowe 72, S. Levy 43, G. Bacon 40*) by five wickets.

At Ordsall: ORDSALL BRIDON (5) 281 (J. Brice 95, A. Ahed 51, J. Alderson 40; C. Collymore 5-59, K. Shafique 5-82) lost to WEST INDIAN CAVALIERS (20) 282-4 (U. Afzaal 105, R. Iqbal 70, B. Shafayat 62*) by six wickets.

At Plumtree: CUCKNEY (4) 162 (J. Hawley 60*; G. White 4-33, G. Read 3-46) lost to PLUMTREE (200 166-8 (N. Rimmington 62, B. Gamble 33*; L. Bramley 5-46) by two wickets.

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At Radcliffe: FARNSFIELD (7) 202-9 (M. Sisson 56, T. Trotman 32; J. Deavin-Baker 5-41) lost to RADCLIFFE-ON-TRENT (20) 204-9 (R. Carnelley 60, J. Fish 34; D. Loveridge 5-38) by one wicket.

At John Fretwell Sporting Complex: CLIFTON VILLAGE (4) 245-7 (M. Weightman 65*, S. McNeill 67; R. Stroh 4-57) lost to WELBECK (20) 247-1 (M. Higgins 125*, S. Widdup 59) by nine wickets.

FIXTURES

SATURDAY: Nottinghamshire Cricket Board Academy v Plumtree, Farnsfield v West Indian Cavaliers, Clifton Village v Radcliffe-on-Trent, Caythorpe v Welbeck, Cuckney v Attenborough, Ordsall Bridon v Kimberley Institute.